大咖福利影院

samramon wrote:

I don't know about medical insurance or entry requirements. I live here and haven't left the country since around August of 2019 due to the pandemic.

Your biggest expense will be rent for sure. Anywhere between $400 - $2k a month depending on size and neighborhood and luxury.

Once you are a legal resident the insurance for the National health plan (required) costs around $90 or so a聽 month for a couple (total). But it's not great insurance. Slow to get appointments for specialists a lot of times and depending on where you live, the doctors are not great, especially not specialists. IMHO. The worst part is they won't pay for many medicines so you have to buy them out of pocket. Normal stuff yes, but specialist type problems, often not.

There are Discount plans you can use for Private clinics where you get General Dr appts for around $15-20 a visit up to 6 visits a year I think it is, and specialists may cost around $35, maybe 3 individual "cases" per year. (i.e. a case is the same problem being covered, not a new or different health problem). I use that for the rare occasion I need a doctor (knock on wood 3 times)!
You also get discounted x-rays and blood tests which make doctoring pretty affordable as long as you don't go to the doc a LOT.

I pay $55 or so a month for car insurance and buying a car here is expensive. Maintenance is lower than in the US but I have no idea how it compares to where you are from. Gas is expensive as compared to US.

As for the government not getting intrusive, I disagree somewhat with the above poster. They have raised taxes much higher than before, they have required new more expensive procedures for keeping property in a corporation.

They have now also required an expensive topographical survey before you can make the sale of a property and a payment of a lot of tax when you sell a property too. In addition to what you may have to pay your home country.

They require all sorts of things if you own any kind of business, even renting a house or room... I know Ticos who have coffee farms and the regulations have gotten out of hand in the past 2 years for reporting things and hiring workers etc.

They require you to take your car in for a complete check up very year where they check EVERYthing, not just pollution....聽 I find that the government is getting more and more intrusive in all things financial. They even just raised the cost of pulling money out of an ATM from $3 to $5. Not sure if it's the government who did that or just the banks. Kinda the same thing...

Overall it has it's ups and downs, pluses and minuses like any other place.
It is much more expensive than Mexico to live. More like the USA.

The one thing cheaper here is property and houses (as compared to the USA). In my view IF you are going to live here for sure for a long time one should buy a house or a property to build a house on. It just makes sense. But you should rent a while before buying anything.

You make me doubt my decision. Leaving communist Canada for a socialist CR becomes rather questionable. I was thinking more about advantages but it looks like disadvantages keep piling up. Taxes are rising, which impoverishes the people, it leads to higher crime rate and eventually the only advantage that remains the beautiful nature. Buying and having a car isn't just expensive but a huge hassle. Well, my house will be done in a couple of months in Osa. Will see.

JBuonopane12 wrote:

Good morning Henry
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽It definitely has it鈥檚 negative side here with cost and this gangster government taxing you on everything
They block the Ticos from getting the benefits of using online market places such as Amazon because by the time you purchase a $20 item and you receive 3 months later because of the government taxing it and horrible delivery service here聽 that $20 dollar item has costed you $60 bucks

I could make a side hustle just by what few friends I have here that ask me to pick something up in the States when I travel or if they can use my Address in the States to ship Amazon two

I know a few members have said the government leaves you be, of course they do why wouldn鈥檛 they they just want what鈥檚 in your wallet Mo
Money Mo Money Mo Money Please
And petty theft is on a rise. Higher walls, bigger gates more electric fences and a lot more bars on your window. Hey who said prison ain鈥檛 paradise

Ya the car shit is nutty here as is driving is an experience
But come and try it out CR definitely has many many positive things you just have to find your Mojo and see if it鈥檚 for you. Beauty is you can always move back or try another country

FYI..聽 since moving up into the mountains the prison style living is not visible as much and petty theft is not an issue my windows are bar free and clear view of the beautiful mountains
They show add photo sharing in this group I think photos would help people get more of a visual through each members eyes

Don鈥檛 get discouraged by our take on CR we all experience and see it differently

I'll be moving this fall into my house in Osa. No mountains but jungles and ocean. I am not rich living on my pension and some savings. As long as it doesn't exceed the cost of living in Canada, I can survive. Expats (there are just a few on them on Osa) live much cheaper buying products locally, fish, dairy products, etc. are bought locally much cheaper. So, I'll see how it goes. I am not planning to come back to Canada unless the life there returns to normal.

Llholly wrote:

have you been there yet or are you building sight unseen?

Sure, last year. As in my previous reply. I wish to be close to nature.