Why Buy Property In Costa Rica For Retirement?

There are many answers to this question and I suppose everyone who does it or who dreams of doing it has his or her own reasons.

But over the many years I have discussed this with people, there are some reasons that come up reguarly. So I will give you those reasons and you can decide if they sound good to you. Retiring in a foreign country is not for everyone. First you must be at least a little adventurous to leave the country you've lived in most of your life or all of your life, and start fresh somewhere else. Secondly, you must like the place you are relocating to. And third, you must be willing to make the effort to adjust to a new lifestyle, learn and experience new things, and meet and befriend new people.

If none of the above changes sound good to you, then retirement in Costa Rica is not for you!

Are you still with me? Great! Let's get down to it:

Some of the basic reasons given as to why people choose to retire in Costa Rica are:

• They vacationed in Costa Rica and fell in love with the people and/or the country.
  The people of Costa Rica are known to be very friendly and warm. Many Americans - especially those from big cities - find this refreshing and enjoyable. They will tell you stories of how a complete stranger in Costa Rica stopped to help them find a location, or help them fix their car, or invited them in their home for a glass of fruit juice, etc.
  
  Some people who retire in Costa Rica point out that the natural beauty of the country is what led them to move to Costa Rica. Maybe they love bird watching, or love the rich green color of nearly everything most of the year. Maybe it is the rain forests or cloud forests that they fell in love with. Maybe they like seeing wild monkeys in trees as part of their everyday experience. Costa Rica is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural beauty. Mountains, volcanoes, rain forests, lakes, beaches, hot springs, rushing rivers - all in the space of a country the size of West Virginia! So you cannot travel very far without seeing evidence of abundant and beautiful nature at its best!
• They love the beach and beach property can be much more affordable in Costa Rica than in other parts of the world (in fact most property is more affordable as compared with similar property in other parts of the world).
  
  Costa Rica has every kind of beach there is:
  *Warm water inlets that are fantastic for swimming
  *Beach areas with long waves that are perfect for surfing (people come from all over the world to surf certain beaches in Costa Rica
  *Beaches with homes just above them on cliffs that are perfect for those who enjoy seeing the ocean every day from above
  *Beaches where you can build right on the beach and go swimming in your front yard
• Many find that Costa Rica simply is more relaxing. People who retire in Costa Rica say that the lifestyle there is one where people tend not to get in a hurry, where people are not too busy to stop and talk, where even waiting in line at the bank or utility company is not a torturous waste of time but rather a place to meet new people and get to know something about a different culture and a different perspective.
  
  Costa Rica is in some ways the antidote for "modern society". Some things Costa Rica does not have or at least does not have a lot of:
  *Parking meters
  *Traffic police
  *Endless rules and regulations about everything
  *Cameras at intersections to catch you running lights so they can collect $$$
  *People suing each other for anything and everything. I mean, sure people do sue there but its nowhere near as rampant as it is here in the USA.
  
  While the USA at least used to be known as "the land of freedom", now it is better described as the land of rules and regulations, a place where someone is always looking to fine you for any little rule you violate.
• It's much cheaper. While it is not as cheap as it used to be, it is still more economical to live in Costa Rica than it is to live in the USA.
  
  It's cheaper to maintain a home. If you live in a big house with a pool and central air conditioning and 2 cars etcetera, well, then no, it's not going to be cheap to live there! But if you live near the beach or the mountains where a.c. is often not needed, and if you buy or build a home that is not huge, you can pay much less for utilities and for upkeep and property taxes, than in most places in the U.S.
  
  Food is cheaper. While imported food and wine and beer is about the same or more than the same food in the U.S., if you drink the local spirits and eat the local food, it is much cheaper than in the States.
  
  Costa Rican real estate is much cheaper for equivalent property in the states and building a home is also much less expensive for a similar abode. Can you buy an ocean view 1.5 acre lot in the U.S. for $60,0000.? I doubt it. But you can in Costa Rica. Can you build a nice comfortable 2 bedroom home for $80,000. in the states? I don't think so. But you can in Costa Rica.
  
  One more thing makes Costa Rica MUCH MORE affordable than the United States:
  MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE is much less expensive in Costa Rica!
  In fact many people take medical or dental "vacations" in Costa Rica to get operations done at 1/3 or 1/2 the price they'd pay in the USA, and with more comfortable hospital rooms, and more attentive doctors.
  
  For those who live in Costa Rica half the year or full time, their medical care is not only of high quality but costs much less. Here in Los Angeles a doctor visit will run at least $75-90 if you don't have insurance, and that is just for a 5-15 min. diagnosis, In Costa Rica I have paid $25 and sat and talked to the doctor for 30 minutes as he went over any and all problems, major and minor, and then prescribed medicine for me that was 1/4 to 1/10 the price of U.S. medicine. A hospital stay in a beautiful private hospital near San Jose' can cost only $500/night - yes you heard that right - instead of the thousands per night they charge in the U.S.

So these are some of the basic reasons people decide to buy property and retire in Costa Rica.

I could discuss many more but this gives you the most often cited reasons and from this you can decide whether to investigate further whether or not Costa Rica retirement is for YOU.

If you want to make a visit to Costa Rica and look at property please post below so we can discuss the type of lifestyle and location you are looking for and I'll do my best to help you narrow in on what areas of Costa Rica you might be interested in and tell you where to look for more information.

If quiet mountain living with beautiful distant ocean and mountain views are your thing - at an altitude of about 2800 feet where it's warm during the day and cool at night, and where you can be at a mall with all the modern amenities in 15 minutes while enjoying the beauty and peace of nature on your big 1.5 acre lot... then please see my website at: RanchoSilencio.com

In fact, even if you are not interested in living in the mountains of Costa Rica, pleas take a look at my site anyway as there is a wealth of information about how to buy property, FAQ's re weather and locations, and so on. And don't forget to bookmark it, and this blog! Or better yet use the button on the right to subscribe to this blog and learn more about Costa Rica.

-Mike