Expat Exchange
Free MembershipSign In

Costa Rica Expat Forum

Family of 4 testing Costa Rica

New Topic Newest First
Sandoo22
  4/26/2016 17:15 EST

Hello everybody, we are new to this forum as a member , but we kept an eye on it as a guest for the last month. Our family consists of 43, 33, 2 and 4 years old members and we are from Toronto , Canada . First trip May 2nd to test the water for one week. We're looking at schools (private but affordable) for our kids in the first place and according to what we can find, we'll decide where our home should be.
Lomatranquila resort( 20 min drive from the airport - St Jose ) offered us the luxury of renting an apartment and car for a good price and also to pick us up from the airport, but from there we are into the unknown, pretty much. We know nobody in Costa Rica , any information is very helpful. Looking for suggestions regarding schools and places to see. Looking to simplify life, run away from the winter and give our kids a better chance.

Thank you all,
Alex

lhammond14
  4/26/2016 20:14 EST

Are you wanting to be near beaches in hotter climate, or cooler, in large or smaller city or town? Mountains?

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica
Connect

Costa Rica Legal Residency is an articulately bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience and exclusive focus on Costa Rica Temporary and Permanent Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship. Located minutes from the Department of Immigration.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica

Costa Rica Legal Residency is an articulately bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience and exclusive focus on Costa Rica Temporary and Permanent Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship. Located minutes from the Department of Immigration.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kohl
  4/26/2016 20:38 EST

I am posting a link regarding Residency requirements. For a young family applying as Rentistas, two deposits of US$60K, two years apart, if the principal applicant is under 55 realize that you would likely be paying a mandatory, healthcare premium of approx. $450 month...whether you choose to use the facilities or not. So private school fees cost upwards of $300+per child. With the Canadian dollar being what it is, unfortunately, it WILL affect you. Many food items are more expensive than "home'
I was in Playas del Coco last weekend, and found that many Canadians are trying to sell their properties there, and return to Canada.
Cars cost twice as much.
Becoming a 'non-resident of Canada for tax purposes':
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/cmmn/rsdncy-eng.html
http://costaricalaw.com/category/costa-rica-legal-topics/working-in-costa-rica/
Costa Rica can be a great place to live...if you can afford it...

Sandoo22
  4/26/2016 23:55 EST

Thank you for the info,

Right now , I'm thinking about a cooler place, but I just don't know what would be more suitable for us, this is our first trip .
I am planning to apply for legal resident or investor in 2 years or sooner since I would like my son to start his first grade in CR . It does sound like an expensive place, though
I come from Eastern Europe and I believe I could adapt to the Costa Rican system in terms of simplicity . I might sound silly , but I imagine myself driving an old landcruiser or a bike and buying food from the farm markets.
What is not 100% clear to me is if the 200k invested in a residential real estate is a possibility to become an "inversionista". Or if the mandatory healthcare of $450 USD would cover all 4 of us.
Are the Canadians selling mainly because of the high cost of living ?

Alex

Kohl
  4/27/2016 08:29 EST

Yes, the $450 premium would cover all of you, but know that the healthcare system has very little money, and I recently read that they are presently setting up appointments with some specialists for 2021...so many also purchase private insurance or pay cash for treatment. Unfortunately, investing as an Inversionista, the premiums may be even higher, as they are based on a percentage of the 'investment'....and you won't know what that will be until the end of the application process.
.
http://amcostaricaarchives.com/2014/02/some-expats-are-facing-much-higher-caja-charges/
*Premiums have risen since the article was written.

Some towns have great markets but not all towns offer them, and they may only be open 1 or maybe 2 days a week.

Canadians are finding it much more expensive with the low dollar. We have a friend who moved here at the same time as we did, over 16 years ago and she is moving back and going into a retirement home, next week as her funds don't go very far now.

Old land cruisers are not cheap...while bikes are. 8-) although not very good when taking the kids to school.

Article today: http://qcostarica.com/strike-left-classrooms-empty-and-public-hospital-patients-waiting/

Enjoy your visit!

Sandoo22
  4/28/2016 05:44 EST

Thank you Kohl,
Your information is like a reality check for us, obviously I will have to get more informed. I'm hoping to have a business going there and I have 2 years to make sure of that. Do you know an immigration lawyer with a good reputation? We both speak Spanish, especially my wife since she was born in Venezuela , so the service doesn't have to be necessarily in English .
Again , thank you very much for all the info.
Alex

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica
Connect

Costa Rica Legal Residency is an articulately bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience and exclusive focus on Costa Rica Temporary and Permanent Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship. Located minutes from the Department of Immigration.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica

Costa Rica Legal Residency is an articulately bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience and exclusive focus on Costa Rica Temporary and Permanent Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship. Located minutes from the Department of Immigration.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kohl
  4/28/2016 08:36 EST

I only recommend people/businesses that I have personally used and the lawyer we used, has since decided that he will no longer provide residency application services.

