Can you live in CR with $1500USD

samramon wrote:

Scott T wrote:

I live in Playas del Coco on $1200 a month and am very comfortable.  Good town for singles if you like the beach and the night life.  Fishing, snorkeling, diving, golf, etc.  Lots of fun...

That sounds about right, Scott, and thanks for posting. When I hear people complaining about how expensive it is to live in Costa Rica I have to question what they are buying and how they are living!

I wonder the same thing! Makes me laugh though, because I love reading blogs from people who specifically moved to CR for a more simplistic lifestyle not luxury, high end! and then I will read one where the couple talks how everything is so expensive, and they spend thousands of dollars on a home and complain about the upkeep. Amazing!

Louise, it would help if you gave us more of an idea what places you want to visit or what kinds of places, maybe what age range you are in, etc. Do you want to go on guided tours (as like through rainforest) or just go on your own, and so on? When you say check out the food, do you mean like "nice" restaurants or more popular fare? (You should know right off the bat that  Costa Rica is not known for its food, and it is nothing at all like Mexico in that regard. Their food tends toward being bland, rice and beans with every meal, lots of fish and chicken, few spices, few salsas and no salsa at all like Mexican salsas or moles.)

If you really want to see the people and culture, personally I think San Jose' is the place to do that, however it is of course a big dirty city and a little more crime-ridden than other areas of Costa Rica. But if you dress down, and are careful and remain aware of your surroundings, it is not really dangerous, in the daytime. And at night some will tell you otherwise but if you take official taxis and don't dress up too much and don't get drunk, I don't think it's that dangerous at night, either.

If you want to see small town culture, take your pick! San Ramon, Puriscal, San Isidro... these are more or less normal Tico towns of small to medium size. However you won't find much nightlife at all.

The beaches tend to have more night life but of course beach towns are beach towns, they're a little more active night and day though the small beach towns may also be boring at night just like small inland towns.

If this will be your first time in Costa Rica I would recommend a few nights in San Jose, then explore the sights such as Arenal Volcano and hot springs around La Fortuna. I love Los Lagos resort up there.

You should see Manuel Antonio for its beaches, animals and jungle/rainforest, though it is the #1 attraction so can be a little more crowded than you might prefer for a walk through the woods.

A real cloud forest such as Monteverde, Santa Elena, or Los Angeles Cloud Forest is a must. I prefer Los Angeles CF for it's solitude and beautiful grounds and it's also on the way to Arenal, more or less. (You do have to go miles out of your way but it's off the main road.)

Will you be driving, busing or taking tours by van?

Coming here is a good idea but also get yourself a good tour book like the Moon guide to Costa Rica or Lonely Planet's  Costa Rica guide. Suggest you look at the various ones in a book store and see which appeals to you most. The various ones each have their own personality and target audience. Of all I prefer the Moon book but you may not.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Samramon

We are 50+ year old "young" couple, and we are more relaxed and laid back but do like some adventure. (my husband is more the adventurer than I am) but he is now limited in his adventures due to health reasons, but can still do some things.  We love tours, and look forward to those especially if they are of a smaller group where it seems more personal and not so touristy. 

We have talked about staying in San Jose for a day or two just to get a feel for the costa rican culture, but will likely go to other areas.  We will definitely not be driving, have no desire to, so places to stay that are central to touring, or at least accessible is deal.

I am a beach lover, he is more mountains, airy, lush, but we compromise on vacations.  I know the food is not a big draw here, so that is not a problem for us, we just have one rule when we travel and that is no beef..(LOL)...Nightlife is also not a huge concern for us, but we would like to stay at a place in a location that has or is near bars and local restaurants.

Small town culture is more of what we are looking for in a place like CR.  We were born and raised and currently still live in a large metropolitan city so we are very well aware of the pitfalls - crime, congestion, etc. but there are no two cities alike especially when traveling abroad.

