From cloud forests at nearly 5,000 feet to white sand beaches at sea level, Costa Rica offers some of the most incredible natural environments the world has to offer. It also delivers modern cities full of cultural attractions and entertainment venues, reliable infrastructure and access to high-quality health care. It’s no wonder, then, that the country has become so popular among retirees looking for a high quality of life at a low cost.

For most retirees, the cost of living in Costa Rica is much lower than it is in the United States. If you are a single, budget-conscious retiree, you can live very comfortably in Costa Rica for about $1,400 to $1,700 per month.¹ A couple can cut per-person costs even further by sharing housing expenses.

Immigration Costs

There are three types of official Costa Rica residency options available to retirees, each with its own financial requirements. The Pensionado Program is designed specifically for retirees. It requires a regular monthly income of at least $1,000 from a pension or retirement fund.²

If you don’t have enough fixed retirement income, you can opt for the Rentista Program. This program requires you to provide either a bank guarantee showing an income of $2,500 per month for two years or to show a current cash balance of at least $60,000. You must transfer either the full sum of $60,000 or $2,500 per month into a Costa Rican bank and exchange it into local currency.³ ²

 A third option, the Inversionista Program, requires an immediate investment of at least $200,000 in an approved Costa Rican business or property.⁴³

Program application fees amount to $250.² Other costs include document translation, authentication and notarization fees, as well as any fees associated with obtaining the required official documents from your home country. Costa Rican consulates charge $40 per document for authentication services alone; document fees can accumulate well into the hundreds of dollars for each family member listed on your application.⁵

You must renew your program status every two years. The renewal fee is $100 plus associated document fees. You must submit updated proof of your income at the time of renewal. If you maintain your status in any of these programs for three consecutive years, you may choose to apply for permanent resident status.³

Moving Costs

Travel to Costa Rica is typically cheaper and faster than travel to other popular retirement destinations in South America or Asia. A quick survey of prices for round-trip flights in April 2019 between New York City and San Jose shows airfares starting at around $300. If you plan to return to the United States for regular visits, a move to Costa Rica is a lot easier on your bank account than a move to a far-flung country such as Thailand or the Philippines.

Shipping household and personal cargo to Costa Rica is also cheaper than shipments to more remote destinations. New residents may import many kinds of personal items and some household items without paying import duties if the items are not new. You must pay duties on furniture, household equipment, and many other common possessions; consider renting furnished housing or purchasing these items locally.⁶

Cost of Living in Costa Rica

In the International Living magazine’s 2019 report of the world’s best retirement destinations, Costa Rica ranked second just after Panama. While Costa Rica is more expensive overall than some of the other popular retirement destinations, it is still more affordable than living in the United States.

Although housing costs and living expenses can vary, most retirees in Costa Rica can achieve a comfortable standard of living at a much lower cost than they could in the United States. For example, according to international consumer price data gathered by Numbeo.com, the average person living in Phoenix faces an overall cost of living more than 31-percent higher than the average person living in San Jose.⁷ In another example, the cost of living in San Diego is more than 79-percent higher than in San Jose.⁸

Housing costs in Costa Rica are highly variable depending on city, location, size and other factors. However, Numbeo.com provides some insight into the average rental costs for apartments in the country. A nice three-bedroom apartment near a city center averages just over $900 per month, while a one-bedroom apartment costs about $510. Average prices outside the city center are roughly 20-percent lower. Many other housing options exist, including cheap beach bungalows, furnished condos, and homes with private lawns and gardens. You can also choose to buy a home. Utilities including water, electricity, and garbage collection average a little over $75 per month. Unlimited Internet service averages about $60 across the country.⁹

Fresh fruits, vegetables, and staple foods common to the American diet, including chicken, fish, eggs, bread, and rice are widely available and relatively cheap in Costa Rica. Foreign food items are available in some areas, but they are typically quite pricey. Cooking meals at home always helps keep food costs down, but dining out is not terribly expensive if you avoid international chains and other places that tourists frequent. A single retiree who sticks to home-cooked meals should be able to eat very well on a grocery budget under $200 per month. Frugal shoppers can lower costs further, while those who enjoy dining out every day can expect to spend quite a bit more on food.⁹

Other common expenses include personal and household items, clothing, transportation, and medical care. Costs in all of these categories tend to be substantially lower in Costa Rica than in the United States as long as you shop for local goods and services. Make sure you plan for unexpected events, opportunities, and emergencies that require periodic spending above your usual budget limit.

