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Hi usabobby, welcome on Expat-blog!

Your topic has been introduced as a new thread on the Costa Rica forum for better visibility.

I wish you good luck and i hope other members will be able to give you some ideas on ideal town to settle in Costa Rica.

All the best,
Christine

If you are looking for a cheaper area with lots of expats, these would be my choice.

Atenas
Grecia
San Ramon

They are only an hour or so away from the ocean, and since it is not a touristy area, prices are very cheap. 

If you are thinking of living on the ocean, my choices would be.

Manuel Antonio
Dominical
Uvita
Flamingo
Samara

However, the prices are more expensive and it is more touristy.  But boy, are these areas beautiful.

happierthanabillionaire.com

We are also interested in any suggestions of arears to move to, we will be making our second trip to COsta Rica in Feb. 2011 and plan to look into possibily of purchasing. Thank you for the suggestions.

My husband and I lived in and visited several places before settling on San Pedro.  Our wants/needs list is probably different (and it changed quite a bit in the process), but you can still see our take on several towns on my blog.  On the right column are "labels" - click on a town and you will get all related posts.
JulieAndRickInCostaRica.blogspot.com
Let me know if you have questions!
Hopefully you will enjoy your search as much as we did :-)
Julie

Thanks for the info, we will check out the other blogs.

The answer to this question depends on many many factors which you would need to share with us so we could tailor the answer to your preferences.

Costa Rica has a variety of climates, not all are hot and not all are rainy; some are too hot, some are actually too cold, and some are - yes - too rainy for most.

Do you want to live very close to the ocean? Or is 45 minutes or an hour away alright?

Do you want to live in a bustling city or outside of a rural town or smaller city?

$1450/month is very doable in Costa Rica for a single person, even a couple, depending on various considerations of course...

I am prejudiced because I have property in San Ramon! But I'll tell you what I like about it:

*It's not so big that it has the tension and stress of a big city, but it has everything one needs, just like a big city. It has a hospital, plenty of doctors and dentists, banks, movie theater, a mall, a superstore, a farmers market and so on.

*San Ramon is only 45 min. from the Int'l Airport, it's about an hour from San Jose, has buses that take you about anywhere you want to go, is an hour from the coast, 2 hours to hot springs and a beautiful volcano, near rainforests and cloud forests and other tourist destinations.

*One thing about Costa Rica is that it has micro-climates. So you can be in an area that is very cold and rainy but a short distance away it can be much less cold and rainy. You can live in Guanacaste where it is hot and dry most of the year or you can live in Manuel Antonio where it is hot, humid and wet most of the year. The East coast has lots of rain and jungle and a Caribbean culture whereas the West coast can be dry in the north or wet in the south and has a decidedly Tico culture.

I like San Ramon for the weather but even there it all depends on ELEVATION. Much of San Ramon can be around 5,000 feet high and very cold in the green season. However my property is at 2800 feet which does not get cold nor too hot during the dry season. When looking at property one should carry an altimeter and check the elevation because certainly higher will be colder and lower will be hotter. At 5-6k elevation it does get quite cold at night! And at 0 elevation it can be sweltering hot much of the time. This is why I like 2500-3000 feet elevation.

There are swimming holes in creeks or rivers in many areas of Costa Rica so unless you just want to be near the ocean, you can find inland mountainous areas that are much more livable with water holes to swim or refresh yourself in.

Living at the ocean is great but it's:
a) very expensive in terms of property and groceries etc.
b) generally more crowded with homes closer together
c) very humid with salty air
d) very, very hot in most parts and very rainy in others

For me the best area is San Ramon but there are other areas I can recommend that have similar properties at the "right" elevations:
Puriscal
Central Valley areas
San Isidro De El General

For me it's all about the elevation and rainfall averages, and by "dialing in" the right elevation and climate averages you can find the exact climate and features you like to live with.

