I lived in Mexico until 2020 and Covid, came back to the US. I guess what I would do is to compare the alternative, living in America. Right now, this country sucks and is on the verge of serious social conflict. Costa Rica, may have drawbacks but I don't even want to list all the cons of living in the US at this point.
Maybe it’s where we live, we go to Farmers markets, at first we were gringo priced. After the farmers saw we were returning week after week the prices came down. Is it all 100% organic it may or may not be. As for electricity I find it reasonable, ( we came from California). Paying private doctors is equivalent to paying deductibles in the US. The #1 expense is Autos. You pay more about 2x more than the US. But also the values stay high for your next trade. Pura Vida.
Our pros/cons are almost identical!! We're on the cusp of buying a modest Tico house, and i think id add humidity damage to the Cons, but id add Everything grows to the Pros. Im excited to grow amazing new things there!
I am in Costa Rica now and other than fruit, it’s very hard to eat as healthfully as I do in the states. Organic food is harder to find and is very expensive. Since Costa Rica uses the highest amount of pesticides in Latin America, including chemicals banned in many other countries, I’ve been seeking out organic food. It’s also hard to find green vegetables, so I don’t eat as many heart healthy veggies as I do at home. Love the nature though!
Go to farmer’s markets and get locally grown food. A lot of them use organic pesticides. Also, Feria Verde in San Jose is a huge organic market every Saturday i think.
I agree with all of your pros. The only cons I have for CR is the roads/traffic/infrastructure: It's not just about whether the roads are in good condition, as in whether they have potholes or not, but rather they are often not wide enough. There are places where you can't tell if it is one way or not. Roads can be missing lane lines or reflectors. Oftentimes the mountain roads are not lit well or at all. There are plenty of places where there should be a stop sign or a light. The majority of streets do not have street signs. Parking can be a nightmare in a lot of places. One minute there will be a lane and a second later there's not one without any warning. Also, people drive very recklessly around here. If it wasn't for that, CR would be the perfect place in my mind. I would like to explore more, but I am terrified of driving to unfamiliar places.
Thanks Sarah,I’m coming down in a couple weeks to see if it’s for me and starting in Tambor beach then to a community group,then off to Cachi. A lot of money just on travel.
Hey Sarah, great info as always. My wife and I met you at your house while it was being built. You might remember, I am a building inspector in Florida and we currently own a condo at Malaga Playa Bejuco. Looking forward to making the move down in the near future. I heard you mention about the private health insurance and I have started to look into some of them and I was curious if you would let me know which one you chose. Thanks Bill & Nancy
@@capecoder73 hi there! Yes of course I remember! I sold the house by the way. 🙌 the insurance I have they don’t offer to non residents anymore unfortunately. So I can’t recommend that one.
That's the problem and how it start to destabilize ,first the economy and then the government. They need to create a plan to confront Confront it for good.
I grew up in the USA where the poor people were rural and autistic. Then as soon as I could put together a sentence, older males tried to dominate me and I had to work. It’s all about money and male dominance in the USA. Anything is better than this. Mother Nature dominance is actually way more tolerable
There's a fair bit of English in the tourist areas, but the farther away you go the better it is to have some Spanish. In Perez Zeledon, it's pretty critical to have decent Spanish! Plus, remember, it's a sovereign Spanish speaking country, it's the right thing to do!!
Not too good. But not bad either. You won't find many people talking or understanding about Blockchain or crypto. Neither will you find any crypto ATMs here. there are a few on Google listings in San Jose, but none where I live or visited (and I travel a lot), just haven't been to San Jose too many times, but will try soon. Hope that helps.
I lived in Costa Rica a year ago and my experience in Costa Rica was terrible. First, the country has no infrastructure, the prices are exaggeratedly high, the quality of the products is very low, finding organic food is impossible, I paid $2.50 for a small tomato, electricity is expensive, I lived on the beach and had to have heating Mandatory, the public health services in Costa Rica are a shame, appointments with specialist doctors are given for 2 years, the public health centers are in poor condition, another aspect is the culture, people do not greet, they do not say thank you, the streets full of garbage, when it rains the streets full of water. Medicines in Costa Rica are more expensive than in Canada. Crime is fatal. I couldn't stand it and I moved to Panama, in the Antón Valley and it is a Paradise. Panama is the best place I have ever lived and I am going to stay here. Panamanian culture is much better than Costa Rican culture.
Hanging thick blankets on the walls will help with the echo. There is also cheap software that will remove the echo for you to. Great content, the echo is distracting!