A lot depends on if you decide to have a car to use. If so, coastal areas would work, if not, the Central Valley, San Jose. ( and suburbs) or Alejuela would probably be better, since they are transportation hubs for the entire country, and have large ex-pat communities to rely on. Coastal communities tend to be more expensive because of gringo tourists, but have more diverse nightlife as well (but usually more crime too), than small, rural communities like Atenas, where we live.  By and large I agree with "Samramon" and all those comments.

Lake Arenal area,Turrialba-Cartago-Grecia.

Again, I highly recommend a tour guide book which can give you some ideas as to what tours are available.

I have enjoyed a tour to one of the volcanos other than Arenal, as a day tour out of San Jose'.

There are some fun all day tours out of San Jose to the east coast and to jungle areas etc which are worthwhile if you can take an all day from 6am to 6pm type tour (includes lunch of course).

I know there are some vans that take people up to Arenal. Not sure about "tours" per se though there must be some. Once you get up to La Fortuna you can get around by taxi easy enough for not too much money. My wife and I do love Los Lagos and you might too. They have great pools and hot spring "areas" (not just tubs but more like small pools and quite a few of them at that). The views of the volcano from there are amazing though I hear the volcano Arenal is not sparking and sputtering like it used to. (maybe it's started again? Not sure.)

If you don't mind a "journey", taking a bus and then a boat and than another bus to Montezuma Beach is quite an interesting experience. Yeah you're glad to finally get there, but looking back on it, I think it would be a highlight. The Sano Banano cabins on the beach there are fantastic and the town has bars and restaurants, some nice restaurants actually. (Nice in a funky beachy kind of way.)

San Ramon is a sleepy little town at night but it does have a bus station that can get you up to Arenal cheaply and effectively, and it is a very traditionally Tico kind of town. You can also get there easily on a nice bus from San Jose' every half hour I think it is.

San Isidro del General is another very typical Tico town, even sleepier than San Ramon or at least it was last I was there, 5 years or more ago. And from there you can get down to Dominical and some other beaches.

Monteverde is another place you can get a van ride up to and maybe a tour included. It is a beautiful cloud forest but kind of the "Disneyland" of cloud forests. As mentioned the Los Angeles Cloud forest near San Ramon is my forest of choice but I think it's like $25 for the tour (each person) and staying there for a night is super expensive now. We stayed there back when it was affordable and my wife and I loved it but I can only recommend it to people for whom money is no object, nowadays. But the day tour is kinda worth it, still. Also the Santa Elena cloud forest on the other side of Monteverde is the same forest but less crowded - but again this info is dated, not sure how it is now. Many many years ago a friend and I went to the Sapo Dorado and they offered their own tours in a private forest near Monteverde which was a great little tour. So there are several good cloud forest options. To me there is nothing like the cloud forest - wet and quiet, teeming green! And if you're lucky you will see/hear some congos and /or carablanca monkeys.

I think your best bet would be to get some ideas from a tourist book and then come back and ask about those places, specifically.

see my previous post about Jobs--there are basically none.

Live at the beach less crime and harassment from the locals.

$1500 is possible with a cheap($500) rental but its a mínimum,
you wont be able to pay a $150 electric bill for AC.

Food will be $300 a month if you cook. $500 in cheap restaurants.

There is no career opportunity here it would be foolish to attempt that here as you will not be accepted in any company for advancement as for that you need to speak perfect Spanish and need to be secure that you will stay  90% of people your age leave CR after a couple of years.

If you want to be semi retired for the next 60 years by all means
join the simple lifestyle.

Dr. Weirather, do you have any idea about the practice of rheumatology in Costa Rica?  I have received excellent treatment for psoriatic arthritis at Northwestern in Chicago since 1998.  I have been on Remicade IV for about 10 years.  Side effects have included frequent sinus infections, sore throats, and bronchitis. 

To get out of Chicago's winters I have spent a number of winters in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and flew home as needed to get my infusion.  I came home a couple of times with pneumonia, thanks to less-than-stellar treatment in San Miguel, which meant that upper respiratory problems only worsened.

