[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

I am starting a collaboration with Keller Williams and would love to see if I can help you find something.
https://kwtamarindo.com/
Feel free to send me a WhatsApp +506 8962 9593 and we can talk more. We can be neightbors in Tamarindo.
See above comment for more ideas.

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

How exciting… welcome!

I suggest visiting before signing any agreements or making any payments. Also staying in an Airbnb in 2 different areas might give you a chance to checkout the areas and then find something while here.

I am starting a collaboration with Keller Williams and would love to see if I can help you find something.
https://kwtamarindo.com/
Feel free to send me a WhatsApp +506 8962 9593 and we can talk more. We can be neightbors!

I would also start by following some FB pages to see what is available in general.

Tamarindo/Guanacaste
https://www.facebook.com/groups/756500642604738
https://www.facebook.com/groups/758481256210621
https://www.facebook.com/groups/564241092568201
https://www.facebook.com/groups/costaricapropertiesforsale
https://www.facebook.com/groups/356524978864654

Jaco
https://www.facebook.com/groups/367192627123252
https://www.facebook.com/groups/705626296211566

Here are some other rental offices I found online that you can contact too.
Tamarindo area
https://flamingobeachrealty.com/long-term-rentals-costa-rica-tamarindo/
https://tamaluxury.com/long-term-rentals/
https://rpmrealestatecr.com/oceanfront-luxury-condos/
https://costaricadreamsrealty.com/18-long-term-rentals
https://www.realtor.com/international/cr/guanacaste-province/rent/

Jaco
https://jacobeachrealty.com/listing-type/long-term-rentals/?sortBy=priceLowToHigh
https://jacorealty.com/listings/long-term-rentals/

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

I do think the rain is better than snow. I LOVE rainy season. So green and lush.

You can find transfers on this page. I often use this company.
https://tamarindoshuttle.com/

I also use Cristan for transfers… you can send him a message on WhatsApp: +506 8318 3226

You can also rent a car from the airport. The prices really depend on the season… Oct/start of Nov usually have the btetter prices.

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

It won’t attach here. If you want me to send you a list of clinic phone numbers, send me an email here – bbottone@internationalliving.com

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

I just saw this on FB and thought it was a good resource to share.

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

It all depends on what type of insurance you have. I would contact your insurance company for more details. Do you have travel insurance?

Once you are a resident here, you pay into the Caja, the socialized medical system in Costa Rica.

There are also many private insurances to choose from in the country.
You can check out at these contact to ask more questions:
https://www.facebook.com/fyg.seguros
https://www.facebook.com/allinsurancecr2/
https://www.imglobal.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8rW2BhAgEiwAoRO5rA8J2BhVtM3mOUxjeHg_B_pQ5qf3OF48MlhsBXm3dr1O9Rv7uTt5kBoCfbUQAvD_BwE

I also use MediSmart, which is a medical discount service.
https://medismart.net/?utm_term=medismart&utm_campaign=MS_SEARCH_BRAND_MACOTAS_GINE&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=7448772792&hsa_cam=16970610860&hsa_grp=134387623383&hsa_ad=593717333177&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-10732380608&hsa_kw=medismart&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjw8rW2BhAgEiwAoRO5rFiQcBx_Zd55bKcf8DQY8Oc6cr6mriHDbX68g12onKr_H7mDqW4uIxoCjfIQAvD_BwE

Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck!

-Bekah Bottone, Costa Rica Correspondant

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

I live by Tamarindo, so let me know if you come to my area.

In general, the rainiest month are September and October. Many times, it rains in the afternoon and at night. Rain is usually heaviest in October, especially in the Central Valley and all along the Pacific Coast.

Personally, I usually tell people not to visit me in October for vacation. Yet, it is also important to experience the different types of weather when you are planning on moving to the area. Therefore, I think you should continue with your plans to check out what happens this time of year.

It is hard to predict; the rain usually depends on the amount of tropical storms and hurricanes in the area. It could rain everyday for a week or two for a few hours a day or all day. Or it may only rain a couple of hours at night for a week.