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It is well known for its famous surf breaks and world class sport fishing but many others come to the area to enjoy the equestrian life offered here. We had been vacationing in Costa Rica for eight years when we decided to make a permanent move four years ago.

One big factor was the ease and relative value of horse ownership in the area. Our first month here my daughters began taking lessons and riding their bikes three times weekly to the stables near our home in Flamingo.

Before I knew it, we had leased a horse (testing the waters!) One year later, we had our own horses at a fraction of the cost in the states.

Our area in the northern beach zone of the Guanacaste province has many equestrian centers but the three most popular ones are Finca Casagua, Cerro Grande and Tierras Nativas. All three offer boarding facilities, lessons and trail rides… but that’s where the similarities end.

Meet Kay Dodge, Guanacaste’s horse country pioneer. Kay first came to Costa Rica in 1974 and finally settled into her ranch, Finca Casagua, in 1989. Casagua is located in Portgolpe, just 15 minutes from the best beaches of Guanacaste, including Playas Conchal and Flamingo.

Kay is a wildlife artist and has a Ph.D. in Biology and Ecology. Kay breeds and trains her own stock, offering English and western lessons. She married her Costa Rican vet, Esteban, and they have worked side-by-side for almost twenty years.

Over the years their 50 acre ranch has evolved and now offers private suites and guest houses at the Painted Pony Guest Ranch. They are famous for their cantina tours and weekend western shows.

Next on the scene was The Cerro Grande Combined Training Farm (Equestrian Center) which is within the gated development of Cerro Grande Estates. The property is located between the popular beach towns of Playa Tamarindo and Playa Avellanas.

The equestrian center in this 250 acre development has one of Costa Rica’s finest horse trainers, Amanda Gardner. Amanda has an impressive resume, having trained an Olympic competitor. In the full 30 x 70 dressage ring she offers lessons and also takes her students on the miles of trails weaving throughout the property.

Cerro Grande is known for it’s annual equestrian competition and also the huge Halloween party. Tierras Nativas, although a newcomer in it’s field, has the most state-of-the-art facility in the area. The buildings were all built with native hardwoods harvested on site.

Located in the little town of Tempate, this 70 acre equestrian facility is near Finca Casagua and all the best beaches. It is situated in the center of an amphitheater setting inside rising hills and native mature landscaping.

From the top of the hills, the Pacific Ocean can be seen. The facility is currently home to local horses as well as some of the finest imported European horses such as Friesians and Warmbloods.

The ownertrainer, Jen Dalton, grew up under the wing of her grandfather, a famous rodeo champion. She recently won the roping competition at the Liberia festivals. Just for fun, she also raises goats and personal protection dogs.

No matter what you’re looking for, there is an equestrian facility here in Guanacaste that will meet your needs!

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Twenty-seven years have passed since I moved to Costa Rica, and I have been fortunate enough to run world-renowned fishing operations over the years. Big fish tend to beat me up more these days than vice versa, but the fever for both the sport and the country has never left me.

Costa Rica has so much to offer all types of anglers that it is a shame not to experience it. Here is a rundown of some of the many sport fishing opportunities.

Freshwater:

Guapote (rainbow bass) are available in Lake Arenal, along with machaca, a relative of the South American piranha that is quite acrobatic when hooked. The rivers and lagoons in Los Chiles, which is in the Northern Zone, and all along the Caribbean seaboard have those species as well, plus tarpon and snook that also venture deep into the freshwater ecosystems. Several types of other cichlads, known as morjarra are found deep in the jungle and make for great ultra-light fun.

