Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Electric Bill (pool and multiple air conditioners during the rainy season) — $204
People are Googling about moving to Costa Rica. Inevitably my face pops up, holding a watermelon…
or smiling on a boat.
While scanning the images, I found one of Rob’s bloody hand from falling off his scooter. And another of me boogie boarding in ankle-deep water with the concentration of a North Korean Olympian.
The only reason I’m Googling myself is to find out why so many people are contacting us. The email subject line is always, “I want to move to Costa Rica.” And I believe I found it.
An episode of EXPATS (a show we appeared in) has gone viral. It shows my husband pushing me on a swing and us walking hand in hand on the beach. Is that an accurate representation of our life? Absolutely, but so is him ripping his hand open after falling off his scooter, twice, once while delivering my stool sample to a doctor.
During the EXPATS show, I mentioned Rob’s friend questioning our search for a happier life. If you’re looking for a warm and fuzzy conversation, don’t expect a snarly guy from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to deliver one.
“What’s different about you?” he said, “Why should you be happy? We’re all miserable.”
But that wasn’t good enough, and perhaps that’s how you’re feeling today. All this stress has you gripping the ropes, hoping the bell rings before the referee counts to ten. Maybe moving to Costa Rica was on your mind way before the events of this year. You want to set this plan in motion, and now you’re Googling “I want to move to Costa Rica.”
Take my hand… I got you on this.
My life hasn’t been the same since we started our adventure. This country sparks inspiration every day. Lately, the sunsets have a lavender hue and remind me of macarons with orchid buttercream. It feels like falling in love inside a French bakery.
With Rob’s green thumb, our garden continues to expand. He’s bending bougainvillea over a backyard staircase, turning the passageway into a hobbit village. I went there to watch butterflies when I spotted a female coatimundi. It appears Walter (our resident coatimundi and papaya thief) has found a girlfriend, a little furry companion to snuggle with under the sunset.
Sometimes I wonder where I’d be if I didn’t go on this adventure. If we listened to Rob’s friend who told us that there was nothing special out there.
“Why should you be happy?” he said.
But even during the stressful times, I still believed there were swings under palm trees. And maybe that’s all you need to know. Believe when others don’t. Find the people who are doing what you want to do. Nothing is impossible, even if your timeline has changed. Even when the world has paused.
Rob said it best in the EXPATS episode, “Treat life like an adventure. Get that spirit back you had when you were a kid.”
I rediscovered mine in a place with butterflies and macaron sunsets. Yours may be on a rooftop deck in Manhattan, or a snowy ski chalet in Switzerland. All I know is it wasn’t where I was standing before this journey, in front of that friend, telling me that unhappiness was inevitable.
Fall back in love, go for the gold, and let this year be the one that made all the difference. Lean on the ropes while waiting for the bell to ring.
And when it does, come out swinging.
(My journey started with my first book, Happier Than A Billionaire. I’ve written more about moving to Costa Rica, and You can find them here. If you are looking for Rob and I talking about our life in Costa Rica, you can find the EXPATS episode here.)
I’ll never understand why NG cut the chord on the EX-PAT series. It was such a fabulous You Tube series. Intelligent, interesting and relevant. Maybe your video “going viral” will revive the show as well. In the meantime, wish you’d blog more!
I’m currently waiting for the borders to open and have my eyes on a place in Dominical. I have two tiny mini Australian shepherds . I’ve googled about bringing dogs in . I’m wondering if there’s been any changes.
I just sold my slice of heaven in Montana and I’m ready for what’s next ?
HI KTFROMLV, In regards to your question about the banking, you CAN open a bank account without being a permanent resident. You just need to have applied for your residency. When you (thru an attorney) start the process and are accepted into the program, you get a document called an EXPEDIENTE. If you present that to the bank, they will allow you to open an account. With the account you can pay LOCAL bills (phone, cable, electricity) but you won’t be able to do wire transfers or bank-to-bank payments. BtoB is very popular here as many landlords want you to pay into a specific account at a specific bank in either Dollars or Colones. Most banks will setup both types of accounts for you. The issue gets more complicated if you keep your money in the US, as we do, because even with the public/private banks, most require you to be a citizen to do Wire or BtoB type transactions. Also, currently this is NO mail service from the US to Costa Rica and vice versa. You can try getting mail thru a package service such as Aeropost, but most of them say they don’t allow documents to be shipped from the US to CR. Even when the mail was ‘running’ it could take 30-40 days to get an envelope from the US. We have to use DHL if we need anything from the US it better be damned important because it costs $50 for week-long delivery and even higher if you need it faster.
