Cost of living in Costa Rica

We did exactly that Jerry.  We are south west of Santiago de Puriscal and the average low is 71 and the average high is 79.  We are at about 2950 feet above sea level and the location suited us to a "T".  You look around and you can find it!
Cheers .... Terry

Wow! that sounds like heaven! When we arrive in CR we may have to check out a few more climate zones around the area, we just happen to like the location of Grecia and all of the surroundings.

That's exactly what we did Jerry, then we went back to the ones that were at the top of our list and narrowed things down.  A few dozen kilometers of a couple of hundred feet of elevation can make a world of difference.  Good luck on your search ...... it was a grand time for us!

jerry reid wrote:

Hi Dave, Pura Vida! I have a question in regards to the weather in Grecia vs Atenas, my wife likes it around 80's during the day and high 60's in evenings, are we getting too knit picky you think or is it possible to pick a weather location that easy and still like the area?

Jerry, basically it's mostly a matter of altitude.
Get yourself an altimeter. I got a cheap Timex one for $45 or so that works very well.

As you drive around looking at property, you check the altimeter and what you want is around 2500-3000 feet altitude.

I found properties in Puriscal and San Ramon that were at that altitude and I chose San Ramon because the road back to San Jose' and Int'l airport was easier to drive and I liked San Ramon better because it is a little bigger with more amenities. However Puriscal is very nice too. Both have real estate prices lower than Grecia and Atenas though of course it depends on various factors.

Just stay below 5000 feet elevation or you are going to be spending a lot of time in the clouds.

You also need to ask about wind conditions wherever you are looking. It's not unusual to have a strong breeze come up in the afternoons in some places on a daily basis. That may not suit you and you may not know about it until after you've found your landing place because it might be seasonal.

Many places in the Central Valley also get very strong trade winds early in the year that blow constantly. May not be your cup of tea. Where we are in southern CR we have gentle breezes, rarely wind, temps between 65-85 all year. Fog rolls in during the rainy season often but we are below the stationary cloud line. We're at 4000 feet elevation.

- Casey
http://adullroar.blogspot.com

Casey makes a very good point regarding the wind.  I forgot about that one.  When we first moved here we rented a very nice, large Gringo style house.  It didn't take long to figure out why the owner was unable to sell the thing.  The wind blew, hard, almost year round.  As always, the "Gringo" developer cut down most of the trees in the area so there was nothing to stop the wind.  I now live in the jungle, about 5 km. from that spot and have no wind at all.

Rent, rent, rent!  For this and many other reasons, you should rent for at least a year, travel around and then find you perfect spot.

- Dave

I extol the virtue of renting over buying even though we did not. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, but which didn't fortunately. Just dumb luck in our case though we weren't totally in the dark.

Another piece of good advice that Dave touches on is to really check out the neighbors. This can be difficult if your Spanish is not up to par, but it's important. We have the greatest Tico neighbors we could hope for, but some folks essentially have hillbillies next door. They are always having to chase farm animals out of their place, lol.

I, personally, would not buy property that was close to a cattle ranch or dairy farm, even a half km away. Not only are you subject to unpleasant smells, but farm animals nearby increase the local population of ticks. Especially important if you have pets.

Hi DDtica, Pura Vida! I wanted to ask you a question in regards to cost of living in CR if you don't mind. We are getting close to committing to CR for our retirement soon and I have been hearing that the cost of living has escalated dramatically in the last few years that We are concerned that our fixed income may not be enough to last us in our final years. I have followed you on your web site and you seem to speak my language in regards to the way things are. We plan on retiring to Atenas and our yearly income is locked in at 50,000yr. We will be renting a furnished apt. for 700.00mnt. and we have no plans to purchase a car at this time. We plan on exploring the entire country, but not living beyond our means. In your opinion do you think that the cost of living will be out of our range in the next couple of years?