I would suggest you start trying to build an online business that you can continue doing from a new location here in CR, especially since you cannot 'legally perform any physical work' until a permanent resident, which will take 4-5 years.

Of course, you could decide to have another child, born here, that will allow you to be able to work much sooner...8-)

I will advise you to rent first, to be sure that CR is for you, but to pack up and move to a new area of the country is much simpler. It is very easy to purchase property and very difficult to sell.

Mariska
  4/28/2016 10:31 EST

Hi Alex,
There are also other options to start a business here or work without a residency, per instance as a consultant. That is how I and my husband work here in Costa Rica and also many friends of us. You can talk with Roger Peterson he is from Plaw: http://www.plawcr.com/. Our company has very good experiences with them. You can also participate in our monthly workshop about the general life in Costa Rica and how to deal with the culture differences. More information about that can be found on www.expathousingcr.com or you can email me [email protected].
Good luck!!

Sandoo22
  4/28/2016 23:24 EST

The funny thing is that I didn't even think of having a third kid in CR, I had a good laugh at this idea.
My field is security equipment and i kind of see a little niche there in this field. I'm expecting almost absurd import regulations, but there's always a way to deal with the system. My business will still generate some income after I would move , and being a tourist in the beginning looks to us like the way to go.
Lots to learn but very excited to visit !

Thank you again for taking the time to inform us.
Alex

Sandoo22
  4/28/2016 23:39 EST

Thank you for the links Mariska

RyanJon
  5/1/2016 09:32 EST

If you have a family, I would get out of the cities and away from the beaches. Everything bad you read in the paper happens around the cities and the beaches.

There are tons of quality schools in and around the mountains. Most are associated with research centers. CATIE comes to mind, but there are others.

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica
Connect

Costa Rica Legal Residency is an articulately bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience and exclusive focus on Costa Rica Temporary and Permanent Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship. Located minutes from the Department of Immigration.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica

Costa Rica Legal Residency is an articulately bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience and exclusive focus on Costa Rica Temporary and Permanent Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship. Located minutes from the Department of Immigration.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kohl
  5/1/2016 11:25 EST

I second the Turrialba area and CATIE...but not everything is perfect in that area either.

Immigration Help Costa Rica
Immigration Help Costa Rica

Costa Rica Legal Residency is a bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience on Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship.
Learn More

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica

Costa Rica Legal Residency is a bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience on Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship.
Learn More

Living in Costa Rica GuideLiving in Costa Rica Guide

Our Living in Costa Rica Guide is a primer on everything about living in Costa Rica: best places to live, cost of living, pros and cons, healthcare and insurance, and more.

Costa Rica Forum Costa Rica Forum
Join our Costa Rica forum to meet other expats and talk about living in Costa Rica.

Contribute to Costa Rica Network Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Costa Rica.

Best Places to Live in Costa Rica Best Places to Live in Costa Rica

If you're dreaming about living in Costa Rica, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in Costa Rica in 2023.

Healthcare in Costa RicaHealthcare in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has both public and private healthcare systems. When you become a resident, you must enroll in the public healthcare system (CAJA). Many expats use the public system for routine healthcare and have private expat health insurance for specialists, surgeries and emergencies.

Cost of Living in Costa RicaCost of Living in Costa Rica

If you're moving to Costa Rica, you'll want to understand the cost of living in Costa Rica. Lifestyle, location and health insurance are part of the formula.

Moving to Costa RicaMoving to Costa Rica Guide

Moving to Costa Rica has become more popular among expats. Making this choice requires a lot of research to ensure the expat experience you hope for will be realized.

Real Estate in Costa RicaReal Estate in Costa Rica

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in Costa Rica.

Pros Cons of Living in Costa RicaPros & Cons of Living in Costa Rica

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Costa Rica.

Retiring in Costa RicaRetiring in Costa Rica

Advice for people retiring in Costa Rica.

Visa and Residency Costa RicaCosta Rica Visa & Residency Guide

Applying for residency in Costa Rica can be a daunting process. Which type of residency is right for me? Do I need an attorney? Do I have to leave the country every 90 days? What is a cedula? This article answers these and many other questions.

10 Tips for Living in Costa Rica10 Tips for Living in Costa Rica

If you've recently arrived in Costa Rica, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in Costa Rica.

Immigration Help Costa Rica
Immigration Help Costa Rica

Costa Rica Legal Residency is a bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience on Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship.
Learn More

Immigration Help Costa RicaImmigration Help Costa Rica

Costa Rica Legal Residency is a bi-lingual boutique firm with 15 + years of successful experience on Residency, Renewals, Digital Nomad, and Citizenship.
Learn More

Contribute to Costa Rica Network Contribute
Help others in Costa Rica by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Costa Rica.

RelocateNow Costa Rica
RelocateNow Costa Rica

Copyright 1997-2024 Burlingame Interactive, Inc.

Privacy Policy Legal