Brothers Khalil and Abasi Chapman—and friend Rocky Leming—first landed in Costa Rica in 2005. At the time they worked in the restaurant and bar industry in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and heard rumors of the impressive surf down in Costa Rica. They headed south for a vacation somewhere on the Caribbean Coast...but ended up finding a new home.
Opening a business, moving to a small town, changing careers, heading out on the road in an RV...they considered all these options. But once they started reading about retiring overseas, it seemed the way to go. And Costa Rica quickly rose to the top of their list of destinations because it's an easy flight back to Dallas and there's good infrastructure, healthcare, and Internet access. And the climate where they live in the Central Valley is perfect year-round.
My wife and I were enjoying coffee on our back porch the other day when we turned to each other and said, almost simultaneously, "Can't beat this weather, huh?" And really, here at our home in the heart of the Central Valley, in the hills above the town of Grecia, I have to admit the weather is perfect. (My apologies to all those reading this up north who still have snow on the ground.)
Costa Rica doesn't get much attention as a culinary destination. The national cuisine (known locally as comida tipica) hasn't extended across borders. And you won't find Costa Rican restaurants anywhere but Costa Rica. Yet, most tourists and expats find that this country is actually full of some great food. It's tasty, filling, healthy, and, in most cases, very reasonably priced.
When Costa Rica got its start as an expat haven more than three decades ago, it was all about retirees. But over the years, the great weather, stable government, and low cost of living have also attracted those too young to retire (or those who never want to). And they've found plenty of ways to support themselves—and their families—while living in a tropical paradise.
There is business opportunity in overseas weddings...and Costa Rica is emerging as the new place to be. It's estimated that about 8% of U.S. weddings are held overseas, with Mexico being a perennial favorite due to its proximity and established tourist infrastructure. But Costa Rica is now rated the top destination in Latin America by wedding website TheKnot.com.
After a long career in Silicon Valley, Robbie Felix, 58, was ready for a change. “I showed up there in 1978 right after they broke up the telephone monopolies, and it was booming,” says Robbie, who worked as a headhunter specialized in staffing start-up companies. “I loved it. It was fascinating but extremely stressful. There was a lot of pressure because there was so much money on the table.”
Frances Jones leans back in her chair and motions to the rolling view from her terrace. Forest and coffee field-flecked hills stretch for miles to the Gulf of Nicoya and the Pacific. "When we found this place the house was simple—no porches—but the view was just killer. Even if it was a tent, we still would have taken it," says Frances.
It wasn’t practical reasons like lower cost of living, great—and cheap—medical care, and friendly people that convinced Dave Scott, 65, to move to San Ramón, a town on the western edge of Costa Rica’s Central Valley region.Though the country has all those advantages and more, and while those were factors in the decision, it was something else that drew him.“It was like an invisible string around my neck pulling me here,” says Dave. “It’s more of a heart thing than a head thing. It’s hard to explain. It was just the feeling we had.”
Despite interest from investors and well-heeled vacation home owners, you can still find good-value real estate. Prices start at $150,000 for simple digs, going up to multi-millions for the luxury palaces favored by wealthy vacation home owners. So it may not be dirt cheap. But with ocean-view homes starting at the low $200,000s, prices are a quarter of what you’d pay for similar property on the southern California coast, for example.