Jerry,
You do realize this is on the public forum and it was only by chance that I read this posting. If you want to ask me anything, please directly message me.
The biggest issue US expats have is adjusting to the diet and slowing down consumerism. If you come here wanting to eat what you have in the US, you will blow an incredible amount of money. You will eat less meat here. Chicken and pork and good, but beef is terrible and you will not find US cuts unless you go to a specialty store and that is $$$$. You need to get use to going to the local farmers market and stocking up. You need to cook. I mean really cook. There are prepared foods here, but again, they are more expensive. Imported cheese is wickedly expensive and it takes a bit of trial and error to find good local brands and varieties. There are big stores, but prices vary so much, I find myself traveling a lot to get the best deal. That's why I think Europeans fare a little better here. They are use to this lifestyle and cook far better that people from the US.
I buy all my clothes and linens in the US. Better quality and so much cheaper.
Pequno Mundo will be like mecca. It is like a Dollar Store on steroids. Aliss is like the Tico version of Target. Cemaco is like Crate and Barrel/Pottery Barn...so lovely...so expensive. Siman (only in Multiplaza) is like a Macy's/Nordstroms. All electronics are double here. Invest in an unlocked Smartphone from the US. My plan with internet is about $60. Electricity without a dryer or pool runs about $80 or so. I use a gas stove and I have to haul tanks every couple of months.
I buy very little outside of food and a few nights out. I have a car and gas is expensive. So are repairs, if you are not careful.
I live well below 50k but I try to live simply here. Hope this helps.
Good luck!

If one reads this and other threads around the net on the cost of living in Costa Rica one will see that many couples are living on $1k a month or so, and some are spending a lot more.

Personally I think $25k/year after taxes is more than enough for a couple in Costa Rica.

The main difference is in how you choose to live. Certainly with a budget of $50k a year you can live like a King in Costa Rica. People are living well in Los Angeles, CA on $50k a year!!

If you want a pool, pool cleaner, garden, gardener, a maid for several hours every day, central air and central heating, eat imported food at every meal, go out to eat every day, etc. then MAYBE $50k/year might not be enough.

If one lives a reasonable lifestyle - for example in most areas central air and heat are not required - just have a maid come in a couple times a week for a few hours (or not), and eat mostly local food (and not much beef) and don't do a ton of driving (gas is expensive and so are car repairs), then one can easily live on $25k a year in Costa Rica. I personally know one guy who lived on $600/month, and though he had to pinch pennies, he lived well. I know a couple who lives on under $1k/month and they are living very well but are thrifty (i.e. they don't spend money like it's going out of style but they have a beautiful new house, a car, computer and internet,and travel within  Costa Rica and even Nicaragua etc. on occasion.

I live on $1000 per month very frugally 2 people.  Me and my wife dont drink.  My house is paid for but would rent for about
$850 a month.  We dont travel much and never out of the country.
The most expensive restaurant we go to is $10 per meal we do that once every 2 weeks.  I dont have cable TV instead we use youtube hooked up to a televisión.  I carefully shop VERY CAREFULLY and we spend $400 on food.  I think that only Ticos can live on less tan $1000.  They can get down their food bill to $200 for a couple with lots of beans and rice.  I cant even buy peanut butter and we eat alot of vegetables.  I have a car and a motorcycle but we use the car very Little but even then spend $100 per month on gas.  We are on Social Security medicine and cant afford private care.

I know of no one that lives here and pays rent and lives well
on less than $2500 per month.

There are people that live like hermits and misers but if you want to have a lifestyle like a lower middleclass person in the US you will need $2000 per month for a couple

Wow Bard! I tip my hat to you, I don't think that we will be able to live that frugal when we move to Grecia. We will be on social security and our savings, but I will take those tips from you. We plan on buying most of our food from the central market, but other things will need to be purchased a little gringo style.

I dont believe that one can live on -$600 one person in Cr.  I had a freind he tried it for a while.  He was paying $300 for a dive apt. in a bad neihborhood  mignt as well have been in downtown Cleveland, and eating  cooking at home he had _$700 soc. sec..  He went back to the states and lived with his sister for free and  had a good life.  went on food stamps so tht $168 per month agve him  $870 per month and had a far better life in the US than he could ever have in CR.

I remind people that I have been here 22 years.  I have seen doxens of people come here with no money.  Its just like a casino, you have to come with a bank.  there are far fewer Jobs than there are in the US and they pay far less.  Costa Rica is in permanent recession and has been for 40 years.  Real unemployment is 40%  that is why salaries are so low.  The workers have no bargaining position and are easily replaced if they quit

Bard, I think your info is very good. I did know a guy who lived on $600/month but he lived very poor, had his home paid for (no rent) and I would not recommend it, especially now with food and gas so high.

Obviously one can live on $1k/month if they are frugal and have a home paid for - you are doing it!

