To many people, there appear to be less expensive retirement destinations such as Panama or Nicaragua.  To others, Costa Rica has become too touristy.  Still others believe Costa Rica is overrun with "gringos."

I want to debunk these notions, and others, and suggest that Costa Rica is still a terrific place to retire, or to start new life in if you are not yet retired, particularly if you choose your location and activities carefully.
Costa Rica is too expensive!

I have been living in Costa Rica for about a year and a half but have been in and out the country frequently since 1989 and based my extensive travel throughout the country in conjunction with my "Boomers in Costa Rica Retirement Tours," I've found that there are still inexpensive areas in which to live, particularly if you stay away from the close-in suburbs of San Jose. 

Take, for example, the wonderful city of San Ramon in Alajuela province, an agricultural town of 70,000, situated on the northwest edge of the Central Valley.  Home to three former presidents including "Don Pepe," who abolished the army in 1948 and set in motion the basis for today's robust democracy, San Ramon offers a peaceful environment in which to live yet it offers all of the services of a larger city including numerous supermarkets, a mall with a three-screen movie theater, numerous outstanding restaurants and warm, welcoming locals.  It is also only 40 minutes to the international airport in Alajuela, one hour to San Jose and 40 minutes to the Pacific Coast. 

But can I afford Costa Rica?

San Ramon also offers a wide variety of lots for building one's retirement dream home, either in the mountains which the "Tico Times" called "the Tuscany or Provence of Central America," or stunning ocean view properties in which one can see the Nicoya Peninsula, the Pacific Ocean and the bustling port city of Puntarenas.  Prices for land remain low with some lots as inexpensive as $15,000 for a one-quarter to one-half acre lot, to $75,000 for an incredible ocean-view lot on 2.25 acres.  With another $60,000 to $75,000, you can have an incredible ocean view lot and house, complete with all the services you need, for under $200,000.  Of course, there is more expensive property as well.  If you decide you don't want ocean views, you'll pay even less, perhaps around $100,000 or so for a nice lot and home. 

Property taxes are very low, only .25% of the registered value of your property.  I paid $66 in property taxes for an entire year!  The local government office even asked me if I wanted to pay my taxes quarterly! 

If renting is more your style, you can still find nice two-bedroom, modest homes for rent for under $200/month.  Low housing costs combined with very low prices on food and utilities makes San Ramon an excellent bargain.  The towns of Grecia, Sarchi, Atenas and Puriscal offer excellent value as well; you just need to know where to look or link up with an experienced and knowledgeable local or gringo to help you out.

I also eat inexpensively, perhaps a $1.50 for breakfast, $2.00 for lunch, and then I splurge for dinner, perhaps $4-6, and this is if I go out to eat!  Of course, if you visit some of this country's wonderful outdoor markets, you'll find the freshest meats, fruits and vegetables, and can cook for yourself and spend even less.

I need good and convenient medical care!

Some foreigners living in Costa Rica complain that the medical system here is overcrowded and it often takes hours to see a doctor.  Yes, in some areas there are less doctors per capita than in the United States but but not everywhere, and often times relates to people who have elected to get on the "CAJA" system, which is the most basic health insurance program, run by the government, to which most Ticos belong.  Once you leave the San Jose area, even if you are on the CAJA, the lines lessen and more often than not, you'll form a great relationship with an English-speaking doctor who is well-trained, and in some cases, will even make house calls.  There are also other privately-run programs that allow you to see any doctor and even these programs are much less expensive than insurance programs in the states.

Costa Rica also has several outstanding hospitals that provide the same level and quality of service that you would find in the United States.  CIMA Hospital San Jose, which is affiliated with Baylor Medical Center in Houston, is a brand new facility with all of the new technologies you would find in any top hospital in the United States.  In fact, my doctor at CIMA has more advanced technology in his office than my doctor in New York City.  Clinica Biblica, also near San Jose, is also another top hospital, with the same quality of service you would find at CIMA. 

Costa Rica certainly is a well-traveled tourist destination and sees over 1 million holiday makers a year.  If you visit the beaches at Manuel Antonio, the rain forest of Monteverde or Arenal Volcano during the dry season, yes, you will see many North Americans and Europeans.  However, living here, particularly in towns such as San Ramon or Grecia, you would hardly know it is the tourist season.  These towns, and others, see few tourists and move at their own consistent pace year round.  Actually, visiting tourist destinations during the off season is a significant benefit of living here, particularly given that prices are significantly less than during the high season. 

Costa Rica does count among its residents some 40,000 North Americans, mostly from the United States.  They come for a variety of reasons from wanting to leave their corporate careers for more meaningful work to just wanting to retire and enjoy a slower, relaxed pace of life that Costa Rica offers. 

While these expatriates are scattered throughout Costa Rica, most of them live in the suburbs surrounding San Jose such as Escazu, Santa Ana and Cuidad Colon.  Quite a few ex-pats live in beach communities up and down the Pacific Coast while a smaller number of people live on the Caribbean coast.  However, many people are beginning to take note of the smaller towns in the Central Valley such as Grecia, Sarchi, Naranjo, Palmares and San Ramon, and even smaller pueblos surrounding these towns.  These towns and pueblos offer a relaxed pace of life, reasonable property prices and an overall lower cost of living.  So, you can live in Costa Rica and not feel overrun by gringos or the high prices in other parts of the country.  However, if you want to live among "your own kind," you can do that too!

Historically, Costa Rica was a country primarily attractive to retirees; those people in their late 50s or early 60s (and in some cases much older) who wanted a small house, and could live much less inexpensively than in North America or Europe.  However, Costa Rica is also beginning to attract a fair number of baby boomers, particularly those people not yet ready to retire.  They may own businesses they can run from virtually anywhere.   They may also be writers or artists.  Still others are coming here to invest their time and money in new businesses.  Many people have made the successful transition from a corporate career in the states to running a bed and breakfast, managing a surf shop, offering tours, investing in real estate, and more much. Costa Rica is a very business-friendly country and the opportunities here are still endless.