Costa Rica

[Claudio]

Originally Posted by colibris

Does anyone have a suggestion for an audiologist in Costa Rica? My husband is looking for a new hearing aid and.....

Check at hospitalcimadotcom. I am sure you`ll find the best doctor there. It is the best private hospital here.

[travelwriter]

I'm living in Costa Rica after visiting here twice. I'm in San Jose -- or rather the San Pedro part of San Jose -- where there are very few ex-pats. Most ex-pats live west of the capital or in the beach communities.

It doesn't surprise me that there is some resentment against ex-pats as there is in most parts of the world where a large concentration of white, rich (by their standards) and, usually English-only speaking people congregate. With them they bring higher cost of living for the locals, ridiculously high real estate costs, and many US chains and franchises (Wall Mart, Burger King, McDonald's, Blockbuster video, and the list goes on and on).

The truth, however, is that the resentment is felt in general to the group and is rarely displayed in individual relations with people. Where we are living -- on the other side of gringolandia in San Jose -- our neighbors are being very friendly and welcoming. They are curious about us because we are different and are very interested to learn about our experiences in Mexico, Canada and the US. And, they are always surprised and impressed that we are learning Spanish. Without the language, you simply cannot make friends beyond surperficial acquaintances.

I've also lived in Mexico and traveled there extensively and have found that, for the most part, Mexicans are very friendly. There is gringo burnout in places where many have congregated (case in point San Miguel de Allende where real estate prices are through the roof and Mexicans cannot afford to live in the historical center of their city). Other places where there are many gringos but the area depends on tourism are usually less tense on Mexican-Gringo relations as the locals understand the value of Americans, Canadians and Brits visiting.

The best way to get to know people -- expats and locals -- and to help the community is to become a valuable addition to it through volunteer work.

Would love to see more posts by ex-pats in Costa Rica.

[edaviscr]

I would be happy to answer questions about Costa Rica. I live here and run my own real estate related companies.

It is safe to travel around Costa Rica with the exception of bad neighborhoods in San Jose and the port of Limon.

You will have no problem finding places to rent in any of the beaches or the central valley. There is a thriving expatriot community here due the natural beauty, affordable health care, safety, stability, etc.

Saludos...

[BOG]

edaviscr,

I apologize before hand for bombarding you with questions, but if you don't mind me asking,

How hard is it for americans to find decent jobs down in CR?
How high is the cost of living near Hermosa or Jaco?

I am interested in spending a few years in either CR or Nicaragua.

I am an avid surfer and fisher and would love to spend a few years of my youth riding good waves and learning about Latin culture.

If you know of anywhere to research for jobs and housing such please let me know.

Google only goes so far...haha.

[edaviscr]

No bother. You're not really supposed to "work" in the sense of be an employee here as that would be taking a job away from a Costa Rican. However, you can own and run businesses. There are also plenty of people who do jobs over their computers like graphic design, web design, stock trading, consulting, running their web businesses etc. that are generating income but not employees or taking a job away.

I haven't spent much time in Jaco or Hermosa. Hermosa is supposed to be nice. I never hear anything good about Jaco. You can live on less than $1000 per month depending on what your tastes are. You can find cabinas for $350/month walking distance to the beach in some areas. Food is generally cheap. Gas is similar to the states.

Surfing is great here and the water is always warm! My favorite place is Playa Grande.

[BOG]

thanks.

I would be interested in opening a restaurant eventually, but would need income for atleast a year down there before being financially able to do so.
I have heard that jobs can be hard to find due to CR citizens wanting to hire CR citizens over expats.
I was wondering what sort of jobs would be available for expats, say like working at hotels?
And do you think its feasible to "live" on say an eco-tour guide salary? or something along the lines of that.

Its good to talk to someone down there instead of reading a million blogs.

thanks again.

[edaviscr]

Those are not likely as foreigners without residency are not supposed to work as employees. Smaller companies might consider you. You could start a small company like surf instruction, or board rentals, or tour booking though...

[edaviscr]

You can search rental properties all over craigslist just like in the states...

[BOG]

thanks so much.

[scarr]

Originally Posted by lilred4x

hi synthia i am very interested in info about traveling to costa rica.i am a swf 49 yrs old looking for my safe haven in the sun.i think i might travel there and rent then tour around and look at homes.is it safe?will it be easy to find a place to rent?tell me all that you are experiancing.i am very interested in your journey.i wish you the very best.shelley

Hi- We just finished building our cabina (2 bedroom cottage) in Grecia - look at google maps for Grecia Costa Rica

It is a 45 min ride from Alejuela (where the San Jose airport is located). Currently a couple retiring are renting as they look around to see how it goes for them to relocate.

Keep my email if you need a place in the future.. it might work out for you.. Our cabina is 1 mile from a bus route and Grecia is a good sized town w. hospital and all amenities. Great public transportation to explore..
Best.
Susan