I am only going to get $1100 or so a month from Soc. Sec. but I plan to continue making $1k/month or more via internet businesses that I have put together. so my wife and I's income should be close to $2k/month or better when we move down in a year or so.

If people live in cooler areas there should be no need for more than some ceiling fans and no need to run them all the time. This is why I suggest people look for property at around 2500-3000 feet altitude.

Live in the mountains near a pueblito and take a mule or horse to town instead of a car. Or if you can afford it, a 3 wheeler vehicle that uses very little gas or diesel. Or live near a good bus line!

To me I don't need to spend a lot of money to be happy, I just need decent food, a nice place to hang out in the mountains, a good internet connection, my wife and friends! Back in the 90's I lived in Costa Rica on about $600/month (rent was only $200) and I was happy as a monkey in a banana tree! Like I say, nowadays, though, I think $1k/month is a bare minimum because rent, food, beer, wine, and gas have all gone up a lot. (However I still disagree with those who say it's "as expensive" in CR as it is in the USA; it has not reached those levels yet, across the board. Some things, yes, but the average is still quite a bit lower when you consider health care, rent, food, etc.)

Hi Samramon, congrats to you , you at least have a plan on your future in regards to your move to CR. In my opinion you will do just fine in the near future.

Thanks for the encouragement Jerry!
I have lived in  Costa Rica for half a year at a time on a couple occasions and then a month here and a month there, with numerous trips in between over 20 years, and in various parts of the country including San Ramon where we plan to live.

I have been there long enough to realize there are problems "in Paradise" just like everywhere there are problems. It's always a trade off - trading one set of problems for another. ;-D

Reminds me of a Buddhist story I heard. A person was complaining to the monk about the problems of life as a lay Buddhist and thought he might want to become a monk to get away from all the problems of life.

The monk said something to the effect of this:
"Husbands have husband problems, wives have wife problems, children have children problems, and monks have monk problems."

So no matter where we go or who we are, we will find problems!

I find that I am generally happier in Costa Rica though. I love the nature, especially up in the mountains, the rainforests and cloud forests, animals and birds. Of course those same animals and birds can cause problems too.

(Right now I am living in a big city in the states and am having a squirrel problem! A squirrel saw/smelled that I was feeding sunflower seeds to the birds on our 2nd floor apartment, then she climbed the wall to get up there, and chewed a hole through our metal screen to get in and get the sunflower seeds. She didn't get in because I stopper her after she had her head half way through the screen! So even in the city you can have animal problems! The animals and birds seem to be desperately hungry this summer around here.)

If that being the case, why don't you move to CR  instead of just talking about it. You seem to really have a good feel on how to approach the situation , and compared to where you are living you surely will be better off financially.

Try therealcostarica.com

the real costa rica is a promotional website that tries to make money for the owner and has no interest in givng any real and or negative information about CR, actually those of us who live here think it along with Scott OliverŽs  we love costa rica. com
are ripoffs and jokes

san ramón your posts are intelligent and insightful and a pleasure to read.  Sorry that my posts often seem negative but hey I am a happy person and negative is a part of life i am just trying to report accurate info as I see it  I am not selling or promoting anything.

With the amount of money you report in this post you can have a good life.  I basically live very simply on $1850 a month.  I think lifestyle in CR is 2/3 that of the US so my income in the US equals $2500  lower middle class I assume and about per capita for a couple in CR.

Your wife will ultimately have a problema adjusting here.  8 of 10 people from the US leave here within 3/4 years.  The 2 that stay are single men  these are US embassy stats  they need to know these things to staff their CITIZENS SERVICES  department.

Your wife will be more insightful with more intuition about the CR personality which  I dont think is manageable by anyone other than tough guys from the US( I am married to a Tica with 2 Tica girl children 18 and 20 years old)

I know how much you loved CR in the 1990s as did I  but it is not the place it was and is in a Detroit type of decline(except RE values propped up by QE in the US)

I would strongly urge you to rent for a while here and let your wife make the decisión to stay or leave to preserve your marriage.

