Why I left Costa Rica? (The Good, Bad & Ugly)

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 21. 05. 2023
  • I used to live in Costa Rica for 3 consecutive years, but at one point I had enough!
    Why I left Costa Rica? What were the things that were driving me crazy there? Why this country wasn't for me?
    Today I will be talking about the negatives of this beautiful Central American country.
    As someone who's spent quite a bit of time there I formed some opinions, and today I'll be sharing my experience with lifestyle in Costa Rica, and why I think it is not the best place to live.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Introducing Michael Rosmer, the true modern-day Renaissance man and international entrepreneur, who has been mentored under top international tax attorneys.
    He is widely regarded as the foremost international tax expert for legal cross-border tax planning, with extensive experience in immigration, residency, and second citizenship for those seeking a plan B, asset protection, global offshore banking, and payment processing.
    Michael leads a team of lawyers and accountants who are top experts in their respective fields. This multi-lingual, multi-national team has worked with digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and investors from 62 countries, providing practical real-world multi-dimensional solutions for their clients.
    At Offshore Citizen we understand that each individual's situation is unique. Unlike most industry service providers, we do not push any particular country or solution. Instead, we analyze your individual situation and custom-tailor the best countries and strategies for you, drawing on every part of the globe.
    With Offshore Citizen, you can rest assured that you are in the hands of professionals who have your best interests at heart. Let us guide you through the complex world of international tax planning, immigration, residency, and second citizenship.
    Contact Michael today for a personalized consultation and take the first step towards securing your financial future.
    ..........................................................................................................................................
    Get personalized advice about tax, asset protection, offshore banking, residency, and citizenships.
    ☎️ Book a call with Michael:
    calendly.com/michael-rosmer?m...
    🌎 Visit our website:
    offshorecitizen.net

Komentáře • 730

  • @sandrabedard7848
    @sandrabedard7848 Před rokem +450

    We retired in CR 2 years ago and still here. Best choice for us. We shop at our huge farmers market and support all our locals. Our foods are fresh and delicious and our costs here are much cheaper than USA. All our friends are locals and we immerse ourselves into the people culture, history and foods. We don't live in the tourist areas and and we live a simple but healthy and happy lifestyle here. We don't have drivers, maids , etc etc and we knew when moving here we didn't want to live the same as in USA. We had our residency in 89 days with our good Attorney. The lifestyles you choose here will determine the affordability. Everything for us is cheaper and that was what we wanted. We have fast speed fiber optic internet and our power rarely goes out . Location is the key and if people choose tourist area's and beach towns you will pay much more !! We won't be moving from Costa Rica because our health and lives have improved tremendously these two years. Our Autistic son lives here too with us and he loves his life here. No one should have expectations when moving abroad.

    • @gavnonadoroge3092
      @gavnonadoroge3092 Před rokem +8

      Sandy , what do you do for medical care?

    • @tweetiddleydum
      @tweetiddleydum Před rokem +20

      We've been here 8 years. Never leaving

    • @jackbaldwin3649
      @jackbaldwin3649 Před rokem +6

      I have the same question about medical care. And, would you be willing to share your attorney's name Sandy? Gracias!

    • @wildblueworld
      @wildblueworld Před rokem +6

      Would be possible for you to share the lawyer's contact info?

    • @tw9419
      @tw9419 Před rokem +3

      Do you own a car? If yes how is driving there?
      What do you do for healthcare and are you satisfied?

  • @Thomas_Hardy.
    @Thomas_Hardy. Před 7 měsíci +150

    I moved to Costa Rico to GET AWAY from constant phone life, online ordering, introversion, Home bound sedentary computer diversions. I moved to Costa Rica to GET OUT of the house... go to markets, parks, hikes, meeting people, neighbor gatherings, face to face interaction, heathy local food, locally made clothes and housewares, art, music. When friction happens I bring a local friend and they walk me through the local way of removing the friction. "I like the friction" because it causes the short sighted and narrow self -obsessed expats to MOVE ALONG to another country.

    • @hipmoma
      @hipmoma Před 7 měsíci +9

      Exactly... 👍

    • @benchokwaiman
      @benchokwaiman Před 6 měsíci +8

      Nice comment man, I currently live in the Netherlands and you summed up what I want to escape from. I guess the US and Northern European life style are pretty similar.
      I'll move to a Caribbean island next year, but Costa Rica is on my radar and I will definatly check it out when I'm living in the region.

    • @TheyCallMeJTK
      @TheyCallMeJTK Před 4 měsíci +5

      I'm glad he left CR

    • @toddlavigne6441
      @toddlavigne6441 Před 4 měsíci

      this guy should shut up and move back to the US

    • @tnjazzgal
      @tnjazzgal Před 3 měsíci +2

      Very well said. You've expressed my sentiments precisely.

  • @barco581
    @barco581 Před 10 měsíci +142

    Costa Rica is definitely not the place to move to if "friction" bothers you. I think this video is a perfect example of not doing enough good research before moving, having unrealistic expectations, and trying to live a North American lifestyle in Costa Rica. Very, very, few Ticos employ six people including drivers and cooks.

  • @monemo8606
    @monemo8606 Před rokem +32

    Thank's God it is not for everyone, imagine if it was.

  •  Před rokem +104

    I'm costa rican and i agree with most of the things you said, specially infrastructure, but in our defence i must add that we are giving out so much in order to keep the country green, electricity for example, we have it 99% renewable and green and we also export it to the rest of central america, and also happens that CR ranks 3rd country with the most rain in the planet, so thunder, renewable energy reliability, and exporting makes us very prone to blackouts. We could just burn coal or deal with nuclear waste and live a comfortable life, but that is not sustainable and not the goal of CR.
    Life is pretty expensive but only if you want to, you can choose to buy a cheaper car instead of the shiny brand new one and is going to take you anywhere just as well.
    At the end of the day, it depends on what you are looking for, if you are trying to replicate your lifestyle here, it's doable but then is going to cost you a lot and if that is what you are looking for, then why not stay there where you have already your life style?, if you are trying to change the pace, the way of your life, then this country could be a choice. You win the game of life by being happy, and if the trade-offs of costa rica makes you happier, then it makes sense, if not, then it's probably not for you.
    By the things you mentioned, you probably would be happier living in Hawaii.

  • @sara-ic3jl
    @sara-ic3jl Před 9 měsíci +87

    i'm costa rican and i 100% understand how our life is not for everyone, i'm just wondering how you did not know about some of these things sooner? 💀

    • @BrixtonBeat
      @BrixtonBeat Před 6 měsíci +3

      Yeah it’s seems like a Google search would explain most of these things before arrival

    • @juanshaftpatel7488
      @juanshaftpatel7488 Před 6 měsíci

      he came for the hookers at the Del Rey... then he realzied he couldnt afford it long term

    • @tandanielle3875
      @tandanielle3875 Před 5 měsíci +5

      Hearing about something and living it are not the same thing. Sometimes you don't know how it will work for you until you try!

    • @d-tech5338
      @d-tech5338 Před 3 měsíci +4

      This video will help do exactly that for others.

    • @FatMonkeyCR
      @FatMonkeyCR Před 3 měsíci +3

      I’m visiting right now and all i can think is how we’re not living life right back in the states. Growing up in California in a coastal town definitely translates well if you can get over having certain luxuries

  • @nealcoppola6748
    @nealcoppola6748 Před 10 měsíci +80

    Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Having been only once and planning a second trip shortly, many of the things that bothered you are what are attractive to us. I found the food to be local, fresh, and bright. I found the people to be genuine. I found the connection between people and place to be refreshing. I found a much more relaxed pace. My take away from your experience is that it doesn't appear that you attempted to assimilate to the culture and expected COSTA (pronounced: kow-stah) Rica to be where you came from. I don't intend on hiring a staff of 6. (really? Your privilege is showing) I don't expect to find fruits and vegetables imported from places far away. I don't expect a gas station on every corner. I don't expect Amazon to deliver my package the next day. I don't expect people to speak English. Again, thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you enjoy the journey of your future travels. Be well.

    • @jeneferrojas9771
      @jeneferrojas9771 Před 8 měsíci +4

      Love your kind response!

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci +1

      I've lived in Costa Rica and I am not picky. Don't do it, you'll regret it sooner. The rivers are dirty and contaminated, most beaches are unsafe, and drugs are rampant. The infrastructure is deteriorating, as stated by Costa Ricans themselves. The prices for everything are absurd, poverty and violence are everywhere... Save yourself a headache, don't move there without having lived there for at least 6 months... because 90% of those who do regret it sooner rather than later. Don't even think about getting married, you'll lose everything. And if you're American, the embassy won't help you, and you'll end up with local lawyers paying them gringo prices. Add to this the disregard for time, which is life itself. Don't be fooled. The Costa Rican government spends millions and millions on propaganda to attract you. Believe me, look for another place.

    • @christobar
      @christobar Před 2 měsíci +2

      Sounds like you are in a bad place after a failed marriage?

    • @teresawiley6077
      @teresawiley6077 Před 2 měsíci +1

      @@4kambiosound like America

    • @m.aleisa
      @m.aleisa Před měsícem

      @@4kambio thank you for sharing. Praying and wishing you all the best.

  • @Charles-qt4hq
    @Charles-qt4hq Před 8 měsíci +225

    Wow. As an expat living in Costa Rica, I find this video a great example of privileged paternalism criticizing
    those less privileged! A household staff of six, a pool, drivers, condescending attitude toward the food and cooking of Ticos….Dude came here and wanted to teach locals how to cook? Oh please. He says he’s lived in numerous countries. But he’s also left those as well. Maybe the problem isn’t the countries….