High in the mountains that divide the Pacific coast from Cartago, known as the Cerro de la Muerte, anglers will find wild rainbow trout in almost every creek. In that region, San Gerardo de Dota is a popular area and is also great for birdwatching species like the elusive quetzal. Fishing in a National Park is not permitted, so check that the area you are in is not park property.

If you would like to take the kids, there are trout hatcheries along the Pan American Highway, which runs through the Cerro de la Muerte. You can fish at those hatcheries and they charge you by weight. Stone Mountain Outdoors in Santa Ana has good information on trout fishing.

Saltwater:

The Caribbean side is world-famous for tarpon and snook. Tarpon school up outside the mouth of the river in pods that cover several acres. When it is hot, it is red hot and you will pull on big fish all day. As mentioned above, they will also enter the rivers and back lagoons.

The fishing in the ocean is done with lures or sardines on circle hooks. Inside the mouth of the river, it is almost always done with artificial lures. The late Bill Barnes made fly fishing for tarpon popular in the area.

Snook are also taken in the rivers and lagoons as well as the beach. There are four species of snook on the Caribbean side. The fat snook (calva) run that starts in December offers a chance to catch lots of snook on light tackle. It is a smaller species of snook and averages 5 to 8 pounds. The monsters that made Costa Rica famous in the fishing world are usually taken off the beach at the rivermouth. Rarely will you see lots of fish, but you have a chance to tangle with a once-in-a-lifetime fish of 35 pounds or more.

The Pacific side of the country boasts two fishing seasons, with the central and southern regions most productive November through April. In the north, the good bite is from May through December.

The last few years have seen record numbers of sailfish on the Pacific side. El Niño slowed the bite last year, but during the two previous years, records were broken for the number of releases in the Los Sueños and Marina Pez Vela tournaments. Last year in the Offshore World Tournament at Marina Pez Vela, the sailfish were noticeably absent, while marlin released records were crushed.

Dorado or dolphinfish have started off as a bang this fishing season, showing what seems to be a recovery of the stocks that migrate through here. Dorado is not only a beautiful fighting fish but also great table fare.

Also in the bluewater are marlin, tuna, and wahoo. Tuna have made a great comeback after the area in which purse seiners are allowed to work was reduced 200,000 square kilometers in 2014, and the reduction of purse sein licenses granted to foreign fleets was reduced from 43 to 13 in 2017. There have been phenomenal catches of marlin around man made marine eco-systems. You probably won’t see a grander (a marlin over 1000 lbs) here in Costa Rica, but the Pacific offers blue, black, and striped marlin.

Roosterfish are the Holy Grail inshore on the Pacific side, and are available there all year, unlike other areas. The average is 10-15 lbs, but 50-lb fish are common. Also available inshore are a large variety of snappers, grouper, jacks, African pompano and others. When the water is clear, wahoo and dorado venture close to shore. Roosters, snook, jacks and snapper can be taken here casting from the beach.

Don’t pass up a chance to fish in Costa Rica. And remember: a Costa Rican fishing license is required for all anglers over 16 years of age.

This article originally appeared in our 2017-2018 High Season Print Edition. Read more here about where to download or pick up a copy today.

Todd Staley is a Tico Times columnist and director of communications for FECOP, a sport fishing advocacy federation recently chosen to represent Costa Rica in the Panamerican Sportfishing Delegation, formed by groups from the United States and all Latin America countries. One of the group’s goals is to get sportfishing recognized as a competitive sport and to organize teams from various nations to compete in the Pan-American games. The group also seeks a common front on conservation issues. Costa Rica will host the Federation Assembly in November 2018 followed by a roosterfish tournament with competitors from the different nations. Learn more at fishcostarica.org.

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