Know the cost of living
If you’re moving to Costa Rica, you should know the cost of living in Costa Rica.
It sounds like an obvious thing but there are a lot of people who move to Costa Rica without having a clue how much they will need to live here. If you’re not careful, you can end up with no money and nowhere to live.
Do some research into the average cost of living for an average Costa Rican family, and make sure you have enough money to cover that amount each month.
You can do this research on plenty of websites such as Numbeo and Expatisan.
Research the best places to live in Costa Rica
When moving from the UK to Costa Rica you’ll want to research the best places to live in Costa Rica. You may want to focus on an area with high security and low crime, or maybe you are looking for a place that is close to your family. Consider whether you want to live on the beach, in a city or in the countryside. The different regions of Costa Rica vary greatly when it comes to cost of living, culture and weather conditions. Some areas are thriving with expat communities while other areas have very few foreign residents.
Consider healthcare
One of the most important factors to consider is healthcare. Here are some questions to ask yourself when researching the healthcare options available to you:
- What will your costs be?
- Will you be using public or private healthcare?
- Are you eligible for state-provided healthcare?
- Can you get healthcare through your employer?
Decide on the right way to buy property in your new country
Before you move, you should know exactly how much money you have and what your budget for a home is. This will help ensure that you don’t overspend and get stuck with a mortgage payment in another country.
There are several ways to purchase Costa Rica real estate: buying from a developer, buying from an owner, taking out a mortgage, paying with cash and buying with family or friends. Each option has its pros and cons.
Find the right estate agent
As a newly engaged couple, we were keen to make the most of our first few months in Costa Rica. We both had plenty of experience with moving house—and had already come through a few moves ourselves. But this would be our first time living abroad and we wanted to ensure that we weren’t making any future mistakes along the way. So naturally, looking back at our own experiences of moving house in the past, there were quite a few things I found myself asking on my new journey—things that really stuck in my head as useful points to remember when moving house.
- It’s important to work with someone local:
We had heard about estate agents who weren’t licensed or regulated—and it can be difficult for couples to research potential properties without help from people who know the area well. Though there are lots of different types of estate agents, essentially they all fall under one of two categories: independent estate agents and local estate agents. Independent estate agents usually have their own business premises and are usually working alone or may have a partner involved but do not hold professional registration or insurance cover in the UK (something which is an important consideration if you plan on selling your property). Local estate agents also tend to work alone but they’re brought up and trained by an experienced member of staff who will assist them with setting up appointments, managing communication with buyers and sellers and more generally solving problems arising out of their business so they’re able to maintain full control over everything (which is why local agencies tend to charge more for services). Both types often belong to professional bodies such as The Property Ombudsman or The Property Redress Scheme so working with them means you know you’re going into it with no hidden fees, no fine print surprises and nothing that could dishearten you later on down the line…
Learn the language
Working up the courage to leave the UK was definitely one of our biggest challenges. In the end, we decided to simply give it a go. After all, if you’re going to make such a big change in your life, it’s better to do so without many regrets and with an open mind (pun intended).
Before deciding to move abroad, though, I would recommend doing a little research about what you can expect from this experience. As someone who’s lived in two different countries (the UK and Spain), I know how different aspects of life can be depending on where you live. For example:
- Costa Rica is much more expensive than the UK
- Spanish is spoken throughout Costa Rica and Spanish is required at most public places
- The culture in Costa Rica is very noticeably different to that of Spain
In fact, when I first arrived in Costa Rica, there were actually some things that felt quite familiar but also quite strange at the same time! Like “people walking around wearing clothing with designs embossed on them”, “locutors on radios shouting out sentences” or “a lot of stray dogs”. But as time went by and we adjusted to these differences (just like any other country), we began feeling settled here—and despite having moved from England over 5 years ago now! There are many things that will look familiar but there are still enough surprises for us still living here that I’d say moving abroad was definitely worth it.
Look into residency options in Costa Rica
If you’re planning to stay in Costa Rica for a longer period of time, it makes sense to apply for residency.
Costa Rica offers temporary and permanent residency options which are available to anyone who can show evidence of a monthly income of $1000. Temporary residency is valid for one year, but can be renewed indefinitely. Permanent residency is available after five years of temporary residency.
There are several other ways to get residency in Costa Rica, depending on your circumstances and why you’re moving there. For example, the Pensionado program is open to citizens over 18 with a government or private pension worth over $600 per month; Rentista means that you need income from investments worth over $60k; and Inversionista applies when you invest at least $200k in Costa Rican real estate, or run a business that generates employment for at least three people. You can find out more about the application process here: https://costaricapages.com/residency/how-to-get-residency-in-costa-rica/.
This is important information for anyone considering moving to Costa Rica
Moving to Costa Rica can be an exciting new chapter in your life. Before you go, it’s important to consider a few things first:
Healthcare. No matter where you live, healthcare is always an important consideration. In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) provides universal health care for all UK citizens—but what about in Costa Rica? It’s similar to the NHS in that it also provides universal health care for citizens and legal residents across Costa Rica.
Language. Wherever you go, it’s helpful to learn some of the local language. If you move from London to San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital city, speaking Spanish will make your transition much simpler because nearly everyone speaks Spanish there.
Residency Options. When considering moving abroad longterm, determining residency options is essential – especially if you plan on staying past 90 days in any 180 day period! A great way to determine your best option is by consulting a licensed immigration attorney who specializes in residencies in Costa Rica! Some residency options include Pensionado (for retirees), Inversionista (for investors), Rentista (for people with guaranteed incomes), Entreprise Visa (for entrepreneurs/business owners).
Research The Best Places To Live In Your New Country. While this might seem like an obvious step when moving abroad, its one of those things that can get overlooked when getting caught up in all the excitement of a big move! When considering where are the best places to live while in your new country I would suggest having two lists: one list of “must haves” and one list of “would be nice if we could find these things but not required” for living abroad checklist should include what amenities you need access too on a regular basis such as hospitals/hospitals with English-speaking doctors medical clinics restaurants grocery stores gym etc.. As well as other factors such as climate weather proximity too good schools or universities etc…