Moving to Costa Rica from Toronto

If you have enough funds to support yourself, you will do OK...but know in advance you can't legally work here until a Permanent Resident, have a work visa... however you can work 'online'.
With the low Canadian dollar, everything will cost you approx. 30% more...

In regards to expenses, it will depend on location on where and how you live.

Hey there,
Thank you for your response.
I actually have a plan to just work online. I don't have any plan to work for someone else. About the place to live, I'm not really sure...I don't know anything about Costa Rica. I've just heard a lot of good things about Costa Rica for entrepreneur's lifestyle. That's why I've decided to leave my boring canadian life, and move there, because I love nature, and forests, and mountains...
+ Do you think is it a good idea to live there as an entrepreneur.
+ Is it possible to find a roommate to share a place, so I can live on budget and learn from CR.
+ About visa, what should I do after 3 month...should I leave and come back or ....

Thank you again.

LimitlessX wrote:

+ Do you think is it a good idea to live there as an entrepreneur.
+ Is it possible to find a roommate to share a place, so I can live on budget and learn from CR.
+ About visa, what should I do after 3 month...should I leave and come back or ....

Thank you again.

Great idea!  If you have the wherewithal to accomplish the move and living here, from what you've said, what do you have to lose?  Worse case scenario, you pack up and return back to Canada.  BUT, do not move a lot of belongings down if you have this type of plan.  Returning your possessions will not be cost effective.

Finding a roommate: I would suggest CraigslistCR if you only speak english or Ecuentra24 if you also speak español.  I just looked real quickly and there are many others looking for roomies.  Price in the Escazu area looked to be in the $300-$400 range (there are cheaper areas).  I suggest the Escazu area only because in my opinion it's a great area to get accustomed to life here - not as much culture shock.  Also, I understand that the internet service in that area is fast. 

From there you can explore the rest of the country and then make a decision to maybe move out into the mountainous areas as you describe that you might prefer.  Keep in mind, check on the internet service in any area that you plan to move to before making the move.  Not all areas here have internet available.  And if there is internet, "confirm" the speed available.

The 90 day visa is not a big deal.  There are many people here that are referred to as "perpetual tourists."  They are not residents and simply fly, drive or take the bus out of the country prior to the visa expiration date, get their passport stamped in either Panama or Nicaragua and turn around and come back.  A friend of mine has done it every three months for years.

I would also suggest doing more research on life here.  At the very least, browse through all the post on this site and you will gain a better perspective.

- Expat Dave

Awesome. Thanks Dave. 
Appreciate your opinions and suggestion.
I'm going to check those website to find a roommate.
And to be honest It's a long time I'm looking to find a better place than Canada to live, so I thought moving to Costa Rica is a great choice. A lot of people told me to go to Thailand.... but I'm not sure about Thailand.
And thanks for mentioning about perpetual tourists. That's great.

Hello. You could talk to a lady friend who lives in Toronto and is coming to CR on Feb 22nd. She has the experience of living in both countries. I can give you her pone number if you contact me through WA xxx, through Skype: xxx or my US phone number xxx

Hey MauroN
Thank you for your response.
I do really appreciate your help. It would be great to talk to your friend here in Toronto.
I've just send a message to your phone number from my phone.
Have a great night.

Don't rush and commit to either location and/or room mates.

Hey kohlerias,
I agree with you. I'm just trying to find a place or a roommate.

This is funny... you obviously haven't done any home work.  When you get to San Jose airport the Customs office might as to see your return flight ticket, which must be inside 90 days, it depends on what agent you get.  You can't stay more than 90 days, so you have no alternative but to become a perpetual tourist, unless you submit an application for a status upon your arrival.  I don't  think you have a clue what you are getting into, it might be best to just rent a house for a month and study the way of life down here.

Sanbuenaventuraman wrote:

This is funny... you obviously haven't done any home work.  When you get to San Jose airport the Customs office might as to see your return flight ticket, which must be inside 90 days, it depends on what agent you get.  You can't stay more than 90 days, so you have no alternative but to become a perpetual tourist, unless you submit an application for a status upon your arrival.  I don't  think you have a clue what you are getting into, it might be best to just rent a house for a month and study the way of life down here.

