Chapter 144: Costa Rica Retirement - Dream vs. Reality

[@walkerskii]

This couple is so genuine intelligent and helpful, thank you, Good interview

[@brucethompson2940]

"There is no mail".. That is incorrect. There is a fully functioning public postal system here. It's called "Correos de Costa Rica". I have a post office in my local town (Playas del Coco) and have had mail delivered to my house by a postal carrier. What you absolutely do not get is junk mail. There is no such thing as junk mail here.

[@darioinfini]

I receive nothing useful from the mail here in the US. It's completely overrated. Yes, you can order Amazon products but seriously that's not something you should expect in a place like Costa Rica. If you're living there, you exist in the real world and you go out to the store and buy what you need. If you want to live online, stay in the states. You can see endless pictures of sunset beaches with lightning fast internet service and hire the neighbor kid to throw buckets of water and sand at you.

[@brucethompson2940]

@@darioinfini Thanks for the reply. I order Amazon products all the time. Amazon actually ships to Costa Rica now. However, I mostly use a forwarding service (Liberty Express) to forward items I purchase online in the US to me here in Costa Rica. I have 100 Mbps cable Internet. A lot of my friends in town have fiber based Internet. There is a PriceSmart (Costco for Central America) about 20 minutes from my house. The conveniences that differentiate the US from Costa Rica are falling away one by one.

[@darioinfini]

@@brucethompson2940 Oh no kidding. How about that. Good to know. I've been there a couple of times and it's quite a lovely country, at least to visit. I'm surprised about the expense as described in the video though, I hadn't really paid attention to cost because I wasn't doing real time price conversions in my head.

[@fnd111]

Correct! I collect stamps & have some recent Costa Rica stamps in my collection. 🇨🇷

[@kyler6423]

If you listen correctly then you hear him say " We have eliminated the need of mail". This is not really saying "there IS NO mail here" in the sense of "no postal service"..to me his statement that there is no mail here means that "hey, you ABSOLUTELY get no darned Junk Mail here" and that is 100% positive to me. LOL P.S.: Most countries in the world have postal service so ...yeah!

[@bullwingsc6216]

Been to Costa Rica recently. Beautiful nature settings, coffee plantations and volcanos..etc. Much more expensive place to live than I expected. Horrendous traffic jams especially going to San Jose airport....over 3 hours.

[@iverjosjq8540]

We are a third world country homie, of course we ain't got good infrastructure regarding traffic lol.

[@jasminel.4778]

Yes I was in shock I was there in 2018 shocked w prices..lol ghats why we ended up in Nicaragua 🇳🇮 🤣 so beyond beautiful

[@fibo12358]

@@jasminel.4778 Hah, here we go - Jasmine, what sites would you recommend to watch for "should i retire in Nicaragua?"? I just turned 60, i do not want to wait a decade to make critical "last 20 years" decisions on what do do "later". Nicaragua is as viable a place as CR as far as i'm concerned. off-topic from this site i know. dcparham at gmail if you would not mind corresponding. thx!

[@jasminel.4778]

@@fibo12358 I'm personally looking to Nicaragua 🇳🇮 they are a hidden gem and if we don't act soon we will lose out on the opportunity 😉

[@markshoup]

I lived in Costa Rica for 5 years and can confirm what they say.

[@mikem4432]

as for grocery stores, if you go to Costa Rica to buy American imported foods.. very expensive... but if you go to the Bodega which is a Spanish local foods store.. everything is super cheap. Most locals eat a diet of rice, beans, and some pork or salad.. very affordable and healthy.

[@pfschuyler]

Nice approach folks. From my many years in CR, I'd completely condone what they're saying.

[@fibo12358]

my question then is, what would it really cost to live there, as a middle class, i have internet, nice things - musical equipment, bicycle, computer equipment - nothing worth a thief stealing here perhaps, but if i want to stay in CR, how much would i really expect to spend a year?

[@deniseortiz8619]

As a US citizen who has done a bit of traveling, I must say Costa Rica is far from a Third World country, certainly not with an almost 96% literacy rate, something that even the US cannot boast. In fact, it’s the only true democracy in Central America, and if you’re not sure, just pop into Nicaragua, Guatemala or Salvador, and compare. Although the pace in CR is slower and the bureaucratic red tape is just as cumbersome as in the US, life is simpler and the native Costa Rican people, from the wealthiest to the poorest are some of the kindest, well-mannered, generous and accepting people I have had the privilege to meet and know for the past 30 years. I agree that the cost of life is higher if you want to maintain similar standards as in US, largely due to the import taxes, but the local alternatives for food, clothing, housing, furnishings, and medical care/pharma services care are just as good, but more importantly, QUALITY OF LIFE IS KEY, which is PURA VIDA, and what you will find in abundance in Costa Rica.

[@the_original_skytiger]

Denise Ortiz right, which is why they build cages around their houses. Lol it’s a sh*thole.