Cheers

What IS the best resource. That one was referred to me by an Expat

DDtica and JulieH,
Sounds you both have very very useful information about CR.
So I need to ask some question from you. Thank you in advance for your help and your patience.
1- I am student of U.N mandated university and will soon be in Costa Rica. As I am a student I need to find a job, no matter what is it, just legal one is enough, hhhhh. Do you think I can find one?
2- I have booked a room with a host family presented by university for $ 265 per month, food 2times per day and cleaning 1 time per week, internet and power are included in rent. Is it ok? I can withraw the contract after 1 month if i dislike it, Can I find cheaper one?
3- What about sharing rooms or apartments?
Thank you very much
Sohrab

My wife and I live in Atenas, about 30 miles west of San Jose, slightly north of the new freeway, route 27 that links Jaco on the Pacific cast with San Jose. Atenas was voted by AARP and National Geographic as one of the. 10 best places in the world to retire. Try also Grecia, another wonderful ex-pat community.

Drweirather wrote:

My wife and I live in Atenas, about 30 miles west of San Jose, slightly north of the new freeway, route 27 that links Jaco on the Pacific cast with San Jose. Atenas was voted by AARP and National Geographic as one of the. 10 best places in the world to retire. Try also Grecia, another wonderful ex-pat community.

I asked someone once to quote where National Geographic made that statement.  The reply was that it was actually started by a realtor in Atenas about 15 years ago.

People need to discover their own "Margaritaville."  For some it's on the beach and for others it's in the mountains.

Hi Jerry, If your question is meant for me, the reason I don't move down now is because I am trying to save money to move with, and stabilize the income I'm making on the net and hopefully increase it as well over the next year.

If I were single I would have moved a year or two ago, or maybe 5 years ago but being married, my wife is less inclined to "live with less" and move without a guaranteed income, than I am. I will get  Social Security next year so we are waiting for that.

bard wrote:

san ramón your posts are intelligent and insightful and a pleasure to read.  Sorry that my posts often seem negative but hey I am a happy person and negative is a part of life i am just trying to report accurate info as I see it  I am not selling or promoting anything.

With the amount of money you report in this post you can have a good life.  I basically live very simply on $1850 a month.  I think lifestyle in CR is 2/3 that of the US so my income in the US equals $2500  lower middle class I assume and about per capita for a couple in CR.

Your wife will ultimately have a problema adjusting here.  8 of 10 people from the US leave here within 3/4 years.  The 2 that stay are single men  these are US embassy stats  they need to know these things to staff their CITIZENS SERVICES  department.

Your wife will be more insightful with more intuition about the CR personality which  I dont think is manageable by anyone other than tough guys from the US( I am married to a Tica with 2 Tica girl children 18 and 20 years old)

I know how much you loved CR in the 1990s as did I  but it is not the place it was and is in a Detroit type of decline(except RE values propped up by QE in the US)

I would strongly urge you to rent for a while here and let your wife make the decisión to stay or leave to preserve your marriage.

Cheers

Bard, I haven't read all of your posts on this forum but your posts here in this thread do not seem "negative" to me, you're just saying how you see it from your point of view.

We for sure will be renting when we move to Costa Rica until we can afford to build. But as far as "renting to see if we like it" I am 98% sure my wife and I will both like it, overall. I have lived there for a month at a time several times over the past few years, and so I am pretty aware of the trials and tribulations. My wife has also lived with me down there a couple months. She also sees both advantages and disadvantages, though she likes the USA much more than I do. (I pretty much hate it the way it has become now.)

Honestly I doubt my wife could talk me into moving back to the USA. If she hates it we will see about moving somewhere else, but I am 99% sure I never want to come back here to live, especially on the limited income we'll have which would make it hard to live here on social security plus my internet income - IF I continue to make as much as I currently make on the internet. There is the chance that I'll make a lot more in the future but I don't want to count on that.

I do realize that  Costa Rica is not what it was in the 90's as, like I said, I have spent some months there over the past few years. At the same time, I think it is still much cheaper to live there than the USA, especially when you factor in health care.

I have a number of American friends who live in various parts of Costa Rica and so I am tuned into the problems they face, and yet all of them choose to stay there and say it's better than living in the USA.

It really depends on the person. Some people will hate it, and some will love it, and many will be in between, trading one set of "bad stuff" in the USA for a different set of "bad stuff" in Costa Rica. (See my anecdote above about the monk and how everyone has their own set of problems to face.)

Reggierica wrote:

What IS the best resource. That one was referred to me by an Expat

I disagree with Bard that those sites are a joke.
I do see his point that they are commercially motivated, but nevertheless they both have a lot of good info.

