½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Hi Steven,

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I have four cats - and from what I've been able to gather, finding a place to rent where pets are allowed in CR is the easy part. It's the getting your pets safely there that poses the biggest ( and most expensive ) problem.

I'm also quite confused on the importing personal property / import taxes / shipping side of things. I don't have very much I'd like to bring, but there are a few things - a phonograph, my vinyl records, a 32" TV, and so on. I'm not sure how to ship them and how much it will cost.

I don't believe that there is any one-stop, organized expat community center to help people make the move. I certainly wish there were.

It sounds crazy, but I have entertained the idea of driving to CR, but I am very weary of doing this on my own. I'd love to be able to have my truck down there, but I think that's just wishful thinking on my part.

I wish you luck. If you learn anything useful, please, forward your insights my way and I will do the same.

Take care,
Jenni

Jenni,

Don't even think about driving to Central America alone. Unless... you are an extremely confident person and fluent in Spanish. Even then I wouldn't recommend it. People do it, but it's a hassle, especially if you are carrying a lot of goods. Each border crossing will be a nightmare.

Leave big things like a TV, it will cost you more to bring it down than to buy a new/used one here. Things can be shipped via shipping brokers, some do partial loads by volume (see my blog for summaries of two of them).

If you come to Costa Rica you will pay duty on stuff you bring in, but if you move to Panamá you will not.

Casey  - 

vegas_gator wrote:

hello my name is Steven.

i am seriously debating moving to Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Ecuador or Nicaragua permanently and within the next 6 months to a year but i do not know anyone there. i am hoping to find expatriots there to converse with and find out everything i can.


                             thank you in advance
                                  Steven Z.

Hi Steven and welcome to ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ. Except for Belize, I'd recommend that you learn Spanish. It's not absolutely necessary but it really helps.

If you are at all a social person (sounds like you are) then don't worry too much about finding other ex-pats. They will find you most of the time!

Just be aware that for most people, unless you are willing to leave your posessions behind, the cost to move to a new country is more than you probably think, especially if you want residency. Also, some things will be cheaper some more, but it doesn't always balance out. Do as much research as you can before you decide what to do. If you choose a country to relocate to plan to rent as long as possible, because it takes a year or two to really adjust and some people never do.

Good luck!

Casey  - 

Hello, My name is Kalpesh.  I live in Malaysia but very soon my Company wants to send me to Costa Rica for a job assignment.  I am keen to know the Monthly Cost of living (moderate) for a family of 2 + 2 kids in terms of Food / Accomodation (Monthly rental house), Household expenses, medical, education, etc.  This info will be of great help to me as I need to renegotiate my Gross Package.  Pls reply

Kalpesh,

It's a little difficult to estimate your cost of living without more information, such as where you will be locating (presumably in San José). It also depends a great deal on the standard of living you expect to maintain. Despite that I'll give you some benchmarks and you can gather more info and decide. Some assumptions are that you are moving to the Central Valley and don't need a 4WD car and that you want your kids to attend a private school. My estimates are approximate and where I make comparatives it is against costs in the U.S., since I don't know the costs of things in Malaysia.

Purchase late model used compact gasoline engine car (maybe your co. pays for this?): $15,000

Gas is about $6/gal and diesel about $5.50/gal

Food generally more expensive than in the States in part because everything has a 13% sales tax built in.

Medical, even private, is inexpensive. A private doctors visit is usually between $50-$100 and usually includes treatment if it can be done in the office. If you get on the gov't insurance, Caja, expect to pay about $75/month for the family. All treatment is free but non-essential treatment you will wait for.

Housing in my area would be about $200-$500/month for your family, probably about 50% higher in San José.

Private schools vary a lot but are generally between $200-$500/month per kid. Public schools are essentially free. Private and public use the same country-wide curriculum, but the private schools usually supplement it with other subjects.

Best of luck!

Casey  - 

Thanks Crenvy,

Your info will be helpful.  To be more specific, I need to know more about the Monthly expenses a family of 2 + 2 (two kids) will incur for Grocery, Food & Household Expenses.  I also want to know about the School Fees for English speaking Schools (local or International).  All other expenses such as Utility bills, Car, Medical, the Company will bear it. If you have any idea, please let me know.  Best Regards / Kalpesh

Steven, probably heresy on this Blog, but if you want lowest living costs, I would suggest that you look at Nicaragua. My daughter and her husband live there and have a relatively low cost of living.

Don't get me wrong, I love Costa Rica and plan to retire there soon - it is more to my liking.  But Costa Rica will likely cost more to live in than Nicaragua.  Food for thought.