Americans in Costa Rica

[kmarinouofm]

what's it like? Are you glad you moved?

where do you live? what is the biggest difference? biggest pet peeve ?

favorite thing about it? how long did it take before you really settled in ?

why did you move? what do you do for work?


was just wondering.. . I work for myself and can be anywhere and still be able to work.. the country seems like it has a lot to offer..

[rfr3sh]

Hookers coke gambling

[VegasInsider]

Hookers coke gambling

Sounds like Vegas. And Atlantic City. And Foxwoods. And every casino in the country. Plus 99% of major cities in America. Not to mention the last bachelor party I went to.

[rfr3sh]

Well you can play at pinny too

[kmarinouofm]

Hookers coke gambling

I have that in the US as well..

but yes i know cheap women and even cheaper blow.. but i could care less about that..

Well you can play at pinny too

that's dope.. but i was looking for more then that..

[frankzig]

how is the housing prices

[necro]

what are the hookers price?? and weed ??

[kmarinouofm]

how is the housing prices

wasn't looking to buy.. but rent is cheap.. for like 1k a month u can get a 2 bedroom or more with a pool etc..etc..

what are the hookers price?? and weed ??

not sure.. i heard anywhere from 30 to 100 bucks

[Ralphie Halves]

chillidog, please check in! I've been thinking about possibilities in CR all week myself.

[tofuman]

maybe there are no expats in costa rica on this forum

[Ralphie Halves]

maybe there are no expats in costa rica on this forum

chillidog is, and maybe one or two others.

[chilidog]

how is the housing prices

I'm from the south, so the housing prices here in CR are rather expensive to me. You can get rent a very nice place for around $1k/month.

what are the hookers price?? and weed ??

Hookers will vary in price. Anywhere from $10 - $200. Really good weed will cost around $350/oz. The compressed dirt brick shit can be found everywhere, but I'll pass on that crap. Blow will cost you $20 a gram. LSD is $20 a hit. Ecstasy is $20 a pill. These are all tourist street-level prices. If you ask a cab driver for any of these, this is what it will cost you. Once you start to know people, prices come down a lot.

wasn't looking to buy.. but rent is cheap.. for like 1k a month u can get a 2 bedroom or more with a pool etc..etc..

Yah, don't buy until you've lived here at least a year, maybe longer. The newness will wear off, and you might be regretting it. Your first few years are rather amazing, then you realize that it's no different than anywhere else, and you realize that you have to either adjust to it, or move somewhere else.

maybe there are no expats in costa rica on this forum

There's a few, including myself.

[chilidog]

what's it like? Are you glad you moved?

It's a tropical paradise, and yes, I'm very much glad that I moved. I moved here back in 2004, and I would do it all over again. Things move very slow here. If you're a very impatient person, don't come. You have to adjust to that lifestyle. Things just don't make logical sense here, and things can be very inefficient. Somehow, it all just works. People aren't afraid of cops. It's a country where people still stand up for their freedoms. It's very relaxing. It's very easy to just do nothing all day long. Everybody is always late. If you have an appointment at 10am, that means leave your house at 10am, heh.

where do you live? what is the biggest difference? biggest pet peeve ?

I live in San Jose. I originally lived at the beach when I got here, but there was no high speed internet. As for now, all of my friends and my wife's family live in the city, so I do as well. Besides, I like the mountains more than the beach anyway. Both areas are nice, and I can be at the beach in under an hour away. I don't really have any pet peeves, because I have adjusted to the lifestyle here. I did read a statistic that most Americans that move here end up moving back to the States, because they failed to adjust to Costa Rica. You have to learn Spanish. You can get by knowing just English, but you will move back home if you fail to learn the language. Locals are very patient. Wait, I just thought of a pet peeve. Locals are somehow afraid to tell you 'no'. They are extremely afraid of confrontation. They will tell you yes just to avoid saying no. It gets annoying.

favorite thing about it? how long did it take before you really settled in ?

My first few years here are a blur. They were one big-ass party. It's almost expected of you. Locals will see you as a walking ATM. You can get away with practically anything. The laws are incredibly lax as is. If you can make $2,000 a month, you can live like a king here. My favorite thing? Hmmm, I'm a rather laid back person, so this environment is perfect for me. Nothing is expected of me, because this is a very slow-paced country. Most people are always late, and just have the attitude that it can wait for tomorrow. That fits in perfectly with my way of life.

why did you move? what do you do for work?

It wasn't planned to move. It was a vacation to get over a divorce, and I just fell in love with it. As for what pays the bills, I work online (internet marketing), so I can work anywhere that I have an electric outlet and an Internet connection.

was just wondering.. . I work for myself and can be anywhere and still be able to work.. the country seems like it has a lot to offer..

And one really good part? No taxes on income earned outside of Costa Rica.