Comments on: Costa Rica, your perfect retirement haven

By: Rising Vanlines

Rising Vanlines — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:05:57 +0000

Call your insurance agent to see what changes to expect in your policies for changing states. Ask if moving is covered and arrange for insurance for your new home.

By: Cy Bolinger

Cy Bolinger — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:33:09 +0000

What an incredible amount of bullshit. Kris tells the unvarnished truth. Costa Rica continues to raise prices, especially on expats who often are charged double the tariff at farmacias, many retail shops and even ice cream parlors (geladerias). After living in Heredia for a little over a year prices for groceries have almost doubled, utilities are through the roof. Electricity recently doubled in April. Ticos generally do not care for expats, particularly Americans. This is truly the land where bullshit reigns. Crime is rampant all over Costa Rica. More expats need to tell the real truth and stop reading blog-sites by tour directors and other enterprising business people who lie about Costa Rica through their teeth. There is corruption all over. Try dealing with Cable Tica, getting a Retive for your car and dealing with ICE. What a costly joke the living situation is. Many of us are leaving this godforsaken place. Pura vida!
Cy Bolinger

By: kris

kris — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:41:12 +0000

I have lived in costa rica for the last 10n years
where have you been? gas cheaper than states yah right gas costs triple what it costs in u.s up to 6.oo a gallon
my electric has risen over 300 percent in the last two years.
CRIME ? I LIVE IN ONE OF THE NICER SECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY IF I DONT LEAVE SOMEONE TO WATCH MY HOUSE WHEN I LEAVE MORE THAN LIKELY
I WILL BE ROBBED THE CAPITAL CITY IS OVER RAN WITH COLUMBIANS THAT WILL SHOOT AND KILL YOU FFOR 20 U.S. STOP WRITEING BULLSHIT PLEEEEESE . DESPITE THIS I LOVE LIVING THERE IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR MANY REASONS I AM HIGH LITEING THE NEGATIVES CUZ WHAT YOU WROTE WAS TOTAL BULLSHIT

By: Patrick Connelly

Patrick Connelly — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:11:02 +0000

Mike -
Definitely a good choice in considering Costa Rica. As for the bugs, their presence can range from normal (southern U.S. normal) to extreme, depending on where you are. Basically, the higher the elevation, the fewer (and smaller) the bugs: places like San Jose, heredia, carago, all the way up to monteverde are pretty good with the insect problem. that said, friends living in san jose complain about small ants in the house – much like in florida or texas.

if she doesnt like bugs, then the rainforest isnt for her, at least not living in or around it. bugs are a part of hourly life there.

the beaches on the nicoya peninsula are a bit more buggy than the higher altitudes, but nothing too extreme – mosquitoes, ants, sandflies and the like. some spiders, but rarely any big ones. the caribbean coast is more humid, thus more bugs.

this is the tropics, so insects are unavoidable..even in higher altitudes big bugs turn up sometimes. but unless you are living in/near the thick rainforest, the 1 pound beetles and grasshoppers wont be around too much.

By: Mike Mitchell

Mike Mitchell — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:47:44 +0000

Very interesting article that seems to be looking over my shoulder at my expected retirement budget! Getting a small military pension at the moment and then SS retirement in a year and a half.

If you had a wife who was concerned about inordinately large bugs, what part of Costa Rica would you choose?