    • @Carmelancholydoll
      @Carmelancholydoll Před 7 měsíci +21

      Exactly. He sounds like an entitled teenager who just traveled for the very first time in his whole life.

    • @hipmoma
      @hipmoma Před 7 měsíci

      yeah go back to Canada and live under dictator Trudeau ! lets see how fantastic and free that life is over there

    • @juanshaftpatel7488
      @juanshaftpatel7488 Před 6 měsíci +9

      i mena the food does suck

    • @telolisou
      @telolisou Před 5 měsíci +7

      An example of person who would never be happy anywhere he goes. As for me, who think about retiring there one day, none of the silly reasons he mentioned bother me.

    • @thedalillama
      @thedalillama Před 5 měsíci

      Cry some more. The guy is right. Your whining has no impact on that. Grow up already

  • @adamd3319
    @adamd3319 Před 11 měsíci +61

    From Canada but I've been to Costa Rica twice now, for about 3 weeks each time. First time explored Puntarenas and decided we needed to come back, second time explored Guanacaste and looked at a bunch of property while we were there. I've been learning spanish for the past 5 years on and off and can tell you without a doubt in my mind that if you don't know Spanish you're missing out on Costa Rica's biggest plus...the people. When you make an effort it pays you back tenfold. We love the weather, I love the fishing..but the people are why we are moving there. Of course they are not all amazing, nothing's perfect, but by and large I have never in all my travels experienced such warm and inviting people.

    • @charlainedesouza2529
      @charlainedesouza2529 Před 11 měsíci +6

      You are so right about the people. Very warm, sweet, and chill.

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci +2

      You should reconsider your decision. You'll soon find yourself regretting it. The rivers are polluted, the beaches are mostly unsafe, and there's a rampant drug issue. While most people are good, don't expect straightforward answers, especially if you're dealing with any business or legal matters-it could be a nightmare. I strongly advise against moving there without thoroughly testing the country for at least six consecutive months.

    • @WolfF2022
      @WolfF2022 Před 2 měsíci +1

      @@4kambio which country would you recommend?

  • @suegamboa107
    @suegamboa107 Před 11 měsíci +62

    Well, everybody certainly has the right to their opinion, and these reasons are why many people end up leaving Costa Rica. This is probably a good video of things not to do if you move to Costa Rica. First, there comes an acceptance that things aren't going to be the same as what you're used to back home. I hope people research that before moving anywhere. The idea that it's difficult to get things delivered to your door such as with Amazon is a small price, in my opinion, for the tradeoff of all the good things about Costa Rica. Regarding how expensive it is, sure, it can be very expensive depending on how you live. For me, I always buy Costa Rican products, shop at the marketplace, eat at sodas, etc. And avoid expensive imported products for everyday living. The food? Wow, for me, the food is some of the best in the world. Eating at sodas is extremely affordable and delicious. If it were me, I'd also avoid living in San Jose. I do speak Spanish and as another person commented, if you don't speak Spanish, you are missing out on all the wonderful people you could meet and conversations you could have. That said, I found your video very upfront and honest, and these are real reasons why some foreigners don't stay in Costa Rica.

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci

      Violence, high cost of living, drugs permeating all levels of society, corruption, prostitution... I speak Spanish too. I can assure you that many comments on CZcams are part of a propaganda campaign. There's a concerted effort to downplay or deny the very real problems I've mentioned. Don't do it. Don't move there without spending six consecutive months in the country. Only then can you make an informed decision.

    • @WolfF2022
      @WolfF2022 Před 2 měsíci +1

      But you need to live in a guarded community or isn`t it such unsafe?

  • @robbiePlanetaSano
    @robbiePlanetaSano Před 6 měsíci +72

    I have lived in Costa Rica for 24 years. I love the weather, live in my jungles, ocean view, ocean breezes, monkeys, beaches. My kind of place.
    Life can be a pain in the ass anywhere ☺️ I think comparing San Jose to living in a jungle is kind of funny.
    For us nature kids it is paradise . I live in the hills of Manuel Antonio with 3 acres. A little homestead ☺️
    I left a career in Silicon Valley to live my dreams . I think this is mine.
    I live simple and teach sustainable healthy living . My dream life.
    I grow my own food and medicine , build houses with my own fallen trees and bamboo.
    The Tarzan lifestyle is me☺️
    I made kilometers of trails at my farm with a machete by myself. I love this place ☺️ I think living in a jungle is the healthiest cleanest soul healing place in the world. So I am grateful for my two jungles ❤️

    • @princesslisa7723
      @princesslisa7723 Před 3 měsíci +1

      Your life sounds AMAZING!!

    • @humanaryan4523
      @humanaryan4523 Před 3 měsíci +1

      Usted es cktaricano?

    • @luisdossantos1716
      @luisdossantos1716 Před 3 měsíci

      I moved to a more tourist oriented place in Nicoya near the beach we bought 1 acre and hope to do the same, while renting extra casitas but the process is costly and long, pura vida ...😂

    • @jorgecalvo3846
      @jorgecalvo3846 Před 3 měsíci +2

      I would tend to agree that Costa Rica has become the MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTRY IN THE AMERICAS.From traffic gridlock to a growing violent crime wave to terrible roads with kamikazi drivers,look elsewhere.

    •  Před 3 měsíci +1

      tell us how it is when you get older

  • @okayfine506
    @okayfine506 Před 8 měsíci +13

    Lived here in Costa Rica for 2 years and we love it. No regrets.

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před 8 měsíci +2

      What do you love most about Costa Rica?

    • @okayfine506
      @okayfine506 Před 8 měsíci +5

      @@OffshoreCitizen the people and the much slower pace of life

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci +2

      Wow! Good for you... where is this paradise located, by the way? Haven't you experienced violence, a high cost of living, drugs permeating all layers of society, corruption, and prostitution, truly?

  • @r3dp1ll
    @r3dp1ll Před rokem +28

    That's interesting and living in Mexico myself I agree with many points. But 3 years and no spanish that's not very serious. You can do duolingo 15 min a day, speak with locals, take notes and revise time to time.

  • @williamflinchum-qo6ch
    @williamflinchum-qo6ch Před 11 měsíci +16

    I lived in Costa Rica for 18 year,s! I first visited in 1992! I enjoyed it about 85%, and I learned patience, and Spanish! I love visiting the Volcanoes, and beaches! The food was a drawback,except the Ceviche, and the fruit,s! I think Nicaragua is less expensive! People can,t expect Costa Rica to be Canada or the US! That should be the charm of it the differences, in a tropical culture!

  • @archlab007
    @archlab007 Před rokem +18

    I lived and worked in Trinidad & Saint Lucia down in the Caribbean. You can say the same for those islands as well
    If you're used to a US Canada / Europe , as you say 'friction-free' lifestyle, you won't get it in places like that, unless you are quite wealthy..
    However, if you stack that up to my time in Angola and Nigeria, the inconveniences of the Caribbean were so minor in comparison.
    Also when you're in places like West Africa, you'll learn that you've got it really great and that complaining makes you standout is a horrible person (& believe me I did complain at the time) because you have it so well among so many that are in what you can't even call poverty, or squalor..
    They truly live in Hell on Earth, yet somehow find a way to live and sometimes even be happy with what they have. It's really striking.
    We in the developed world just have it so good that we don't even know it

    • @joules_sw
      @joules_sw Před 7 měsíci

      I dated a norwegian girl who totally failed understand this you pointed

  • @vladimirskrbic5957
    @vladimirskrbic5957 Před rokem +97

    Great video, Michael! I currently live in Costa Rica, and have been here since 2015. I agree with you on almost everything, and as you mention, the infrastructure (especially around Internet and cellular) has improved exponentially in the past 2-3 years e.g. I have a very stable and fast Internet connection of 300/30 Mbps and a pretty nice 4G LTE postpaid plan with a combined cost of less than $80 /mo. The electricity does go out for 15 min to 1 hr, once or twice a month (mostly during thunderstorms), and the water supply has been pretty consistent, at least for me. Immigration is a pain and does take 2 years (or more) to get and bureaucracy is a bit over the top, but one can get used to it if one exercises patience and proper planning. Language is not that hard to learn and you'd be surprised by how much people's attitude changes toward a foreigner if they make an effort to communicate in the native language of the country they live in. And lastly, aside from the nature, air, and sunshine, the food selection here has boomed, especially after the cervesa sickness, and I personally eat Indian, Thai, German, French, Italian, American, Argentinian, Brazilian, and of course, Costa Rican food every month and the quality is amazing here now. Traffic has improved much, as they've built several wider bridges, expanded highways, and are working on the GAM (Gran Area Metropolitan) circunvalación, which is essentially a huge multi-lane freeway ring around the city, however, driving through the city of San Jose (street surface roads) and in rural areas, is still in the realm of "adventure" and requires a lot of skill and patience. Lastly, getting things from the US/Canada via Amazon or any other online store is fast and easy e.g. took me about 10 days to get a dishwasher delivered to me via air, and about 15 days for a set of Sonos speakers and a soundbar and during Christmas holidays mind you. It's worth mentioning that there's a $500 limit per every 180-day period (per person), when shipping anything here if you are looking to exonerate i.e. get stuff tax/customs free, or you can just go through the regular importation process, but you have to make sure you check the customs rates beforehand, so you are not sticker-shocked when things arrive and you are asked to pay 60% on top of the price you paid in the US + shipping costs, which can end up being literally double of the original price (not all items fall into that category though). Hope that helps! Pura vida :)

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před rokem +10

      Very insightful comment. Thanks! 🙏🏻

    • @anonymousdonor8084
      @anonymousdonor8084 Před rokem +1

      Which towns outside of San Jose have the best roads and internet?