[@garyhammond9584]

I’ve been living in CR for the past 14 years. This is full of inaccuracies. If you want to eat “Ruffles” or other USA (imported) foods, you will most definitely spend more on groceries than in the USA. If you learn about local foods, where & when (Tico Telegraph) to shop, you can spend far less than in the USA. Then again my wife is a local woman and knows how to cook.

[@jeffbrandenburg8672]

Excellent video!

[@paelzermaedche-px4qd]

Best explanation and best presentation I seen or heard so far. I really enjoyed the honesty of this couple. Thank you very very much, it opened my eyes.

[@Fubar_The_WEF]

There's something that doesn't make sense to me. Fran said the reason they left the States was because of the cost of healthcare, but then said that one thing that would make her go back would be a serious health issue.

[@brucethompson2940]

I have been living in Costa Rica for 5 years now. I refer to US healthcare as the "NASA" of healthcare systems. The US has the latest surgical procedures, but for everyday issues it is just WAY to expensive. If I had a health issue that required some cutting edge surgical procedure and I had US insurance coverage, I would go back to the US. I have had more than one urgent health issue (Dengue fever, Chlorine gas inhalation, etc) in the past while living in Costa Rica and went to the Costa Rican private health care system for treatment. The treatment was excellent and very reasonably priced. Everyday healthcare issues cost between 10% - 30% of US healthcare using the private healthcare system here. Costa Rica also has a public healthcare system. I have not used it, but many of my friends say it is very good. I think Costa Rica's public health system has proven itself during the pandemic. Almost all Covid cases have been handled by the public healthcare system. Costa Rica's Case fatality ratio for Covid-19 is an order of magnitude lower than the US.

[@Fubar_The_WEF]

@@brucethompson2940 Before the pandemic, where I live now, in Colombia, there was a significant trade in health tourism. US citizens coming to Colombia for medical procedures because the care is every bit as good as the US, but at a fraction of the cost.

[@shelleywolinsky11]

Hi... enjoyed your video. I am 71, retired and want to live in CR. I lived and worked in San Jose years ago and spent almost 1 year living on Samara. I need help, guidance , etc.

[@KilleenRealtor]

I love this interview ! Wish I could hear more from them in Costa Rica

[@boomersoffshorevideo3376]

They returned to Canada several years ago.

[@nestornieto59]

Great video thanks I'm 62 doing research been in Quepos once as a fisherman

[@atimko123]

Great advice on many important topics. Thanks for sharing info.

[@jfam1964]

You guys deserve a lot respect !! Down to earth!! Good interview I wish you guys the best!! See you soon ! I hope 😛

[@alEx-isca]

It seems it's just about general advice for any country or place you don't know. Always good to hear it and that CR is not different from elsewhere. What I liked it's mainly about how you handle life :) Pura Vida !

[@bcoverss]

A real eye opener. Thanks.

[@sierra1621]

Mmmm plastic candy cane wraps on the beach... not good.

[@brucethompson2940]

"Wouldn't it be nice if they could deliver a pizza". Another incorrect statement. You live in the same area as me. I am sure you know there are multiple pizza restaurants that deliver pizza here.

[@fibo12358]

OR - heck, maybe i should consider opening a pizza shop there lol.

[@reginalcarrar9478]

Food is as expensive as you make it. If you buy U.S. products its double...or more! I was blown away at the price of a pack of oreos! But if you eat like a local then you can eat for next to nothing. Me, my wife, and 2 children ate out almost every night for almost a month and barely hit $300! Our friend and his wife said they have never been over a $400/month for groceries. It also depends on where you live! Live in gringo central....pay gringo prices!

[@reginalcarrar9478]

Thank you so much for being such a great example fo4 us gringos! There are a lot of us that don't represent us well!

[@hanssolo4ever]

Great video, I might go there, I am 61 now when I am 65. I just want to rent the cheapest thing I can find close to the beach or a slip for my sailboat.

[@amywalker7515]

Just because it is cheap doesn't mean you will have clean running water, consistent electricity, a source of food and medical services nearby and not be robbed or worse. Even the most vigilant have been robbed. We come with our strange clothes and behavior and expect everything to be just like the USA. We can be rude without realizing it. In some places we are resented. It would be good to study up on culture before relocating. Ask others who are already here where their experience has been.

[@srdricks468]

Try Puerto Viejo de Talamanca or Jaco. Costa Rica is building a new airport between San Jose and Jaco beach that should make living in Jaco more appealing.

[@dmitrykudryashov2515]

@@srdricks468 Samara? Aeropuerto (an airport) Liberia is not so far. I think Samara is a one of the most beautiful beaches in Nicoya peninsula. And I saw many locals were fishing there. Sorry for my english )) I never use Google translator and try to speak english and spanish.

[@esterbright1477]

Nice interview. Thanks

[@gregriser5957]

Some of the things they said are true others...not so much. Mail isnt an issue. You get a p.o. box and mail comes regularly. If you really want durable goods you can either drive or take a bus to Golfito near the Panana border. Any of your costa rican friends will have a waiver of 1500 dollars per year or is it 6 months? on imported goods. You can use that to buy stuff there Cheap.

[@larrygs]

$500 per semester, for the waiver.