Actually he is doing his homework.  He's here asking questions isn't he?  That is the point of this site, to gather information from those who have experienced what goes on and for us to help others avoid the pitfalls that we've already experienced.

- Expat Dave

If you will work online you will have to make sure you have a RELIABLE internet connection as many places do not have. You may also want to ask "Is there a LIMIT on how much data I can use per month?" because for example Claro only sells packages that are 10gigs per MONTH and that is nothing for someone who uses the net a lot. I heard that ICE/KOLBI is also going to stop having UNLIMITED internet. Claro will also fail to TELL you it is a limited plan limited to only 10gigs of data per month! I know, they did it to me and I had to then cancel it!

I don't want to discourage you but just check into it because  Costa Rica seems to be going BACKWARDS in terms of internet service, providing less data instead of more like other countries are doing.

If you stay more than 90 days you have to leave the country for 5 minutes to renew your drivers license and your visa. Some border crossings will tell you that you HAVE to stay in Nicaragua for example (at Las Tablillas crossing) for at least 3 hours, but that's just them making their own rules.

Yes you will have to show a ticket for a flight out of Costa Rica when you come, or they won't let you come, but what you do is buy a ticket a couple hours or whatever before you come here, then cancel it when you arrive. You have 24 hours to cancel any flight so just buy it and cancel it after you arrive.

I think most cities in Costa Rica have good reliable internet but just remember to ask around and check it if you can before you rent a place. Also depending on what kind of internet connection it is, it might work at some hours and not others, or not in some weather. Check that it is a fiber optic or ? line because if ti's satellite based it might be cr*p.

If you want to live out in the country the internet is even more likely to not be reliable but that depends so again, just check closely - like Dave said!

I have been doing freelancing for the past 9 years and have had no problem with the internet service. Sure, it fails some times but nothing that gets me pulling out the hair. I do not use internet from my smartphone too much, though. I work from home or from my office. One thing about internet is that the service is still offering 3, 6, 8 Mbps downloading speed as the average service and never gets there, the 3 Mbps gives 1 or 1.5, the 6 Mbps gets to 5 if lucky and so on. Uploading is worse. But I learned to live with it and has worked for me.

MauroN wrote:

I have been doing freelancing for the past 9 years and have had no problem with the internet service. Sure, it fails some times but nothing that gets me pulling out the hair. I do not use internet from my smartphone too much, though. I work from home or from my office. One thing about internet is that the service is still offering 3, 6, 8 Mbps downloading speed as the average service and never gets there, the 3 Mbps gives 1 or 1.5, the 6 Mbps gets to 5 if lucky and so on. Uploading is worse. But I learned to live with it and has worked for me.

You live in or near Palmares, right? What company do you use and is there no data limit? i.e. Claro says it's the law now that no one can provide a package with UNLIMITED data and Claro limits it to 10gigs per month. I have an unlimited plan through Claro but it's pay as you go, not a package and it's only 2mbps and like you say, that 2mbps is often much less.

I mentioned I seldom use internet on my smart phone when I am out and about. My internet at home and at the office  is from Tigo, 8 Mbps, and as far as I know I do not have limits. Internet service from phone companies is different, I can't tell you about it.

My internet is not via my phone, it's a mobile wifi unit. BUT I do think it works on a 4g phone line. However when we went to get a Contract with Claro for better service (faster) they told us it was illegal for them to offer an Unlimited Data package, and I am pretty sure ICE/KOLBI doesn't offer that either. They offer only 10 gigs a month of data with their internet plan which is not enough for a heavy internet user watching youtube, movies etc.
So maybe it's a different law when a phone/tv company provides internet service? Hmmm. Just curious.

Be sure to get on a bus route to town, buying a car here is insane, it's a waste of money.  We take a bus to town for about 80 cents, and a taxi back with the groceries for $3.

hey Expat,
on the same topic with slightly different scenario:
we are also considering moving to CostaRica, we are 2+2 in our early 40s coming from Toronto.(last 17 years)
our focus area is uvita dominical and san-isidro area.
the plan is to visit for year (with few border-runs) and make a call after a year.
we usually visiting costa-rica every year and travelling this amazing country.
we know vacation and moving are like night and day and we trying to stay grounded with our expectations.

correct me if Im wrong, but it seems like the cost of rent is big chunk of living. we are not looking for ocean view or touristy area.

