Why People Leave Costa Rica

In this video I discuss why people commonly leave Costa Rica...
I will be redoing this video again with Pablo and Michael Allen since our original video ended up having horrible sound. Their input and perspective was excellent but here is what I have summed up in the points we discussed.
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[@Charles-qt4hq]

Sarah helped us move here over two years ago. We followed her guidance, advice, and used her referrals. We’ve had a wonderful experience, we’re pensionados living the dream. Took two years of planning, and Sarah was the best person to guide us. Imported our car, used her recommended atty and insurance guy, and even bought a house. Very happy. Thank you Sarah. My advice to newcomers- learn Spanish, integrate into the Tico culture, and avoid unhappy expats!

[@Charles-qt4hq]

And don’t underestimate how important budgeting is….CR is more expensive than you might think.

[@chrisv_b]

We are in a similar situation, Sarah assisted us 30 months ago and her guidance, referrals, network of professionals and current clients had been a great help. Meet many new friends, received our residency and are living the dream here in Atenas. Sarah is great and highly recommend

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

I appreciate you taking the time to write out this about your experience! Very very happy for you guys. Let me know when you plan a beach trip sometime!

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

@@chrisv_bthank you Chris! I hope you and Cindy are doing well ❤

[@CarlosPrats-fn6fo]

So you people have taken Atenas as well, Perez Zeledon too from what i hear. Guanacaste is done for, we know that. So the question is, WHERE DOES THIS END? what's the plan? you guys just keep coming wave after wave nonstop buying all our land. What's the plan? you really think ticos don't notice you guys in the 'feria'? speaking broken spanish, or not even...you guys don't blend in, you never did, you never will, you are our guests here and you are overstaying to put it mildly. I seriously doubt this is gonna end well for anybody, ticos are fed up with all this pura vida talk, we can't afford to live in our country anymore, and you guys are like 95% of the problem.

[@TravelDiva61]

I really like this video! Perfect for people who need the short and (not so sweet) side of "why" people may move back out of Costa Rica. 🙌🏼 For me, it's what you mentioned- the positives outweigh the challenges, and I'm at peace, even when I'm untangling an issue. Thank you for sharing your insights!

[@shelleysquires7225]

Hi Sarah I hope you know what an amazing young woman I know you are. Very inspiring to say the least. Thank you for all your help and another great video! 🌺

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

Thank you Shelley!! Hope to see you again soon! My daughter has the best time and you’re her #1 dancing partner ❤

[@lavettealexandre5759]

Good morning Sarah, I’m a new subscriber. I will be reaching out to you very soon. Thank you for the good work that you do.😊

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

You’re very welcome! Shoot me an email or book a call any time 😊

[@marlonikkila]

I love love love your last comment. It's about the experience regardless if and when you leave. Leaving is not a fail. I had to move through that myself. We felt that Costa Rica chose us so we came. In all honesty, we didn't like it (primarily because our only experience was the beaches). We toured around a bit to check out different areas and decided to go back to the states to regroup and then WE CHOSE Costa Rica and came back with a new kind of openness. We moved to the mountains and now we are in Atenas and so grateful for all the different experiences and happy we are here for as long as it feels right for us.

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

I love that story! Good for you guys and I’m happy you found a place that feels like the right fit for you.

[@elkarlos814]

Personally, I think half the people who move to TicoLandia last less than 2 years. Probably another 35% last five years and maybe 10% last more than 10. After 13 years, my best take on it is: Costa Rica is meant to be an adventure. In sooo may ways. From walking up rivers to amazing hidden waterfalls, to musical chairs at BCR to waiting hours to deal with all the government bureaucracy. Very few do their due diligence before moving. Your mileage may vary.

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

Very true!!

[@directrue1742]

I hope to move to Costa Rica this 2024 🎉🎉🇨🇷🇨🇷🌊🌊🏄‍♂️🏄‍♂️🌎⛰️🏔🦥🦥🦥🇨🇷

[@CarlosPrats-fn6fo]

please don't. just don't. We are all fed up with "expats" pretending to be ticos and buying all the land. If you really care about our country, our natural wonders, then be a normal tourist, visit, and then leave. PLEASE

[@tommyt8998]

I have spent a lot of time in Costa Rica. It has a lot of pluses, but for Central America it is very expensive. Except for veggies and fruits in the farmers markets, I can actually buy most food items cheaper in Philadelphia!

[@wildlifebybrianhoule]

I've only visited CR once this past year for 2 weeks. I've been fortunate to travel so I've been around enough, but I fell in love with CR. To me, I don't think it would be cheaper than living in Canada, but the quality of life can be just as good and there is something about that Pura Vida lifestyle. Our plan is to rent for a few months each year in retirement, possibly. One thing I've been told by an ex-pat is to try and barter with locals to keep prices low for them. If ex-pats come in and start just paying what is being asked, that raises the costs for all the locals which might not be fair to them.

[@donalbershardt9290]

TICOS Dont Barter.. Is that why he said TRY TOO BARTER??