I cannot contemplate less than good medical care but I also don't think I will make it through another Chicago winter.  My husband is still practicing dentistry in Chicago but supports my desire to get out of here during the cold months since I broke a wrist a few years ago and do have osteoporosis (treated with Reclast).

I appreciate greatly the fact that my PA was diagnosed immediately (22 years of severe psoriasis) and I was started, first on a DMARD and then on the biologics Enbrel, followed by Remicade.  I quit practicing law due to fibromyalgia and pain and have been on Social Security disability since 2002.  Thus, all treatment has been paid for by Medicare (and the best possible supplement to it).

My question for you is whether you think I would be crazy to contemplate a move (for 6 months of the year, until my husband retires, and then perhaps full-time) to Costa Rica?  I have not found out if Remicade is adminstered in Central America, although I'm sure Janssen, the manufacturer, could maybe help me with that.  Since my husband is a Minnesotan who hates hot, humid weather, we would probably look at the Central Valley area.

I apologize for this question being off-subject.

One of the best Arthritis specialists passed away earlier this year...and I know he did not prescribe Remicade.

You would be advised to check with the principal private hospitals
Hospital La Catolica
Hostilal CIMA
Hospital Biblica

The local private insurance company, INS, does not cover preexisting conditions and I highly doubt that CAJA, the socialized medical system, would not cover this treatment nor Reclast.

Arthritis sufferer:
I think that relocating here for half of each year would work for you. Hospital Clinica Biblica, in the capital, San Jose is top 25 ranked IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.... Higher than any American hospital. CIMA, also in the San Jose area, was founded by Baylor University physicians and is still top 100 ranked. The number five hospital is only about 300 miles away in Panama City. Medical care is inexpensive, by US standards, and just as good or better. These hospitals have board certified (internationally) rheumatologists.
Both my wife and I suffer from arthritis, and find the climate largely beneficial. The rainy season which is happening right now, with all the humidity, is, perhaps, not the best for this kind of condition, but November thru April, when it's dry would be great.
Availability of specific meds is sometimes a challenge. Most gringos needing specific, non- generic meds usually mule in from the states a couple of times a year.  If you move here, and spend a couple of thousand to establish residency, the "caja" or public, socialized medicine system is available to you at very low cost: and, it is all inclusive, all treatments, surgeries, meds. Diagnostics, glasses, etc. You never, ever pay for anything except your monthly subscription amount. Some gringos, only on SS pay as little as $30 per month. The public hospitals, on average are quite good as well.
Hope this helps you.

Glasses are not supplied by CAJA nor is dental work with the exception for minor children  and expect to wait many months or even years, for surgeries. Most meds provided by CAJA are generic which for the most part may be acceptable.
Only existing residents who have lived here many years pay this low rate of $30 and just last week the rates have risen another 4%. so just over 20% in the past 8 months!  A new applicant may be charged up to 18% of the declared pension.

As a relatively new resident, what is your CAJA payment, Drweirather so as not to offer the incorrect information to those thinking of moving here.

I have lived in Atenas for two and a half years. I do not have, nor intend to get residency. The UN rates Costa Rica far down the list in terms of paperwork difficulty. I do not sanction incompetence at any level. That said, my retirement from medicine at Stanford affords me medical care world-wide. I personally use Biblica for any advanced needs, or minor, but persistent issues, return to Stanford Medical, since it costs me nothing.
Here, even as a non-practicing physician, I seem to be able to get everything I need, in the form of meds, over-the-counter: analgesics, muscle relaxants, diabetes meds, antibiotics, etc.
Regarding caja services:  I rely on info from gringo friends in the Atenas area. I have heard that caja hospitals are backed up over 5,000 surgeries, and all surgical suites at Hospital Mexico are closed for at least the next 90 days due to electrical issues. Most have reported satisfactory services. A good friend broke a leg in five places, and nearly tore a thumb off. He got next day surgery at Mexico and six months later is fully recovered. Out of pocket expense: his eighty dollar a month payment.

