Richard has dreamt of owning a tropical holiday home for over 20 years and thinks Nosara in Costa Rica is the perfect place to spend long holidays enjoying the sunshine. He's brought best friend Emma along for support and with a budget of £275,000 and 5 great options lined up by property expert Danni Menzies fingers crossed, he finds it.
Cast Appearances
Episode Discussion
Login to leave a comment on this episode.
Costa Rica is a wonderful country. It is a great place to visit, but its not for the uninitiated. Costa Rica does have many pluses, including the beaches, weather, people, medical clinics, and natural beauty. It is very much politically stable and safe. However, it does have some minuses:
1) it is a developing country, so the infrastructure is not always up to Western standards in certain areas
2) it is among the most expensive Latin American countries, so appropriate planning is needed
3) as a foreigner in Costa Rica you are an easy target for theft and burglary, so take appropriate precautions
4) there is a certain level of corruption, but it is not terribly out of control. It just takes a little bit of knowing how to work the Costa Rican bureaucracy.
5) choose your location wisely, as otherwise, you will be driving significantly for medical clinics and the supermarkets.
6) if you have younger children in need of schooling, you perhaps don't want to stray too much from the Meseta Central region of Costa Rica, particularly if you are looking for a Western standard education, where they can compete internationally.
7) Costa Rica is in a seismically active region, so appropriate understanding is required when living in such, and understanding the requirements and buildings codes is necessary
8) because Costa Rica is a developing country, not everything may be up to Western Standard and Regulations when it comes to safety and small children (particularly in housing). Need to plan accordingly for any upgrades if you have small children.
9) certain things in Costa Rica do cost more then they would in the UK or United States as far as foodstuffs and goods...even appliances.
10) Costa Rica is a Spanish speaking country, but the people do speak English. Knowing and speaking Spanish goes a long way.
I recommend anyone going to Costa Rica to go there a number of times before choosing it. I also recommend them reading John Howell's guide to retirement in Costa Rica. It is dated, but he does provide useful advice.
https://www.amazon.com/Choose-Costa-Rica-Retirement-Opportunities/dp/B00VCAWZGY
I write this as an American (USA) who travels extensively in Latin America. I have acquired Spanish speaking skills. I have traveled to Costa Rica twice in my life so far. I am currently in my mid-40s. I have traveled to Costa Rica in 1990 and another time in 2014. It is a nice place. Just needs adjusting.