Answering Your Questions About Life in Costa Rica: June 2024 Edition

[@laurettasbritishgingert6243]

I. AM. CRACKING. UUUUUUUUP!!! The bug bite location after swimming in the pool “sans clothing”!!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@yourpuravida]

I mean ... the truth (literally) hurts (or in this case itches!)

[@mkoschara]

These are some funny questions that y'all are fielding.

[@hevel4383]

Yes, please do a episode on retiring in Costa Rica. My family will be visiting Tamarindo during my daughter's college break to scope out the area for retirement.

[@bradystadnyk1828]

Always live your videos. I’d love for in the future you two possibly do a video on upcoming places in Costa Rica’s that you two can see getting bigger and more tourist heavy

[@yourpuravida]

will do - have a 2024 update video we are filming that will talk about this.

[@PopsFromATX]

Wife and I will be moving to CR within a year. Would love to see a video about this because we are trying to avoid areas that are getting too big and expat saturated.

[@crss29]

To participate in the CCSS (Caja) you must report an income. Your contribution is proportional to your reported income. If you fulfill your quotas, you get a pension from the CCSS, and it too is proportional to your reported income.

[@yourpuravida]

This isn't always the case. I for one have an investor visa - I am reporting on my investment, not my income.

[@crss29]

Costa Rica has a proportionality principle in what legally enables you to use what violence to defend yourself. You can't shoot someone at range that is not themselves armed with a ranged weapon. You can't shoot to kill unless they are about to imminently kill you or someone else. This means you can't shoot someone you find armed with a knife in your house. If they charge at you, you must not shoot to kill but to incapacitate. Only until they have you within reach AND raising their hand or coiling their lunge can you legally shoot to kill. However, it also means that if you find the same person in your home with an automatic rifle, you can immediately shoot to kill because if they bring it to bear you are more than likely going to die. But this scenario is only likely if you are a narco yourself and probably not that worried about the legality of your actions.

[@phiguy4486]

Thank you for doing these videos! These are great to a lot of those quick hit types of questions. I have two questions. Other than being able to access CAJA, are there any advantages to obtaining residency? If I recall correctly from previous videos, you were able to buy homes and a car without being a resident. I'm struggling to see the advantages. Second, have either of you experienced a football (soccer) match there? If so, how was the experience?

[@GringlesFacil]

There are many benefits to having residency, some of them might not be important to the average person, but by having it you often times get better pricing on certain things, and also if you care about obtaining a second passport in order to diversify a portfolio of passports for whatever reason, getting residency starts the clock toward the six year process of obtaining your costa rican passport.

[@mkoschara]

If you live like a local, it will be less expensive than living like a USA expat. It's just that simple.

[@yourpuravida]

200% agree!

[@GringlesFacil]

Exactly

[@Kattywagon29]

Q: Can you guys shed some light on having people come to work at your home as a maid, nanny or lawn care worker? I hear all kinds of chatter regarding having to pay these people's Cajas or having trouble ending the service when it is no longer needed.

[@yourpuravida]

There is an official and an unofficial answer to this - we will for sure explore on an upcoming Q&A!

[@PopsFromATX]

That retirement question (#4 or #5 question I think on your list) is way too of a broad of a question. I think the answer to that question is that person needs to do more research. I have been researching Costa Rica for months and love your channel. One of many that are so devoted to relocating to Costa Rica that I watch and research.

[@yourpuravida]

We appreciate your insights and viewership. Reach out if we can be of assistance!

[@crss29]

Costa Rica is NOT a 3rd world country. There's a place between 1st and 3rd, 2nd. Costa Rica is certainly not a developed country, nor an underdeveloped country. It's a developing country.

[@yourpuravida]

Absolutely NOT a 3rd world country - we would never try to imply that. Agree fully - it's a developing country.