[@mustlovedogs272]

Informative. Thank you. What is the COVID situation like there at present?

[@srdricks468]

Not as bad as the U.S: but Costa Rica has block the entry of the United States into CR. The numbers are hard to say because they don’t test as much as the U.S.

[@asajayunknown6290]

Just had this hit my feed. FAR superior to many of the other expat videos. Most of the other channels are 20-30-something vagabonds, or, on the other end of the spectrum, 1-2%ers for which 500-600k for a retirement place is no big deal. This couple was honest and straightforward 😎. I also really appreciated their "this is their country" attitude. I've been going to Mexico annually for 23 years. I treat the locals with respect, speak some Spanish, and hardly ever have any issues. Retirement will include months, possibly years, in Mexico 😉

[@fibo12358]

Good word :). Can you please clarify, "Retirement will include months, possibly years, in Mexico"? "...will include...? As i, will take that long to effect, secure retirement?

[@tuanismancr2893]

Selling property near Quepos/Manuel Antonio area by owner. High tourism area 15/20 min from Manuel Antonio national park. Area is a small town very calm and peaceful, with awesome views to the mountains. The property has a small 2 beds, 2 baths house with panoramic windows next to a giant open field (right) which allows for nice mountain views. In town middle school, supermarkets, etc. The property is $100k and 0.26 acre about 1070 square meters again sold by owner. Reply with any questions

[@MichaelBrown-ny3et]

Puts some reality into the dream of Costa Rica. Personally, I like to visit and when it’s time to go back to the U.S., I’m ready to go. Great video. For those who thought it was so bad in the U.S. better think again. Most who dislike the U.S. haven’t been anywhere where it really sucks. Take for instance Iraq.

[@whaleshrimp111]

Very realistic! I have lived in Thailand for the past 20 years. I follow the laws regarding ownership of land, houses and condos. The law is simple, foreigners can own condos. I bought a condo 20 years ago after spending some time here each your for 5 years. I have the deed in my bank safety deposit box. If we want to live on the beach for a few months we just rent a house there and lock up the condo. I watch many foreigners decide they will get a Thai woman to put the land in their name and then build a house on that land. 99% of the time that ends with the foreigner being forced out of the house and off the land by the woman's family. Do yourself a favor follow the laws and to be very happy just rent. Shit happens and all of a sudden there is a huge airport outside your windows. Just tell the landlord "look at how the time is flying and now it is time for me to move". The worst damage you will face is loosing your deposit. So what! Be happy.

[@bertsteen2014]

I lived in costa Rico for seven months in 1977. Worked in San padero pos. Loved it loved the people. I am sure it’s different now. But then most lawyers went to LSU law school and since I was from Louisiana l fit in lol. One question. Why is my last name on a picture hanging on you wall. Michaela Bolinas showed me around the country. What a great friend.

[@DysmorphicP]

Its definitely nothing like the 70s.

[@leahcurrier8179]

So how much does it take to live a middle class life there? No specifics at all. What average or good rent for 3b/3b home? How much is electricity? How much is grocery bill?

[@tybalt1950]

Id like to know how good it would be if you had a condo payed off and u just drove a golf cart and or scooter. Also 250,000 in the bank, full health insurance, and 1500 pension. How about most activities such as cycling and working out at home would be free. I think they wanna live a lavish lifestyle, that's y they seem to be complaining on how expensive it is. If you have all this covered, then expensive food shouldn't be an issue.

[@Mexicobeanpole]

If your home is paid off, you can live fine on $1500. We did it on $1200. My husband also plays tennis. He joined a tennis/gym that catered to locals. Not one of the fancy $300-$500 tennis clubs that can be found. Learning Spanish, with time, also saves you money. Being friendly with locals gets you the “Tico price”.

[@tybalt1950]

@@Mexicobeanpole i soo thank you for that. I'm starting to learn Spanish now. I forgot to mention about my SS and that I'll be moving solo

[@tybalt1950]

@@Mexicobeanpole do u still live there? My friend and I wanna retire in Tamarindo

[@tybalt1950]

I may just rent too

[@tybalt1950]

This couple and the interviewer try to be so discouraging; funny thing is it doesn't work on me

[@rosauramarkovic]

Thanks for the valuable information. Healthcare is the only thing that worries me. The only way to invest and move somewhere else is to visit first and do your research.

[@larrygs]

You have here a public and private health system, there several types of insurance , it all depends. However, please not, coast cities in Costa Rica does not have the best hospital, the best, even private ones are on the capital, San Jose. Pacific and Atlantic cities are normally places where the government does not invest much.

[@srdricks468]

There is a nice Hospital (Cima) in Escazú Costa Rica. I believe it’s private but my insurance is taken there. www.hospitalcima.com/

[@katarinakarakas7800]

Love their perspectives

[@dbrew2u]

Unless you happen to be somewhat Wealthy ? Costa Rica is not for you . As the old saying go's , "You should have been here 40 years ago" .

