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Expat Living

Celebrating Costa Rica Independence Day Through the Eyes of an Expat

Don Mateo - September 14, 2025

Expat Living

Costa Rica Rental House Stories – From Doorknob Disasters to Gecko Guests

Expat Living

How an Expat Became a Fan of La Sele in Costa Rica

Expat Living

Life at Costa Rica’s Stoplights: Street Vendors, Jugglers, and Survivors

Expat Living

Why Costa Rica’s Drug Problem Persists and Possible Solutions

Don Mateo -

Illegal drugs, and the drug trade, are driving factors behind the ever-increasing murder rate in Costa Rica. This is a given. A combination of...

Expat Living

New U.S. Diplomat Jennifer Savage Takes Charge at Costa Rica Embassy

Tico Times -

The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica named Jennifer Savage as its new chargé d'affaires yesterday. She steps in to lead the diplomatic mission until...

Expat Living

Chinese Influence in Costa Rica Grows from Business to Education

Don Mateo -

Will the 21st Century someday be known as the Chinese century? Time will tell. They seem to be off to a good start when...

Expat Living

Costa Rica in the 90s From Mushrooms and Hammocks to a New Beginning

Don Mateo -

I love my life in Costa Rica, so it is more than a little ironic that I also once hit my own personal rock...

Expat Living

A Costa Rica Expat and the Devil on His Shoulder

Don Mateo -

Everyone has a dark side—that little devil in your conscience that says, go ahead and do it! even though you know it’s wrong. It...

Expat Living

Costa Rica Food Culture: From Bar Bocas to Fast Food Chains

Don Mateo -

Once upon a time in Costa Rica, you could walk into a bar, order a beer, and receive a free boca – a small...

Expat Living

Why I Choose Real Life in Costa Rica Over the AI Hype

Don Mateo -

When it comes to AI, call me OG. Old school. I sometimes wish I could go back to a time before it existed. Artificial...

Expat Living

Costa Rica Tops Latin America in Attracting Foreign Millionaires

The Tico Times -

Costa Rica is a country that attracts millionaires. Projections indicate that by the end of 2025, a total of 350 foreign millionaires will have...

Expat Living

Dominical to Quepos: The Costa Rican Road That Took 30 Years to Finish

Don Mateo -

The original Pan-American Highway heading south from San José once took a dramatic and daunting route. It passed through the old capital of Cartago...

Expat Living

Costa Rica’s Religious Culture Through the Eyes of a Non-Religious Expat

Don Mateo -

Costa Rica is the only country in the Americas that has an official religion—Catholicism—enshrined in its constitution. While the Constitution recognizes freedom of worship,...