Costa Rica: The People Make the Place

By Janet Grosshandler

From International Living Postcards

“Nemo,” the bright orange 1978 Land Rover my son Jeff purchased for his months in Costa Rica, had broken down again. The rutted, dirt roads here take their toll on cars and trucks, and Nemo was having a very bad week. It was also the time I had just arrived from the States.

This was our first trip out after Nemo came back from Carlos the mechanic's “shop”—a tin-roofed fenced-in overhang in his backyard. Jeff’s fluency in “mechanic Spanish” reassured him that it now had new shocks, new tires, and all fluids checked, and was ready to go.

Five minutes along the winding mountain road, Nemo began belching black smoke and the temperature gauge shot to super hot. We pulled over on the tiny shoulder of the dusty two-lane road across from a grocery store. Since it was Sunday, a non-working day for Costa Ricans, several came out from the small store and offered to help.

We were given a ride home and Jeff was left on the side of the road, baking in the hot sun, borrowing someone’s cell phone to call Carlos.

An hour later, Jeff found us at the beach and he was in Carlos’ old SUV. Carlos, whose wife was at English school for the whole day, had his two-year-old son Leonardo in his care, but loaned Jeff the SUV car to come get us. Carlos then offered drive us around for the day because he wanted us to be happy.

And what a beautiful day! Leonardo was shy and sweet. He wasn’t very interested in us, but would glance out the side of his eyes, checking us over. Carlos took us to a Tico section of Conchal beach area, a turquoise, warm bay where we snorkeled and saw many species of tropical fish while he and Leonardo waited patiently at the beach bar/restaurant.

Costa Rican mountains and lush green vegetation surrounded the horseshoe shaped bay. The Tico music wafted from the open dining room, as Sunday was the day to relax and drink beer.

After we emerged from the fabulous snorkeling adventure, I looked around, amazed to see we were the only non-Costa Rican people there. Carlos had taken us to the Bar y Restaurante El Encanto, a local place, giving us a unique, non-tourist experience.

He spoke Spanish to Jeff all day, helping him practice his language skills, while pointing out multitudes of native trees, flowers, and animals. Carlos took us to “off the beaten track” local beaches. We drove the rural dirt roads to and from the beach, pulling over to watch some howler monkeys in the trees. Beautiful birds, armadillos, horses, and cattle lined the roads along the farms. It showed me the “real life” of these friendly, laid back natives of Costa Rica and their lifestyle. Carlos was patient and so helpful in explaining everything to me.

And when Carlos dropped us off at home much later that day, promising he would get the part needed for Nemo mañana, Leonardo waved a shy goodbye.

Costa Rican living has its small challenges, but its people are national treasures who, like Carlos, will stop his day to make yours better.

By Janet Grosshandler
From International Living Postcards

---

What is the cost of living in Costa Rica

I am often asked about the cost of living in Costa Rica and I came across this excellent article by Jerry Minchey which gives a good indication as to just how cheaply you can live (and live well) in Costa Rica.

Can You Live in Costa Rica on Your Social Security? - Five Facts and Techniques to Help You Decide

Just to see if it could be done, I lived in Costa Rica for five months last year on my Social Security check. And I didn't just get by, I lived very well.

Before I get the to five techniques that will allow you to live in Costa Rica on your Social Security, let me give you a few real-life examples from my experiences.

To start with you don't need a car. You can go anywhere on new modern buses. (The roads are rough, but the buses are nice.) Buses pass most points (even in rural areas) every hour and most of the time every 30 minutes. The fare to anywhere is about one US dollar an hour.

Food is inexpensive IF you buy things that are grown or processed in Costa Rica and this includes about everything. For example Heineken beer and Oreo cookies are cheap, (but don't try to even find fig bars). Beer is cheap, but wine is about the same as in the US because they don't produce wine - at least, not much. A good meal at a restaurant (bar-b-que ribs, or steak and all trimmings) will run you less than $3 and that includes dessert, tax and the tip.