I am planning a couple of trips (one to Jaco/Manuel Antonio/Ojochal) and I just told someone that I would have to play it by ear as it depends on how rainy it is in October this year as I am not a fan of driving in the rain.

This is a tough question. We have no control over the weather, which can be frustrating. Yet the rain maintains the vibrant lushness I love about this country. I am a huge fan of rainy season, so come on down and check it out!

-Bekah Bottone, Costa Rica Correspondant

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

You can also look at Vrbo.

This has retnals– but I think more long term options: https://www.point2homes.com/

As for Facebook Groups, I would look for specific smaller groups in regions, like these: https://www.facebook.com/groups/puertoviejovacationrentals
https://www.facebook.com/groups/756500642604738
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1990512857886393

To be honest, for short notice, a few days short term rentals, I would use Airbnb and Booking.

Are you heading over to the Tamarindo area? Feel free to send me a message on WhatsApp if you are +506 8962 9593 and we can meet up for a sunset.

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

For sure, 100%… check out places before taking the leap!!!!

There are various things to start thinking about to get started.

Think about these questions to start.

What climate do you prefer and want to live in? (think about average temps and rainfall especially)
What kind of medical care do you need regularly?
What is your budget? Tourist places are more expensive – and in my opinion, especially beaches in Guanacaste.
What other place are you connected to? Will it be easy to travel back and forth? What does that look like?
What activities do you want to take part in?
Will you be working or are you retired?

Have you checked out the itineraries we created here at IL for you to use to plan your trip? Find out more here: https://www.ilbookstore.com/costa-rica-itinerary

Are you joining us at the Conference in July 2024 in San Jose? It is sold out, yet you can find more info here: https://internationalliving.com/events/fast-track-costa-rica-2024/

Let me know your answers to the above questions and I can give you a few places to check out.

In additiona, you can read the other questions in this section to get more up to date info about Costa Rica.

I look forward to hearing your second round of questions!

-Bekah, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

Hello.

I suggest spending a month and staying in each of the places to really get a feel for them and check out the vibe for yourself. I recently visited Atenas and Grecia in the Central Valley and you might want to check them out if being close to health is necessary. I will be talking about them at the San Jose Conference in July 2024. Are you planning on joining us online or in person?

The best healthcare is in the Central Valley, so keep that in mind. The best equipped hostpitals and most specialists are there. Often times, a specialist will visit a clinic in Guanacaste once a month. So it isn’t as conveninet.

An important factor to consider is the weather. What temperatures do you prefer? It rains everywhere, yet some places have more rain than others.

The beaches

Hot and humid, and I love them!
Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific receives more rain.

Lake Arenal

Cooler (temperature) than the beach.
Nuevo Arenal gets about 50% more rain than Tronadora, located just across the lake.
Tronadora is much windier.
La Fortuna and the surrounding towns like Chachagua are drier and warmer.

The Central Valley

Cooler temperatures – especially from the variety of elevations available.

I always recommmend reaching out to FB groups and asking questions. I use those groups to learn about differnt areas and connect with new people all of the time. FB groups are very active here and worth using as a resource.

These FB pages might be a good start:
Arenal
https://www.facebook.com/groups/712758082803982
https://www.facebook.com/groups/270122543035935
Guanacaste
https://www.facebook.com/groups/297720547030161
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3442610169117243
Jaco
https://www.facebook.com/groups/290260966853843
https://www.facebook.com/groups/711552235579574

There are lots of expat groups too:
search ‘Expats in… ‘

As for budget, $1,000 a month is possible, yet not as likely in big tourist- like in Tamarindo. The best thing in my opinoni is to talk with peopel currently living in the area. You can find expat meetups in FB groups. For example, this group posts about a women’s would be a great place to get insider info. https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758784658197

Many people find staying in an Airbnb a good way to check out a community, more so than a hotel.

I talked with Nick when in Nuevo Arenal and he rent out an Airbnb.
https://internationalliving.com/from-deaths-door-to-thriving-in-lake-arenal-costa-rica/ (https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/40036748?source_impression_id=p3_1719933875_P3ic3CyJiPWB-oYF)

Good luck on your travels. Let me know if you have any more questions.