[@angetodac]

why is so imortant? for security

[@fibo12358]

security - re impoverished areas, theft, etc - i've pondered this, but also have heard for years about it. i suppose i trek to CR there with my several guitars, PC, Mac laptop, DSLR, new video camera, a few nice pieces of furniture - would home owners insurance really protect me there?

[@fibo12358]

Hello, thank you for your honest video! can you please elaborate then on how much it would really cost annually to live there, if someone wanted decent things, AC, near the beach, and live a middle class USA lifestyle there?

[@determinationandgod7836]

$1,000,000 about...more or less ...😂😂😂

[@roderickharter8204]

My girlfriend and I stumbled upon your KZbin video today. Great information. We are just now starting to gather information. What town do you live in now? I believe you mentioned it in your video but I could not find it. Curious what we might be able to find renting a home around 1500 to 1700 a month. Hard question I know. We do want air conditioning and two bedrooms. What resource do you suggest we canvas before going further? Thank you again for your very friendly KZbin video. I found it most informative and would certainly entertain your consulting opportunities as we get closer to our decision.

[@roderickharter8204]

Incidentally, I too grew up in Miami.

[@freerange6739]

I have been to every Latin American country in South and Central America except Venezuela and El Salvador. I lived in a number of them. I spent a total of over 5 months in Costa Rica. Way over rated. Very expensive. The country is full of thieves. Walk down a street in the cities and the houses are in cages with a guard at the end of the street. Much better places to live in South America than Costa Rica.

[@derbywinner5423]

Free range agreed with you , I lived in Costa Rica, expensive, unsecured

[@edwinramirez1429]

Looking to sell 2acres in Concepcion San Rafael Heredia with beautiful view of San José, especially at night all lit up.

[@edwinramirez1429]

Beach area can get hot and stay hot thru the night. AC definitely needed on beach.

[@arisgod2749]

Take a look at Europe. Places like Portugal, Greece, Spain and then all the East countries like Bosnia, Poland, etc you live very well and you can travel to so many different places from your home base. Cost of living is the same if not less than places like Costa Rica but you freedom of movement is infinitely better and so are the conviniences.

[@Fubar_The_WEF]

I agree. I've been to Poland several times. It's a beautiful country and the cost of living is really low. It has just two downsides that I know of. 1. It's a lot colder than the UK in winter, althought the summers are hotter. 2. Polish is a fiendishly difficult language to learn.

[@crBudgetWatches]

Poland indeed is very affordable cost is less than in Costa Rica

[@davebrowne-1923]

Thank you for this video, from a fellow “Browne”

[@andreadifabrizio1705]

Hi Any info is useful. I have a 12 years old boy and I want to move to costa rica

[@Ivanslav1]

Great video! thank you

[@merrillkingston8807]

My wife and I moved to Costa Rica back in 2005. The absolute worst decision of my life. You'd think the people of Costa Rica would be very interested and concerned for the environment... No! The roads are littered with trash. Every week we'd travel from the Jaco area to San Jose for major shopping and in both directions we would see locals tossing trash out the car windows. The public health care system is free and, believe me, you get what you pay for. My wife became acutely ill so, I took her to an emergency room (public), where they gave her morphine for the pain (abdominal) and took her in an ambulance to the hospital an hour away, where she died. The doctors had absolutely no idea what was the problem. From the autopsy, her stomach had ruptured. We thought we had researched living there very well but, I recommend anyone considering it, look far deeper. Also, there is a huge amount of corruption everywhere, especially government and the legal system. Don't trust the lawyers. You will regret it.

[@johnthompson9602]

Thank you Merrill for your answer.

[@oitall2christ]

Good info. Very transparent and honest.

[@timmyjones1921]

Now this is the way it should be done when considering moving to another country or Island ect... Ask questions and do your home work and above all else travel there 1st before moving .

[@amywalker7515]

Even after doing that you can still have issues when you arrive. Having lived in 3 other countries, I can say that even in the most ideal situations, there will be culture shock, differences in laws and regulations and big adjustments that will have to be made.

[@patrickrex6230]

Thanks for the reality check. If you want to live like in the US it costs the same. I retired with healthcare for life and a pension. I’d be crazy to go anywhere else. But I’ll visit.

[@amywalker7515]

Actually in parts of San Jose, it is more expensive. Very glitzy like Hollywood. A small pizza was $31 at one place we visited and this was in December of 2019.. Their eyes flash dollar signs when they see us coming, especially in the big tourist areas. Get off the tourist track and things will be a lot less expensive.

[@larrygs]

@@amywalker7515 it is true, even for us locals, there are places that are super expensive, however, the Covid situation has changed things a lot for restaurants, they are one of the most affected sectors so prices are going down.

[@augggie]

Rented a 7 bedroom house in Jaco, we dropped off our luggage and went to town to eat, came back to the house and all of our luggage was gone though and a lot of stuff was stolen, we had to hire a armed guard for the rest of our stay...You can have Costa Rico, I though the locals were all scammers and they try to get what they can from the Gringos. And the price was outrageous. Ticos are locals and restaurants have a Local price and Gringo price...Not a good experience...