Costa Rica orange juice is about $1 for a half gallon and Florida orange juice is about $7 for half gallon. In other words, watch prices and buy local products. Farmer's markets are a great place to get fresh produce at extremely low prices. For example pineapples are four or five for a dollar depending on the size.

I lived in an almost new (less than a year old) house for three months and the rent was $600 a month for everything - utilities, phone, high speed Internet and cable TV. Then I stayed in a new apartment (I was the first person to live in the apartment) and the same things were furnished. The rent for the new apartment was only $450 a month and again this covered everything.

I think you are beginning to see that it's quite possible to live well in Costa Rica even with a small Social Security check each month.

By the way, medicine and first rate health care are both inexpensive. Many people go to Costa Rica for dental work and cosmetic surgery because the prices are extremely cheap and quality is first rate.

Yes, you can drink the water. Costa Rica is rated as the cleanest country in Central America. I ate and drank in restaurants all over Costa Rica for five months and I never got sick.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for eating in the US. The first night after I arrived I got sick as a dog (from food I had eaten in the Ft. Lauderdale airport). I know this was the case because I had not had anything to eat or drink in Costa Rica before I got sick.

Since I was so sick that night, at 9:00 p.m. friends took me into town to see the local pharmacist. He lived behind the pharmacy and he came in from his home, checked me over and gave me some medicine and gave me a shot (yes, pharmacists can prescribe medicine and give shots in Costa Rica).

He also gave me his home phone number and his cell phone number and told me to call him if I needed him during the night. I was well the next morning and never got sick again for the next five months I was in Costa Rica.

So yes, you can live in Costa Rica on a small monthly Social Security check. And you will not be just surviving, you can live very well.

Here are the five techniques that will help you to live in Costa Rica on your Social Security check.

#1. Rent a small apartment -- $400 to $500 a month. (Remember, this includes everything - electricity, Internet, Cable TV, phone, water, etc.)

#2. Buy locally produced food and get a lot of it from one of the many farmer's markets. $100 a month per person is easy to do.

#3. Yes, you can eat out some. Just don't over do it.

#4. Travel by bus.

#5. One last point -- Check out Spirit Airlines' $9 club. They have $9 fares (each way) from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Costa Rica almost every month. Just be flexible with your travel dates.

This covers the basics and for many Social Security budgets this will leave a reasonable amount for extra things you want to buy, see and do.

Will these techniques allow you to live in Costa Rica on your Social Security check?

The answer depends on the size of your Social Security check and your definition of "living" verses "existing."

Jerry Minchey is an engineer, author and researcher. He cuts through the hype and gets down to the bare facts to reveal secrets that are easy to understand using non-technical terms. He has written several books and produced DVDs as a results of his research.

To see what people are saying who have moved to Costa Rica (or are considering moving), check out the Costa Rica Forum.

To see examples of new apartments you can rent for $450 a month (completely furnished with utilities, phone, cable TV and high speed wireless Internet included), take a look at some Costa Rica Apartments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Minchey

Cost of Living in Costa Rica

So you've maqde the decision and decided to move to Costa Rica, so how much does it cost to live in Costa Rica day to day, well Costa Rica AM offers guidance with the following article:


Costa Rica is affordable even for low-budget folks
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

As the belts are tightened in the United States and elsewhere, more eyes turn to Costa Rica as a cheap place to live.The first question usually is what is the cost of living there. And there is no easy answer.Retirees range from the person squeaking by on $700 a month in U.S. Social Security to someone who can write a check for a $450,000 oceanside condo.But those short on funds usually want to know how low can you go.

Because Costa Rica is a socialist country, great attention is paid to the costs of public services. In simple terms, they are a steal. And they will continue to be.

Want a cell phone? The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad will charge you a base rate of 3,375 colons or about $6.15 a month. A land line will cost 3,220 colons or $5.88 a month.