-Bekah, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

Hello!

The postcards section at IL shares the experiences of others who have made the move and is a great way to check out success stories. https://internationalliving.com/category/daily-postcard/

I met three people living in the Atenas/Grecia area on my last editorial trip in April 2024. Karen lives on $2000 a month, Mike on under $1400 a month (he spends six months here as he is Canadian), and Lynda spends about $1500 a month. This shows that living in Costa Rica can be affordable, hopefully giving you peace of mind about your financial situation.

I suggest posting in Facebook groups to ask questions and get more on-the-ground information. I post in the groups in the areas I will visit to connect with people for my editorial trips and find specific places to visit. Most of the time, people are very helpful.

I am not sure which areas you are most interested in, but you can start by checking out these groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/209258083597577
https://www.facebook.com/groups/128010388878472
https://www.facebook.com/groups/579515763190243
https://www.facebook.com/groups/178568066214136
https://www.facebook.com/groups/450171628439598

I suggest searching Facebook for the town/city you want to visit to see what results appear. Facebook is widely used down here for community sharing and support.

This is also an awesome opportunity!
https://www1.internationalliving.com/test-drive-your-dream-life-overseas.html
Maybe you can win the opportunity to spend on month here in Costa Rica with IL covering the costs! Imagine the adventures and new experiences you could have in this beautiful country. It’s a chance to step out of your comfort zone and embrace a new way of life.

Good luck. If you come to the Tamarindo area, feel free to reach out. You can send me a WhatsApp, and we can meet for sunset. 011 506 8962 9593

-Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

I just wanted to share what my lawyers at Themis Legal (https://themislegalcr.com/) sent me when I shared your question: “Yes, it has been reviewed by the Legislative Assembly and it is still been analyzed, yet it has not yet been approved.”
-Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

Right now, for individuals living in Costa Rica, any income obtained within the boundaries of Costa Rica is considered as Costa Rican-source income and is taxable. Costa Rican-source income is understood to be any income derived from assets used, goods located, or services rendered within Costa Rican territory.

Non-residents are liable only for the applicable withholding taxes (WHTs), depending on how the income is earned.

I am going to reach out to my lawyer about this and get some more information to share. I will be back soon.

Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

It is nice to meet you! I just got back from a trip to the Central Valley last month. I use Facebook Groups to answer my questions and give advice when I am visiting a new place. I find them very helpful and my top resource.

On my recent editorial trip to Grecia, Costa Rica, I wandered into Los Jardines Vivero y Café. A kaleidoscope of colors welcomed me—flowers in every shade, vintage VWs adding charm, captivating art, and a Koi Pond. The Nuevos Amigos Group in Grecia weekly gathering was in full swing. Although expats started the group, it’s a place where anyone interested in building new relationships can join on Wednesdays at noon.

And in Atenas, a weekly women’s group gets together on Thursdays from 10 am – 12 pm. Every month they choose a new restaurant to visit. Their Facebook Group is informative: https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758784658197/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=1144736216560449

Additionally, there was so much interest in Atenas that another group started meeting on Tuesday mornings, too.

I met a wonderful woman in Grecia, who specializes in real estate in these areas. I suggest contacting her on WhatsApp: Brooke Bishop +506 8311 5336

In the Central Valley, you will find the country’s biggest cities and many bigger towns. That doesn’t mean it’s all urban. There are plenty of quiet countryside locations, little mountain villages, bustling market towns — you can also get away from it all in the Central Valley.

I suggest checking out some other areas, maybe Escazu, Alajuela, Santa Ana, Pavas, Tres Rios, and Cartago. If you stay in San Jose, you might want to stay at the Grano de Oro or the Gran Hilton Hotel. And we hold our yearly conference at the InterContinental Escazu.

Let me know if other questions come up.

• Bekah Bottone, IL’s Costa Rica Correspondent

[BEKAHBOTTONE 0]

I am sorry. I wrote a response and then I closed it out by mistake and lost it. I will rewrite it tomrrow.

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