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if you go to craigs list you can see the 2 bed 2 bath condo with pool tennis lake real 24 hour gated security for $600 month you can enter alajuela to the search at craigs list for furnished condos

any price less than that in costa rica is probably not safe or convienent for new people

most forget that any location outside of the central valley has limited services and limited security

after 32 years of living here i constantly see new arrivals making major mistakes not realizing that this is not the states and does not operate like the states

@praxiswebcam0r - nice to connect.  On the meat side, I for one do not find the meat here that good.  The beef isn't from a cow breed we are used to in the US/Canada/Europe.  If you can get Nicaraguan or American beef (many butchers have it) it is much better.  The lamb I've had has been great.  Costs vary - it's about finding the butcher &/or store you like.  Normally better prices in butchers (especially in communal farmers markets) vs. stores.

On where to live, that's a REALLY challenging question as it depends on what is important to you.  There are less expensive/"cheap" places in most regions but it really is what you want.  If you want the beach and the heat there are many places that are non-touristy that may be cheaper.  If you want cooler weather than Northern or inland areas, or the outskirts of Central Valley may work.

I always recommend people come down after doing research and scout to see what's available.  What you find important on paper may not be what's right once you see it in person.  It is very hard to just pick and move and assume you'll be happy.

@praxiswebcam0r ...Don't believe anything you read from any outlet about Costa Rica.Learn to eat chicken and a lot of eggs, if you make it here.Affordable rent ? How low can you reduce your standards ?.....Most importantly bring a companion with you...

@edwinemora "Don't believe anything you read from any outlet about Costa Rica." With regard to what?

Thanks but I am not about to start eating chicken on mass, with the exception of wings once in a long while.

@mail66 I'll check it out. I can manage with one bedroom as long as there's a garden etc and spend the extra on other things.

@pjPuraVida Nice to connect as well. I am bummed out about the lack of quality local meat. Luckily, I love lamb so can live on that if affordable. In the States, one can buy 1/4 to a whole cow and save. I wonder if that's an option. I prefer warm climate and love the beach bt not if it's unbearable as I like to spend time in the outdoors. So the mountain area might be more appropriate and cooler and I can hike and run trails if safe. But I do like good coffee and some of the perks that a city can offer; and while I enjoy talking to people, the city could overwhelm me if noisy. A conundrum.

@mail66 Typing alajuela into Craigslist yielded zero info. Maybe there's nothing at the moment. I am also weary of this platform because its hosts many crooks. 

@praxiswebcam0r .....With regard to'anything about living in Costa Rica'.Do not allow yourself to get hand fed about this country.There is $$$millions$$$ to be made off gringos moving here.I'll use the authors of the book series 'Happier than a Billionaire',as an example....They tucked tailed out of here awhile ago and their book series continues on how they were---swindled.....Big Time !

@praxiswebcam0r you have to understand how to use craigs list

1. find the section where it says real estate
2. the look for furnished apartments
3. then enter alajuela on that section
4. after 32 years of living in costa rica offering rental units craigs list is best way to advertise

@mail66 I don't know what went wrong earlier. I found it

@praxiswebcam0r You really need to come scout: explore some areas that are high on the list.  I came 3x before we bought.  Spent time in each place I was interested in: to see cafes, stores, where expats hang, etc.  That's truly the only way you can figure this out well.  To see for yourself.  Everyone's comments are through their own lens and experience.  You need to see yours.  So come and spend time! 

@pjPuraVida

Thank you for this information. 🙂

Lynette 🙂

Thanks for your comments.  Can you tell me where you ended up and why ?  We are planing our next trip to CR and looking north of the capital, to Arenal and west to the coast.  Any recommendations are appreciated.  Like the route ?Thanks. Mike

@mail66

Your final sentence is harsh but valid...  Some folks just aren't well traveled and think CR will be like the tourist videos or just like 'florida' but everything in Spanish and a lot cheaper.  Not true.. but it CAN be... and that is the point... you can't place a generalized Label on CR.  We have cities, beaches, mountains and everything in-between...

No place is ever what we imagine it will be like... and after a visit we either like it more, or less.   I remember being afraid to go to Germany... but it was great.   I remember being afraid of rude people in Paris...  I met none and went back at least 6 times.   I remember thinking that Italians would pull me into their houses and feed me... not only did they NOT do that... they were pushy and rude;  But that was 40 years ago and the world changes.... on a 'dime' sometimes.

But you should have added that it was your 'opinion' that outside of Central Valley is less secure... Opinions are fine here.. but it should be clear that they are just that... opinions based on your experience and not everybody's.  There is practically no crime where I live (western San Carlos canton) and I live without bars on windows and doors, no fence around my property, no cameras, and no armed guards.  except for some petty theft...  I feel 100% safer here than I did in the states  and I know 2 different americans that were robbed in San Jose... right on the street in broad daylight.  Jewelry ripped from their bodies... ??  My TICO friends avoid the SJ area like the plague.. one was robbed on his motorcycle, at a red light, outside the city in a relatively 'safe' area... with tons of people in their vehicles just watching.  They stripped him to his underwear and nobody even honked their horns. ???   The Central Valley Police told him that that was normal. 

Another was robbed at gun-point in a supermarket parking lot in the middle of the afternoon...  All in the Central Valley.   

I'm sure there are areas where that doesn't happen because WE ALL KNOW that the central valley is immense.. but you can't generalize it whatsoever.

You can get murdered in the middle of nowhere...  or on 5th Avenue by you-know-who.

Peace all

@pjPuraVida

Hey dude....  where did you buy lamb???    I miss it so much but haven't been able to find it up here in San Carlos.  I even have a neighbor who wanted to breed Doper ? Sheep to sell lamb to restaurants and such...  but the sheep got parasites and died violently by their own actions.

JUst wondering where you were lucky enough to buy lamb... do you live in a Jewish area or near trendy restaurants ??   I'm guessing that is where I'll find it.  Probably worth the trip at least 1x a year.

Peace

We're not lamb eaters, but friends have local carnicerias order it.

Oh... that makes sense.  I'll ask around in Quesada... there are Carniceria on every corner. 

Thanks as always!!