@@johnjames2716 I know it can be fast sometimes and I apologize for that. TH-cam has a feature where you can slow down the audio to a better speed for you. It’s in the settings right on the video.
Hola Sarah. Thanks for the info. In my 3rd year here, and it was a great reminder of the Pros and Cons, and I do live by the beach as well and yes it can get super hot some days. 🥵 Yes the Red Tape for certain things can be hard to understand 🤔how many steps and offices you need to do just to access one (what used to be simple back in Canada) program. 🫤 Question? What is the Health Insurance package you pay $200 every 6 months, it would be something for me to consider. Gracias.
I lived in Costa Rica a year ago and my experience in Costa Rica was terrible. First, the country has no infrastructure, the prices are exaggeratedly high, the quality of the products is very low, finding organic food is impossible, I paid $2.50 for a small tomato, electricity is expensive, I lived on the beach and had to have heating Mandatory, the public health services in Costa Rica are a shame, appointments with specialist doctors are given for 2 years, the public health centers are in poor condition, another aspect is the culture, people do not greet, they do not say thank you, the streets full of garbage, when it rains the streets full of water. Medicines in Costa Rica are more expensive than in Canada. Crime is fatal. I couldn't stand it and I moved to Panama, in the Antón Valley and it is a Paradise. Panama is the best place I have ever lived and I am going to stay here. Panamanian culture is much better than Costa Rican culture.
![8 Reasons Why Americans LEAVE Costa Rica [Why I Left]](/img/n.gif)
As someone from Costa Rica, it’s great to see content that makes expat life easier.
I lived in Mexico until 2020 and Covid, came back to the US. I guess what I would do is to compare the alternative, living in America. Right now, this country sucks and is on the verge of serious social conflict. Costa Rica, may have drawbacks but I don't even want to list all the cons of living in the US at this point.
Maybe it’s where we live, we go to Farmers markets, at first we were gringo priced. After the farmers saw we were returning week after week the prices came down. Is it all 100% organic it may or may not be. As for electricity I find it reasonable, ( we came from California). Paying private doctors is equivalent to paying deductibles in the US. The #1 expense is Autos. You pay more about 2x more than the US. But also the values stay high for your next trade.
Pura Vida.
Our pros/cons are almost identical!! We're on the cusp of buying a modest Tico house, and i think id add humidity damage to the Cons, but id add Everything grows to the Pros. Im excited to grow amazing new things there!
I am in Costa Rica now and other than fruit, it’s very hard to eat as healthfully as I do in the states. Organic food is harder to find and is very expensive. Since Costa Rica uses the highest amount of pesticides in Latin America, including chemicals banned in many other countries, I’ve been seeking out organic food. It’s also hard to find green vegetables, so I don’t eat as many heart healthy veggies as I do at home.
Love the nature though!
Can't you garden and grown your own?
Go to farmer’s markets and get locally grown food. A lot of them use organic pesticides. Also, Feria Verde in San Jose is a huge organic market every Saturday i think.
Great job! Thanks!
Great video!!!👍
Thank you for sharing! This is information that isn't as obvious as some of the other things about CR I've researched. Thank you!
Great presentation!
I agree with all of your pros.
The only cons I have for CR is the roads/traffic/infrastructure:
It's not just about whether the roads are in good condition, as in whether they have potholes or not, but rather they are often not wide enough.
There are places where you can't tell if it is one way or not.
Roads can be missing lane lines or reflectors.
Oftentimes the mountain roads are not lit well or at all.
There are plenty of places where there should be a stop sign or a light.
The majority of streets do not have street signs.
Parking can be a nightmare in a lot of places.
One minute there will be a lane and a second later there's not one without any warning.
Also, people drive very recklessly around here.
If it wasn't for that, CR would be the perfect place in my mind. I would like to explore more, but I am terrified of driving to unfamiliar places.
Thanks Sarah,I’m coming down in a couple weeks to see if it’s for me and starting in Tambor beach then to a community group,then off to Cachi. A lot of money just on travel.
Hey Sarah, great info as always. My wife and I met you at your house while it was being built. You might remember, I am a building inspector in Florida and we currently own a condo at Malaga Playa Bejuco. Looking forward to making the move down in the near future. I heard you mention about the private health insurance and I have started to look into some of them and I was curious if you would let me know which one you chose. Thanks Bill & Nancy
@@capecoder73 hi there! Yes of course I remember! I sold the house by the way. 🙌 the insurance I have they don’t offer to non residents anymore unfortunately. So I can’t recommend that one.