[@wildlifebybrianhoule]

@@donalbershardt9290hi Don. I’m not sure. But his point was locals. Want to keep the cost down and if Expats or visitors just say OK, we’ll take whatever price you give us then it raises prices for the rest.

[@CarlosPrats-fn6fo]

barter culture doesn't really exist here... and about keeping the prices low, that ship sailed many years ago, you guys sure took care of that. So by all means, come and buy any spare land we have, our government is useless, and our municipalities are either inefficient beyond repair or absolutely corrupt, take your pick. Just be aware that ticos are fed up, so assume any smiles or nice treatment from the locals is 100% faked. You guys just had to visit, and then go home, but of course, you had to gentrify....because why not

[@daviddelacey8938]

New. Scoping Jaco right now for 6 weeks. Just had my 1st 🏄‍♀️ lesson.

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

Amazing!! If I can get some free time perhaps we will cross paths in the water sometime

[@user-ry3cb3ln6h]

People in a foreign country lose their sense of belonging. They start to feel lonely and disconnected since they are foreigners, not locals. Everything about them says "outsider" by the way they speak, gesture and dress. It happens in any country. That is why Hispanics go to the US in family groups. You rarely see a lonely Hispanic or couple. They bring their families and feel right at home that way. They don't need to socialize with anybody outside their Hispanic group. Anyway, a large part of the US used to be Mexico, already full of Mexican established families. Only someone who is comfortable being alone can be happy living as a foreigner in a foreign country.

[@mattsnider5704]

Our visit was wonderful. Lovely country, great people, but not a place I can live. I’m too much of an American. And I need my specific healthcare system. We’ll visit again. Pura vida!

[@alessandraagostini-oo1wu]

Yes. Yes. Yes. It took us about a year to feel that this is home.

[@billgalli5991]

If you’re missing family and friends, schedule a reverse vacation to go back and Visit family and friends. Invite them down to Pura Vida land, host them to an adventurous trip.

[@dovygoodguy1296]

Sarah, what are the medical coverage options now through the obligatory CAJA system for people over 70 , and/or paying out of pocket when premiums are too high or companies and the CAJA refuse to accept new members over 69?

[@dovygoodguy1296]

@@eduardodiaz5877 How do you mean exactly?

[@eduardodiaz5877]

Is worse than Obama care,

[@DETODOUNPOCOCONLUISILLO]

greetings from Pérez Zeledón, you are beautiful

[@themaxandlucyshow7590]

How come you didn't add that a lot of people who leave have been victims of violent crime? You know, the violent home invasions where they are tied up and held at gunpoint while their house is ransacked and anything of value is stolen? Those people usually hightail it out of here so fast they're leaving a cloud of dust behind them. Or what about the people who have been swindled out of their property and lost their investment and their entire life savings?

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

Personally I don’t know one person that this has happened to. So I am speaking to the reasons I most commonly see.

[@themaxandlucyshow7590]

That's pretty odd considering the number of people you've helped move here. I know at least two dozen people that that's happened to. That doesn't even include the ones that were kidnapped and dumped in a field. Or driven to the ATM machine to clean out their Bank account. When those people leave Costa Rica they never want to hear those two words again. These are the people I write about. Costa Rica has become a very unsafe place

[@CarlosPrats-fn6fo]

It has become unsafe, and why do you think that is? because of social inequality fueled by this late stage capitalism, you might know some of the "agents" of said phenomena , they're called expats, and they act like locusts, they buy all the land and raise the prices, then locals are displaced, and some of them, in their despair, chose crime. Go figure...

[@sziter1815]

@@themaxandlucyshow7590 I'm from Costa Rica and I've never heard about this, If you don't mind, I would like to know where in Costa Rica this happened to your acquaintances and in what year? We costaricans are very aware of the increase in insecurity in the country in the last 5 years above all, but at least I had not heard of these types of situations...

[@patriot1182]

I have a million questions! LOL

[@hokus12345]

you mean you help Americans to CR? 😂

[@WolfF2022]

What is better in Costa Rica than in Panama? Currently I`m more on Panama, heared the crime is less, they have less debts than CR, they allow you to own weapons, prices are lower, they don`t force you to the caja, population density is less.

[@dc1674]

I've lived in borh. Panama is hot and swampy all the time and there are just a couple of nice areas to live, most of it is pretty ugly.. People aren't nearly as polite, not many things to do. Yes it costs less.

[@WolfF2022]

@@dc1674 thanks for the infos.

[@teriyakiwilson7072]

​@@WolfF2022 yeah do your research more love! If attaining residency, Costa is more your best bet. But if owning weapons and rebelling against a countries healthcare... Maybe go to America?? Those some weird priorities

[@WolfF2022]

@@teriyakiwilson7072 it`s my life and my priorities, I also don`t judge you for your priorities, thanks.

[@SarahElenaDesignsLife]

I’m honestly not educated enough on Panama to be able to answer your question. However Pablo and I are planning to do a video. I’ll speak on the CR end of things and he can tell us about Panama