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Costa Rica: A Way for CR Expats to give to their Tico communities:
Hi Folks,
As you may know, I've been authoring a CR blog, A Dull Roar, for the past 7 years. I've created a new blog, Costa Rica PC Rescue, that is a manifestation of my increased attention to a project I've been doing part-time since we arrived, which is rescuing discarded PCs, rebuilding them and donating them to the most need families in the area that could otherwise not afford one.
A PC in the house is almost essential for the kids' success in school these days and for them to acquire some computer skills. It can also benefit the family economically as they get connected to the Internet.
Long story short, I've completed one successful fundraiser for spare parts I need to complete systems and am on the second fundraiser to pay for shipping costs to bring in 20 newer machines at just $15 per PC! The shipper has already made an in-kind contribution by waiving the agency fee and giving me the lowest rate usually reserved for high-volume shippers.
If you could, please help these families out by contributing $1 or more at my Kapipal donation site:
http://www.kapipal.com/5d29e5ebabec4c8db18db0ffa7c1c449
We're already over halfway there, but time is short as the container leaves on Aug. 20th. I so much appreciate any contribution and your sharing of this information!
- Casey
Costa Rica: Feedback on the best mountain towns:
Try near San Isidro de El General in the south. The town has everything you could need and there are many peaceful small towns in the surrounding mountains with great micro-climates. Not particularly windy here at all. http://adullroar.blogspot.com
Costa Rica: English Teacher Moving to CR:
3G is not really dependable enough to maintain a good Skype connection for an hour, unless you have a more expensive plan and are near a tower. DSL, cable, and fiber are available, esp. in the Central Valley, however and that should be fine.
Your residency options are basically rentista or pensionado. Pretty sure an online English teacher is not going to be able to get a work permit. Basically, your best option if you want to be a perpetual tourist is to make the border run every 90 days, but it can be risky. Border officials are not obligated to renew your visa or may give you 30 days instead of 90. You also have to keep abreast of crossing requirements as they seem to change frequently.
Also, if you get residency you will be obligated to pay into the national health insurance, called Caja. For pensionado it will be *about* $120/month, for rentista closer to $200/month *and* you are unlikely going to be able to take much advantage of it as the system is very broken right now.
- Casey adullroar.blogspot.com
Global Expat Forum: The cost of owning a car in Costa Rica:
Thought aspiring Costa Rica expats might appreciate knowing the ins and outs of owning and maintaining a car in this country. Short version: It's expensive!
http://casimiro.hubpages.com/hub/Thinking-Twice-About-Car-Ownership-in-Costa-Rica
Pura vida!
Costa Rica: Question about health care!:
AttorneyKearney,
What kind of lawyer depends on hearsay from others and cannot actually investigate the laws that govern how much a person pays for CAJA here?
Indeed, I think no one is currently able to correctly assess the arcane formulas that CAJA uses to calculate how much you will actually pay. CAJA clerks are generally incompetent at their jobs, which is why it is so difficult to put your finger on what any individual will pay.
Here's what I do know (hearsay, but I'm not a lawyer):
We came in as pensionado when I was 54 (via a lifetime annuity, not a pension) and the income requirement was $600/month. We pay less than $100 for a family of three (big caveat here, though, see below)**
I know a couple who are about 10 years older than me and came in under the $600/m limit. Combined, they pay $375/m.
In general, new residents pay between 10 and 13% of the income they require for their particular residency category. So, rentista would pay up to $195/m. However, there appears to be age related adjustments.
Kohl's reference is to ARCR's group rates, which *should* be lower than what an individual would pay and they are high and going higher.
To the OP: I love it when someone doesn't want to buy insurance because they are healthy now. That's a short-sighted, and excuse me for saying so, a selfish excuse. That's like saying I will not buy car insurance because I have never been in an accident. Also, *in theory* CAJA is still much cheaper than in the States, because it pays for everything, no deductibles, no co-pays.
