Maybe the future is Uruguay

[EVANGELISTTI]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

The thing about Costa Rica is that it doesn't have a culture of emigration. In general, Costa Ricans stay put in their country.

Contrast that with El Salvador where it is extremely rare for one family to not have at least one person living abroad, essentially in the United States. There the act of migrating in itself is seen with good eyes.

Another contrast is Puerto Rico which by all accounts gives a more comfortable standards of living to its people than does Costa Rica. Yet, despite the average Puerto Rican lives better than the average Costa Rican (not to mention that Puerto Rico itself is much more developed, for example Costa Rica could only dream having a road network as has Puerto Rico), more Puerto Ricans leave Puerto Rico than Costa Ricans leave Costa Rica.

Uruguay itself has more an emigration culture than Costa Rica, particularly to neighboring Buenos Aires or to Spain itself.

Cultures of emigration has nothing to do with the actual well being of a place, hence where it exist is irrelevant. Costa Ricans don't have the itch to try their luck in other lands. Uruguayans often cite the suppose lack of opportunities in Uruguay due to being a small country, but Costa Rica is not just a small country too, but also poorer than Uruguay. The same excuse of lack of opportunities should be used as a justification for mass emigration yet it isn't.

Costa ricans are enough confortable in their home country to immigrate illegally to USA what are dangerous and difficult. In another hand if they have it easy as the puerto ricans have, being US americans citizens, it would be another history.

The same for uruguayans the country is small, and people there live of old money, lacking opportunities for many tallented young uruguayans, but they can move freelly for the big cities of the biggers Mercosur countries (Brazil and Argentina) with more opportunities, or go to Europe because almost every body there have some close italian, spanish or portuguese heritage, or even Australia used to offer easy visas for young uruguayans immigrate there, (the same that europeans used to have).

Costa ricans don't have it easy and their neighborn are poorer than them, but i have a friend that all his family immigrate to USA legally decades ago, and probably it is not uncommon.

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by Back to NE

Because of all the guns, mental and psychological problems, and all the fomented rage in the USA, we have regular murders in schools and public gatherings, including in the "safest" areas. I doubt Uruguay has much of this in comparison. In Brazil, it seems the police and military are just as dangerous as the drug gangs; I'm pretty worried about where they are heading.

[Willy702]

What's the "question" or "point" here? Its a nice place, I spent 10 days there back in 2018. Its not that cheap and nothing is really standout to do or see. If the question is should people move there, why would you? I'm sure the many who have made that move did it for family reasons, that's really what seems to drive the place as people are just modest living types. Nothing wrong with moving there but most expats if they make the move do it because its much cheaper than home or the culture is one of a kind. Neither really apply. And further, expats won't go further than they need to unless they get something better for it. If Mexico or Costa Rica fit a North American's needs and at a lower price, why would they go another 8-12 hours further to Uruguay? And if you did want to live somewhere unique you could live in Patagonia, one of the big cities in the neighboring countries, the really beautiful wine-producing areas in Argentina, or a beach town that has more than just 4-5 months of beach weather.