This isn’t the definitive guide as Costa Rica changes rules and regulations on a seemingly weekly basis. My wife and I retired and have been living in CR for 2.5 years and we absolutely love it here. We too were taken with the stories and books that Nadine wrote and even decided to live in Grecia (where she and Rob lived) because of it’s central location, closeness to San Jose and the airport, and the cooler temperatures you experience here in the mountains. When you finally do make it here, you will love it. Pura Vida!
Well put Sid. Hope you enjoy Grecia, it holds a special space in my heart.
March 31, 2020 was when I was arriving to start a new chapter of life in Costa Rica. Now I are patiently waiting for the border to open to Canadians. However, my plan was to be a Perpetual Tourist as I just miss the qualifications required to apply for Residency. However the 3 month Border Runs into Nicaragua or Panama will not likely be allowed for a long time! I sold my home, gave away most of my stuff, packed the rest into a storage locker and have my suitcases ready to go! Do I go ahead with my plan when the border opens or give it a 2nd thought because of the unknown changes that will be made to the rules?
I really enjoy your writing!! It has helped me map out this new journey I’m hoping to embark on.
Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Cheers!
Ginger
It’s a tough question because everything changes week to week. The good news is they will probably open the border to Canadians before the United States. There were planning on August 1st so we will have to see.
The visa regulations are changing as well. People who perpetual tourists and were stuck here have an extension on their visa. They might make another one if things keep looking this way.
Ticotimes.net is a great English paper where you can stay up to date on the rule changes.
As always, that was a fun and inspiring update on the Pura Vida. We are still planning our retirement in 4 years. Costa Rica is on the top of our list… still need to research. We have made one trip to Playa Flamingo and had your recommended driver Dervin Suarez show us coastal locations north and south of Flamingo. All very beautiful. Dervin is like having your personal travel guide and local knowledge expert in Costa Rica. We plan our next trip to Playas Los Cocos and will do more exploring, likely again with Dervin. We are tentatively planning on Feb 2021… just have to watch the rona and make sure that date will work. Pura vida!
I’m hoping February we will be back to normal, but boy if this year has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected.
We have been thinking about buying a place in Costa Rica for years. We finally did it during this crazy pandemic. Fortunately we have friends in Costa Rica who put us in touch with a good lawyer that helped us through all the particulars of buying a condo. Not quite sight unseen, but close. We are now working with a local design company to purchase furniture, etc for the condo. As soon as Costa Rica allows us to come and our condo has at least a bed and maybe a few other creature comforts we will be heading south for an extended visit.
Somethings we weren’t prepared for, but knew there had to be a way. Since we don’t have residency yet, we cannot have a Costa Rican bank account. How does one pay utilities when not allowed to be in the country and knowing international mail is a bit slow? There are actually businesses in Costa Rica that do that for many people with vacation properties or second homes.
Nadine, your books started us on this crazy path and advice you’ve given has been so helpful. I can hardly wait to stay in my own place and shop in local markets for dinner. And those sunsets!!! And all the beautiful animals and plants!!! And of course, meeting our new neighbors and getting to know our new town and the people who also call it home.
Thanks for following our nutty journey!! Your best bet is to have a management company that can pay the bills for you. That’s what all my gringo neighbors have who can’t get back in the country. It’s really the best way, and someone periodically needs to be able to check your property, flush the toilets, inspect the rooms, etc.
I’m sure you are anxious to get this adventure started. It’s such a beautiful country and still is awe-inspiring. I can’t believe I live in such a lovely place.
YUP!! We’ve been on an adventure since 2017 in Sint Maarten. Including hurricane Irma and now COVID, it’s not for sissies, but it is Vivre le rêve! We plan to live it as long as we can. No need to cut the dream short.
Yup, life is an adventure. Nothing ever turns out as planned. There is always a kink or two, but being an expat is learning to go with the flow.