[@frankhall7005]

@@golferpro1241 senior citizens want to move their. They all think there gonna live like a king with a maid for 1200 a month social security.

[@larrygs]

Jaco is a dangerous place, not even us the locals visit there, too many thieves, drugs, etc. North Pacific, Guanacaste is much better. But true, some touristic areas do have 2 prices, one for visitors and one for locals.

[@the_original_skytiger]

I agree we were there in January, would never go back. Scammers everywhere, crime everywhere.

[@PuerinTheHunter]

Nice interview! ... bureaucracy .... ridiculous processes that defy logic ...3 visits to resolve things in the bank... all that sounds too much like Brazil.

[@johndoe-wv3nu]

Foreign made products will be expensive. Live in C.R. support the economy, buy locally made stuff.

[@raydavies3278]

But who the hell wants to sit and look at a flowerpot 5 nights a week ?.

[@johndoe-wv3nu]

Guess you people have never been to CR. American products are way more expense.

[@srdricks468]

Well this video is from 2013 and some things have changed. I lived in Costa Rica from 2018 until COVID-19 sent me back to Miami. I use a service called Glovo ( similar to Uber eats) to have all things delivered to me... including a pizza 😅

[@dmitrykudryashov2515]

Uber eats exists in Alahuela and San Jose.

[@shepompi]

NO MAIL 😳👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼ok that sold me 🤣🤣

[@maikelsauceda8175]

There’s mail there.

[@nicolerogersgeisinger7456]

Suave un toque... $117 for a mop bucket? You guys ever shop at Pequeño Mundo or El Rey? $5 max for a bucket.

[@MS-bb3bj]

Times change 30 or 20 year ago one or two thousand dollars was enough to make a living but now things are different you need at least 3000, Costa Rica is expensive ., it depends where you live or how you live. Today is not easy beside the country is kind of dangerous with drugs cartel from others countries and more. Most important make sure you close to american people , a nice place to live. For comfort is better better US . It depends what look for in life that is personal. Most Americans live there, travel to US to visit their families and bring back things, you need to find a sense of belonging to feel fine. It is good you give your opinion help others.

[@bobbrowne4602]

I started watching their blog 8 years ago. I noticed the tone of their blogs change from mostly positive to mostly negative after about 4 years. It was apparent that they really did not try to fit in and they were really looking for a cheaper version of America. When Fran’s eye problems became a little more complex and when they were finally eligible for Medicare they moved back to the US (Florida). I am sure they are now experiencing a different kind of stress now while in Florida with COVID running rampant and they are definitely in a higher risk category. You could not pay me enough to be in their shoes. Virtually every country in the world has done a much better job of handling Covid than the US, and don’t get me started on their problems with racism and gun violence. It isn’t until you live somewhere than the US and see the US from an outsiders perspective that you realize how bad it is. The rest of the world pity’s the US now. What a change from only 4-5 years ago. The only countries that allow US travellers now are those that are desperate for US $’s. Costa Rica isn’t one of them. US tourists aren’t welcome there now

[@thehealthychefri]

Brilliant vid! I moved to CR 3 years ago, I never want to leave. America is on rapacious road to serfdom! The American way is the unhappy way!

[@KTWardlaw]

J. M. I certain,y understand your frustration but you must realize NO country is safe without the strengthen of the USA continuing. Let’s PRAY for our Nation !!!🙏

[@thehealthychefri]

@@KTWardlaw Our Imperialism around the word has caught up to us! Trillions in foreign wars have caught up to us. It's time to ficus on what more important! your consideration, please share if you wish.. America’s “booming economy.” More than 80% live paycheck to paycheck! 70% have less than 1K in savings with no interest over 10 years because interest rates Zero! 1/10th of 1% of the wealthiest Americans (535 individuals) own more than the bottom 90% The (3) wealthiest Americans have more wealth than 164 Million Americans 27.5 Trillion country in debt!!! 50 Million live in poverty! 40 Million have no health insurance! 21 Million on total disability! Over the last 30 years the top earners amassed 22Trillion in wealth while the bottom half has lost 2 Trillion! America’s household debt (14 Trillion) Credit card debt (1.5 Trillion) 1.6 Trillion student loan debt with (5 million) college graduates going into the worst job market in history! 75% black households fatherless 40% Latino fatherless and 30% white fatherless! 60% of marriage divorce within 2 years! The federal deficit is 135% bigger than GDP! Public schools 17Th in the world! America’s productivity 27Th in world! The infrastructure is dilapidated! Social security and Medicare make up 43% of the federal budget and 90 million mostly obese and unhealthy will retire over the next (10) years 3.7 Trillion spent on healthcare and 75% is metabolic syndrome alone! A 70% overweight/obesity rate!!! 52% have type2 diabetes (a choice BTW which cost $600 Billion yearly!) 2200 a day die from heart disease!! 80 Million have heart disease! 40 Kidney disease! 30 Million Fatty liver disease! 140 Million hypertension! 68% of Americans use illicit DRUGS!!! Endless WARS that have cost 7 Trillion! Ya feel any safer!!? Our food supply is poisoned with (650k products in grocery stores (85%) have added sugar! America makes up 5% of the world’s population and writes 90% of the opioids! That is (256 million scripts yearly!) The average Americans on (6) Big Pharma meds while the entire country is obese And unhealthy Less than 3% meet the basic criteria of a healthy lifestyle!! America hates each other to a point where they actually boast about it wearing “I hate people” and “leave me alone shirts” A house divided amongst themselves will not stand ~Abraham Lincoln Richard Nixon took us off the Gold standard In 1971 and started price and wage control with China and since then a rapacious road to surfdom has led us to now! It’s pretty clear in my eyes THE 2 PARTY system has crippled the once greatest Republic in the history of the WORLD! 535 congressmen and senators and 4,000 lobbyists that all work for BIG Corporations and Wall Street have left America bleeding! In November you will get to VOTE for your favorite party, democrat or republican, which is all the same party and we the majority are not in it! We will get the same thing, more wars, deficit spending, more taxes, less health care and the Most dangerous “expansion of government!” Keep in mind that America is 70% socialized already starting in 1932 under the “new deal” So until Americans start taking care of themselves mainly “health” we will soon be fully socialized! I compose this data which is really just touching the surface I’m affiliated with NO party or tied to anything but the truth! In my eyes -America is a third world nation in disguise!!! Just look around with your own eyes! At least we had a great ride, but now it’s time to pay the price and boy are we!!! ~Chef Jimmy 2020

