6 Common Questions About Moving To Costa Rica


Some important questions inevitably arise in any discussion or chat about relocating to Costa Rica.

  1. How Much Does It Cost To Live In Costa Rica?
    It depends on how you want to live.  But, Costa Rica is a cheap on both ends compared to the U.S., Europe, and Canada, but costly in the middle of the standard of living range.
  2. Do I Need Residency Or Citizenship?
    No. But a resident can make things cheaper and easier.

  3. Should I Buy Or Rent?
    Remember Investing in real estate here can be profitable. But it can easily become an expensive mistake if you don’t have experience with water rights, tropical construction, Napoleonic law and much more. However, it is not a bad idea to rent for a few months while learning various things like what you want and where you want to be.
  4. Can I Work In Here Costa Rica?
    No. You cannot legally hold a job here in Costa Rica until you have a work visa/permit.  This needs filling out many forms, and passing through a lot of loops and spending a lot of time waiting as well.
  5. Where Is The Best Place To Live?
    There are plenty of considerations such as climate, healthcare, recreation, convenience, crime and cost, and different people want different things. No place in Costa Rica has everything but about 80% of expats end up on the beaches of Guanacaste near the capital San José. You can talk to someone who knows the country well and can quickly you a great location to live.
  6. How Do I Bring My Stuff?
    Bringing stuff can be both expensive and time-consuming. But the actual transport is cheap.  You can get full stuff of yours such as of furniture and even a vehicle into a shipping container from a northern port to Costa Rica for just a few hundred bucks. The trouble finding the best deal on a dependable used vehicle in Costa Rica might make considering a container useful. We suggest just hire Costa Rica Shipping Service Company and forget everything related to relocating.
If you are bringing a pet, then make an appointment with a licensed vet to receive your international health certificate.  Also, start researching airline policies. Remember that some airlines do not allow pets to fly at certain times of the year. The needs for bringing a pet into Costa Rica are provided on the Costa Rica Embassy website.

Comments