Thank you for responding to my post .
Emergency treatment at CAJA facilities, especially at Hospital Mexico, can indeed be 'top notch' although $30 is obviously lower than the $80 as you previously posted and many recent residents pay much more than that.

thank you for your response.  Did you mean that you doubted CAJA would cover Remicade and Reclast?

It's not sounding very promising for me to come to CR.  Remicade is a very expensive medication which I would not be able to afford on my own. 

I also don't do well with constant rain, because of my very swollen joints in hands, feet, and neck..  Due to the Remicade, I have a depressed immune system which means I frequently have some sort of infection going on.  I don't think I could handle much mold either.  All this is SO disappointing to me because I would love to spend time in Costa Rica.  I may try to do this coming winter there, flying back to Chicago for treatment, just to see how things go.

Thanks again.

Thanks so much for your response.  I think the 6 months a year might work for me, if I plan on 2 trips during that time for my infusions at Northwestern (I'll still, of course, participate in Medicare and supplemental coverage).  In the event I have health problems while down there, I could hopefully find an internist.

You are so right about the joint problems associated with lots of rain, although if the sun does come out and then dry up the rain, maybe I would be OK.

Thank you for your help.

Pennylpl, that is what I meant. CAJA doesn't cover everything... it can't afford to, which is why they usually provide generic medicines. A friend suffers terribly with Ankylosing spondylitis and CAJA offers very little to alleviate her pain so the amount spent on her condition is very high.
It could take well over a year to obtain coverage through CAJA after applying for residency, so in the meantime you would need health insurance here through INS, and it doesn't cover preexisting conditions.. If you take supplements or vitamins you should bring them with you as they may not be readily available and the cost could be much more, and it is illegal to ship them or any medications by mail. It costs approx. $100 for an appointment with a specialist plus Rx's. Most may be available across the counter,is  as was previously mentioned, although antibiotics are not, nor opiates.
One thing to be aware of is that Costa Rica has for the most part, very uneven/bad sidewalks, which make it very difficult for those with any mobility problems.

Come for a visit and see if it will work for you.

Cuppa, it's so kind of you to send me this very information.  People with ankylosing spondylitis and Crohn's disease take the same medication that I take, Remicade.  It runs more than $7,000 every time I get it (every 8 weeks) at a hospital in Chicago.  Remicade doesn't do anything for pain but it is supposed to keep one's condition from worsening.  I am afraid to go off it because then I could never go back on it again. 

I think your information definitely settles it for me...I can perhaps come to CR for the winter months, with 1 or 2 trips back here for med, but a permanent move would be ill-advised.  I had a few mobility issues with the cobblestone streets and steep hills in Mexico.  Guess I'm getting old for the foreign adventures I used to take for granted.

Thanks again for your responses.  By the way, what does your friend do for pain?  My heart goes out to her.  Did she know that she would have these problems in Costa Rica before moving there?

Sincerely, Penny Lockhart

What CAJA does do, in regards to 'providing' glasses to an adult, is to give you some paperwork to take to a local optician that has a contract with CAJA, where you will be given an eye exam at a slightly lower than usual 'cost' and you can chose from a 'specific' selection of frames and the allowable lens (of a lesser quality), for approx. $130.

So, definitely not free, so best to check around and get what you actually want.

Thanks for the info which is great because here in Massachusetts I pay around 300.00doll

One more major point on the healthcare issue:

If you are an individual or/and have a familyunder 55 and have not applied as a pensionado but as a Rentista ...so not receiving a pension or SS benefits...your CAJA payments could be almost $500 per month!!!

As an Investor, at any age it could be almost $700 per month

There is no way to know what your 'fee' will be until CAJA gives you this information.

MORE INFO HERE although these fees *at the time of publication, are what some recent but existing residents are presently paying, based on their declared pension of $1000 a month, and so the premiums go up from there. PLUS as of Aug 1st, the premiums have risen another 4%.