    • @julieshakti5279
      @julieshakti5279 Před 9 měsíci

      very helpfull ! thank you ! what about buy a place and create an eco project ( work with tourism) ?

    • @rudiechinchilla6746
      @rudiechinchilla6746 Před 5 měsíci +1

      He wanted a KFC and McDonald s on every corner

    • @HousesCostaRica
      @HousesCostaRica Před 5 měsíci +2

      You are too picky about Costa Rica. Nothing is perfect in this world or any country .doesn't not exist. Be humble man .

  • @Lordcalillo
    @Lordcalillo Před 2 měsíci +4

    I’m really happy to hear that you don’t live here anymore. You are one of many who pushes prices up just to reduce “friction” in your life.

  • @Fearlesslikeahoneybadger
    @Fearlesslikeahoneybadger Před 7 měsíci +8

    I think you are the problem here. You wanted a Canada in Costa Rica and when they didn’t become Canada you left. I hope that more people move out and leave more space for us.

  • @deveeneburchall8032
    @deveeneburchall8032 Před 7 měsíci +20

    All I can say as a soon to be Costa Rican resident, my husband and I love, love, love Costa Rica! We have bought property here and we are soooo happy it is not the same lifestyle as USA, Canada, and Bermuda. (where we are from). We absolutely love the people, as well as the beauty of the country.❤

    • @toddlavigne6441
      @toddlavigne6441 Před 4 měsíci +1

      And naturally it is silly to think it will be the same as the US or Canada

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci +1

      The rivers are polluted, the beaches are mostly unsafe, and there's a rampant drug issue which exacerbate violence. It is nice you are fine with it.

  • @glemast
    @glemast Před rokem +40

    If you can't pronounce the name of the country right, then ask someone.

    • @michaelgood9218
      @michaelgood9218 Před rokem +2

      I know, right? This bothered me too. He even says the word "COAST" later in the video. Maybe he sees the word "COST" and thinks of it in terms of COST and PRICES like that. Since he hates the COST. Maybe he is doing it on purpose??

    • @buentaste
      @buentaste Před rokem +3

      ⁠@@michaelgood9218 better say BAD. Well coast is costa in Spanish wich "IS" the same meaning in this country name Costa Rica SO it is understandable IMAO since both words has same meaning be so close in sound pronunciation........AND Spanish language has not the sophistication that English language has on pronunciations....

    • @permabear6025
      @permabear6025 Před rokem +2

      He was probably just the kind of North American who hangs around Jaco with prostitutes and still can’t speak any Spanish after several years 😅

    • @donaldjudge2981
      @donaldjudge2981 Před 2 měsíci

      Qqqq❤q❤❤qq❤❤qqqq❤❤

    • @marthaoschwald2790
      @marthaoschwald2790 Před 2 měsíci

      British people pronounce it like cost and Canada probably also does since they have kind of a mix of British and American words in terms of pronunciation. It's not wrong, just a variation.

  • @d.r.7943
    @d.r.7943 Před měsícem +5

    Wow! Just Wow! Let me tell you something...I am Austrian and married an American. when I was 26 years old. I live in the USA and am still married to the same man for 33 years now and still going strong. I relocated to the US when I was 29 and low and behold this "great America" was a culture shock to me. The country is filthy and trash is everywhere! Just drive along any road and observe the trash left and right. Most people are not friendly and very ignorant towards others.The pace of life is stressful. The main concept of living is "Work, work, work until you drop dead and buy, buy, buy as much as you can along the way so you can flaunt your wealth and can say that "you made it" (whether it's on credit or you actually can afford it, it doesn't really matter). Most people live way above their means just to be able to look down on others. Seems it's not any different in Canada.I have accepted the bad things I encounter as there are many good things the USA can offer too. I am looking forward to a great retirement without worries and Costa Rica is a place we highly consider. I am researching "everything" about this country and that is why I landed on your site here. Do I agree with anything you say? No, because I am totally different in my way of thinking. Instead of accepting things the way they are and be happy about the good things all I see is criticism and you trying to bend everything to YOUR needs alone. There is NO perfect country on this planet. Period! This stance of high self importance in life will never let you find true happiness. You will never understand the concept of "Pura Vida". Good luck to you!

  • @eduardojimenez5424
    @eduardojimenez5424 Před rokem +23

    Well, for starters people don't usually come to CR to find what they had on their country (because you know realities are different I cannot compare CR with South Korea for example), now to the point San Jose is not the first place to live option usually people that come to our country search the forest and beaches which is what we as a country try to offer to the tourism, the issues with water and electricity that you mentioned sound to me that you were in a part of "San Jose" to close to the forest which is the only interpretation I can get, because usually on far places there are ASADAS who handle the water service locally, the big question that remains here is with all the money you had (you were importing stuff) why you didn't afford a place with a water tank I mean I've seen them in Walmart here in CR, on the infrastructure there is a lot to improve but once again is a developing country who has been working on create a better infrastructure around San Jose on the past years, it is what is needed? I am not sure, but we are trying to improve as an example take Guanacaste that has had a lot of development the past years, again we can still improve but watching your opinion, I am affraid as you said you don't have an adventure spirit; living here has its difficulties but also has good things. The smoothies part killed me, here we have a variety of local fruits you said we have a limitation because we do not have a lot of fruits you were looking for I won't go deepe on this topic, CR food is based on Rice and Beans, I am seeing people complaining about it, but simply there is a said "when in Rome.." we have now a lot of American Franchises, but people who come here come for the CR experience and guess what that is what Costa Ricans have for lunch, breaksfast and dinner. On the other hand not having internet again when did you live here and where dude because if you lived in San Jose you are telling people things that are far from reality (this internet issue is common on places far from San Jose, but i guess that when you built a cabin in a mountain you usually get satelite internet). On the English barrier dude in the day to day live Costa Ricans speak "spanish" hard to believe it I know but is a latin country, for a person who comes to visit it is easier because they go to Tourist places, but if you are living here for God sake try to learn spanish or get down your horse and understand that some people had it difficult to learn and understand.

    • @half.breed83
      @half.breed83 Před 10 měsíci +1

      Exactly it's a Latin country what do people expect my family is from San jose

    • @jasminflower3814
      @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci

      Hi there, do ladies ever wear jeans or track pants etc due to it being cold ( not for fashion) but the cold in Costa Rica? @@half.breed83

    • @Lordcalillo
      @Lordcalillo Před 2 měsíci

      “Get down your horse” 😂😂 you kill it!!

  • @lisafridland
    @lisafridland Před 11 měsíci +11

    Friction due to language??? At least have the respect to learn the language and pronounce “costa” correctly.

  • @kayakista79
    @kayakista79 Před 9 měsíci +77

    You can not even pronounce Costa Rica after living there for three winters. It says a lot about the effort you made to immerse yourself in the culture.

    • @majorgear1021
      @majorgear1021 Před 7 měsíci +14

      Right? That discredited the video right away.

    • @joeyzluticky19
      @joeyzluticky19 Před 6 měsíci +10

      Cost of rica lmao

    • @jucxox
      @jucxox Před 4 měsíci +2

      It’s his own accent..

    • @ShartimusPrime
      @ShartimusPrime Před 3 měsíci +1

      My Dad has been married to a Costa Rican for over 40 years, been to the country several times, and STILL . . . STILL says “Casta Rica!!” PLEASE! Just say “COAST-Ah”, Dad!

    • @albertromero9353
      @albertromero9353 Před 14 dny +2

      @@jucxox he said the word “coast” and “road” with how the “o” should be prounounced in “Costa” . Thus it’s not an accent issue, but rather ignorance.

  • @gracii92
    @gracii92 Před rokem +160

    "I don't speak Spanish."
    Moves to a Spanish speaking country.
    Proceeds to complain.

    • @specialspring
      @specialspring Před 4 měsíci +12

      Tell that to all the immigrants coming to America and not learning English 🤦🏼‍♀️

    • @applegoosemen2346
      @applegoosemen2346 Před 4 měsíci +3

      ​@specialspring and living in the USA becomes a lot more difficult for those individuals.

    • @johannwolf1
      @johannwolf1 Před 4 měsíci

      really? Para Español... marque numero dos - literrally every company (especially government) telephone answering machine. @@applegoosemen2346

    • @JohnShaw26.2
      @JohnShaw26.2 Před 4 měsíci +13

      Makes a video about a country and can’t pronounce it correctly lol
      Costa Rica, NOT Casta Rica

    • @adamangowski4328
      @adamangowski4328 Před 3 měsíci

      Typical American behavior

  • @cougarlove8542
    @cougarlove8542 Před rokem +21

    Good video. I live in CR now and I have been here for 4 years fulltime. First off living in San Jose would suck for me. I have to go there from time to time however leaving is the best part of going there. I live in Flamingo so next to the beach which I love. As you know it is hot here but for me it is tolerable. The residency took me about 1 year or less from start to finish. The banking here is terrible. Extremely poor customer service. The country is more like the wild west. Even though they have rules they are not followed by most people. Traffic, roads and basic infostructure is third world country for sure. The people are nice and laid back. Almost nothing get done in a timely manor. The lack of organization in general from the government to the people is pretty bad. Scammers including prominent lawyers and real estate agents are prevalent. Real estate companies will tell you anything to get the sale. Once you are closed and have an issue, to bad. The positives are unlike the US where I come from it is very free here. The US has become one of the least free places I have seen in all of my travels. My advice to anyone. If you are considering Costa Rica rent for at least a year then decide. 50/50 you will go back to wherever you came from. Buying right now is just like buying anywhere in the world, buying a major top. Costa Rica is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared for serious poverty, homeless animals everywhere (which I try to feed and help) and the people just pay no attention to spaying and neutering these animals. This to me is one of the most disgraceful things about the Country.

