Is Costa Rica a good place to live?

YES! Well, of course this depends on your circumstances and where in Costa Rica (just like the variety within any other country). Let me know more details and I’m happy to tell you more. I lived there for 3 months, so I’m no expert, but know some things.

My in-laws have some good friends who bought a house in Costa Rica. They recently decided to sell it after owning for only approximately two years because they felt uncomfortable owning property there. I don’t know details so I don’t want to say anything that is completely wrong.

Have you visited? I lived there for a summer a long time ago. But it’s beautiful and the people are really nice. I would love to live there, I think. My plan was once to move there, but that has long since faded from view. I know that many Americans buy property there so it’s doable- though I think it’s getting more expensive and popular. I suggest visiting if you haven’t.

do more research. Find the best area that is safe for you. Ask around see what people think who have lived there

I lived in Costa Rica for 4 months studying environmental policy and sustainability at the University in San Jose. More retirees from the United States own real estate in Costa Rica than any other country abroad and the gap between rich and poor is widening quickly. Some Costa Rican’s have seen their wealth and well-being improve due to the influx of tourism, but most have not. My host family can no longer afford to visit the beach at Christmas, as they have for decades, because most of the waterfront property is owned by large real-estate companies like Windemere and RE Max. There has been little effort to build with local materials. Yes, most people know that CR has the most protected forests in Central America, but it also has the highest rate of deforestation in non-protected areas. It doesn’t have an army, but the number of armed private policeman has swelled larger than all the armed forces of their nieghbors. As with our own country, Costa Rica has a deep tradition of racism. Black people where not allowed to take the train into the central valley until the 1970’s and Nicaraguans are referred to as “Nicos” – short for a 5 cent coin. Hopefully tourism will bring more diversity and a stronger tradition of art and acceptance. I hope that if you choose to live in Costa Rica that you support fair land-use policies and local, small-scale agriculture. If you want to swim in the ocean on the Caribbean coast in a few years, then Chiquita and United Fruit Company will need to dramatically change the way they grow bananas. Right now the pesticide use is so extreme that blue bags lined with chemicals are found along miles of coast line. I interviewed dozens of workers that suffer from terrible health effects due to negligent corporate policies and indifferent consumers. Like every foreign country, it isn’t paradise, but your role as an educated resident could surely make a positive difference.

i agree with many posts and comments above – and i’m curious to know about your background/plans/ideas/etc

@trinity lucky!!!