A few weeks ago I wrote an article about who should not move to Costa Rica. I received a lot of interesting responses from my readers. So, I decided to write a complimentary article about reasons to relocate here.
As most people know Costa Rica is a user-friendly country for Americans. For the last 30 years they have been flocking here because of the country’s stellar international reputation, welcoming people, absence of an army and peaceful democratic tradition. Costa Rica has no enemies nor does it meddle in other country’s affairs.
Other pluses that attract foreigners are: one of the best climates in the world, the pura vida lifestyle (which means pure life in its essence and is the national motto), scores of activities to stay busy and happy, unparalleled natural beauty, paradisiacal warm-water beaches, and so much more.
Given the above, it comes as no surprise that Costa Rica is tops on the retirement list of retirement havens and has more American residents per capita (proportionately) than any other country in the world. They cannot be wrong!
Utopia does not exist but Costa Rica comes close for many expats who have successfully made their home here.
Let’s Look at 16 Reasons Why Moving to Costa Rica Is a Good Idea:
- A large tightly-knit expat community. Americans tend to gravitate towards each other when living abroad.
- Those looking for a change and to distance themselves from the divisiveness and other issues that are currently plaguing the U.S.
- More choices for living whether it be the Central Valley, the beach areas along the Pacific coast, San Isidro de general to the south and the Caribbean side of the country. I once had a woman who was living in Panama as a client. I asked her, “Why are you exploring Costa Rica for a place to live if you already reside in Panama?” To which she replied, “There are many more places from which to choose here.”
- Another reason is the proximity of the two coasts. You can have breakfast on the Pacific side, lunch in the Central Valley and dinner on the Caribbean. Few countries can offer this.
- It is easy to go back and forth to the U.S. from here. Miami and Houston are only a few hours away. Traveling to some retirement havens like Colombia or Ecuador often take two days and with a layover, depending from where one leaves in the United States.
- If you have university age children they can study here for only a few thousand dollars a year. My son attended one of the best private universities in Costa Rica for a fraction of what a university education would have cost in the U.S.
- Costa Rica is user friendly country for digital nomads and has a special program that makes it possible for them to have a long-term stay.
- Many programs where a person can study Spanish and learn about the country’s unique culture.
- The opportunity to adopt a new indoor or outdoor hobby.
- Good shopping with a variety of local products and many items from the U.S. which are available in super markets like Walmart and PriceSmart (a chain of warehouse stores similar to Costco).
- Year-round weekend farmers markets where a huge variety of affordable fruit and vegetables are sold at rock bottom prices.
- Good Internet and cell phone service. Movie venues and TV from the U.S. and other countries can be easily streamed.
- Tax exemptions for U.S. citizens who become legal residents with permission to work or go into business.
- A wide variety of homes and living situations from which to choose.
- The opportunity to start over and have an adventure filled life in one’s later years instead of being stuck in a generic retirement community in the U.S. or Canada.
- The intangibles and magic that you can only experience by living here and embracing all that the country has to offer, its culture, happy people and the pura vida lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
I’d like to point out that Costa Rica is not for everyone as I alluded to in a previous article. The best thing to do is to come test drive the country with an open mind, good attitude, sense of humor and explore. This may require several visits of a few weeks or months to find out if you are a candidate for long-term living.
For more information about relocating to Costa Rica contact Christopher Howard at: info@liveincostarica.com