    • @mattball7074
      @mattball7074 Před rokem +5

      Really good breakdown that never gets discussed

    • @buentaste
      @buentaste Před rokem +2

      Thanks for your honesty. I am panamenian same thing as Costa Rica. Living in USA but planning to return back to my country and thinking of those things you just mentioned.... need to buy a lot of patience I don't know where......

    • @cougarlove8542
      @cougarlove8542 Před rokem

      @@buentaste Panama has much lower prices than Costa Rica. I have not been there but I am certain the beauty is as good as Costa Rica. My search took me to Brazil, Columbia and Costa Rica. I also explored Nicaragua but that is a no go for many reasons. To this day Nicaragua requires a vax card to get in. Clearly we know the WHO and the globalist run that country.

    • @bornfree8487
      @bornfree8487 Před rokem +2

      You judge a peoples by how they treat their animals

    • @kimberiysmarketstrategy
      @kimberiysmarketstrategy Před 8 měsíci +1

      I saw the animal issue too, the monkeys were tearing apart a puppy . I felt so bad & wondered why someone would do that. The beaches were full of large dogs digging for food. At least they were playing together. That was nice.
      It was beyond expensive to have dinner somewhere. We had black blended beans & veggies in a quesadilla, 1 margarita. = $80.00
      Breakfast? 2) egg & Cheese croissants, 2 blended strawberry smoothie = 78.00 ouch .
      Felt ripped off trying to eat a romantic dinner. Even the little store charged 14.00 for milk. This was much more than I ever expected to spend.

  • @tw9419
    @tw9419 Před rokem +12

    It’s a good practice to go and spend a few weeks (possibly a few months) in a place before committing to live there.
    Many things that people from developed countries take for granted are simply not an option elsewhere.
    People tend to expect too much from certain places and they get disappointed.
    If you come from a place like Canada your baseline of expectations is quite high, so you may end up disappointed in many countries

  • @fritzmetzger22
    @fritzmetzger22 Před rokem +5

    Great video! Looking at where people actually choose to stay is a super insightful observation. I know many people who moved to Malta but very few stay there more than a year.

    • @torontovoice1
      @torontovoice1 Před rokem

      It must be the congestion, the construction noise, and the pollution

  • @staceywilliams4755
    @staceywilliams4755 Před rokem +44

    It sounds like your sense of entitlement was the real issue.

  • @gekko1810
    @gekko1810 Před rokem +27

    Great channel Michael! I have spent many months working remotely/surfing in CR and love that country. Your assessment is pretty accurate. My only objection would be that the "third world" description is a bit undeserved. By most metrics (GDP per capita, stability, life expectancy, education, crime etc.) CR is an upper middle income economy and has done fairly well for 30 years now. With that being said, your reasons for leaving are totally understandable. It's gotten outrageously expensive. The roads and traffic are bad, and the import taxes are definitely annoying. The internet is fine in most places now. I believe one of the reasons CR has gotten so expensive is the "milkshake effect" - meaning that the country's stability has sucked up all the capital and expat money in the region. With the exception of Panama, CR's Central American neighbors are decades behind - hence why an American expat interested in Central America is still more willing to drop $2m for a villa in Papagayo, rather than spending a third of that across the border in Nicaragua. Personally, I'm currently looking to buy in Mexico ;)

    • @buentaste
      @buentaste Před rokem

      Thanks for your input. Never thought Mexico is safer that Costa Rica or Panamá since narcos control lot of government agencies...

    • @williamcastner23
      @williamcastner23 Před rokem +13

      We have been living on the carribean side of Costa Rica. We now have streaming video, more stores and houses everyday. If your looking for fast food, or all the frozen food. Don't come. We eat most of our meals at home. The cost of clothing in Puerto Viejo is less than California. We paid 300 grand to build our house overlooking Cahuita National. Roads suck, but it's better than going so slow on freeways. Property tax in California was 5 grand a year and here it's 500 for our house. Don't forget that the US puts tariffs on everything shipped. We do pay lots more for cheese, or any item shipped in. $60 to have our AC just in our master bedroom. We got a whole new engine rebuild for 3 grand. If you choose to use the medical system it's a pain, but all the equipment and Dr's are top rated. When I got covid, one call and an ambulance came, took me to the local clinic, then on to the hospital where they found out that I had the worst pneumonia you could get. The locals are so friendly. Yup the power goes out and usually is out for less than a day. In the California mountains, our power would go out so much that we had a generator. When we got it here have only used it once. We have streaming video. The reason it takes so long to get residency is because of the volume. We transfer money from our California bank as we live on our SSI checks. The food is really really good. Yea lots of restaurants are no good, but what restaurants that are give you a discount. On our little street, we have Canadian, US, France and Germany. We are on well water and we dug a California deep well, so we have water. My meds are free, about 500 a month if I had to pay. Yes some systems aren't so good, like their usage of paper and when you buy something you do have to go to 3 places before you leave. Where can you have iguanas, sloths, capuchin monkeys and howler monkeys. Plus the birds will make you a bird watcher. Lots of times we just go to the beach to watch the beautiful sunsets. Everyone hates San Jose, but if you need anything you can find it. We have a network of people to call for everything that we can't fix ourselves. The gas here is about as,expensive as California, plus no mass shootings. Why they make you take classes when you are a permanent citizen. Jump through hoops just to get a gun. Yes we have the columbians shipping drugs through Costa Rica. But if you stay away from druggies, no problem. I hate the roads, but the beach road is pretty good, but in PV it has been torn up as they are building a new water treatment plant. We are godparents to a Tico family who are so poor but happy than any US people that I ran into. A smile will go a long way. We volunteer at a kitty rescue as they have no animal shelters from the government. We have the best coffee place right across from the beach. Do we have problems, yes no country is perfect. So I'll continue to sit on the terrace watching all the wildlife. 10 years ago, no one would visit or even stay here so the beaches are beautiful. I love CR with all its problems, it's no Canada or the US which are all about convince😂, which is not what CR is all about. Actually stay away, it's getting crowded on the Caribbean side. I love my adopted country. ❤ Because we cook our food costs for 2 people is about 10 dollars a day. 😅😊

    • @wildblueworld
      @wildblueworld Před 11 měsíci +2

      @williamcastner23 Love it, hope one day I'll have the opportunity to live there. Just need a job that allows me to work and live there, haha.

    • @leoruocco9128
      @leoruocco9128 Před 9 měsíci +2

      The fact is the majority of the local tico population,farmers/ coffee farmers are very poor and they live on $500 or less,A month, it is not a rich country. The government was close to broke before covid.Its a miracle that it hasn't collapsed.

    • @RusEngjoyer
      @RusEngjoyer Před 5 měsíci

      @@williamcastner23Caribbean sucks ass, go to lake arenal.

  • @danhex
    @danhex Před 9 měsíci +7

    Love costa rica. Such a beautiful and clean country. Go there 8x a year with my wife and family.

  • @kategreen9647
    @kategreen9647 Před rokem +13

    Watching from dubai where the water is off for a few hours right now😂 good points but sometimes we need to look deeper. The values of costa ricans are wonderful.

  • @user-bl1qr9uw6v
    @user-bl1qr9uw6v Před rokem +6

    Pretty much spot on. I lived there for 12’years. Glad to be back home in Florida. Love the people but there’s a lot that you have to have patience on.

  • @chipyoung4396
    @chipyoung4396 Před rokem +5

    The water and parks are amazing. If you are a good cook and restaurants aren’t important, it can work.

  • @dovygoodguy1296
    @dovygoodguy1296 Před rokem +2

    Michael, so it means that during the winter months it's not humid like the summer in Costa Rica and Central America in general? But for a couple of months in the winter even the high prices could be tolerable as a snowbird?

    • @jasminflower3814
      @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci +1

      People say its the same all year round in the wet season or the dry.

  • @darkseid1757
    @darkseid1757 Před 8 měsíci +4

    This guy clearly did NOT do a proper amount of research. My wife and I are retiring to Costa Rica at the end of 2014 and have been researching our upcoming move for around 9 years now and we visit the country at least once a year. Everyone...do your research...and have realistic expectations when venturing into a new land such as this.

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před 8 měsíci +1

      Sometimes being on the ground is the research. This is fine because you aren't making a permanent decision you can always change

  • @specialspring
    @specialspring Před 4 měsíci

    Thank you for the heads up!! These are great facts that are good to know, most videos just show the nice spots that make u want to visit. I like knowing the truth of living day to day. Well done!!

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před 4 měsíci

      Our pleasure! What is on your list of countries you'd relocate to?

  • @juniorgomez5551
    @juniorgomez5551 Před rokem +7

    👇Aqui los que son de Costa Rica 🇨🇷🇨🇷

  • @sanny78622
    @sanny78622 Před 6 měsíci +5

    Who would ever buy frozen fruit when you have local fresh tropical fruit?
    I do get the internet problem, I need it for work, so that might be an issue for me, and ofc things aren't so smooth, but there is always a trade off obviously. Also I don't get how somebody lives there for 3 years and doesn't learn Spanish. It's an easy language to learn, honestly was my first thought when considering moving there that I have to learn the language even before going there... I think only NA people are so arrogant to expect everyone just speak english and they dont need to learn shit. I honestly cannot imagine moving somewhere and not even planning on learning the language - wtf? Thankx for the video still.

    • @telolisou
      @telolisou Před 5 měsíci +1

      Exactly. It makes no sense. If Frozen fruit and Amazon deliveries are so important to him, he should stay in Canada. It is cold 9 months of the year, lots of frozen fruits (mostly imported from Costa Rica) you can still get packages quickly.

