Expat Living

Middle Class Life in Costa Rica vs the United States

Don Mateo - June 22, 2026

According to the website Franchisetimes.com, my household income in Costa Rica puts me solidly in the middle class. I live comfortably, if simply. Bills...

Costa Rica Residency Delays in 2026: What Foreign Residents Should Expect

June 18, 2026

Costa Rica’s Farmers Markets Are Still the Best Place to Buy Local

June 17, 2026

IKEA Begins Costa Rica Rollout: Start Practicing Your Allen Wrench Skills Now

June 13, 2026

What It Really Costs to Live in Costa Rica as an Expat in 2026

June 12, 2026

Expat Living

The Costa Rica Taxi Rule Every Newcomer Learns Fast

Don Mateo - June 7, 2026

Newcomers to Costa Rica have to adjust to certain cultural and lifestyle habits here. A short list might include rice and beans being a...

Expat Living

Costa Rica’s OIJ Warns of Surge in Virtual Kidnapping Scams

Tico Times - June 2, 2026

Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) is warning of a steep rise in "virtual kidnapping" extortion, with complaints jumping more than sevenfold over the...

Expat Living

The Grocery Delivery Service Expats in Costa Rica Keep Recommending

Life in Costa Rica Shows Expats a Different Side of Politics

Don Mateo - May 30, 2026

I moved permanently to Costa Rica for many reasons, but the political situation in the United States was not one of them. And to...

Expat Living

Costa Rica Coffee Culture and the Surprising Numbers Behind It

Don Mateo - May 26, 2026

I just read a statistic that I find difficult to believe. According to worldpopulationreview.com, Hong Kong consumed a heart-racing 43 kilos of coffee per...

Expat Living

Costa Rica Named Latin America Leader for Immigrant Well-Being

Tico Times - May 23, 2026

Costa Rica ranked 44th out of 82 countries in the 2026 Remitly Immigration Index, placing it in the middle of the global list of...

Expat Living

Costa Rica Bus and Taxi Fares Rise After Fuel Price Spike

Tico Times - May 23, 2026

Costa Rica approved higher bus and taxi fares this week after a rise in international fuel prices pushed up operating costs for public transport...

Expat Living

How Cell Phones Took Over Public Life in Costa Rica

Don Mateo - May 22, 2026

Is there any device that humans now use more frequently and publicly than the cell phone? Once merely a portable telephone and text message...

Expat Living

Costa Rica to Offer No-Appointment Driver’s Tests at National Stadium

Tico Times - May 21, 2026

Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport will hold a special no-appointment driving test event at the National Stadium on Wednesday, June 17,...

Expat Living

Costa Rica’s Central Bank Sets New Dollar-Buying Record as Colón Hits Historic Lows

Tico Times - May 20, 2026

The Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) has broken its all-time annual record for exchange-rate stabilization under the managed-float regime in place since 2015,...