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JASON HOLLAND
ParticipantThe tourist high season has the most impact on the popular beach areas like Tamarindo, Jaco, Manuel Antonio, and other “resort” type places on the Pacific. So how much of an impact the tourist crowds have on your visit depends on where you go. The Central Vally, for example, is pretty much unaffected by tourist season.
Basically, tourist season results in higher prices for lodging (most places have a rainy season and high season rate, which is about 20% higher in most cases) and if you’re in more popular areas like those I listed above you will have increased traffic, sometimes crowded beaches… the towns will be bustling.
As far as muddy road conditions, those are only a concern in certain areas of the country.
Let me know what places you plan to visit specifically and I can give you some information pertaining to those areas.
ParticipantGreat question. I am not sure. So I’ve contacted some experts in the field of residence to get the answer. I’ll get back to you ASAP.
ParticipantHi Bob,
Costa Rica has two health care systems operating side by side: the public/government-run universal health care for citizens and legal residents called Caja… and the private system.
With Caja there are no age or pre-existing condition exclusions. You’d be able to join once you became a resident no problem. With Caja, you get complete health care (prescriptions, doc visits, surgery… everything) once you pay your monthly fee (7-11% of your income).
In the private system you’d either pay cash (the costs are quite low compared to the U.S.) or use insurance, either from a Costa Rican company like INS or international insurance. I know that INS severely restricts patients at age 70 or above. But I would urge you to check out international insurance options, although I know that the older you are the more difficult it is to get a policy.
Many expats mix and match private and public care.
You can find a lot of info on health care here: https://internationalliving.com/country_clubs/costa-rica/healthcare/
And be sure to let me know if you have any further questions.
ParticipantHi Bob,
Great to hear from you. A lot of the rental car companies will offer price breaks for long-term rentals. Unfortunately, your visit will coincide with tourist high season, so those deals will be harder to come by. Still I would shop around with familiar names like Alamo and local brands like Vamos and Adobe and see what they can offer you. As far as price goes, I haven’t seen any major difference between most rental companies.
I’ve had the best luck for long term rentals with a company called Wild Rider, located in downtown San Jose: http://www.wild-rider.com
Jason
ParticipantHi James,
Thanks for posting.
As far as the fee charged to a gay couple, I would ask the particular law firm. But considering that the Costa Rica government would process the applications and grant residence individually and not with one person as the dependent, I would guess most law firms would change the individual rate. But, as I said, check with the law firm. The attorney fees usually do include the government fees, which, all together, run about $300.
ParticipantHi Christian,
From what I’ve been able to determine, the DHL office is no longer there. But there is another shipping company located in the Marina Village in Los Suenos: http://amexpusa.com
Mail Boxes Etc. (which acts on behalf of UPS and FedEx, I believe) also has several locations in San Jose, which is about 1.5 hours from Jaco: http://www.mailboxesetc.co.cr
Whether or not it’s cheaper or more expensive than bringing baggage really depends on size and weight – and the airline.
ParticipantGreat questions. Unfortunately, unless you are a permanent resident, which you can obtain after three years as a temporary resident, married to a Costa Rican, or the relative of the Costa Rican (even your own child born in CR), you are by law not allowed to work, even in your own business. If you have a business, you can take on a superior or manager role but can’t do actual labor.
Do some expats skirt this law? Yes, plenty. But there are some big risks involved, like deportation.
The other issue is that labor costs are much lower in CR, so you probably wouldn’t make the income you’re used to, even for skilled work. Plus, with workers you’ll have to pay part of their Social Security, worker’s comp insurance, and other
You can start a business, even with a tourist visa. You’d probably have to go 45 minutes inland to Santa Cruz, which is kind of like the “county seat” of the area and where government offices are located. There you’d get a business license and register with the tax authority for income tax. That can be a process but it’s doable. You might consider hiring an accountant or attorney to help you with the process, especially if you don’t speak Spanish.
ParticipantGreat questions, Laura.
It’s true that high-quality appliances can be pricey. But compared to the cost of buying in the U.S. having them shipped down, you might find yourself paying about the same due to the import duties you’d pay. It’s a tough call. I would suggest you contact a shipping broker in Costa Rica for more information on what you might be charged to import these types of items. Barry Wilson is a broker who has spoken at several IL events: shipcostarica.com
About the upholstered furniture and beds… you might check out Ashley Home Furniture in Santa Ana, a suburb of San Jose. It’s on highway 27 heading west out of the city. The prices aren’t bad. And you won’t find a better mattress anywhere else in Costa Rica. As you may have discovered locally-made couches and mattresses are horrible. Although the wood furniture is great.
For duty free shopping, you might also try the duty free area in Paso Canoas, which is at the Panamanian border. It’s about an hour south or so of Golfito.
ParticipantHi Steven,
Excellent questions. First, let me say that anybody with questions should contact their financial institution as my recent research has shown issues like this can vary widely from bank to bank.
That said…
Some Costa Rican banks charge fees, others do not. Generally you should figure you’re going to pay a fee, about $1 – $2 – a flat fee – per withdrawal. This will all depend on your card network, bank, etc. of course. To ensure you are able to get access to funds it might be a good ideas to have cards with both a Visa and Mastercard logo as some ATMs accept cards only from one network. Generally, it’s not a big problem and most take both but something to keep in mind. Also keep in mind that 4-digit PINs are standard here. If you have another type of PIN, get it changed before traveling.
Watch out for fees from your home bank or financial institution. This is where they get you. They often charge a percentage as a “foreign transaction fee’ or “currency exchange fee” or “international transaction fee.” At 3% per withdrawal that can add up.