  • @leoruocco9128
    @leoruocco9128 Před 9 měsíci +2

    I am happy to see that there are people that have found Costa Rica to work for them but only time will tell for sure because there are unexpected surprises and situations that are beyond your control that could change your life.The early time spent there is always like a honeymoon and as in real life it may not last forever.

  • @donnaanderson5669
    @donnaanderson5669 Před 19 dny

    Thank you for sharing. I have access to a home in Puerto Rico and I understand the drop when it comes to driving and the rainy and might not have water sometimes you know it’s very similar to what you’re saying.

  • @infiad1275
    @infiad1275 Před rokem +15

    Gotta side with you. Good infrastructure is a must have. It doesn't matter how beautiful a place is if you can't do what you need to do.

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před rokem +2

      True
      What place is a good mix of both in your opinion?

    • @subsubsubsub5413
      @subsubsubsub5413 Před rokem +1

      My u.s. city's infrastructure is being spent on a new stadium...our city's government's attitude is do anything you want all the time

    • @infiad1275
      @infiad1275 Před rokem +2

      @@OffshoreCitizen I haven't been there yet but Dubai looks amazing. I think you've got a place there. 😁

    • @aliqg79
      @aliqg79 Před rokem +5

      I'd suggest you read some of the comments giving feedback. This video is very subjective and a lot of what he says is easily fixed by making different choices.

    • @LoricFox
      @LoricFox Před 2 měsíci +1

      Or "want" /get real; enjoy each day with is readily availabel 🫠

  • @therehastobesomethingmoore
    @therehastobesomethingmoore Před 10 měsíci +4

    We lived in CR decades ago and still have family there. My opinion is CR is a set of training wheels for people moving abroad. They want to move abroad and for some reason CR comes up a lot. We would never live there. It is very very similar to Nicaragua at double or triple the price.
    We retired 5 months ago and will be traveling for 4-5 years between Mexico and Argentina, in search of our favorite cool weather retirement city. We are currently in Matagalpa, Nicaragua until February, next heading to Guatemala and Mexico.
    We have great cell service, very high speed internet, and even though we don’t budget, in a nice 3/2 house our total bills come out to $1000-$1100 !
    Try doing that in CR !

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci

      it's regrettable that there are people dedicated to denying or minimizing real problems. Violence, high cost of living, drugs that have permeated all layers of society, corruption, prostitution... unfortunately,. There is a group of individuals (an ARMY) attempting to persuade others that the issues don't exist.

  • @Outerrythem
    @Outerrythem Před měsícem

    Around 20 years ago I spent 4 months in Costa Rica with a view to moving there from the UK. I rented a house on a mountain top over looking Dominical and the Pacific ocean. I was 28 and into surfing and fishing, so it was fantastic at that stage in my life. We ended up leaving CS and living on the Sunshine Coast in QLD Australia, where we still live. I found the pros of Costa Rica to be the obvious coastal lifestyle, the relatively inexpensive and surprisingly advanced health care, the beautiful women (although I wasn't looking) the friendly people and positive attitudes to the environment.
    The cons were as follows: My girlfriend (now wife) is Australian and for some reason, it was relatively difficult for an Australian to obtain the required visas. Just the rigmarole involved in obtaining tourist extension visas was a put off. We were looking at buying land but heard so many tales of land/houses being squatted by locals if the property was left unattended for any lengthy duration + the difficulties (legally) removing squatters. The amount of petty crime- house being broken into, car being broken into ect.

  • @DouradaBambina
    @DouradaBambina Před 4 měsíci +3

    The best asset in Costa Rica are Costa Ricans. Amazing people, kind, sweet and generous. One of the few places I was treated as a whole person, not a race.

    • @angeebb3080
      @angeebb3080 Před 3 měsíci

      You haven't been to Belize then. I have visited both. Costa Rica was a hit or miss as far as friendliness but in Belize everyone I encountered was very friendly! Belize had better food and far more cheaper too.

  • @johannwolf1
    @johannwolf1 Před 4 měsíci +3

    I am from Santa Barbara area... arguably some of the highest standard living in the world... but I have lived all over the world. It's more interesting. I like luxury but I don't need all the corners nerfed either. Hardship is good for the soul

  • @carmenjones8702
    @carmenjones8702 Před rokem +31

    You lived there 3 years and you can’t correctly pronounce Costa Rica not Casta Rica 😆

  • @gettingslim186
    @gettingslim186 Před 29 dny

    Thank you for being candid, lots of YT are afraid to say anything negative for fear of backlash

  • @Fotograf_HPKristensen
    @Fotograf_HPKristensen Před 3 měsíci

    Thank you, very useful insights to take in to consideration. 👍🏼😊

  • @terriharris3364
    @terriharris3364 Před měsícem +1

    This is a great video to see while I explore culturally preserved places to spend time. I can’t wait to try the food and spend time with la gente.

  • @xandermiller9281
    @xandermiller9281 Před rokem +5

    Not to nit-pique but…it is pronounced “COAST-A REECA” not “COST-A REECA” after 3 years I would guess you who have heard it pronounced correctly….

  • @ghostman3344
    @ghostman3344 Před 11 měsíci +7

    You stayed there for years but didnt like it enough to learn Spanish??

  • @lovalona7389
    @lovalona7389 Před rokem +7

    Spot on! Its exactly why I didnt like Costa Rica. Its not for people running certain type of business. Its more for retirees

  • @EnilSsab
    @EnilSsab Před 7 měsíci +4

    I loved San Jose, I worked there for 2months. Everything changes when you meet people. You also eventually learn the places to go. I never had any issues with the internet but i agree it can happen. To me a lot of his complaints sounds like he never even lived a normal life in US/Canada. Refused to learn the language is definitely a red flag with your complaints also. To each's own. The infrastructure complaints are valid but when he said he lived in the hills that immediately is the reason why. Also his explanation of food being expensive is not true. If you're not eating out and eat like you would at your normal home it's the same price. Clothing, if you buy their clothing it's not more expensive. A dead giveaway of this being upscale living is that he had multiple assistants. Everyone's viewpoints are valid but this isn't your average person who would live there.

    • @publicminx
      @publicminx Před měsícem

      how comes that US-Americans are often criticized by not knowing foreign language while especially Spanish speaking countries (who are among the worst in the world) are not?

  • @Elevatuvida.IBennyCr
    @Elevatuvida.IBennyCr Před rokem +6

    Thind world Country? That depends. I've lived in the USA and honestly, Costa Rica is much more developed that the USA and many other called "developed" countries in many aspects. The quality of food? Would it be that here we don't eat a lot of trash food every day. Did you know that a mixture of rice and beans is healthier that the kind of food USA people eat daily? Well, There are many countries, If you want to live in a place that is like the USA, you should choose the USA because you'll never find a place that is the same.

    • @publicminx
      @publicminx Před měsícem

      thats why life expectence in Costa Rica is much lower than in the US? And please be aware that most markets in costa rica (or almost everywhere in Latin America) would immediately be closed in Germany, Switzerland, Netherland or Scandinavia LEARN at first something about food technology. For instance: on what temperature and how long has a fresh Tomato to be cooled to keep long enough fresh and healthy. Same goes for all other vegetables, fruits, meat and stuff. Same goes for tap water quality (Costa Rica has no good tap water). Keep in mind that most people (like you) are stupid, know nothing about food but eat rather 'idealized stereotypes' (or sometimes even things which are more healthy they thought - again due to idealogic copy-paste stereotypes from other idiots (and as I said: most know nothing about that. everyone here in the comment section giving bla bla about 'healthy food' just tells they are idiots. Same goes for weather: static hot weather is neither healthy nor intellectually interesting - its part of the most boring setting (only idealized again: by idiots). and just in case you did not notice: in most cases only 'low cultured/esoteric/superficial' people consider to live in such countries longer (while trying to sell the opposite story - for their likeminded bubble and self-inspiration). thats why really skilled migrants/ppl move to totally different places. (actually from the south to the north globally - quite the opposite way). most people are also not aware about the nonsense of most stereotypes/idealizations ....

  • @geekbaritone
    @geekbaritone Před 10 dny

    I think Spanish should be a necessary as a second language if you are Canadian or American. I made it a point to learn because I'm from California and Spanish is everywhere and Spanish Speakers are in every state. It opened the door to be able to communicate with people in over twenty countries, including the United States and Canada. It's amazing.

  • @arislopes1924
    @arislopes1924 Před 11 měsíci +2

    I recently went to CR with my friends and we were shocked. The country is really beautiful but there’s so many foreigners it was overwhelming most of the time I felt like I was in the states it was really hard for me as a Latino to try and connect with the local culture of a fellow Latin country and this wasn’t the case when I went to colombia or PR. We had a hard time trying to find a group of locals to hang with. So I would definitely recommend going if you’re looking for beautiful vacation spot but not if you’re going for a beautiful vacation spot & trying to make nice connections with the locals and dive into a new culture. The whole time it felt like a big resort to me, we were told there was gonna be a lot of foreign tourists but it never thought it would be that much.

    • @dougtilaran3496
      @dougtilaran3496 Před 11 měsíci

      If you were in a town bigger than 6-10,0000 or any bigger one within an hour or 2. You were NOT in Costa Rica

    • @echoray2425
      @echoray2425 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Go to puerto jimenez or limon.