[@thehealthychefri]

@chris younts You will love it!

[@the_original_skytiger]

J. M. Lol

[@heed9726]

You're absolutely right. I'm on my way down there. The only thing waiting for Americans is debt and death. I'm a little scared but I have to do it. Staying In LA is suicide.

[@gregorydavis6516]

I'm and expat living in Australia. I love Australia, and it's much better than the USA. I'm a dual citizen U.S. and Australia!!

[@mr.e1220]

The women? They love American accents? Can I rent and live in Australia and bring my dogs? What's a city by water in Australia?

[@pas9ify]

Smart, pragmatic people who know how to respect the culture.

[@jimgnzlz87]

As a local, it's great to see expats that can adapt to and respect the culture.... too many times do you see Americans expecting things to be the way they're used to.

[@carloslopez-jq8nn]

Beautiful people but some of their comments are wrong, the biggest one is no mail service, that is just nonsense.

[@dmitrykudryashov2515]

@@carloslopez-jq8nn I visited a post office in Puntarenas and asked about delivery to Russia. It works.

[@Jessica-Jasmine-Green]

So you couldn't like order something on Amazon and have it delivered to you?

[@ReneeTriesler]

Jessica yes, as of 4/18, you can order from Amazon and have it delivered to Costa Rica. But, you’ll pay shipping charges.

[@larrygs]

Yes, custom charges are high but there are many forwarding companies we use, however, there has been restrictions on cosmetics, food, liquids, etc. Some products require a permit. I do purchase a lot of stuff on Amazon. However, please not they are talking about the Pacific Coast, where not all services are available.

[@srdricks468]

Not all items give the option to be delivered to Costa Rica. But yes you can have thing delivered to your local post office in Costa Rica. I mail things to the U.S. all the time from CR and even return things to Amazon from C.R.

[@sjmom5119]

what % of these xpats are teachers ?

[@amywalker7515]

Usually when you hear about expats abroad, many have left high stress business careers or retired from any number of different kinds of professions. There are many with low incomes coming for a better life for less money and others who have figured out how to run a business from their computer or remotely somehow.

[@SAFETYHOOD]

Have lived in Guangzhou China for over 16 years only 90 Minutes from Macao, or Hong Kong and am on the water with water views to the ocean which cost me less than US$75k to own ( Now worth over US$400k ) - spend less than US$1000 per month even now - Have SAM's Club, Dairy Queen, IMAX Theater, and the best Home delivered Pizza ( better than Pizza Hut that is also here. Much better than Costa Rica, Lived in Honduras back in the 1970's when things were much cheaper - yet imported foods even like Corn Flakes was US$2.50 a box back in 1976, yet Bananas were US$0.01 each, Whole Pineapples were US$0.25 each.

[@michaelmcnulty6561]

75 candy cane plastic wrappers in the ocean...Gringo Pura Vida ?

[@bernardvard2954]

they are right on/costa rica is not cheap/ pple are nice/it is what you make of it/ same here/ i might not spend the rest of my life here/ i would try somewhere else, but so far my life is simpl

[@dmitrykudryashov2515]

The Absolutely True.

[@edwinramirez1429]

Best weather in Costa Rica. 70-80 daytime 55-60 at night.

[@edwinramirez1429]

[e-mail]

[@etrigueros]

Do it Center is Panamanian company.

[@mariapalavranoff4015]

This is 3 coumtry ,yes ia mail CORREOS DE COSTA RICA .

[@VIKRAMJAI1]

Great info Honest real info.

