Since I was young, I had wanted to travel the world. Once I graduated college, I thought this would be something that I could easily do! To my dismay with my immense student loan debt, this seemed impossible. It was ironic that I was in education. To be honest, I thought education would be the thing to liberate me and it should be, however, in this case, it trapped me. (Or this is how I felt.) I told myself that it would be irresponsible to travel while I had too much debt to pay off. For this reason, I kept most of my travels domestic. After 10 years of working 2-3 jobs consistently, my student loans were paid off and I was ready to take on my dream that I had hoped would have started 10 years ago. Where was I to go? Where would I start this crazy dream of mine and how? My dream led me to Costa Rica where I keep my home base for my travels and the majority of my life. My long-term stay is in Costa Rica because I fell in love with the land, the people, and the way of life. Here are 10 reasons why I decided to make Costa Rica my new home away from home:
(1) Positivity - Costa Rica is the 16th happiest country in the world. I attribute this to the “Pura Vida” lifestyle. Pura Vida is saying that means “pure life”, but it is also a way of life. Very few people get stressed out over deadlines or time constraints here. If there was anything in life, I would get anxious over in the United States it would be a deadline or being punctual. However, here nothing needs to happen at a set time. When it seems that I am getting anxious about something, people always respond with the term “Tranquillo” which means, “calm down, it will all be fine.” There continues to be the feeling that everything will get done, but it may just take some extra time. I have yet to see a stressed-out Tico (Costa Rican male) or Tica (Costa Rican female). Even the pace of walking here is slower. It helps me understand I don’t have to be in a hurry and that I can slow down not only the pace of my stride but also the pace of my life. You can get things accomplished even if you don’t follow a strict schedule with crazy deadlines.
Here family comes before all, as it should everywhere. If your car is scheduled at the mechanic today and the mechanic suddenly needs to take his mother to the hospital, the mechanic will not be working on your car. You will need to wait and make another appointment. There is no guilt for not working on the mechanic’s end and there is no anger or frustration on the customer’s end. Often in American culture, I have seen employees completing tasks for their families feeling guilty about taking time off, or even worried that they will lose their job for doing so. On the other end, people feel so entitled about getting everything when and how they want it in America, that they fail to see the sacrifices of the person on the other end. Did you really need that Amazon package on your doorstep within 2 days? Here, Amazon cannot deliver to your doorstep and the most important parts of everyday life are put first.
One of the daily things I needed to get accustomed to here was the sound of horns. In the United States, many people use horns only to display frustration or anger when driving usually accompanied by some unfriendly hand gesture. In Costa Rica, the sound of horns can mean so many different things. A horn can, yes, sound like a warning of “look out for that car turning around ahead” or “watch out there is a pedestrian crossing the street.” However, it can mean so many more things. People use horns here for celebrations such as when the new president was elected or when Costa Rica wins a soccer match. They often use it to say “Hello” when you are walking or running down the street. I can’t tell you how many honks I get from locals when I am out for my morning run. A horn honk is associated with a variety of positive and negative messages equal to any other way or style of communication. I have to say that the small-town feel of getting a honk in the morning by your friendly butcher is sure to put a smile on your face. It definitely gives people a sense of belonging.
(2) Healthy Lifestyle – Costa Rica is home to one of the five Blue Zones in the world. What is a Blue Zone? A Blue Zone is an area of the world where people live much longer than the average lifespan. There are five Blue Zones in the world including Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Icaria, Greece; Loma Linda; California/USA; and Nicoya, Costa Rica. The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica has the highest number of centenarians in the world. Residents live to at least 90 years old on average. Many people believe the lifestyle and diet aid in the longevity of residents. The natural water found in Nicoya has large amounts of calcium which helps the elderly population take care of their bones, nerves, heart, and muscles. The diet is often focused on plant-based foods and lunch (rather than dinner) is the large meal. The people of Nicoya are very active because of their jobs, and they continue to be active late in life as the weather affords them such opportunities. The people of Nicoya are also very social and crave strong community ties which helps them feel needed, wanted, and appreciated into their late years. Residents live each day for conversations with each other versus trying to find vast financial security and status. In addition, the lifestyle of low stress (Pura Vida) aids in a healthy life.