______________________________________________________________

See my articles about "How to Buy Real Estate in Costa Rica", "How to Choose an Attorney", etc. plus Links and FAQs for more great CR info!

I have been checking out the beach town of Puerto Viejo (south carribean side)and like what I see so far---haven't visited yet tho. You can youtube search to see it and google the name of the town to get more info.

I read that the average temp is 80 but I am sure with the humidity factor it will seem hotter. I am going to visit this year in the rainiest months which are said to be July, Nov & Dec. So I'll see how it is. It's so gorgeous!

Best to you,
Dee

if you have the opportunity, check out both coasts - they, and the populace, are quite different
- ignore recommendations as your reaction is/will be personal
-- almost before anything, sort out if you require expats for company (people come here for quite varied reasons, not all are even similar)

different strokes . . . . .
(I live on the coast on the Osa, next to Drake.)

Bill

omg that is a beautiful area Bill!  I hadn't seen this town before.

For all to see one aspect of Osa I am putting a video of the youtube.com/watch?v=MQl5P9PYpuY

And this one is even better.
youtube.com/watch?v=6gczn_obUxE&feature=related

Just gorgeous.

Best to all,
Dee

I am the wife of C Vincent..also C Vincent!  as we have one previous trip behind us..we enjoyed Allejuella.(sp) very much.
Does anyone know more about it? first hand?

We have put San Ramon and Guanacaste on our list to vist next month.

I would love to meet some of you who have made the move!c

Hi C Vincent -
we lived in Alajuela a couple of years ago, for a few months (it was on our list to check out, as were several other places).  For our take, see:

By all means check out Alajuela, but after hearing a lot of good things about it, we found it not to be our cup of tea (or coffee, in this case). The point is that these things are very personal and that's why there is of course no "one place" that's the best place to live in Costa Rica.

Basically you can use the net to get an idea of what you might like based on your own criteria. From there the only way is to just go there, spend plenty of time there and then go back once you think you've decided and spend more time there before deciding to buy property there or sign a long term lease.

There are rainfall charts and sunny day charts and weather charts on the net for one thing, and for many people these are important factors because not all of Costa Rica is equal in terms of wind, rain, temperature and sunshine; not by a long shot.

Thanks for the suggestions, we are just seeking other ideas. We are going to be in Costa Rica next month.

Hello ppl
I m lookimg for a nice place near the ocean with barrer reef. I would like to find a quiete nice house and will be great to find a gym and a pilates studio aswell.
Any suggestion?
What about drake bay? Is it really expensive?

M

Check out Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon, Costa Rica! It is a lovely and less developed town on Costa Rica's Caribbean side. I live here and I love it.

Drake Bay, ok place - I have 29 years here, the last 2 1/2 full time. If nature is your bag its nice, but the dogs in town run off the wildlife. There are no gyms here, and little in the way of an expat 'community' despite the 20 or so of us; some retired but most making a living off the tourist trade. I live outside of town with NO dog (and no road/car) so have all kinds of wildlife daily at my back porch eating quadratos.

A retired friend just rented a small unfurnished house for $250 with a knockout view, but there are only several such and it is in town on the dirt road (think lots of dust and noise).

Best is to visit, both coasts - different flavor and tempo

Bill

edit: It is not clear from my post, but Drake is primitive. The municipal water is actually dangerous, but Imperial is always ok. There have been a spate of burglaries and as usual the police are totally ineffective. 3 small pulperias with high prices, local 'craftsmen' who don't have a clue, etc. As a visitor most of this stuff is invisible, as a resident one learns self-reliance.

Thanks for the info, we have found a place in Coco.

Clyde & Christy Vincent

Ok Lisa i ll do for sure
Do you kow if there is a gym and a pilates studio there?
it s expensive there? How much cost to rent a 2/3 bd house with a garden?
Billa thanks for your infos.
Can you suggest me another place?
My budget is 3k $ for me and my gf.
We use to never eat in resaurants, we spend the whole day doing sports such as kayaking, biking, gym, pilates, dancing. Then we have a dinner in front of a dvd and we go to sleep.
It s an almost inexpensive life style but i eat a lot, we spend almost 1500$ and more monthly for food here in byron bay.

