The best age to move to Costa Rica

Financial aid for foreigners in Costa Rica..........That is hilarious ! We see people from other countries,here in Costa Rica, that have never worked or pushed a broom in their home ever ! That group,with that wealth, is always welcomed,no matter what age group they're in.

If I had money I would've moved here at 25.....then moved out.

I had money until this Stock Market correction... Now I'll be living down by the river in a VAN.

Cheryl wrote:

Hello everybody,

No two people experience expatriation in Costa Rica in the same way, depending on their age and personal situation. We would like to know more about you and ask you to share with us when you decided to move to Costa Rica.

How old were you when you moved to Costa Rica? Did you go alone or with your family?

In your opinion, was it the right time to move there?

Do you find this country welcoming for your age group or for certain categories in particular? Why or why not?

Are there any incentives (financial aid, lower taxes, etc.) and for which category of expats?

In your opinion, is there an ideal age to move to Costa Rica?

Thank you for your contribution!

Cheryl,
Expat.com team

How old were you when you moved to Costa Rica? Did you go alone or with your family?
Okay, first of all let me point out that it is very difficult to move to Costa Rica if you are not older and retired. This is because you have to show a guaranteed income in order to be a legal resident. So you either have to have social security or some other pension or a boat load of money in order to qualify.

I first went to live in Costa Rica when I was 42. I did  not move there, though I was planning or hoping to. I lived at the beach - back then right ON the beach for $150 a month in a cabin behind a bed and breakfast.

I went alone and made friends with my new neighbors - some of whom were Americans and others Canadians and Italians and French. I did speak Spanish so was able to make friends with Italians and French who also spoke Spanish.

I loved that experience but when I ran out of money I had to go back to the USA.

In your opinion, was it the right time to move there?
I lived in the USA after getting a new job that I hated. So after 6 months of that I moved back to Costa Rica, this time determined to find work.

Long story short: I could not find work (it is also illegal to work without going through the permissions which are nearly impossible to get) and so after 6 months or so there I moved back to the states again, by necessity, where I was homeless for 6 months before I could find another job.

So: NOT a good idea to move to Costa Rica if you do NOT have permission to work there, unless you have the $1,000 guaranteed income required, (or a boat load of cash, if you apply for the rentista residency).

Do you find this country welcoming for your age group or for certain categories in particular? Why or why not?
It is welcoming for people with enough money to live on (i.e. minimim $1k U.S. a  month plus the cost or Residency which generally costs $1500-2000 per person.

Ticos are generally nice to Gringos (Americans, Canadians - all who are basically non-Latino from other parts of the world).  Ticos are welcoming to most people. My feeling is if you treat Ticos with respect they will like you. Age matters little but if you do not have the money to live there legally then that is a problem for you, as - at minimum - you will have to leave Costa Rica every 90 days to renew your visa. This is a grey area of legality. Some say it's legal yet at any time a border officer can refuse your entry or only give you 30 days instead of 90.

Are there any incentives (financial aid, lower taxes, etc.) and for which category of expats?
There is talk of incentives but they have not passed into law yet. There used to be incentives but there are few if any, now. There are actually disincentives because buying a car in Costa Rica (or importing one) carries about a 50% or more added cost to the same car bought in the USA. And most people do need or want a car.

In your opinion, is there an ideal age to move to Costa Rica?
The ideal time to move is in retirement due to the above financial requirements to become a legal resident.

In closing I must say that Costa Rica is not for everyone.
Some people adjust to it and stay, but at least 30-60% of Americans who move there leave within 5 years. I will try to give some of the reasons why people move out in another thread if the moderators allow the "negative" or challenging side of things.

samramon......A great story Sam ! That is about as authentic as it gets !!

If you have the money, come as soon as you can.If not, you have no business moving here......Costa Rica is not the place to be rolling the dice, with money you can't afford to lose......Many expats are in that situation right now with the implosion of one of the premier law firms handling residencies......

@edwinemora Do you mean Outlier? I have been approved for residency using them, are paying caja now but can't receive my residency card for some reason although all has been arranged (paperwork,  picture, etc.). Have no clue why Immigration doesn't mail it. Well, this is CR, things going wrong is the default here...

@Henrych ......Yes ! They had a good stretch and esteemed by many.Rafa Valverde one of the main principals of the firm gave an outline of what caused their demise.Actually nothing new in Costa Rica,where expats get hung out to dry and there is no recourse......I hope I am wrong......

@edwinemora No, Edwin, you aren't wrong. This "paradise" is murdering the golden goose. All levels of governments here are trying to amplify the complexity of everything creating room for flourishing corruption. CAJA payments have been exponentially increased simply because more is better...until it is not.  CR is very expensive, people here spend a half of their life dealing with horrifying bureaucracy at all places while screaming "Pura vida" rather ironically.

I am still waiting (the second month) for the DIMEX card to be mailed, which many never happen taking into account the quality of service here and demise of Outlier (I am not even sure if I need it after what I paid to Outlier). If not the recent events in the degraded west (plandemic, death of democracy, food poisoning, etc.) CR would've seen a very few immigrants. People are now reconsidering and Outlier fell one of the victims of the government's greed and stupidity.

@Henrych ......You nailed it, what chills I get by your facts !  The prices for surveyors or to get a topographical map of your property has quadrupled or they try to pin the tail on the donkey and charge whatever they can stick it.There is still that kind of money flooding in where people will pay extra for whatever or wherever.....

The famous saying “Welcome to paradise Costa Rica “

The country that you can live safe, cheap and peaceful

They love to tell the good about CR but not the cons and the land of real conmen

My story is- I survived 3 1/2 years and packed up and headed back to NYC in April 2022

so that’s telling you something NYC was my paradise

stay safe in paradise and keep your head on a swivel

We should also address the question of when is the worst time to relocate here. I can offer two answers: first, bring enough money to obtain legal residency. Don’t rely on “perpetual tourism”. CR Immigration can deny you entry at any time, and constantly crossing the border every ninety days gets old quickly. So you’ll need a wad of ready cash to meet all  the “getting settled” costs.

The second answer is that, given the legal prohibitions against tourists and temporary residents working, it’s essential that you have access to enough money to support yourself in a manner that you find acceptable. It’s true that you can survive on less here than in north America, but if you settle somewhere where the weather is hot year around, be prepared for very high electricity bills. And if you’re not ready to live on a diet heavily dependent on rice and beans, food will be more expensive than some wound have you think. Likewise, cars, fuel and insurance are expensive here, so consider whether you’re prepared to walk, pay for taxis, or the busses which are not convenient everywhere. So figure out what it will cost you to live here, add 25%, and don’t come to stay until you’re certain you can afford it.