What Nobody Tells You About Healthcare in Costa Rica
When I first started planning my move to Costa Rica, healthcare was one of those topics I kept pushing aside. Not because I thought it didn’t matter, but because it…
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Posts by author
Tam Matthews
10 posts
Semi-retired teacher and theater professional Tam Matthews moved to Costa Rica in January of 2023 with her two dogs. She writes about expat life on Substack.
Why Some Expats Leave Costa Rica (and Others Stay Forever)
Added 10 September 2026. This piece is about why people leave Costa Rica, and the honest answer for most of them is money. It gives almost no figures, so here…
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Costa Rica or Bali? A Tale Between Two Paradises
A Life Shaped by Travel As an avid traveler, I find it ironic that I was raised by parents whose world rarely extended beyond American borders. Yet two of their…
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Costa Rica’s Digital DIMEX, Explained
Checked 10 September 2026. For a guide to a residency process, this piece is unusually short of specifics. It contains no fees, no income thresholds and no processing times at…
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Top 10 Culture Shocks You’ll Notice When You Move to Costa Rica
Even if you’ve visited a country many times before moving there, the experience shifts once you live there. Vacations offer a curated glimpse, but living somewhere reveals the unedited version.…
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Building Community in Costa Rica
Community matters everywhere, but in Costa Rica, it feels even more essential. It’s a gentle net that rises beneath you on the days when the power flickers out, the water…
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When the Rain Falls in Costa Rica
Walking Into the Storm In the Costa Rica rainy season, I like to walk in the rain. Not the drizzle you tiptoe through with an umbrella, but the real thing,…
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Costa Rica, the Largest Blue Zone
The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, with its rolling hills, verdant green farmlands, and breathtaking Pacific Ocean, has changed my outlook on life. Its beauty was one of the main…
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Top 10 Things to Know if You’re Moving to Costa Rica
Two years ago, I took a leap of faith, packed three suitcases, grabbed my two dogs, and moved to Costa Rica. I had visited several times and done some research,…
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How to Move Abroad Without Losing Your Mind or Going Broke
As an American expat living in Costa Rica for two years, I have seen many people jump headfirst into the adventure of how to move abroad, only to end up…
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