Here's what I can tell you. (I don't live there now but have lived there in the past and plan to live there again soon.)
Let's take this list that you stated fopr Ecuador first, and how it relates to Costa Rica:
-dogs barking constantly - if you live near others, yes. This is why I bought land that gives me some space around me. Ticos don't seem to be bothered by noise so add to dogs barking: children screaming, loud music, roosters crowing, etc.
-can't trust people to give you the real story - well yes, to some degree. Latinos in general like to exaggerate and Ticos don't like to insult you or say no, so sometimes they fib or don't tell it to you straight. They don't want to tell you they "don't know" so sometimes will pretend they know just to make you happy.
-trash everywhere - more than here in the U.S., yes. But it's not bad everywhere. Some areas are worse than others. People need to be fined for littering and then it will get better. But of course we're not supposed to get frustrated with the laws or lack thereof, we have to accept CR as it is. So yeah, the trash can be a downer at times.
-water making you sick - the drinking water is fine. I've NEVER gotten sick from drinking water. I HAVE gotten sick from swimming in the ocean at Jaco. Not sure if it's still bad there but many years ago I was real sick from getting ocean water in my mouth there.
-fear: feeling unsafe walking the streets. Only in San Jose'. Now, there may be other places and you never should be alone walking after dark, really, anywhere especially if you've been drinking or are dressed up nice. However, for most of Costa Rica I don't feel unsafe walking around by myself. In San Jose' you just avoid certain areas and take cabs at night. I carry pepper spray in San Jose' and once it did save me from being mugged.
-insane driving - YES!
-can't trust the police - Not sure. I've never been stopped by one. I've heard stories that sometimes they want a bribe so you have to decide to pay the bribe or get the ticket. This is a controversial subject that would require its own thread if there isn't one already.
-takes forever to conduct business, esp with the authorities - Yes! Banking can take forever, government offices can take forever, waiting for things to be approved can take forever, asking a question at the electric company can take forever, etc. etc. There are ways to get around this. You can pay someone to stand in line for you while you run errands. You can get your number then come back later (though if you miss it you have to start over). You can learn when the better times to go are. You can go to a bank that tends to have less of a problem, maybe one that is not near a bus stop or on the edge of town... etc.
Now, some other concerns.
Crime is a problem. I'm new here and I hate to bring it up as some forums have made rules about not talking about it too much. I hope I am okay here, if not feel free to delete this portion of my post. I mentioned that crime can take the form of mugging in San Jose' and you really do need to be careful. Also pick-pocketing there. And also people will pull scams on you at the "Coca Cola" bus station and one will distract you while the other steals your suitcase or backpack or picks your pocket. People will break into cars with luggage in it and steal your stuff in San Jose and sometimes in other areas. This is a real concern even though it's never happened to me. One guy I know had his laptop stolen from his truck. They target gringos.
The other major concern of crime is your home. If you leave your home empty and don't have a guard dog or guard it may get broken into. Again, this would require a separate thread as to how you can discourage or prevent this. Generally it depends on what part of town you live in or what part of the country but if you are a "rich" gringo with a nice home you probably should be concerned about leaving your home empty without a guard or guard dog.
That said, I believe there are many ways to deter this crime and it need not be a factor to prevent you from living in Costa Rica.
I had a friend who high-tailed it out of CR after less than a year, selling the home he'd just built because he didn't like it.
His reasons:
1) getting things done properly and timely drove him crazy; he felt the service people he hired to do things were awful. This could probably have been prevented to some degree by getting better recommendations of who to hire. But yeah, you have to get used to waiting longer than in the USA.
2) he bought in a very windy and rainy and cold area
3) he did not speak much Spanish and did not go out of his way to make new friends
4) he was easily frustrated over things in general
The moral of the story as it has been stated many times in CR forums is this:
-Be ready to adapt and accept that things are done differently and sometimes things are done "stupidly" by our standards and perspectives.
-Get recommendations from other gringos on who does good work and who should be hired or not hired.
-LIVE THERE BEFORE BUYING THERE
-Learn to speak Spanish before moving there and once you move there practice it all the time, try not to speak English at all
-Choose your residence well. If you don't like rain and cold move to a drier, warmer place. Costa Rica has micro-climates so check it out and know what weather to expect there. Charts and tables exist to help you do this but ask other gringoes. You can ask Ticos but I have found they always say it's great where they live no matter how cold or hot or rainy it is! ;D Get details from gringos about temps and humidity, wind, etc.
Bugs and animals are part of Costa Rica as well. One expat friend used to say, "Remember: We're living in THEIR environment", meaning the bugs and animals. If you live outside of town expect weird bugs and animals to visit your abode. See it as an adventure. The only really dangerous things are the fer de lance snakes called Terciopelos which can kill you if you get bitten and don't stay calm until you get to the antidote. Most local clinics etc. have antidotes available. This should not be a danger at all unless you live out in the country side near jungles or lots of brush and weeds etc. You won't generally get bitten while on park trails or at home, but if you are out in a field cutting weeds or walking through brush you could get bitten.
Check your bed before getting into it for scorpions. If you find one, look for the mate and kill it too. They don't kill you from what I hear but they can cause pain and suffering. I imagine tarantulas are the same though I've only seen them in the forests, never in a home. But I'm sure they are in some homes in some areas.
You might have raccoons or bats take residence in your walls or attic; things like this can be a nuisance but there are ways to get rid of them and prevent them.
All in all, for me, the above negatives do not outweigh the positives. Costa Rica is a very fun and nice place to live, and especially if you love Nature it can't be beat. It's a lot less stressful than the U.S. in my opinion and more "free" in terms of being able to just live and not have so much government regulation and hassles from things like parking meters, cameras at intersections, speeding tickets, rolling through stop signs, insurance regulations, etc. etc. etc. Yes, there are bureaucracies and tickets but much less so in Costa Rica imho.
The people are by and large friendly and nice and it's a nice place to live. No place is truly paradise and so you have to accept the bad with the good and weigh it out.
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http://www.RanchoSilencio.comSee my articles about "How to Buy Real Estate in Costa Rica", "How to Choose an Attorney", etc. plus Links and FAQs for more great CR info!
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