There is hope…
Last I checked, Charles Schwab, Capital One, and Fidelity offer accounts that help mitigate that. They don’t charge foreign transaction fees and even refund any fees a foreign ATM might have charged you. All this is subject to change but I would check with them for more details. Also, some institutions, I’ve heard, will waive these fees if you call them.
ParticipantHi,
Great question. I’m not much of a fisherman so I don’t really know the specifics. When I lived in Tamarindo there were occasional surf fisherman. But a lot more people head out on charters.
Let me refer you to one of those charter captains who might be able to shed some light on fishing from shore in Tamarindo.
http://www.kingpin-sportfishing.com
As far as other tips for living in Tamarindo. Well, there’s a lot but here are a few tips.
Speaking of fishing – keep an eye out for the “fish truck” it’s a pick up with a big cooler in the back. He’s delivering to local restaurants. But you can walk up and buy tuna, snapper, maui, etc. really cheap. About $6 a pound.
The farmer’s market on Saturday is a great place to shop and meet people.
Don’t miss sunset at the beach – El Vaquero Bar and Restaurant is a good place.
Do your grocery shopping outside of Tamarindo itself – go to the grocery stores like MegaSuper and SuperCompro that are inland a bit in Villarreal and Huacas. The stores in town mark up prices 10-20%. Easy if you have a car. If not, take a taxi – they’ll wait for you outside for a small fee.
Speaking of taxis, always negotiate the fare before you get in. The taxis in Tamarindo don’t have meters.
Go to Sharky’s for sports games – they have NFL, baseball, hockey, basketball on the big screen.
If you’re paying the electric bill where you’re staying watch your AC use. Turn it off when you leave and if you have room units, turn it off in rooms you’re not in. Otherwise your electric bill will be sky-high.
ParticipantHi Michael,
1. The official rule is that you need your DIMEX aka the cedula (like the Costa Rican green card basically) to open an account.
2. Yes, the bank requirement is separate from the immigration authority.
3. This might be different from bank to bank but I believe all you need is your home address – as shown on a utility bill. With the address system in Costa Rica it will be something like 100 meters south of the Los Angeles church in Grecia. Seems strange but that’s how it works.
ParticipantThanks for sharing, Carol. This is indeed very useful.
In this case, I would say that bringing your car down would be a good idea as far cost goes. The car you could get for that price would be higher mileage and older, probably not in ideal shape either. Plus, you know the vehicle and its maintenance history. The maintenance issue puts a bit of wrinkle in that, as you’ve noted.
For import fees for your other items, I would contact the same shipper. They should be able to give you an idea of estimated costs and taxes. Like with the car, the tax is based on the value.
September 25, 2014 at 4:30 pm in reply to: Cost of Living difference between Tamarindo and Grecia #587170ParticipantHi Bryan,
For a rental there are a couple ways it could be arranged. In a rental, the electricity will stay in the owners name. Then, your landlord or property manager will either give you the account number and let you handle paying the bill yourself or let you know how much you owe each month and pay it for you when you pay them.
A few things to keep in mind with utility bills in CR. Sometimes the company will tape the bill to your door or put it in your mailbox but you can’t really count on that. So you have to very careful to keep track of when the bill is due to pay on time. It’s always the same day of the month so no big deal. Being late is a big deal though – they’ll shut your water or electric off if you’re late even a couple of days.
To find out the amount you owe, you can check online. If you have a Costa Rican bank account you can also pay online. Only legal residents can have Costa Rican bank accounts, though. You can also check the amount due and pay at the utility office and most any checkout counter at the grocery store, or even corner stores. These businesses have access to the billing system. You pay them cash and they record your payment in the system and give you a receipt.
ParticipantOnce you have agreed on a price, money changes hands. Then both parties visit the lawyer to transfer ownership. Sometimes dealers will have a lawyer on call or even on-site.
Dealers are obligated to offer a 30-day warranty on the engine and transmission. Not great but it’s something.
Basically, you can check a U.S. car’s history through the VIN for its time in the U.S. only through Carfax. For Costa Rica, you can use this site to check its history in Costa Rica: http://www.certifi-car.com
For the VIN, I found this handy article that will help you make sure you get what you pay for as far as the car. http://www.ticotimes.net/2012/03/08/check-the-vin
ParticipantHi Michael,
Another site you might check is CRAutos.com. Another good resource is your fellow expats. It seems like somebody is always selling a car for some reason. Often you get the best deal that way.
As far as checking out a car, it’s just like the U.S. You’ll want to run the VIN to see the car’s history, get it checked out by a mechanic (ask local expats for recommendations), and check that the title is clear with no issues or liens.
There are used car lots in CR – many in Grecia, in the Central Valley. It’s actually a good place to go if you’re car shopping. These used car lots often bring in cars from the U.S. They buy them at auction. Often they’re high mileage. As to being trustworthy… a used car lot is a used car lot the world over. I would recommend getting referrals from your neighbors and expats for good used car lots in your area.
Dealerships can take wire transfers in general. But you’ll want to check with them and with your bank as for how long the transfer would take. If you have a CR bank account you could transfer the money from your account to theirs as well. Cash is always accepted too.
For individual sellers I would not recommend a wire transfer. I would say cash. That way you give them cash, they give you the car. Less messy.
When you buy a car you have to visit a lawyer, who will transfer the title and such.
And it’s always a good idea to get a car that’s up to date on RTV (vehicle inspection) and marchamo (annual tax).
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