What techniques do you use to prevent mildew during the rainy season?
Clean using borax (which can be tough to find).
Spot on. The only con I would add is that crime in some areas is on the rise and there really is no justice system.
Yeah no justice system keeps criminals out of jail… sucks but most of the other things in CR make it worth it 😅. Pura vidaaaa
Hi, What do you do for living?
That's the problem and how it start to destabilize ,first the economy and then the government. They need to create a plan to confront Confront it for good.
Hello Sarah, do you offer different scouting packages?
Are bugs prominant in homes on a daily basis?
I grew up in the USA where the poor people were rural and autistic. Then as soon as I could put together a sentence, older males tried to dominate me and I had to work. It’s all about money and male dominance in the USA. Anything is better than this. Mother Nature dominance is actually way more tolerable
Do you have to speak Spanish once you are living in Costa Rica or do most people understand English?
There's a fair bit of English in the tourist areas, but the farther away you go the better it is to have some Spanish. In Perez Zeledon, it's pretty critical to have decent Spanish! Plus, remember, it's a sovereign Spanish speaking country, it's the right thing to do!!
To live here yes, as a tourist it's not necessary.
How can I book a call with you??
@@jjhalas hi there! If you’d like to chat about working together on a scouting trip or your move, You can book here lasarahelena.com/book
What is the climate for Bitcoin in Costa Rica? Digital Nomads?
Not too good. But not bad either. You won't find many people talking or understanding about Blockchain or crypto. Neither will you find any crypto ATMs here. there are a few on Google listings in San Jose, but none where I live or visited (and I travel a lot), just haven't been to San Jose too many times, but will try soon. Hope that helps.
I lived in Costa Rica a year ago and my experience in Costa Rica was terrible. First, the country has no infrastructure, the prices are exaggeratedly high, the quality of the products is very low, finding organic food is impossible, I paid $2.50 for a small tomato, electricity is expensive, I lived on the beach and had to have heating Mandatory, the public health services in Costa Rica are a shame, appointments with specialist doctors are given for 2 years, the public health centers are in poor condition, another aspect is the culture, people do not greet, they do not say thank you, the streets full of garbage, when it rains the streets full of water. Medicines in Costa Rica are more expensive than in Canada. Crime is fatal. I couldn't stand it and I moved to Panama, in the Antón Valley and it is a Paradise. Panama is the best place I have ever lived and I am going to stay here. Panamanian culture is much better than Costa Rican culture.
Wow, where was this? It's pretty much diametrically opposite to our experience!!
@@MichaelIreland i agrree horrible there
Hanging thick blankets on the walls will help with the echo. There is also cheap software that will remove the echo for you to. Great content, the echo is distracting!
Sister, you talk 100 mph. Slow down a bit
@@johnjames2716 I know it can be fast sometimes and I apologize for that. TH-cam has a feature where you can slow down the audio to a better speed for you. It’s in the settings right on the video.
Hola Sarah. Thanks for the info. In my 3rd year here, and it was a great reminder of the Pros and Cons, and I do live by the beach as well and yes it can get super hot some days. 🥵 Yes the Red Tape for certain things can be hard to understand 🤔how many steps and offices you need to do just to access one (what used to be simple back in Canada) program. 🫤
Question?
What is the Health Insurance package you pay $200 every 6 months, it would be something for me to consider. Gracias.
I lived in Costa Rica a year ago and my experience in Costa Rica was terrible. First, the country has no infrastructure, the prices are exaggeratedly high, the quality of the products is very low, finding organic food is impossible, I paid $2.50 for a small tomato, electricity is expensive, I lived on the beach and had to have heating Mandatory, the public health services in Costa Rica are a shame, appointments with specialist doctors are given for 2 years, the public health centers are in poor condition, another aspect is the culture, people do not greet, they do not say thank you, the streets full of garbage, when it rains the streets full of water. Medicines in Costa Rica are more expensive than in Canada. Crime is fatal. I couldn't stand it and I moved to Panama, in the Antón Valley and it is a Paradise. Panama is the best place I have ever lived and I am going to stay here. Panamanian culture is much better than Costa Rican culture.
Thanks 🙏
Where in Costa Rica did you live?? lol
I agree if you want a nice weather go to MIami, cheap yes but you get cheap
@@monicama789 sounds cool, crocs as neighboors and hurricanes every year.