Here is another informative site although the fee premiums seems to  based on those over 55 and a pensionado

kohlerias wrote:

One more major point on the healthcare issue:

If you are an individual or/and have a familyunder 55 and have not applied as a pensionado but as a Rentista ...so not receiving a pension or SS benefits...your CAJA payments could be almost $500 per month!!!

As an Investor, at any age it could be almost $700 per month

There is no way to know what your 'fee' will be until CAJA gives you this information.

MORE INFO HERE although these fees *at the time of publication, are what some recent but existing residents are presently paying, based on their declared pension of $1000 a month, and so the premiums go up from there. PLUS as of Aug 1st, the premiums have risen another 4%.

Here is another informative site although the fee premiums seems to  based on those over 55 and a pensionado

Hey thanks for this info.
ON the outlierlegal site you linked, there is this chart which shows costs and fees for CAJA:
http://outlierlegal.files.wordpress.com … kdown4.png

I am curious about the FEE part:
1) HOW is the $75-150 fee calculated (not the monthly contribution rate, which it says is 7% for my category, but the FEE
2) Is the "$75-150" FEE a monthly fee or one time fee?
3) Is this monthly cost for a married couple or for each married person (i.e. x 2)?

Is this one of those Costa Rica fees where the agent in charge at some window determines how much based on the phase of the moon or if he or she likes how you are dressed? OR is there a set method of calculating it?

So as I understand it, the CAJA fee for a married couple making $2k - according to the chart - would be $140/month plus $75-150 fee which - if it is per month - would mean a couple making $2k a month would pay up to $390/month CAJA?

If it is $390+ a month then it is close to what a person making that much in the USA would pay for Obamacare! (And Obamacare despite what you may have heard is EXPENSIVE when you calculate in the very high co-pays and all the stuff it DOESN'T cover.)

Samramon wrote " ...a married couple making $2k - according to the chart - would be $140/month plus $75-150"

On this link, it is written:
"For instance, if you make between $1067 and $2135, then you will need to pay somewhere between $75 and $150 in CCSS fees. Again, this is for illustration purposes, and the figures are rounded up." I think, this would read ' per month if they are over 55 and if under 55 which it doesn't mention, since they will have to pay into the pension scheme which will 'more or less' double their mandatory 'contribution'

Remember that this 'fee/premium' has risen another 4% on Aug 1st, without advance notice and it will increase again...and again...and I expect, the minimum residency requirements will too.

Lawyer Outlier posted the link on this forum a while ago and I responded that it didn't mention the difference by age and that he never replied to.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 46#1949789


In reality, you won't know for sure, exactly what you will pay until you make you application directly with CAJA....and if you have been told 'xxx' amount on the 29th of the month, and then the premiums rise on the 1st of the next month, your premium will reflect this.

Thanks for the info.
I am disappointed by the seemingly continual rise in prices of nearly everything in Costa Rica.
However I believe it's the same everywhere. It's not like prices in the USA are NOT rising, especially for health care. The USA invented high health care prices!

kohlerias wrote:

Samramon wrote " ...a married couple making $2k - according to the chart - would be $140/month plus $75-150"

On this link, it is written:
"For instance, if you make between $1067 and $2135, then you will need to pay somewhere between $75 and $150 in CCSS fees. Again, this is for illustration purposes, and the figures are rounded up." I think, this would read ' per month if they are over 55 and if under 55 which it doesn't mention, since they will have to pay into the pension scheme which will 'more or less' double their mandatory 'contribution'

Remember that this 'fee/premium' has risen another 4% on Aug 1st, without advance notice and it will increase again...and again...and I expect, the minimum residency requirements will too.

Lawyer Outlier posted the link on this forum a while ago and I responded that it didn't mention the difference by age and that he never replied to.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 46#1949789


In reality, you won't know for sure, exactly what you will pay until you make you application directly with CAJA....and if you have been told 'xxx' amount on the 29th of the month, and then the premiums rise on the 1st of the next month, your premium will reflect this.