Ideally we are looking for something on the road from Dominical to San-Isidro with spacious outdoor. (3rm)

appreciate if someone can give us pointers and range we should expect. (yes we google it, but to our understanding location and just asking around can find way more affordable options)
also I wonder if a tourist can buy a car? or we must to rent?

cheers,
Daniel

Hola Daniel!

First, I would say that yes, paying rent would be your largest expense in an average lifestyle here.

There are several good places to get a rough idea of cost of rentals in the areas that you say you want to try first - Craigslist Costa Rica and Ecuentra24 Costa Rica.  (You can set Ecuentra24 to English if needed.)

I looked real quick at both and there are a lot of listings.  Looked like the average in the Domincal area is about $700 +/- per month for a Gringo style average home.  It just depends on what it is you're looking for.

- Expat Dave

thx Dave,
Ecuentra24 great tip. ill check it out.

Daniel

Once a legal resident,  it is mandatory to join CAJA the  socialized healthcare system, and depending on what status you apply for and if under 55 a monthly premium of US$450 may be due...even if you never intend to use it.
Plus you must take the value of the Canadian dollar into consideration.

Additional Residency information for anyone considering making a move including the cost of  application expenses and government fees

Slightly off the subject, as a USA citizen living in Costa Rica (retired), I am somewhat amazed at the number of Canadians (especially those from the "Toronto area") who have either relocated to CR permanently or who vacation here on a regular basis. 

I live in a town in Guanacaste with a very large ex-pat community.  I would venture a guess that at least two-thirds of the English speaking ex-pats where I live are from Canada, and of those people, more than two-thirds seem to come from the "Toronto area". 

I have asked locals in the tourist industry if my math appears correct and they concur. 

So, my question to those of you from Canada is, "What has drawn your attention about Costa Rica and is there any local advertising within Canada that is aimed at luring Canadians to Costa Rica."  Similar advertising has appeared in the US in the past for such places as Jamaica and Belize.

One of my conclusions from talking with Canadian's that I have met is that they simply do not like the winter in Canada.  With all of the warm weather destinations to choose from, why Costa Rica?

Just wondering.......

hi Jay,
not sure i can speak for other canadians.
we visited CR 7 years ago and was easy to fall in love, as a couple with two kids we felt costa rica is the safest from the alternatives. we are not the resort type of people and we had our share from coast to coast and north to south, we love the weather, scenery and the people. we got to know the good and the bad, but in general we believe the attitude is very positive.

Im not a typical canadian... i moved to canada 17 years ago from Israel (not a place i like to go back to)

yes, canadian winter is a pain, Im 44 and i feel like I'm getting older by two years every canadian year :-).

i love Canada and call it home, but i feel i need a break from the typical race of western-life. (might be mid-life crisis)

will costa rica be the final destination?! we dont know. but we really want to give it a try.

cheers,
Daniel

@kohlerias, thx for the info

If you decide on a permanent move, then the cost of private education for your children must be taken into consideration, and suggest you choose schools first.

I brought down about twelve Canadian retirees to visit us "that were looking for a place to retire", and not one of them made the decision to retire in Costa Rica, they found it too expensive for food and automobiles, and the cost of homes suitable for North Americans to live in, which are grossly inflated.  I am sure the 65 cent Canadian dollar also had something to do with their decisions.  We are happy living here, but I've given up on introducing Costa Rica to anyone looking for a place to retire.

Hello Toronto
It's strongly advisable to obtain residency status in Costa Rica if your intentions are to stay for than 90 days this may help you decide which option is best for you http://www.lawyerofcostarica.com/costa- … fications/

The reply about zero of 12 Canadians not wanting to move to Costa Rica caught me by surprise.

Without exaggeration, I have personally spoken to more than 100 Canadians during the past 4 months (time period corresponding to the Canadian winter).

Not a one, zero, nadie, cero had a negative response about whether they liked Costa Rica. Granted, they were not all of retirement age. But still, no negative feedback.  And many of them do live here. And many of them were repeat visitors.

Yes, it is more expensive than one would think. Yes, there are many inconveniences. But the overall QOL (quality of life) far exceeds that of many other places. That alone is priceless.