  • @Jimwatl
    @Jimwatl Před 7 měsíci +2

    I'm sorry, but he's right, the value for money isn't there.
    After reading several comments, I can't help but respond, but it's important to temper things and pay attention to what's being said. I think, at least that's what came across for me in the video, that the problem isn't the lifestyle of this gentleman, who seems to have the financial means, but rather the cost of living/quality ratio, compared to other countries, and he says he's fine with it in other countries (like Asia).
    So we're talking about the cost/quality of life ratio, and for that I can only agree with him. Services are generally mediocre, restaurants, hotels, real estate agents, repairmen, mechanics for prohibitive prices, on the other hand hospital services, doctors, dentists etc are very cheap and above all good services. As far as food is concerned don't expect to eat organic or quality products again mediocre quality for a high price and even if you wish to pay full price you can be on it.
    I'd like to make it clear that we've been living in Costa Rica for 5 years now, and unfortunately we've come to the same conclusion. We don't have a housekeeper, driver or anything else, but we make a good living. Now I just hope that with time people will be more and more educated, that import taxes will be reduced and that the country will produce more internally. I'd like to stress that things are getting better all the same, and to answer the problem Amazon now delivers directly, without going through Miami. Try to be objective and stop creating controversy where none exists, our world is bad enough as it is.sorry for my english, I speak better Spanish ;)

  • @kimpuhak7460
    @kimpuhak7460 Před rokem +2

    Great video but I am glad to see comments from people currently living there. My husband and I want to move to Costa Rica and are doing the research now.

    • @intrigantina
      @intrigantina Před rokem +1

      Stay where you are or go somewhere else 😊

    • @rocharocha8199
      @rocharocha8199 Před rokem

      @@intrigantina which countries do you recommend?

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci

      The rivers are polluted, the beaches are mostly unsafe, and there's a rampant drug issue. I strongly advise against moving there without thoroughly testing the country for at least six consecutive months.

  • @rmcc42
    @rmcc42 Před rokem +8

    Based on your comments you did not move here looking for a place to live, you were looking for a place to have a permanent vacation! I have lived here for 18 years and never want to live anywhere else. First off, only the unknowing would call CR a 3rd world country. Secondly your comments about utilities sound like you were here 50 years ago. I have less problems with utilities than I ever did in the USA, and pay a LOT LESS!. I can't compare to Canada but everything you complained about except shopping and availability of certian items and high cost of imported items were just as bad in the good old USA. Now I will admit I spent a lot of time in the country for 10 years before I moved here and I worked with Latinos for 30 years before I re tired, and I speak Spanish. So I was much better prepared than you were. As for San Jose (your first mistake) is the worst place in the country to live just as almost every big city in the US is not where I would ever choice to live. I live about 25km from SJ in suburb of what was the origional capital of the country. Again, I would never leave, but to each his own.

    • @Blacksun1984
      @Blacksun1984 Před 3 měsíci

      Hello Im a 23yo guy from Poland and I would love to leave slowly rotting western civilisation and live off grid is it easy to get a job in Costa Rica?

  • @wotiluv
    @wotiluv Před 11 měsíci +3

    Sounds like Costa Rica is for those who want a green organic environment & lifestyle maybe it’s better for the country that you left

  • @thedalillama
    @thedalillama Před 5 měsíci +4

    Wow, what an annoying comment section. You can't criticize anything without triggering someone these days EVEN AFTER CAVEATS. People take everything personally due to THEIR CHARACTER DEFECTS.
    Your observations about Costa Rica are spot on. It doesn't deserve a break because of the prices. They aren't inaccurate because the offended people here value something different.

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před 5 měsíci

      Thanks! Definitely agree with you

    • @publicminx
      @publicminx Před měsícem

      the more primitive a culture/ppl is/are (everyone represents also its own culture) the more they get triggered by sceptics even if every idiot should have learned that not the ones who idealize odd things are the ones who help to progress/make things better. some ppl just dont get it (learning resistance).

  • @trisha_harris
    @trisha_harris Před 7 měsíci +2

    You said it was a third world country. Seems like it’s not Costa Rica but an inflexibility on your part. I don’t see any of those issues as issues. Just different. I’m glad you’re in a happier place. I could be happy in Costa Rica. Having a pool to jump into is heads and tales above 85% of the world’s population

  • @phoenixstar4518
    @phoenixstar4518 Před 22 dny

    Thank you! That really helped ❤

  • @ksmith2852
    @ksmith2852 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Hot water is not a given in Costa Rica. You have to ask before making a reservation if they hot water. Some places like Pto Viejo, the water is not drinkable so you have to buy the water and transport it to wherever you are staying.

  • @torontovoice1
    @torontovoice1 Před rokem

    I guess it really gives you the ability to give first-hand knowledge to all of the viewers that you not only talk about these things, and these countries, but you've actually lived in many of them. It's a very interesting barometer that you mentioned where people tend to stay. You can look at statistics of countries and it shows you if they're growing or leaching people. But I guess there's a couple of different criteria you have to look at. Immigration, natural progression of people IE families being born, and people leaving. I don't remember to be able to get all that data from, but I guess it's available somewhere.

  • @user-hg1ws2hv5z
    @user-hg1ws2hv5z Před 6 měsíci +3

    You might want to try living in Louisiana, in the Bayou.. see what you think. Sounds like you might just fit right on in!

  • @dougkoontz1752
    @dougkoontz1752 Před 11 měsíci +1

    You must be from a big city in Canada? Toronto, Montreal, perhaps? Noting that in the video would give some context as to you exceptions of life and amenities you are accustomed to.

  • @oscargomez6993
    @oscargomez6993 Před 4 měsíci +1

    being a cuban man in the states for 25 years(im 52 years old now)i travel to costa rica 22 times from 1998 to 2008..I love the country and at one point i was planning to moves there...Crime and the lazyness of ticos to do something piss me off and i decided to stay in miami ...You tell a tico that u pay him 400 dollars to paint your house..Then he shows off 2 weeks later and u asked him.."Mae what happened??" ""i EXPECTED YOU 2 WEEKS AND AGO"And his aswer is "Pura vida"So you got the point.

  • @lisaholmpsychicmedium6889
    @lisaholmpsychicmedium6889 Před 10 měsíci +6

    It is “coh-sta” not “caw-sta”

    • @MondoMiami
      @MondoMiami Před 9 měsíci

      He’s trying to minimize his lisp.

  • @Musique986
    @Musique986 Před 21 dnem

    We are leaving Costa Rica in a few days. We’ve been here for 1 years. We bought a Santa Fe from Autos Max in Grecia and it was super expensive and now we are selling it. The odometer was rolled back 100,000 km when we bought it. I’ve never felt so ripped off. Don’t trust them, all they do is pretend to be friends to separate you from your money.

  • @jonf1760
    @jonf1760 Před rokem +1

    Do you still spend time in Bulgaria? If not your primary anymore, what were the reasons for that?

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před rokem +2

      Moved to Dubai. You can check out our videos on both the UAE and Bulgaria. Let us know what videos you enjoyed most :)

    • @jonf1760
      @jonf1760 Před rokem +1

      @@OffshoreCitizen I like both places, one has better taxes, but you can't get banitsa for breakfast, so swings and roundabouts. Will you do a video on why you left BG?

  • @wholderby
    @wholderby Před měsícem

    Wifey and I (mostly me) micro planned a potential relocation (retirement) to CR and we honed in on an initial plan to live the beach town life in Jaco (without even visiting once)...I studied the locations of important things like supermarket, pharmacy, and basic infrastructure items. I studied Pastor street on youtube "walking through Jaco" videos and just imagined what it would be like to make this move. Well, we visited Jaco and stayed at Crocs and was there basically a week and we realized by day 2 that it was not something we wanted to consider. We also did this for Grecia, Atenas, and a couple of other places (some beach towns, some mountain/valley towns).....but little things like interstate 27 would be a nightmare to deal with, the 2 lanes going to 1 lane with large trucks going 10 mph up the hills etc.... It just "didn't grab us"...... We have traveled the world and I was expecting a lot of these types of things but I just got the feeling that this would be a great place to spend time but not to live even 60-75% of the time as we had been thinking. The central valley had different challenges that we expected but again, I just felt like it would be a mistake.... Shifting our focus elsewhere in LATAM.....

  • @AboriginalAmerican
    @AboriginalAmerican Před 3 měsíci +2

    Have you been to Solomon Islands?

    • @SlackHoffman
      @SlackHoffman Před 2 měsíci

      Yes I loved in Honiara for 2 years ….love the Solomons but preferred Vanautu 🇻🇺

  • @pinmode
    @pinmode Před měsícem

    I was born and raised in the former PanCanalZone, my mother's side of the family is Costa Rican, I speak Spanish, I've spent my adult life in the US. I consider myself multicultural but am accustomed to doing business and working in the US. I agree with your assessments, particularly the one about it being a developing country with California prices (fuel, taxes, real estate, electronics, automobiles). The 'value' for a first world lifestyle simply isn't there. As you mentioned, the things I dislike most about San Jose are the ground transportation infrastructure, or lack thereof, and the reliability of utilities and digital connectivity. On the other hand, if you can go with the mindset of adapting to whatever happens there, rather than establishing your personal foreign enclave, I think it's a great choice - with the understanding (as you observed) that first world amenities will be a thing of the past and lowered expectations a must. As for myself, I visit regularly but I still live in the US.

  • @FineBlueAgave
    @FineBlueAgave Před 11 měsíci +11

    I'm glad you made this video. Costa Rica is not for the weak, and you drive that point home. If you don't speak Spanish, Latin America in general is not the place for you. A suburban white guy expecting the comforts of home in the third world, and Costa Rica is the third world, is a recipe for disaster. That's why 80% of the gringos who move here are gone in about 18 months. I've been in Costa Rica for 30 years. My hope is that you do a good job and distract the faint of heart from attempting to relocate here. You know, gringo expats are the reason everything is so expensive. When I first got here a beer was 125 CRC. Historically, Costa Rica has been entirely too accessible to North Americans. I would like to see that change. I'm counting on tourists like you to spread the word and scare away the white people ! Keep up the good work!