Basic Internet hookup can be had for 8,350 colons a month or $28.25. But then there also is the charge for using the telephone to connect to a server. The alternative, a cable hookup, can cost about $18 for basic service which usually is sufficient for one household. And there is an obligatory purchase of cable television. The price also depends on which company has the service contract for the specific geographical area.

Columnist Jo Stuart frequently mentions prices in her Friday column. She also is an astute shopper at the various weekend ferias where vegetables and other agricultural products are sold far below supermarket prices.

Even in the supermarket, some products are price controlled. Milk is 1,430 colons a gallon or $2.61.Those who simply have to have imported U.S. goods will pay handsomely. They shop at Pricesmart. Jo Stuart also notes that the best seats in the Teatro Nacional for a major orchestra performance can be just 8,000 colons or about $14.60. But she usually goes a little higher in the building for a whole lot less. The cheap seats are 3,000 colons ($5.50) and all tickets are subject to a 10 percent discount for senior citizens.The ciudadano de oro card is accepted universally and can mean deep discounts. To get one, an expat has to have a pensionado, rentista, inversionist or residencia cédula. The government has decided to dispense with the bus coupons for the elderly. They were subject to resale and caused a lot of woe. So shortly seniors will simply have to show an identification specifying their age, including the ciudadano de oro card, to get a discount.The bus fares are a steal to begin with. The fare from San José to Tamarindo on the far Pacific coast is 3,055 colons or $6.23. That's nearly an all-day ride. And in the city few routes are more than 250 colons (about 45 cents).

Taxis also are a deal, although recent increases have Costa Ricans unhappy. The first kilometer of a taxi ride is 420 colons or about 77 cents. Additional kilometers in the city are still 380 colons (69 cents). Those are definitely not New York City prices.There are the apartments. Even after paying the informal tax levied on those who do not speak Spanish well, a decent two-bedroom, secure unit can be had for $450 a month. An A.M. Costa Rica reporter just vacated a one-bedroom with loft where the rent was $275 a month. And this was no slum.

Electrical and water bills are designed for the low-end user. The Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz rates favor low use. The current rate is 43 colons (8 cents) for each kilowatt for the first 200 kilowatts of use. Each of the next 100 kilowatts is 66 colons (12 cents). Larger consumers pay more per unit.

The government water company just got a 25 percent overall raise but the actual rates have not been set yet. Company officials promise to favor low users.

Then there is free. Like nearly all the country's beaches from high water to 50 meters inland. And the parks. And frequent entertainment.

Again, prices and use of utilities depend a lot on where the expat lives. Air conditioning can add a lot of an electric bill. So can alcohol or cigarettes. Remember, socialist countries like to control your bad habits.

Beer is about 800 colons a can, about $1.45. Local beer is cheaper by the two-liter bottle, but still it is no bargain.

On the other hand, a glass of decent Chilean or Italian wine in a four-star hotel restaurant will cost between 3,100 and 3,500 colons (from $5.66 to $6.39). Better to buy by the bottle (4,000 to 6,000 colons or $7.30 to $10.95) except for infrequent sprees.

Bars that cater to expats will reflect that in their beer prices where 1,200 colon beer means nearly $2.20 a bottle.

The big ticket items here are automobiles because the government levies a gigantic tax. So an expat can figure paying twice for what a vehicle costs in the States. But the insurance is very reasonable, again based on coverage and type of vehicle. But $100 a year is possible.

A lot has been said about the Costa Rican health system. And one must accept the fact that most U.S. medical benefits do not extend outside the States. An exception is the health plan for retired military and some federal employees.

Patients in the government system probably do not have their own assigned physician. And the waits are legendary.


So a beautiful country with a cheap cost of living, Costa Rica here we come!
However, older patients of the ciudadano de oro category usually get to go to the head of the line. Expats find they can obtain very reasonable health insurance from the only provider, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros. Some group plans reduce the cost even more.

Costa Rican employees are covered because the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social takes 10 percent of their gross pay as a salary deduction. Employees add to the total.