Costa Rican fast food and processed foods are expensive. In America, I could get a Double Cheeseburger on the dollar menu at McDonald’s for $1.00. In Costa Rica, McDonald’s does not have a dollar menu. The average Quarter Pounder meal with fries and soda is $6.75 whereas in the United States it cost $5.75. The average Big Mac meal with fries and soda is $6.50 whereas in the United States it cost $5.99. In Costa Rica, you can go to a local restaurant (called a soda) and get an entire meal including rice, beans, fried plantain, choice of meat, salad, and tea/coffee for $4-5. Not only is this meal cheaper, but it is also a healthier choice for your lunch.
If you go to the grocery store, anything that is packaged and processed like crackers, cereal, or frozen meals is going to be more expensive when compared to prices in the United States. This is because many of these products are imported, and they have high tariffs. If you buy a cereal made in Costa Rica like Jack’s brand it will cost less than a cereal made in the United States like Kellogg’s brand. The fruit and vegetables here are super cheap because they are grown here. The place that sells the least expensive garden favorites is the local farmer’s market. Costa Rica also has specific stores that sell just fruits and vegetables, which are often cheaper to buy in relation to the supermarket. Here is a comparison of common vegetables bought in Costa Rica and the United States within the month of June 2022 within supermarkets. The rate of 670 colonies to the dollar was used at this time.
As you can see, healthy foods are usually less expensive in Costa Rica which helps the people make better decisions regarding their diet. I cannot say the same thing about the United States.
(3) Weather - I had been previously living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is a place where it can snow from November to April and have below-freezing temperatures. It is not uncommon for school to be canceled because it is unsafe for students and adults to be outside for a long period before succumbing to frostbite. A place that calls itself the “Icebox of the Nation” even though friendly in nature, was not where I wanted to spend the rest of my days. I wanted to live in a place where I could be active outdoors for the majority of the year. Living in a location that also didn’t make my face hurt for half of the year seemed appealing.
To be frank, I started to look at many countries that had warm weather climates all year round. The thing was, I also didn’t want to be so hot that I couldn’t be active outside either. However, laying by the beach with a virgin mojito in hand did seem appealing. This led me to look at countries that had higher elevations to help me find, what I thought was, the perfect temperature. When looking at the temperature of Costa Rica, it seemed perfect from the get-go! By the coast, it was 80-90 degrees all year round and within the mountains, it was 65-85 degrees all year round. I immediately knew I wanted to live in the mountains but have proximity to the beach. That is exactly what I did! I live in a mountain town called San Ramon and this town is about a 1 hour and 20-minute drive to the ocean. You can go visit the beach for a day or weekend very easily. The weather here is so perfect all year round that I do not need a heater or an air conditioner. Another positive of this gorgeous weather is that you save money on utilities.
Moving to Costa Rica did mean that I was giving up the changing of the seasons. Back in Minnesota, there were four distinct seasons winter, spring, summer, and fall. Here in Costa Rica, there are only two seasons dry (summer) and wet (winter). The dry season usually runs from December until mid-April. This coincides with winter in the United States which is great here for tourism. Not only is this time of the year called the dry season, but the high season as well. High season means the time of the year when most tourists are in the country. The end of April and May can be very rainy, and I mean it rains ALL day. This is also the fun time of the year when you start to see all the bugs. In June, July, and August Costa Rica has what the people term “a little summer.” It is usually beautiful and sunny all morning, however, in the late afternoon clouds roll in and it will start to rain. In September, it starts to heavily rain again and tapers off until the dry season in December. I’ll take the rain over the snow any day! I stand by my decision to move to a warmer climate.
(4) Established Health Care – I was looking to move to a country that would have affordable healthcare along with practices that were evidence-based, effective, and included high patient satisfaction. I couldn’t have found a better health care system in Costa Rica. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), Costa Rica is rated as having the 36th best health care system in the world. This previously mentioned survey was completed in the year 2000 and ranked the United States as having the 37th best health care system. In a more recent survey by the United Nations, Costa Rica was ranked within the world's top 20 health care systems.
