| Costa Rica Living | |
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Costa Rica for some people may be the only paradise left in the world. Without getting into politics it is the only true democracy left in the world and is almost completely separate than the conflicts of the rest of the world. It has no military since 1948 and has a government that is less instrusive into the ordinary affairs of its residents than any other country. Property tax is extremely low and Costa Rica does not tax any income from outside the country or interest on dollar denomiated accounts in the state banks which pay higher interest rates than the banks in the U. S. and are guaranteed for unlimited amounts by the government.
AN IMPORTANT GEOGRAPHICAL FACT IS THE COUNTRY IS NOT IN THE PATH OF HURRICANES since the northern part of South America is quite far north of Costa Rica. Costa Rica does have earthquakes but they are of minor force and the ground here is very different than California and mostly granite so the effect is minor. The building codes are very strict and the country is considered more advanced in sesmic expertise than almost anywhere. A point of note is that the experts in Costa Rica where asked to come to Kobe in Japan to advise on rebuilding there after the big quake there. Cost of living here is quite inexpensive but not dirt cheap. Outside of Escazu, which now looks like Beverly Hills in many places, housing is very inexpensive. Many areas offer brand new houses on small lots of 2500 sq ft with new stylish concrete stucco construction of 1200 sq. ft. for around $30,000. Even in Escazu you can still buy a nice condo for $100,000. Beach property has gone up quite a lot especially since the rich and famous like Michael Jordan, Danny DeVito, and Madona have moved in. If you stay away from beach front you can still find condos from $50,000 and up. Food is much less expensive than the states and medical care is considered first rate and about 20% of the cost of the states. One brand new hospital here is affilated with Baylor University and looks like a 5 star hotel rather than a hospital. Doctors still make house calls and usually spend about 4 times as much time with patients as the states. Medical insurance is also very low compared to the states. Residency is relatively easy to obtain and the only legal difference between a residency and a citizen rights is the right to vote. Costa Rica is a progressive country and offers almost all the services you can expect in the states. Sales tax rather than property tax or income tax is the primary method of running the government. Climate is amongst the best in the world and many scientific studies show that Central America will be the least affected place in the world due to global warming. This is creating an every increasing interest in retirement or relocation to Costa Rica. English is widely spoken in most of the areas of the country where newcomers choose to settle and most people do not have too much trouble learning simple Spanish. We estimate that about 5% of the population is from North America and Europe with a weekly english newspaper and even a german newspaper published here. It is relatively easy to exist as a couple who owns their own house here on $1000 month. A full time live in maid will cost about $150 month for those who want this luxury. We suggest checking out the info on our main site in detail for those thinking about coming for a visit. From: rohailey Being the son of a world renowned author I have been told I have a good command of the English language, but adequate descriptive words escape me when I try to portray for you the incredible assistance Harold has provided me in becoming comfortable in Costa Rica. Let me put it this way, not only does Harold know everything you will ever need to know about Costa Rican tourism, but he is also a genius when it comes to knowing the ins and outs of Costa Rican customs, law, and just about everything else. Also his wife Angela is well known architect, builder, and certified appraiser of real estate licensed by the Costa Rica Board of Engineers and Architects
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