Have a great day ppl!

Alan
suggest not considering Drake for your desired lifestyle, it ain't here
as my wife and I live on $500/mo (less booze, lol) I am not the one to advise you on how to spend $3000
Best, Bill

AlanMcJ wrote:

Ok Lisa i ll do for sure
Do you kow if there is a gym and a pilates studio there?
it s expensive there? How much cost to rent a 2/3 bd house with a garden?
Billa thanks for your infos.
Can you suggest me another place?
My budget is 3k $ for me and my gf.
We use to never eat in resaurants, we spend the whole day doing sports such as kayaking, biking, gym, pilates, dancing. Then we have a dinner in front of a dvd and we go to sleep.
It s an almost inexpensive life style but i eat a lot, we spend almost 1500$ and more monthly for food here in byron bay.

Have a great day ppl!

I was really answering for the first person who asked this question because we don't have a barrier reef like you wanted. But it is still worth checking out.

There is no gym at this time. We had one for a year or so but it is gone. There is no pilates studio as such but there are a number of places that give yoga classes and some pilates, too. Kayaking, biking and dancing are all available options for you here. Hiking and swimming, too.

Food prices vary. If you buy the imported things they don't produce locally (like a box of cereal $5.00 or a chunk of sharp cheese $8.00 - those are my only indulgences)it is very expensive. If you buy fresh local fruits and veggies, milk right from the farmer who just milked the cow and eggs the same, the prices run from cheap to reasonable and you are getting good healthy food.

Rent for what you are looking for would be around $600.00 a month (more or less depending on what amenities you require.)I recently found a nice two bedroom for someone for $500.00 but that was a screaming deal which I stumbled onto because I know people. It took me about two weeks to find it for her.

usabobby wrote:

I recently lived three years in San Miguel de'Allende, Mexico. Loved it but no oceans or water to speak of.  I am a retiree from usa with a ss income of only $1,450 a month. I am a single male and really enjoy expats  Very social and enjoy the arts. Any ideas on an ideal town to settle.  Love to fit in with natives, enjoy their traditions and join their activities. Love adventure. Truely don't know where else to ask this question.
Thanks, Bobby.  Wish to be in cr by Feb 3, 2011.

Hi Bobby,
      This thread got a bit confusing for me with all the different people adding their questions. I was talking to you when I suggested Puerto Viejo. You should be able to manage here on your income. I know people who do it on less (me for instance). There are lots of nice expats here - but not just from North America, also from Germany, France, Italy, England, Switzerland, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Korea, and Israel.these are just the countries which I know someone from. There are more. Many of these people speak English.
      Since you said you like to get involved with local culture, I think you might like it here. The people are so warm and friendly. The locals are of Jamaican descent so many of them (all of the older ones) speak English. Arts? Well that is limited in a small town but there would be projects you could get involved with or start yourself.
      Have you arrived in Costa Rica already?
Lisa

Hi AlanMcJ,

If you have other questions, can you please start your own discussion on the Costa Rica forum.

Thank you very much for your comprehension,
Christine

@lisavalencia re: Rent for what you are looking for would be around $600.00 a month (more or less depending on what amenities you require.)I recently found a nice two bedroom for someone for $500.00 but that was a screaming deal which I stumbled onto because I know people. It took me about two weeks to find it for her.

new to this site, but couldn't help notice your width and breadth of knowledge of the PV area. i'm planning to move down your way just after the new year and was hoping you might be able to point me in a direction with regard to finding a house to rent (minimum 3 months); 2-3 BR, furnished..

thanks so much for any info.

Good place is Guanacaste - Peninsula Nicoya
Tamarindo, Flamingo, Playa Grande
Nice Beaches, International Cuisine, International Scools and more