An easy way to answer that ? Will be :can you live with $1500 a month where you live right now in the U.S.? I was born and raised in C.R. and i think C.R. is just as expensive as the U.S.

tiowi wrote:

An easy way to answer that ? Will be :can you live with $1500 a month where you live right now in the U.S.? I was born and raised in C.R. and i think C.R. is just as expensive as the U.S.

We live in a rent-controlled apartment (i.e. cheaper than most) and pay $1160 for a 1br apartment in Los Angeles. Most 1BR's go for $1300-1600/month here unless you live in a dangerous or otherwise bad neighborhood. So I think saying  Costa Rica is AS expensive as the U.S. is an exaggeration. In less desirable areas of the USA you may pay as little as $300/month rent but you'll also pay high gas prices for heat and suffer the cold, ice and snow.

Here in the USA now you will now pay 2% of your household income or $325 per person ($162.50 per child) for NOT buying Obamacare insurance - whichever calculation is HIGHER. If you buy a health policy, it will be more like $300/month for the cheapest policies which only cover catastrophic health problems and so you'll still have to pay out of your own pocket - cash - for doctor visits, tests, xrays etc.plus a deductible of $5000 or so  if you do need to use it.

So let me break that down. If you make $10/hour and work full time you will make about $21,000/year. A penalty for having NO insurance will cost a single person $420 a year; for a couple making $42,000 total that will be $840/year total  to a max. of $975 total for any household. Understand this is a fee for having NO insurance! Then any hospital stays or doctor visits, tests etc will come out of your own pocket for a deductible of around $5,000.


A doctor visit in the USA averages $68 but that's low in my opinion; more like $90.
(From  the web site debt.org)
  [quote from site] [emphases mine]:
  Office Visit, New Patient, Level 1 – Very minor problem requiring counseling and treatment, may require coordination of care with other providers – approximately 10 minutes with doctor – $68.
    Office Visit, Established Patient, Level 5 – Complex medical problem(s) requiring comprehensive evaluation- approximately 40 minutes with the doctor – $234.
    Tetanus shot – $28.
    Eye Examination, New Patient – $234.
[end quote]
PLUS: Glasses: minimum $150. If you get anti-reflection or lighter weight lenses you're looking at $240 or so.

Medicine? Forget about it.
A. You can't just go to the farmacia and get what you need, you first have to pay for a doctor visit for him to write a prescription for the medicine at office visit prices (see above) So let's say you have strep throat and need an antibiotic. You will pay first for a doctor visit ($68-90 and then for the prescription ($20-50).
If you need a blood test you'll pay $75-500 for those.
B. Certain meds may cost you $100-500 per month on a permanent basis, in the USA. The same meds you can probably get in  Costa Rica for 1/4 the price.

And don't even THINK about going to a dentist in the USA!
Average cost:
$125 for a filling
$800 for a crown
$600-700 root canal
And believe me it goes way way up from there! You'll pay for follow-up visits, and all kinds of added costs. An average cost for any dental work beyond just a filling is going to run upwards of $1000-$2000 in the USA. Paying several thousand $ in one year is not unusual if you have weak teeth or are getting older.

You are required to have auto insurance in most cities in the USA as well. For one driver in a big city it's going to run $100/month, more if you have 2 drivers of one car, more if you have 2 cars etc.

If you live in a cold climate in the USA you'll pay heating bills that can be quite high: $100+/month or more.

Tomatoes  and many veges are $1/lb at sale prices.
Fruit averages $1-2/lb in the USA.

How much do rent, medical care, dental work, doctor visits, pharmaceuticals, insurance, fruit and veges etc cost in Costa Rica?