Happy Canadian living here <-------------------

...me   too

Of course, no place is perfect

Hello Jay,

Perhaps the Canadians you know are much wealthier than those I know, and have no problem accepting inflated prices on automobiles, home prices, or an 80% import tax on appliances etc.
The people I introduced to Costa Rica love the climate and the people just like we do "but they chose Panama because of cost reasons".  As one visitor said to me...  A Tico's minimum hourly employment rate is the same as what it costs to purchase one bottle of beer in a restaurant here, which is a clear indication that there is something wrong with the economy.  How could I respond to that statement?
It is pretty hard not to admit that the cost of living here is much higher than it is in neighbouring countries.

Personally, I prefer CR over Panama, I'd rather pay the higher prices and have the atmosphere that we have here.  You don't have the beauty there, or at least not as much of it.  🌴🌄🌴

As to being Canadian, at this point I wish I could say that I was.  I might be poorer, (exchange rate), but it would not be quite as embarrassing. 
...you know what I mean.   

- Expat Dave

WHAT PURE BULLcrap. ."  A Tico's minimum  hourly wage is  the same as the cost of a beer in Panama ..So your beer there costs $5 plus ?  WOW thats expensive beer and BTW most of us hiring Ticos both gringos and Wealthier Ticos PAY MORE than MIN WAGE so Don;t promote Panama with your STUPID LIES! GET a LIFE!

Thanks for your reply.

Both Panama and Costa Rica rank high as retirement destinations for Americans and Canadians. Panama has an attractive pensionado program that gives it an added advantage at present. Costa Rica had a similar program several years ago but no longer. It is unknown if Panama may change its program in the future.

Here is some food for thought. Costs for living will vary by location and popularity in all locales. Costa Rica was a much cheaper place to live 15 years ago. Fewer tourists, fewer hotels. As popularity increased so followed prices!

Nicaragua is much cheaper than Costa Rica regarding almost everything. As more folks discover Nicaragua, prices will rise. Fact of nature.

Everyone has their own opinion of what is best for them. There are NO wrong answers as long as you are content with your choice.

But beware. The world is very fluid and things change daily, which in turn influences how content you are at that time.

Such LIARS about wages to promote Panama PATHETIC liars Ticos now make very good wages and Most of us pay MORE than than min wage which is about $5:50 an hour in a much cheaper place to Live (CR)  than USA Canada etc where min wages HAVe to be higher because cost if living is higher >DUH! I know visitors from New York  Manhattan who pay in excess of $5000 rent per month REGULAR  workers Not Celebrities !

pebs wrote:

Such LIARS about wages to promote Panama PATHETIC liars Ticos now make very good wages and Most of us pay MORE than than min wage which is about $5:50 an hour in a much cheaper place to Live (CR)  than USA Canada etc where min wages HAVe to be higher because cost if living is higher >DUH! I know visitors from New York  Manhattan who pay in excess of $5000 rent per month REGULAR  workers Not Celebrities !

Pebs,

Please play nice.  I've noticed over time that people who are living here that are extremely unhappy simply are walking through life with a half empty glass.  Your words will not change their point of view.  Take a deep breath and ignore it.  👀

And, it's getting a bit   

- Expat Dave

Two websites, both updated earlier in the year, state the minimum wages in Costa Rica, starting wage of both an agricultural and construction worker is 9,822.07 col./US$17.70 per day.

Unfortunately, neither all Costa Rican citizens nor do all expats pay over the minimum rate, although many do.

Neither do they all pay their workers CAJA or INS.

*According to Article 136 of the Labour Code, effective working hours shall not exceed eight hours in the day, from six in the evening, and forty-eight hours a week.

https://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-leg … -for-2017/http://www.wageindicator.org/main/salar … costa-rica

Hello Pebs,

You read it wrong.  A Tico working at the minimum wage here in Costa Rica only earns enough to buy one beer in a restaurant here in Costa Rica.  I asked a couple of Tico's about this situation and their reply was "That's Costa Rica", and that's all they had to say.

Many Ticos indeed cannot afford to buy beer or go to restaurants.
For that matter, I can barely afford to go to restaurants myself or buy beer out at a bar, yet I rarely did that in the states either.
I COULD but I choose not to spend my fixed income that way.
True many Ticos make very little money and some gringos pay them more than minimum wage but not all.
In any case what does how much Ticos make have to do with moving here, other than the fact it means you get cheaper labor?