samramon USA

samramon

American expat in Costa Rica
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Introduction

I lived in Costa Rica from 2015 until 2022. The first year or two it was fun and new and I liked it. As time wore on, I begin to hate it. What did I hate? 1. Driving. The roads and the drivers make it dangerous to drive there. This seems not to bother some gringos. But I value my life and I was almost killed five times by crazy drivers and fog and rain that made it so I couldn't see 10 ft in front of me. 2. The choice of food and products to buy can be very limited if you don't live in the metropolitan San Jose area. Once I returned here to the us, I realized how much I missed being able to buy the food I like. But when I lived in Costa Rica I also realized how difficult it was to get things I wanted or needed. Unless you are willing to spend 50-100% more to get something from Amazon then it is hard to get some things. 3. Since it rains heavily 8 months out of the year, I became very tired of having to stay home, and plan everything around the heavy rains. If you don't mind driving in heavy rain, and risking the crazy drivers, then this may not be an issue for you. But it is something to consider. My final comment is that buying a home in Costa Rica is pretty easy, but selling it can be very very difficult. It took a friend of mine who had a great location and great house a year to sell it. My location was on a bad road and it took me 5 years to sell it. Meanwhile, I was stuck. And the road wasn't that bad. It was just a little bad in one short part. I have read many cases of people being stuck like I was, not able to sell their home for several years. Think about this when you buy. Being Stuck living in a place you don't want to live is not a fun experience. Costa Rica isn't for everyone. Many return home as I did. The USA has its problems, but I prefer living here after trying Costa Rica for 6 years.

I am a male.

I joined expat.com on 11 January 2011.

  • I can speak Spanish and English and Pig Latin
  • Interests photography, movies, reading, traveling, nature
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Expat experience

I am currently living here
Costa Rica
Cantón de San Ramón, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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We have 5 lots for sale near San Ramon at 2850 feet, West of town on Magallanes Road. We continually plant more and more trees, bushes and flowers to beautify our property. Our goal is to create an area where people will enjoy living as much as we do, a place for nature lovers who love birds, trees and wildlife in a tranquil private quiet area.

Like anywhere, the government has its hand in your life. You have to have yearly car inspections, you have to join the health care system and pay for car insurance etc.

 73 -  2015
USA
San Francisco County, California, USA
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I worked for many years in California but never loved it there.

People are not all that friendly where I lived in Calif. and it's a very high cost of living with many regulations and fines, too much traffic and too many people.

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