**Now the zinger: The rising price of CAJA is a double whammy, because the system, unless you have an immediate emergency, is almost completely unusable. Ticos and residents alike may wait months or years to see a doctor and again months or years if treatment is necessary. I know, we tried our best to use it when my wife had cancer a couple of years ago and it was a disaster.
The good news is that private care here is excellent and very affordable even without insurance. Unfortunately, unless you are a CR citizen, a perpetual tourist, or here illegally, you cannot opt out of paying for CAJA.
Costa Rica: Health and Safety:
Kohl is correct about Jaco, in general. Jaco gives a bad rep to the rest of the country. It is also, like anywhere on the coast, unrelentingly hot and moist, so be sure you can live with that climate day in and day out. Air conditioning based on electricity is going to run you hundreds of dollars per month.
Don't dwell too much on the negatives of CR. If you were from another country and only read about living in the U.S. based on their TV or newspapers, you would be afraid to even visit there!
Anyway, I can recommend La Zona Sur (San Isidro de El General) as a family-oriented place. This area is peaceful, the natives are friendly, crime is low, no dengue to speak of, and living in a higher elevation is much more comfortable. Lots of expats with kids here.
There are a couple of good private schools and many of the public schools are quite good. Your kids will make friends quickly and be fluent in Spanish in no time.
If you are considering becoming residents in CR, just be aware that it isn't the cheapest place to live. If you like hot weather like in Jaco, then I'd recommend looking into Panamá. Lower cost of living, and much, much cheaper to obtain residency and better roads, etc.
Costa Rica: car insurance expats:
INS car insurance here costs about twice the rate in the States (assuming you have a good driving record in the States) and coverage limits are much less. You are unlikely to need as much coverage here for liability and medical, but since cars cost about twice as much as in the States, comprehensive/collisoin is usually quite a bit higher.
Also, adjust your expectations about what you will get here in terms of "cheap small car." Not only will the price be higher, but it is very likely that the condition will be much poorer. Ticos can keep old cars running that would have been in the junkyard long ago elsewhere and you cannot always see the defects.
Find a trustworthy mechanic to check over any car or at the very least make sure the car has a RTV sticker that is not more than 3 months old.
http://adullroar.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-cost-of-owning-and-driving-car-in.html
Costa Rica: Looking for an Expat community in Heredia:
Ben, join the open Facebook group Expatriates in Costa Rica. Post your request and I'm sure you will get a lot of responses from people in your area.
Bienvenidos y Pura Vida
Costa Rica: Afforcable area in Costa Rica close to amenities and beach or potential to have both.:
apatinar,
Economically, Panamá is a better deal than Costa Rica and I'm saying that as a CR resident who has been here over 5 years. You didn't specify climate preference, which is really the big difference with Panamá. There are only cooler climates in the west end of the country. Most expats there land in Boquete or Volcán.
Settling in Panamá will be far less expensive than in CR as they waive import duties on your initial container of household goods and your car. There are also a large number of significant discounts on airfare, utilities and other items. Versus CR, which charges you about 58% duties on your car, $1000 for your household goods or more and taxes the hell out of you afterwards. For your residency in CR you will receive discounts on museum and park entrance fees .
Panama's infrastructure is also much better, lots of modern, well-maintained highways and pave side roads. Gas there was under $3 a year ago vs. over $5/gal here. Almost all consumer goods are significantly cheaper than in CR, by 20-25% or more. Medical care is a little cheaper than in CR and they don't have the CAJA mess.
Economically, it's a no-brainer, but finding the right micro-climate might be difficult.
Costa Rica: Cars:
Montero Sport, turbo diesel for six years. Rugged, takes us anywhere we want to go. Only once have we had to order a part from the U.S. that was unobtainable here, even through the dealer. In general, parts are more expensive but that is more than offset by lower labor costs. We use two different mechanics. One for more routine stuff, and another who has more equipment and expertise for the complicated repairs. If you anticipate only staying on paved roads (e.g., living close to San José), then you may not need 4x4. Otherwise, get it, get diesel, and plan on more frequent maintenance for tires and suspension.
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