  • @moleculeofhappiness5365
    @moleculeofhappiness5365 Před 6 měsíci +2

    Interesting point of view! My personal perspective is that if you give only a half chance to a person or place, it will never work out. And this brings me to learning the language. I made efforts to learn Spanish as much as I could to pay my respect to this part of the world and the following happen: I know where to buy organic food from local farmers (also when to buy it with the biggest discounts), I can buy fresh fish directly from the beach as I know when to come, I can buy other organic produce such as cacao, coconut oil, etc. through local people, I found a little house on the beach with a reasonable price, I bought a second hand car in a great condition for half the price I see around, I do whale tours with local fishermen for a great price. All this thanks to incredibly kind local people so learning basic Spanish truly paid off in every aspect of my life. The same was true when I lived in Germany.
    I agree that living without Amazon is harder, but it taught me how to be mindful about consuming and buying things. Costa Rica is some way encourages people to live differently, more in nature and less surrounded by things. So it’s a personal choice about the place which fits to people’s priorities.
    Getting the residency is harder but as a foreigner I respect it. In the end, it will be always a tico land and we, foreigners, should stay comfortable but still humble.
    I hope you will find the most beautiful and happy home where you can thrive. All the best for you! ☘️

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci

      Most of the people here are clearly either lying or blind. This guy is 100% correct. Haven't you experienced violence, a high cost of living, drugs permeating all layers of society, corruption, and prostitution in CR, truly?

    • @LoricFox
      @LoricFox Před 2 měsíci

      Coconut oil is great for your skin🥰 cant wait to process my own💃🏿

    • @LoricFox
      @LoricFox Před 2 měsíci +1

      You get back the same as you invest🫠happy people get happy results🥰

  • @treggio
    @treggio Před rokem +17

    Hi Michael! Thank you for your honest insights. Just to mention that labels such as "third world" are derogatory and lack any analytical meaning. It is way better to say "developing" country.

    • @torontovoice1
      @torontovoice1 Před rokem +2

      There are basically three types of countries. Developed countries, emerging markets, and frontier markets

    • @wotiluv
      @wotiluv Před 11 měsíci

      @@torontovoice1 true that’s more correct

    • @ChrisPBacon3000
      @ChrisPBacon3000 Před 10 měsíci +5

      Sure, add "third world" to the list of millions of other words that offend someone, somewhere, somehow....
      I'm offended by your post. Change it.

    • @lightworker2956
      @lightworker2956 Před 9 měsíci +3

      Five years from now, "developing country" will be considered derogatory and people will be advising not to use that, and use [something] instead.
      And five years after that, [something] if derogatory and we need another term.

    • @MondoMiami
      @MondoMiami Před 9 měsíci +1

      @@lightworker2956”Developmentally different.” 😂

  • @PatientZer0.
    @PatientZer0. Před 10 měsíci +2

    Pretty spot on, I appreciate the fact that you didn't try to under/over exaggerate your experience. Definitely would say that the language barrier probably played a big role in your time here. But I wouldn't try to gaslight your 12 minute video on your experience because of that. Costa Rica's cost of living has gone up about 30-40% in the last three years. I saw some people come to the rescue in order to defend their internal opinion about it, but facts are facts. It can be said that most people visit/move to Costa Rica for the beaches/wildlife but that wouldn't be the core thought process for anyone who wants to move out of their country. Main reason has always been Money. Can I obtain a better lifestyle, a better house, better health, better surroundings and leisure time. I saw someone mention they moved for the people, but in all honesty most people reflect the energy you give back, though this concept wouldn't really work in areas like NY city or LA and certain places of Florida but that's mostly because everyone is to busy and are stuck in their own world/schedules. Yet if you move to certain places in the U.S like Colorado, Georgia, and Connecticut you would be able to have the same experience. I have been living in Costa Rica for about 2 years, I lived in Escazu, for about a year, and I've been in Guanacaste near playa coco (Nacazcol) since. Those 2 places alone are night and day in their own right. Escazu closer to the city lifestyle and Guanacaste the more laid back, humbler one. I will not disagree that depending where you live the electricity and water will go out, especially in San Jose. Does that mean everywhere ? No, but it does happen? Yes, and just like you mentioned' Once to twice a month. I am literally working with the group I.C.E (Costa rica's electrical infrastructure company) so I would like to see someone BS their way into saying the electrical/water outages aren't true. Aside from that everyone should do heavy research when moving, like he mentioned: clothing, appliances, cars, food (depending where you are) and simple conveniences are more expensive here than most people try to sell it to you. It can be summed up as USA prices in a developing nation. With that said there are still some beautiful things about Costa Rica that can be admired and I think that's for everyone to discover for themselves. But do your research, double check the dates of these websites/blogs that oversell you the cheapness of living in Costa Rica because they are outdated. Also like a handful of countries, Costa rica has their own content creators/web pioneers as I like to call them, whose job is to literally subtly disagree on certain videos/comments if they are painted in a negative light or puts tourism/real estate in jeopardy. So Do your research thoroughly, ¡chao!

    • @jasminflower3814
      @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci

      Hello there, I am from Australia and will be visiting CR and just wanted to know if ladies wear jeans or track pants there due to the cold, not for fashion sakes but the cold, thank you.

  • @costaricasbestguide9906
    @costaricasbestguide9906 Před 8 měsíci +3

    Costa Rica is a great place to live, however one must be prepared for the Cons and not just the Pros. Also one cannot generalize such things as the water is off one day a month or the electricity goes out once a week as that will vary greatly based on your chosen location to live within Costa Rica. Perhaps the biggest mistake is to try to recreate your North American life exactly as you had it there because then you can find it to be more expensive than it should be. Most expensive things are those that are imported but fortunately most of those are not monthly recurring expenses such as a vehicle, a washer/dryer, refrigerator, TV, Computer, designer clothes, cellphone, etc. You budget for that once every ten year hit and deal with it. Also if you must eat those packaged and canned foods imported and purchased at a local supermarket chain then that would be an ongoing expensive habit. Otherwise, rentals (unfurnished), transportation, local healthy and fresh food from Farmer´s market fairs, etc. will be quite cheap. Most Ticos do not make more than $1000 a month and yet manage to live very happy lives and to eat well. If you add to that all the great places you can enjoy visiting while living here, it can be your personal paradise and of course learning Spanish is a must if you want to get the most out of the experience. More updated info here costaricasbestguide.com

  • @realalexmackenzie
    @realalexmackenzie Před rokem +3

    Agreed. There are places that are great to visit, but moving your centre of existence there can be a whole different story. I just got back from Puerto Vallarta. The weather was perfect and it reminds me why I need to get the H out of Canada. We had a 3,000 sq ft condo right on the ocean. Amazing! Could I live there FT though? Likely not.

    • @CommoditySC
      @CommoditySC Před rokem +1

      Why not

    • @jackbaldwin3649
      @jackbaldwin3649 Před rokem +1

      Why couldn't you? Family and friends or something more?

    • @magnolya8
      @magnolya8 Před rokem +2

      Yes you can 😊I stayed in PV for three months, living 15 minutes back from the malecon. An amazing time. It is possible. 🌾

    • @1olive1olive4
      @1olive1olive4 Před měsícem

      For those of u complaining you 'knew' it was a 'third world' country! What did u expect!
      I got an idea, why dont you Stay in ur own countries with all ur pretentiousness!
      Trust me, nobody will be bothered about that!

    • @1olive1olive4
      @1olive1olive4 Před měsícem

      You cant go to costa rica n try to teach them how to cook! I've never heard anything so ridiculous!

  • @k_mac_6367
    @k_mac_6367 Před 6 měsíci +2

    Costa Rica is definitely one of those places that the people who are relocating there have a certain set of priorities and reasons for wanting to move there a specific kind of lifestyle not necessarily material luxury but rich in life

  • @grumpymcgrump5822
    @grumpymcgrump5822 Před rokem +1

    Here in the provinces of Philippines, the electricity goes out once or twice a week, sometimes more.

  • @HyggeJourney
    @HyggeJourney Před rokem +3

    On the lack of power and water, as well as the higher cost of living - Portugal is fully capable of giving you the same experience 😂

  • @xlaydiirandomx
    @xlaydiirandomx Před 7 měsíci +2

    I really wonder what people are thinking when they move to a country and don’t attempt to learn the language, really baffling.

  • @edustate
    @edustate Před 6 měsíci +2

    As far as expecting to find your very own life perks (elsewhere), if coming from a developed country, CR is definitely not for anyone with that mindset. The trade-off being that this is a country where people would, normally, decide staying at for reasons other than a replicated "first-world" lifestyle. That's the fun of it, I guess...Looks like neither Canada nor anywhere "not like Canada" are his taste...Also, for someone living in different places and cultures, not learning the local language (Spanish) and then complaining about not understanding others might not sound like a valid reason to complain... but rather lack of effort and "cultural immersion" for that matter.

  • @davidw3603
    @davidw3603 Před rokem +2

    Hi Michael, I always enjoy your keen mind. Two topics that hopefully you will make videos about. 1) the practicalities of getting decent health insurance in countries where you are not a citizen or a permanent resident. 2) please comment on, either in a separate video or when you discuss a county in depth in a single video, the vigor with which countries enforce their immigration laws. It seems there is a spectrum of enforcement - from very strict to very loose. I am a US citizen and I think this country's policies are nonsensical.

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před rokem +2

      Good suggestions, thanks!
      How did you like this video's topic?

