Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Topper you get the largest ego award for CD. I went there even before you so you must have followed me!
----------
I wonder how countries feel about us after Trump. I was in Sinoloa for a few weeks and people would ask "Why does your president hate us so much?" I am fluent in Spanish and was embarrassed -all I could say was "I'm educated and I certainly didn't vote for him".
I wonder if this hostility will make it more difficult for Americans in Latin American countries.
Costa Rica ain't cheap. I lived down there in the early 90's and back then it was cheap as long as you didn't insist on fine first world amenities. Today it is not cheap at all, except for perhaps land if you're willing to live among the people and not in an expat community. Food and gas are more expensive than the US, online comparisons be damned. Cars are more expensive and access to quality healthcare outside of San Jose is dicey at best. The food is rather unimaginative and a truly good meal will set you back a nice chunk of change. The roads mostly suck, but are slowly getting better. The crime rate feels higher than anything you might read about online too. However, I feel that way pretty much throughout Latin America. Petty crimes and theft are part of the scenery. For the most part nobody reports such crimes because nothing gets done.
Asking if it is better than Mexico is not an easy question to answer. It really depends on what you're into. It's much smaller than Mexico so there is not as much variety and certainly not as many cultural activities. If you're into nature, hiking, fishing, whitewater rafting, etc, my preference is Costa Rica.
That all said, I still enjoy going there and usually go back there and/or to Nicaragua about every two years. There is a sense of freedom, that Big Brother is not always watching and it is quite liberating.
I went there recently, and the roads are really good now. I couldn't tell about the cost-of-living being expensive, it felt like it was 'on par' with the U.S.
Amenities-wise, it felt like the 51st state. Tons of American chain stores of every kind. Food quality, I loved the Costa Rican food I had - beans/rice in tortillas, etc. Plantains. I loved it.
Would I live there? I'm not sure. I liked it, but there are just a lot of other places that I like a lot too.
Topper you get the largest ego award for CD. I went there even before you so you must have followed me!
----------
I wonder how countries feel about us after Trump. I was in Sinoloa for a few weeks and people would ask "Why does your president hate us so much?" I am fluent in Spanish and was embarrassed -all I could say was "I'm educated and I certainly didn't vote for him".
I wonder if this hostility will make it more difficult for Americans in Latin American countries.
I don’t think so, but you do see some weird things happening in Latin America. Not too long ago the Trump hotel at Panama was renamed due to the controversy.
It has to be said that Trump has directly attacked Mexico, some countries in northern Central America, and some countries in the Caribbean. Also Venezuela was sort of threaten with military intervention and a ban of all flights between the US and that country. Most other countries have not been said by Trump... yet.
I went there recently, and the roads are really good now. I couldn't tell about the cost-of-living being expensive, it felt like it was 'on par' with the U.S.
Amenities-wise, it felt like the 51st state. Tons of American chain stores of every kind. Food quality, I loved the Costa Rican food I had - beans/rice in tortillas, etc. Plantains. I loved it.
Would I live there? I'm not sure. I liked it, but there are just a lot of other places that I like a lot too.
I go back there every year.
Gas: Twice the price.
Groceries: More expensive
Land less expensive if you don't mind living as a Tico.
Electric: More expensive
Primary roads better, but can really suck in many places. Secondary roads are a total crapshoot.
Medical care: Cheap but it totally sucks unless you want to pay real money.
Law enforcement and internal security: Disaster. No respect for rule of law.
I went there recently, and the roads are really good now. I couldn't tell about the cost-of-living being expensive, it felt like it was 'on par' with the U.S.
Amenities-wise, it felt like the 51st state. Tons of American chain stores of every kind. Food quality, I loved the Costa Rican food I had - beans/rice in tortillas, etc. Plantains. I loved it.
Would I live there? I'm not sure. I liked it, but there are just a lot of other places that I like a lot too.
I'll second your post here. We were there for a couple of weeks in May. The food was less expensive if you stuck to the central markets, farmer's markets, etc. If you go to Costa Rica jones'ing for American food, sure, it will be more expensive. Stick to the sodas and you can get a great meal for $5.
The primary roads are in great shape, but the secondary roads ARE a bit of a crapshoot.
Could me and my wife live there? I don't have any doubt. The people we met were ALL friendly and helpful. The lifestyle, Pura Vida, is pretty relaxed, as well, so it depends on what each individual is looking for.
Want to live in a strict, police-heavy culture like the US? Want to keep American customs in a foreign land? Maybe you want to check somewhere else.
Want to integrate into a culture that is much less political, less in-your-face macho and has great fresh foods? This may be the ticket.
Right now Costa Rica is super trending. American and European Expats are buying houses, retirees find it agreeable, people say it is beautiful and safe and cheap.
Are all these things true? Is it really much better than Mexico (which i love)?
That's an interesting question - is Costa Rica better than Mexico?
I really liked Costa Rica. But Mexico is so much better. No question that Mexico City is one of most world class cities in Latin America...and San Jose to Mex City feels like Rochester NY vs New York City.
But small town Costa Rica (everything outside of SJ) vs small town Mexico....I can't imagine it would be superior or inferior....just different.
I'll second your post here. We were there for a couple of weeks in May. The food was less expensive if you stuck to the central markets, farmer's markets, etc. If you go to Costa Rica jones'ing for American food, sure, it will be more expensive. Stick to the sodas and you can get a great meal for $5.
The primary roads are in great shape, but the secondary roads ARE a bit of a crapshoot.
Could me and my wife live there? I don't have any doubt. The people we met were ALL friendly and helpful. The lifestyle, Pura Vida, is pretty relaxed, as well, so it depends on what each individual is looking for.
Want to live in a strict, police-heavy culture like the US? Want to keep American customs in a foreign land? Maybe you want to check somewhere else.
Want to integrate into a culture that is much less political, less in-your-face macho and has great fresh foods? This may be the ticket.
I have lived there, worked there, had a relationship there and know the inner workings of the country better than somebody who has visited for a couple weeks. The lack of, and incompetence of law enforcement is very liberating until you need it. Then it becomes a crisis for those affected. I love the country, but it is overrated, now overpriced, over Americanized and becoming less safe as it gets inundated with with refugees. Many of those who go there from Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, etc are not exactly Boy Scouts.
Could me and my wife live there? I don't have any doubt. The people we met were ALL friendly and helpful.
You have to learn to distinguish between "friendly and helpful to tourists because they're making money from you" versus "genuinely helpful and friendly people."
Quote:
Want to integrate into a culture that is much less political, less in-your-face macho
I'm glad someone else mentioning one of my hangups about American culture. This whole competitive, buff, need-to-prove-I'm-better-than-you, I've got bigger muscles than you, macho nonsense irritates me too.
You have to learn to distinguish between "friendly and helpful to tourists because they're making money from you" versus "genuinely helpful and friendly people."
I'm old enough and have been around enough blocks to know the difference. On the flip side, we were only there for 2 weeks, so maybe we got lucky? Who knows. We made a point of integrating into the culture as much as we could. I have to believe that helped.
Just one example. We were eating at a soda, in Atenas, that was part of the central market. While there, a local struck up a conversation with me. Now, most of the conversation was through Google Translate, but he initiated the conversation, really wanted to try his English and was excited to tell me about his niece, who is currently living in Memphis. When he finished his meal and paid, he dropped off pieces of candy for me and my two companions as he left.
The only people we had any issues with - on this trip - were visiting Americans in touristy locations.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