[@dovygoodguy1296]

There's so much to comment on, but if a person goes to Costa Rica and faces all the complications of health care and exorbitantly high import taxes every time you turn around and you're over 65 then it's probably not worth it.

[@abrowne1950]

Only you can make this decision. If you live like a tico, you'll save money. If you embrace the gringo lifestyle, you'll pay lots more.

[@redhouse1002]

Oh, I hate the roads here in the US!! They have methodically eliminated every dirt road, then they are methodically widening every road....and can anyone come up with any negative unintended consequences from that? I sure can.

[@amywalker7515]

Believe you me, there are some wicked unpaved roads in Central and South America and everyone drives like they are race car drivers.

[@soursophostel1930]

Based on a true story, my new book "Panama Dreaming- The Birth of Soursop Hostel" to be released soon! Check it out @ www.amazon.com/Nicholas-Gagnier/e/B08FJJ2YBY?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_w0m_abau_000000&fbclid=IwAR1Z1T2-gKTy5dyuKhfM8LJp0HpXfeBq1beBhCVCSwwjDIdQ2_qiXIXdK2w SoursopHostel.com

[@Nugenesis-dt4qu]

Geez, that lady makes it sound way worse than it is.. there is mail.. and you can DEFINITELY get a pizza delivered lol..

[@moreto62]

really good video .. honest

[@ranimouf]

If they make you go 3 or 4 times to get something done ,it means that they want money. That's how bureaucracy works in 3rd world countries.

[@OttoMatieque]

LOL - yeah, a knew an expat in the Philippines that never received his drivers-license. He would go to the driver's licence office and ask if his license had come in yet. The clerk would open a drawer full of new plastic licenses, look at the drawer, look up at my friend and shrug. The clerk wanted a bribe to look through the licenses waiting to be picked up. Since he had the paper receipt that the police would accept, he didn't feel compelled to pay the bribe. This went on for years.

[@carloslopez-jq8nn]

You are calling Costa Rica a 3rd world country , You need to get your facts right, one of the must advanced countries of the Americas, is a matter of fact a higher level of literacy than The United States. put that in your pipe and smoke it.

[@comm2531]

Been there done that. Been all over the world and yes, material things cost more in Costs Rica as anywhere in central America. And in Philippines to. To live on the cheap there you have to eat allot of rice and beans (Gallo Pinto). Tortillas. Speaking the lingo helps too. I've thought about retiring overseas however, I think it's best to keep home in the U.S. and stay in other countries say a month or two somewhere. Not commit to one place like that.

[@pinchhitterprofessionalorg2137]

how is the government handling the pandemic?

[@jameswellman2479]

Yea, take one of our tours, pay us, and believe us. Yet don't believe all the other people. I have been going to Costa Rica for 30 years and these 2 sound like old fuddy duddies. I wouldn't believe them at all. No you cant live in Costa Rica on $500 per month, but you can easily do it on $1200. And $2500 buys you a daily maid. No there isn't Mcdonalds everywhere, but the local restaurants are better than in the US. No you dont have the "creature comforts" that you do in the US, yet you can be on the beach in a nice home for $200,000. Here in Sanibel the same beach is 1.2 million. Here in Sanibel we dont have 1/5-th of the nature. Point is, these two should be avoided at all costs. Go to Costa Rica and see for yourself.

[@TheMarpalm]

James Wellman great comment. Went a year ago and loved it. Your assessment is spot on.

[@the_original_skytiger]

James Wellman been there, it sucks. Filthy and scammers everywhere. Sewer smell everywhere. Not going back.

[@DoItYourselfDIYAtHome]

Agreed. Enjoy other cultures but recognize the value of the USA

[@raydavies3278]

What is the value ? Most of the world see,s America as a rip-off greedy complaining cesspool.

[@brucethompson2940]

Wait... You live near me. Pablo Valenciano is my doctor.

[@derbywinner5423]

I lived in Costa Rica is a overate place. Expensive,unsecured and not friendly people

[@lilliambloomfield2501]

Ok, so Nicaragua is right next door. It is way, way cheaper and it is the safest in Latin America. Just don’t get into politics. Don’t go any win the world alone. So best in a pair or family. Expats love it up north, like Leon, Granda, Esteli, Matagalpa etc. many are buying land and sitting on it cause Costa Rica has gotten too high over the roof. Checkout Corn Island. Lots of Canadians, Brits, Italians, N. Americans. $300.00 and you got a house. Enjoy

Nicaragua - wow. nope.

[@michaelruebusch7412]

So many misstatements. They say they want to embrace the culture, but o only so much. Poorly made PR video

[@jamesrichardson1326]

I'll stay home in the USA.

[@jamesrichardson1326]

@@biffmasterson9786 My sights are higher than a troll such as you.

[@jamesrichardson1326]

@@biffmasterson9786 Don't spend all 20 rubles you earn trolling on vodka Ivan

[@edgregory1]

I'll stay in Cambodia.

[@jamesrichardson1326]

@@edgregory1 Enjoy

[@nadinesmoske1838]

Very realistic...

[@samantha1877]

This is weird interview

[@fibo12358]

how is it weird?