    • @jasminflower3814
      @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci

      The video was great. Its the honesty we need to hear. We don't want to hear about the rainforests and rainbows, there is enough of that. We want the ugly truth, so we can make informed financial and well being decisions for our lives, thank you. @@OffshoreCitizen

  • @calumreilly358
    @calumreilly358 Před rokem +1

    I was thinking either Costa Rica or Nicaragua whats your thoughts on Nicaragua. Thanks

    • @dougtilaran3496
      @dougtilaran3496 Před 11 měsíci

      If youre fairly fluent...Nica !

    • @wenely1
      @wenely1 Před 3 měsíci

      Si a Costa Rica lo llama pais del tercer mundo a mi patria Nicaragua ni siquiera la mencionaria.
      La mayoría de los extranjeros prefieren Costa Rica: bellas playas, naturaleza, gente acogedora, comidas deliciosas, lo único negativo es que Costa R es un país con altos precios. Pero bien, lo que pagará en Costa R, se compensa con todo lo lindo que el país le ofrece, así que le aconsejo que no venga a Nicaragua porque se decepcionará mejor Costa Rica. Saludos

    • @wenely1
      @wenely1 Před 3 měsíci

      @@dougtilaran3496 que quieres decir con eso?

  • @davidjohn5057
    @davidjohn5057 Před rokem +7

    I'm currently here, checking it out to see if it's suitable. Not at all. Exactly the same reasons as you, first world prices and 3rd world quality. Almost every AirBNB I've stayed in there has been issues. I've had to cancel like 3 of them so far. Hot water wasn't included in 3 of them, despite like $700USD/week price tag! Absolutely insane, I feel quite insulted most of the time like how you feel walking in a popular area of Thailand and being harassed by vendors - the whole country feels like that, just because of the prices. And yeah, the stupid gutters - I drove off the road twice and bottomed out my rental car. Super scary! As you say, awesome to visit, wonderful nature, but wouldn't want to live here. Also not keen to pay import taxes on my packages. I'm heading to south east asia.

    • @anonymousdonor8084
      @anonymousdonor8084 Před rokem +1

      SE Asia is the planet Gideon (Star Trek ref). I like Vietnam, Thailand, Malasia, Singapore. Singapore is terrific but difficult to move there unless you are hired by a heavy hitter or have serious teaching credentials. Vietnam and Thai both have a history of giving expats a hard time during economic or disease crises.

    • @davidjohn5057
      @davidjohn5057 Před rokem +2

      @@anonymousdonor8084 Thanks, yeah I'm going to try out Vietnam because my friend is going to be teaching there. I'm going to get an investment visa, I think you can renew it, thought still figuring that out. I'm a little worried what will happen when the shit hits the fan, but I've decided I'd rather live somewhere a little risky than not be happy to begin with haha. I was living in Paraguay, super safe, super bored, no beaches. They like to pretend rivers are beaches.

  • @jasminflower3814
    @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci

    Great to hear your perspective on Costa Rica.

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před 7 měsíci

      Thanks for watching!
      What would be your perspective?

  • @FrozenSkyy
    @FrozenSkyy Před rokem +3

    Interesting video Mike.
    What are your thoughts on Bali as a place to live for 5-6 months (during the European winter)?
    Have you seen people go for the Bali 2nd home visa for 10 years with 0% tax? It's an interesting option.

    • @jasminflower3814
      @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci

      Bali can be over populated and polluted. If you get out of the main places into little villages or on the islands its much better. But the better the island, the more expensive it is.

    • @SlackHoffman
      @SlackHoffman Před 2 měsíci

      Polluted as hell , way too pricey now , and the beaches are crap

  • @TroofNews
    @TroofNews Před rokem +2

    great video and discussion points. a lot of the issues you have raised are why many people choose Dubai as their hub where they can get shit done. is the juice worth the squeeze? if you like your comfort, organisation and the ability to be able to order a seafood risotto without them fucking it up then the developing world can let you down especially in rural areas. everyone is searching for the perfect place but i don't think it exists. in poorer countries it can become really tiresome having to stay alert to scammers and not getting access to locals prices. when you have a family, security is the biggest issue for me.

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před rokem +1

      Thanks for sharing your insights!
      What countries/places do come near to perfect in your opinion?

    • @TroofNews
      @TroofNews Před rokem +1

      @@OffshoreCitizen philippines?

    • @jackbaldwin3649
      @jackbaldwin3649 Před rokem

      @@TroofNews Have you lived there? My partner is Filipino but he wasn't born or raised there. We think about retiring there this year.

  • @jsotmont
    @jsotmont Před rokem +18

    Very glad you keep on moving. All these retirees and now digital nomads make more harm pushing locals away and making impossible to afford lands. Let those who actually blend in to stablish here :) We welcome all those who actually run away from big city /heavy consumption lifestyles and want to live WITH nature, not in it.
    Thank you for sharing your experience, hope it helps others make a better choice :)

    • @OffshoreCitizen
      @OffshoreCitizen  Před rokem +1

      Our pleasure! Are you in Costa Rica? How is your experience?

    • @4kambio
      @4kambio Před 3 měsíci +1

      I am fluent in Spanish, so you know. There is a group of individuals attempting to persuade others that the rivers are not polluted, beaches are mostly safe, and there is not a rampant drug issue. Refrain from relocating there until you've spent six consecutive months in the country. Afterward, make a well-informed decision.

    • @GasPipeJimmy
      @GasPipeJimmy Před dnem

      Who are you virtue signaling to?

  • @argarita16
    @argarita16 Před měsícem +1

    I am from CR living in Switzerland, and i agree with some of the things that you are saying. Costa Rica is an amazing green country, but the cost of living is too high, and the bureaucracy is just ridiculous. Life can be cheaper in Italy, Spain or Portugal. However, Costa Rica is not Europe, Canada or US! I understand that SJ city is not the nicest city of the world, but SJ the province is underestimated - San José has great places with view to the Central Valley and one of the most pleasant weathers in the world. I always miss San Jose. Costa Rica is far to be considered a third-world country - comparing with US with hundreds of homeless on the streets - people without health care - low high school education- let me tell you - people has a better and happier life in CR than in US now. I think your perspective is from high class 'North - American' especially if you talk about drivers and maids. You might need to live in a place like Miami. Even in Switzerland and Europe most of the people don't have maid or drivers. Houses in Switzerland are small. I remember when i worked a few years ago for an international company here in Switzerland and an American expat left this amazing country of Switzerland only because she could not find a house with 5 bedrooms (she had only one daughter). Switzerland is a small country with limited available flat land. And most population lives in apartments and clean their houses and buy their food by themselves. No country is perfect! Everyone's expectations are different.

  • @karmag4244
    @karmag4244 Před 3 měsíci

    I met a couple from Costa Rica. They told me where to live and where not to go! I’m moving there after a few visits!

  • @donnaanderson5669
    @donnaanderson5669 Před 19 dny

    I pay attention to my lifestyle when it comes to where I’m going to live when I get home from work or something I like to relax I don’t have to have a lot of nightlife but when I do wanna go out, I’d like to have a variety of places I like good good food I’m very particular about food so that might be a problem moving to Costa Rica

  • @carmenthiemann1497
    @carmenthiemann1497 Před 6 měsíci +1

    I am from Costa Rica and I get you. It is difficult even for me to live in CR after more than 30 years in the states. Costa Rica has some very beautiful places like any other country but I agree it is not for every one and, you tells as it is.

  • @CharliePowell-dy1tl
    @CharliePowell-dy1tl Před rokem +6

    I am currently looking at Costa Rica to relocate to from the states. I have spent 4 winters (up to 6 months) at Lake Chapala near Guadalajara Mx. After my first trip to Mexico I was shocked at the prices of electronics , car parts, etc. My friend who retired there said I could live like a king there and I thought a king couldn't live like a king there! But every year I had to go back and each time I learned more and made more friends. The last time I came back to Idaho from Mexico I was homesick for Mexico! Someone in Mexico told me to check out Costa Rica, so I am. I prefer the cool mountains to the beaches and I also like living in the country and thats hard to find in Mexico. I have been on disability for about 5 years now after a failed ankle replacement surgery and I found it was easier to live in Mexico than the states because I could afford a maid, mechanic, most my meals were delivered to me and I even got my car washed every time I went shopping. I hate washing my cars now after staying in Mexico. I miss people in Mexico who appreciated my business and took pride in their work. They just want my money at home.
    I would be happy to pay a little more to live in Costa Rica if I could have more privacy and less trash than Mexico.
    I'm still trying to get info on Costa Rica and see how much it would cost to build a home there. Any input is welcome! And by the way my idea of a 3rd world country is a country in shambles, with tanks in the streets, fighting, looting and people starving. Gracias.

    • @jasminflower3814
      @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci

      I watched a few videos on couples building in CR and it is as expensive like America. So they are building their own tiny homes themselves to save money. You could get a basic home built for $200,000.

    • @RusEngjoyer
      @RusEngjoyer Před 5 měsíci

      Please don’t come here it’s over saturated with gringos

  • @viyau10
    @viyau10 Před 23 dny

    What he is saying is true of places where people dream of moving to. I went to visit and it was very green. The people were very nice. I was impressed with the hospital there as we had someone get sick. It wasn’t great enough for me to move there full time. Maybe be a snowbird but not full time.

  • @jamesslipsager3889
    @jamesslipsager3889 Před 8 měsíci +2

    Do they allow concealed carry of firearms there?

    • @EnilSsab
      @EnilSsab Před 7 měsíci +2

      Yes but way more strict. Definitely achievable though. I want at least a pistol and shotty when I relocate there.

    • @jasminflower3814
      @jasminflower3814 Před 7 měsíci

      Do the police come around and do check ups on the guns in CR like here in Australia?@@EnilSsab

    • @mrkooks
      @mrkooks Před 3 měsíci +1

      Please don't.