Top Reasons to Retire in Costa Rica

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I’m ready to retire. I think you’re ready to retire. We all want to retire, but only a few of us are at that wonderful stage to be thinking about where we want to retire. And “where” truly is the question. You’ve put in the hard work, spent many an hour on the road to success, you may have even proudly sent children out into the world, but now it’s “me time.” Why reward yourself with staying in the same place you’ve always been? Make that exciting leap and turn the page to another chapter of your life. RE/MAX Pura Vida wants to show you why the next chapter of your life should be here with us, in Costa Rica, where you’ll be able to enjoy your retirement to the fullest.

We’ve mentioned in past articles that Santa Teresa, Mal Pais, and Playa Hermosa fall in the Blue Zone, a group of areas around the world in which people live significantly longer than elsewhere. That’s an easy sell. Who doesn’t want bonus years in their retirement? But, let’s talk about the things that don’t necessarily make you live longer, but just make life better in general and Costa Rica has plenty of those. First off, the annual temperature in this beautiful tropical climate is a comfortable 72F. That is literally what most US thermostats are set at, so you’re guaranteed to be comfortable inside or out. And you’ll spend plenty of time meandering out and about, as the quiet rural areas are filled with countless national parks that begged to be casually visited and the friendly locals are always up for a relaxed conversation about the local fruiting trees or town gossip.

Jungle and convenience aren’t usually mentioned together, but Costa Rica is unique in that way. Even in the relatively remote and quiet Playa Hermosa, modern conveniences such as grocery and appliance shops are only a short drive away and even at the extremes, both coasts of this tiny country are only an hour or two from a modern city such as the capital, San Jose. Costa Rica has the highest standard of living of any Latin American country making it the perfect retirement location. Don’t worry about giving up any luxuries when coming here either. Things like high speed internet and 3G/4G phone signal can be found even in the smallest and most rural areas, so you won’t have to miss a single video-chat session with the grandkids. The healthcare here is great as well. Costa Rica’s reputation for leading medical care has become pretty well known lately, with US citizens traveling to San Jose specifically for specialized and affordable medical care.

OK, so we’ve convinced you, but what about all the legal and bureaucratic stuff that comes along with retiring in a foreign country? Well Costa Rica makes it easy for you there as well. Seeing a trend that individuals were choosing Costa Rica as their retirement destination, the government made it easy for retirees to gain residency visas. Applying under the “Pensionado” category, if an individual can prove a minimum income of $1,000 USD per month from pension, retirement, or Social Security then they will be approved. Those who are retiring early or have unconventional circumstances can apply as “Rentista” and will have to prove a general income of $2,500 USD or simply transfer $60,000 USD to a Costa Rican bank account, which does not require residency to open. On top of all that, your spouse is automatically approved as a dependent, so you’ll only have to worry about completing the process once. If only everything in life were this easy! (Learn more about applying for residency in Costa Rica in our full article here. )

It’s settled then, you’ll be retiring in Costa Rica! Now that that’s out of the way, stop in or contact us at RE/MAX Pura Vida so we can show you what parts of our little nest of heaven can be yours. From the quiet Playa Hermosa to the lucrative Santa Teresa, whether you want to retire in tranquil seclusion or build a business to pass down to your loved ones, we’ve got the perfect property for you.

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