[@Ty2Tito]

Alot of inconsistent facts.

[@johnarnold6623]

CR sounds like a horrible place to retire

[@siamiam4306]

Been going to Costa Rica for eons and worked and lived there in 93/94. It's not 3rd world. Lately I've been traveling to se Asia and calling it a 3rd world is relative when you see more advances there than you do in the states. Paper work to become a us citizen ain't no picnic either. Good info, but typical Gringos patronizing lids with candy canes. Ni por Diablos hablan Castellano. 😄

[@fnd111]

You lost me at the $5.00 potato chips. 🇨🇷

[@mariapalavranoff4015]

You live in the BUNIS .,CR DELIVER PIZZA ,

[@sunkintree]

She says she left not due to political reasons...then states healthcare was too much to afford. What is more political than being driven to emigrate due to healthcare? What a weird take

[@seanmac5093]

how are health care costs inherently political? Sure, you can make it political, but facts are facts. Politics is subjective.

[@sunkintree]

@@seanmac5093 Politics (noun): The art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.

[@VictorHernandez-xc2do]

Mango boy!!!!???? How disrespectful!!

[@edwinpylant348]

you lost me at NPR

[@darrellandsondraholden9457]

Some of the things 'they' do are totally ridiculous and don't make any sense at all - it's called 'cultural differences' lady. You handing out candy canes on the beach probably looks totally ridiculous to them, etc.

[@akken2112]

The woman says that she is "proud to be an American". What does "proud to be an American" mean? Central and South Americans are Americans. Is she proud to be from a country who's wealth is based on the genocide of the indigenous people, the theft of their land and the enslavement of Africans? Is she "proud to be an American" because she has a romanticized view of that country's history? Is she "proud to be an American" because she is in denial about the increasing division, that exists in that country? Is she "proud to be an American" because the government routinely violates international law by killing officials from sovereign nations? Is she proud to be an American because white supremacy is on the rise and is the nation's de facto ideology that's not only promoted from the white house, but is also expressed in the third verse of the country's national anthem which was written by a white supremacist? What exactly does "proud to be an American" mean?

[@aisheebhaduri6533]

Ih

[@pas9ify]

That's the 3rd stanza, which is virtually never sung, not the 3rd verse. The controversy surrounding the lyrics is due to the reference to "the slave" not finding refuge, and there is debate on what the author meant by that, but it is a wide stretch to say it is supremacist.

[@akken2112]

@@MudDingo_Lets see, there is Nigeria, Ghana (both prior to colonization), Ethiopia and many other countries where one group "conquered" another BUT, the original inhabitants did not suffer genocide and another group was not subject to chattel slavery. Indentured servitude is fundamentally different from chattel slavery. In the aforementioned countries as with many others, the conquering group MIXED with the conquered group. The US is very unique in that it was founded on the principle of white supremacy. Most other countries do not have that claim to fame. Name ANY country who's constitution designated a group as 3/5 human. Name a country who's chief justice of the supreme court stated "The Blackman has no rights the Whiteman is bound to respect". Name a country who's police force shoots a particular ethnic group on average every 28 hours. Name a country who's police force enters a citizen's home and shoots that citizen 8 times in her bed while she slept (Breonna Taylor). The answer is the good old USA. Only in Amerikkka!

[@MudDingo_]

Ken Corprew you’re either ignorant or purposefully blinded by an agenda. Either way your hate filled rhetoric is disgusting

[@akken2112]

@@MudDingo_ responding to the truth with insults is a very predictable response, because of one's inability to deal with the facts in any constructive way.

[@harrykuheim6107]

NPR is for the Idle Rich People and a Propaganda Outlet for Obama's Deep State now...TRUMP 2020

[@rosyelioseymour5168]

Are you still proud to be American with Trump ? Great video 😊

[@the_original_skytiger]

RosyElio Seymour LOL I was in CR six months ago. It’s a poor, filthy, crime ridden crappy place. Yes, I will take Trump and the US any day.

[@rosyelioseymour5168]

@@the_original_skytiger LOL let's hope the US doesn't lose its democracy, don't know if it would survive another 4 years. Agree on CR and many other similar countries. Would like to keep US free.

[@bermyboyocean848]

Was enjoying the comments until she used the phase "third world country ". I truly HATE that phase.

[@caelachyt]

Why?

[@amywalker7515]

Pretty soon, 3rd world will be the place to be.

[@jonathanmataaguilar7631]

third world it sounds like all latin americans are third-rate human beings.

[@srdricks468]

Developing country

[@caelachyt]

@@jonathanmataaguilar7631 - What's wrong with third rate? Not everybody can be first rate. And the 3rd world covers way more than just latin countries. It's not necessarily about race. Japanese are asian and so are the Vietnamese, but one is 3rd world and the other isn't.

[@jamesmurphy6709]

Better, IF you cut the stupid music. Why everyone thinks they need background music is nuts.

[@Poplicola08]

This thread would be better IF you cut your stupid comment. Why everyone thinks they need to comment is nuts.