We go to C.R. every year,we speak the language,we know how to get around,we have a house and a car and we are planning to go back once our youngest kid finishes college when i tell you that C.R. is as expensive as the U.S. im talking about basic needs,i will suggest you go there for six months or so rent a house or an apartment,go food shopping,etc you'll see what i mean.I'm not trying to discurrage you,im just telling you from my personal experience $1500 per month won't cut it.

tiowi wrote:

We go to C.R. every year,we speak the language,we know how to get around,we have a house and a car and we are planning to go back once our youngest kid finishes college when i tell you that C.R. is as expensive as the U.S. im talking about basic needs,i will suggest you go there for six months or so rent a house or an apartment,go food shopping,etc you'll see what i mean.I'm not trying to discurrage you,im just telling you from my personal experience $1500 per month won't cut it.

Hi, I concede that you could be right and I could be wrong, but forgive me if I'm skeptical because I know people who are living on less than $1500/month.

Can I assume you are talking about a budget for 2 people?
Do you own or rent? How much is your rent or any mortgage payment?
Can you define "basic needs"?
Do you eat out a lot?
Do you have a.c.?
A pool (upkeep)?
More than one car?
Do you do a lot of driving or just to and from the market etc.?
Do you eat meat at every meal? (my friends are vegetarian but do spend extra on organic veges)

It seems to me that something like one of the above must make you different in terms of expenditures than the people I know who live on less than $1500/month.
In fact I have read reports of people right here in this forum (and on other forums) who live on less than $1500/month.

I imagine that some people are used to spending more money on things that other people do not and they see it as "basic"?
I know that I live in CA and spend less than other friends and they're like, "How do you do it?" I'm not that thrifty, really, but I do take care not to spend on things I don't need, and shop for the best prices.

Hi Sam Ramon the ONLY interest I have is to give you and anybody else that reads this blog  a little bit of guidence.Like i mention we are Costa Rican citizens what I mean is that we don't get "gringo price" but still we find C.R. as expensive as here :food,clothing,health care,utilities,those are some of the basic needs if you need appliances or any thing else for your home  or a automovil,you will pay at least double of what we pay here in the states.The way we live here will be the same way we'll live when we move,nothing lavish

Sam Ramon,we have three kids the youngest is 21,when C.R. was cheap we bought this beautifull piece of land,  we built a house on it that we own all we pay are property taxes this is located in San Rafael de Heredia in the province of Heredia overlooking San Jose .We eat out maybe once a week and besides going to the beach or to a hicking trip we rarely go out

tiowi wrote:

Sam Ramon,we have three kids the youngest is 21,when C.R. was cheap we bought this beautifull piece of land,  we built a house on it that we own all we pay are property taxes this is located in San Rafael de Heredia in the province of Heredia overlooking San Jose .We eat out maybe once a week and besides going to the beach or to a hicking trip we rarely go out

I have lived in Costa Rica as recently as 2 years ago, have many friends there and I don't see it as being as expensive as California, not even close. So I am having a hard time figuring out where our difference of opinion originates on this matter.

I have to wonder if there are some expenses as mentioned above that you are spending more on than the people I know...? Or what accounts for the difference?

I know you are trying to give honest info as am I. I am just trying to see where the difference of opinion or perception may be coming from.

I know appliances, computers etc are more expensive in Costa Rica (imported items); gasoline; some imported food.
But health care?
Rent?
Most fruit and veges?
How do you figure these as equal? It seems to me these few items alone make a huge difference.

Hi SamRamon,im not going to convince you so what i can suggest to you is to move to CR and try to have a happy life with $1500 per month.Maybe my wife is correct "what's a good living for you probably won't be a happy life for us" but good luck to you.

tiowi wrote:

Hi SamRamon,im not going to convince you so what i can suggest to you is to move to CR and try to have a happy life with $1500 per month.Maybe my wife is correct "what's a good living for you probably won't be a happy life for us" but good luck to you.

Thanks for the good wishes.
I am not 100% sure whether or not we can live on $1500/month. I merely point out that some say they do; and then of course, many Ticos live on much much less. "Well" is a matter of opinion in any case.

I am merely trying to find out what the difference is between those who say you can live on $1500/month vs. those who say you cannot. Thus the questions about lifestyle: swimming pool? Two cars? Lots of meat? etc. Trying to pinpoint what may make the difference, that's all.