Costa Rica has a universal health care system which is called CAJA. If you are a resident of Costa Rica, 7-11% (depending on how many dependents you have) of your salary goes to pay for CAJA. There are 30 CAJA hospitals and over 250 CAJA clinics sprinkled throughout the country. Emergencies are always covered by CAJA. Most residents are happy with their services; however, they do complain about long wait times. Private hospitals and clinics are available here too. Many people also carry private insurance along with the CAJA if they are worried about wait times. However, if you do not have health insurance, health services are very reasonable. A doctor or dentist visit can cost about $70.00 USD and any other services needed (imaging, small procedures, surgeries, labs, etc.) are about 1/4 - 1/3 of the price in the United States. To my surprise, the CAJA hospital in my town did not have me (a nonresident of Costa Rica) pay for anything related to COVID. This included my COVID test, time with the doctor, and medicine. I was very surprised and appreciative, to say the least.
Many pharmaceutical drugs that would need a prescription in the United States do not need a prescription here. Some drugs that you can buy over the counter in Costa Rica are birth control, Viagra, migraine medications, some antibiotics, and high cholesterol medication. It is very common to have the pharmacist diagnose and treat you here without having to go to the doctor. However, many doctor clinics are next to pharmacists if needed. I love the fact that I don’t have to pay to go to the doctor and then pay again to get my prescription. It can all be taken care of in one place.
(5) Access To Different Climates and Terrain – Costa Rica is home to 12 different climatic zones. Driving just an hour in your car may make the difference whether you are sporting a tank top or a long sleeve shirt. This country, though small, has several different microclimates with different landscapes for each. When flying into Liberia you will be welcomed to the North Pacific Coast which has flat land and beaches. It is dry and hot here year-round. Traveling a mere three hours to the Monteverde Cloud Forest will place you in the highest and coldest part of the country. There are many species of animals that belong only to the cloud forest, and it is a very special place. A few hours southeast of Monteverde you will find the Central Pacific Shores which are filled with both sandy beaches and rainforests. This area consists of lowlands and the weather is very hot and humid. North of here you will run into the Central Valley including cities such as San Jose, San Ramon, Santa Ana, and Grecia. Here it is mountainous with mild temperatures during the day and cool temperatures at night. If you travel even more north to the Caribbean Coast, you will find flat lands and sandy beaches. It is very warm and wet here for 8 out of the 12 months of the year. There are many more zones of Costa Rica, but I think you are understanding how just a few hours in the car will change your entire surroundings.
(6) Proximity To the United States – Costa Rica was not my first thought when thinking about moving to a different country. In college, I completed a study abroad opportunity in Chang Mai, Thailand, and thought it would be great to head back that way. I loved the people and the food. My gosh do I miss eating the aromatic dishes of Khao Soi (Coconut Curry Noodle Soup), Tom Yum Goong (Sweet and Sour Soup W/ Shrimp), and Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry). The rent there is extremely affordable at $150-$200 a month. The temperature range is decent falling as low as 59 degrees and as high as 97 degrees. There is also a sense of security in moving to a place that you have already been. However, the worst downfall to living in Chang Mai, Thailand is that it was a 22-hour flight from my home. The long 22 hours is when you have a direct flight so it would probably take me 1.5-2 days to get home with a layover. Airports are never fun experiences, and I didn’t want it to take me that long to get home in case of family emergencies.
San Ramon, Costa Rica won over my idea of Chang Mai, Thailand. A direct flight from San Jose, Costa Rica to Chicago or Minneapolis within the United States only takes 6 hours. Nothing can beat being able to be back home in less than 24 hours. Even though I love to travel, I absolutely despise airports. I’m not sure what makes me dislike it most. All the people, standing in long lines, the confusing tramways, going through customs, or others peeking at items in my suitcase. Airports are super expensive so with this short of a flight, I can avoid buying overpriced meals. Also, is it me, or is the space for one seat on an airplane continuing to get smaller? The less time I spend on the actual plane and at the airport the better. I’m looking to the future when all we may have to do is snap our fingers to travel from one place to the next.