My advice is to definitely read them but take everything with a grain of salt, especially when it is clear the article in question is meant to promote something. Their forum is like this one, though, pretty much non-commercial.

There is also the Association of Residents of Costa Rica forum and site for info. Though many of the people there are super conservative and imho kinda rude and overly argumentative. But nevertheless it is a place I go to ask questions and read and learn, as is this.

If there are any other good Costa Rica forums, I am not aware of them. Oh, there is - or was - a "newsletter" type deal via yahoo but I haven't read that in years. Maybe someone can comment on that.

Can anyone tell me how I can find out the cost of medicine in Costa Rica

For the most part, North American brand names like Plavix, Lipitor, Cipro, Metformin, etc. are considerably more expensive in CR. Generic equivalents, if available at all, may or may not be more expensive. Example: Metformin 500 mg., that are available at Walmat for $12 for a 90 day supply in the US, are $8 for a 30 day supply at a Walmart affiliate here. Common Bayer brand aspirin that is about $5 for 100 325 mg. stateside are $2 for TWENTY down here. Hydrogen Peroxide that is sometime 49 cents in the US for a quart, is $2 for a little 4 ounce container here. For more specific information, you might look up the CIMA Hospital website. They are in Escazu, the SW suburb of San Jose, and a Baylor University affiliate, owned by Internation Hospital Management Corp., Dallas, TX and a top 100 hospital in the western hemisphere. Their on-site pharmacy may answer questions.

Bringing two cats to Costa Rica, that is funny.  If the wild animals don't get them they'll end up as as a meal on a Tico families dinner table.  It is dangerous for some dogs who are brought here, "depending on whether they end up in a city or in a jungle environment", but cats.. they are food for everything "even some of the birds down here".

Edward1958 AKA 'Patriotic', plus a many more names, which resulted in you being kicked off of multiple forums, please play nice if you want anyone to listen to you...

And it looks like you have made so many posts you have added your response to the wrong topic: many Ticos and expats have cats here, that have survived for many years.

willis k wrote:

Can anyone tell me how I can find out the cost of medicine in Costa Rica

Willis,
I doubt you would find this information online.  The price for a given medication here varies a lot from pharmacy to pharmacy.  My daughter was buying a medication at one pharmacy for many months.  They were out one time so she checked another pharmacy literally one block away and found it to be ¢9,000 less.  That's $18 less.  There can be that much of a difference.

If you have a few specific medications you'd like checked, I can ask at the pharmacy if they have them and the cost and let you know.  Just let me know what they are.

You will also find that you don't need a prescription for a mind altering drug, but you will need one to obtain vitamins.  (This is one of those "don't ask why" situations.)
- Dave

ExpatDave wrote:

willis k wrote:

Can anyone tell me how I can find out the cost of medicine in Costa Rica

Willis,
I doubt you would find this information online.  The price for a given medication here varies a lot from pharmacy to pharmacy.  My daughter was buying a medication at one pharmacy for many months.  They were out one time so she checked another pharmacy literally one block away and found it to be ¢9,000 less.  That's $18 less.  There can be that much of a difference.

If you have a few specific medications you'd like checked, I can ask at the pharmacy if they have them and the cost and let you know.  Just let me know what they are.

You will also find that you don't need a prescription for a mind altering drug, but you will need one to obtain vitamins.  (This is one of those "don't ask why" situations.)
- Dave

Dave, maybe things have changed. But I'm pretty sure last time I was at the Mercado Central in San Jose' (2 years ago) I saw various vitamins for sale there. Is that no longer the case?

Hola!
Yes, you can get certain vitamins but not multiple.  No idea why.  Has anyone else seen multiple vitamins sold without script?

- Dave

Wow, Dave, I never heard that one! (Not that I don't believe you - I do.)
i wonder if I could "smuggle in" some Multis and start a little business with expats?
Can you imagine ending up in a Costa Rica jail for this?
"Uh, what are you in for?"
"Selling multivitamins without a prescription! It's legal to sell all the individual vitamins within, but not to sell them in the form of one tablet providing all at once!"

KRAZY!

Operating a business without permission could put you in jail, regardless of what you are selling. Foreigner's operating businesses without permission or paying taxes on earned income has become something they are more concerned about these days, and that includes renting out your home to vacationers.