You hit the nail right smack in the head,its about lifestyle the question is: if one is willing to sacrifice ones lifestyle ? In our case;not a chance we'll mantain or improve ours,please don't get the wrong idea we don't live a lavish life here in NJ but we think we're confortable,we are two working stiffs i've been driving trucks for over 35 years and my wife is a teacher put 3 kids through private ed.with no loans so as you could imagine we are not ritch.I have no idea how old you are,but by the way you express yourself i can tell you are an educated person so if things get tight in CR you can always get a job,call centers pay around $800 per month.

I guess I should re-phrase my question: not "can you live on $1500/month?" but "what lifestyle can be lived on $1500/month?"

My wife and I order out once a week for food - $10-20 total. Otherwise we make our own Mexican food, pizza, salads, vege juice, sandwiches, etc.

Our only real luxury is the ordering out once a week and having good movie services and a fast cable service at $35/month. I know we MAY not be able to have the fast internet in Costa Rica but I have heard that we may.

We don't have cable - we use an antenna and pick up over 100 channels. We subscribe to Netflix and Amazon Prime - that's our entire entertainment bill, above! I can download any tv shows we want and we have a vast library of tv shows and movies on dvd's and hard drives.

We are  vegetarians (ovo-lacto), so don't need to buy fish or meat or poultry. We do put milk in coffee or tea and eat 3-4 eggs a week.

We will be building and then living in our own cabin for a year or two. Then, hopefully, after we sell 2 of our 4 lots, we can add on rooms to make into a house, or just keep the cabin and build a separate house. (We won't have $ to build a full house until after selling 2 of our 4 lots for sale.) No a.c., no pool. Eventually a jacuzzi (we'll be living at an elevation where it gets plenty cool on cloudy nights).

I see our main expenses as gasoline and car upkeep, rent (til we get our cabin built), and food.
And I suppose car insurance. How much is that, in Costa Rica?

Our entertainment will be hanging with friends (a beer or three), visiting the parks, beaches, rain forests and so on - some by bus, some by car - swimming, hiking, walking, and hanging out at home reading, gardening, watching tv/movies, talking, using the net if we will have it - eventually we will - and living the pura vida.

I still think we can do it on $1500/month but I'm happy to hear from people who have tried and failed. And hope to hear from others who are doing it.

Hi Samramon ,one of our kids lives in C.R.he's getting a masters degree in Universidad de CR,he is like you,he does not eat meat but because hi is 27 and single and eats out almost every day sometimes he complaints that money does not go very far in CR, he also works for amazon and makes $1000 per month less "caja" he does not pay rent,he lives in our house in san rafael I know that you can get  high speed internet  he has Tigo, is the Co. name he pays about $60 for 5gb and cable tv,I think 220 channels many in hd install for free the only thing he paid extra was a signal booster because from the road to the house is about 130m,he paid $80 for the amplifier.As far as the auto insurance,that depends on the type of vehicle you have,just like here also the type of coverage and deductible you choose,another expense is "marchamo" once a year and it's a ripoff,it's what we call registration here in U.S. my brother in law pays 1000000 C for an Audi4 they bought the car is 2012 that's about $2000.Gas is about $6 a gallon for regular if you are shipping your car www.ins-cr.com  for auto and any insurance,for duty taxes for a vehicle or any thing else  www.dgt.hacienda.go.cr you almost have to be a brain surgeon to figure this out if you need a good honest person let me know,also there is a Co. called Mario Barquero Enterprises this people will pick up anything you want to ship and drop it at your door step in CR, we use them all the time i dont know if they have service from the left coast.I hope this bit of info helps you my name is Willy Rojas aka tiowi

Thanks for the info!

Just an addition to my comments re dental costs:
My friend went to a dentist and needed a root canal.
$1600.00 U.S.
Said he might need an implant: $3,500.00

I'm pretty sure dental procedures like this are substantially lower in Costa Rica.

Any medical service is about a quarter of what we pay here