(7) Genuinely Nice People – The people of Costa Rica have such a pure heart and soul. They go out of their way to help each other every day. Life here focuses on friends, family, and their own community. Since tourism is a very big money maker here, many Ticos/Ticas go out of their way to be hospitable to visitors. Navigating the buses in Costa Rica can be tricky, to say the least, however, I have had so many friends go out of their way to help me better understand the system that is poorly advertised. Just this week, I also had issues with my bicycle needing repairs. A man that I usually buy coconut water from on the street placed my bike on top of his shopping cart. He pushed his cart with my bike all the way to the bike mechanic which ended up being ½ a kilometer. Needless to say, I bought a few coconuts! It’s all about the small things. If you put positive energy out in the word (which is so abundant here) then it will boomerang right back to you.
(8) Slightly Lower Cost of Living – When comparing the cost of living with the United States, Costa Rica is 26% cheaper. However, Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America. The largest difference you will see in Costa Rica when compared to the United States, is housing. Housing prices here are 60% less, however, the majority of other products that need to be imported cost more here. For example, electronics are extremely marked up. A Samsung 32-inch, LED curved monitor costs $440 here whereas in the United States the same monitor would cost $340. Other products that are priced higher here include clothes, packaged foods, electronics, tools, gym equipment, electricity, and gasoline. Yes, gasoline is higher here even with the price surge with gasoline in the United States at the moment (June 2022). There is a monopoly in Costa Rica with gasoline so there is no point in shopping around for which gas station has the better deal. You just get the gas and say goodbye to your money. At the moment (June 2022), Costa Rica’s gas is 1060 colonies per liter, equating to $5.90 per gallon. Cars in the past were more expensive in Costa Rica, but with the cost of vehicles raising in the United States now they are about equal. I looked up a 2015 Honda CRV on Kelley Blue Book with 34,000 miles sold within Minnesota and it came to $26,000. When looking on a similar website here in Costa Rica (crautos.com) a 2015 Honda CRV with 33,000 miles (53000 km) was being sold for $23,000. The one thing to remember when visiting or moving to Costa Rica is if you want to live like an American, you will pay American prices, but if you can live like a Tico/Tica then you will pay the Tico prices. It’s all about how you want to spend your money.
(9) Education – Since the grand ole year of 1869 Costa Rica has had free public education and it is rated the 32nd best educational system in the world! It is the highest-rated educational system in Central America. Over 96% of the people here are literate! In the United States, only 79% of people are literate and 54% of those people are literate below a 6th-grade level. However, the United States usually ranks within the top 5 educational systems in the world along with Great Britain, Canada, and Germany.
When paying public college tuition, Costa Rica is significantly less when compared to the United States. There are only four public universities in the country and an entrance exam must be passed to qualify for the public universities. If you do not qualify for these four schools, there are fifty other private colleges available, however, they are often more money. The public colleges include the University of Costa Rica in San Jose, the National University in Heredia, the Costa Rican Institute of Technology in Cartago, and the National Technical University in Alajuela. An average year-long tuition for these public universities is $2000 for a bachelor’s degree and $3000 for a master’s or doctorate degree. Tuition includes housing, food, health insurance, educational expenses, and transportation as needed. In comparison, when looking at a private university, such as the Catholic University of Costa Rica, an annual bachelor’s tuition is $4,500. Another local private school, the University of Medical Sciences is $6000 per year. Private tuitions here can go up to $35,000 a year. Scholarships are available to help support students in achieving their career goals.
(10) The Good Ole’ Outdoors – If you love the outdoors, Costa Rica is the place to be! It has the weather to be active all year round and you can have your pick of hundreds of activities. One minute you could be scuba diving in Playas Del Coco and the next hiking around Volcano Arenal. The ocean beaches are great for surfing and catching a morning run in the sand. Within the higher elevations, you can go canyoning down waterfalls. On inland lakes such as Arenal Lake, you can go kayaking, paddle boarding, windsurfing, fishing, and hydro-cycling. Mountain biking is a huge sport here no matter where you are. You will often see groups of people traveling together on the highways. White water rafting is available on a variety of rivers as well. Costa Rica is the land of exploring the outdoors and physically doing!
There you have it! The top 10 reasons why I absolutely love Costa Rica. I wouldn’t take my word for it though. Come see this beautiful country for yourself! I promise you; you will have a difficult time leaving!
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