Considering leaving the rat race behind and retiring abroad?

We spent some time in Costa Rica last year, right before the pandemic, and liked it. They are very good about their national parks. They realize that tourism can be less polluting that mining and manufacturing. Was the economy hurt by the lack of tourism last year? And have more ex-pat's moved down since the pandemic? Or did Americans and Canadians go home?

homeagain wrote: what'' luxury" item ( that we take for grant) is most missed? How far is your closest neighbor,including
the farmer? R rx drugs less expensive there? I am assuming MEDICARE is not available to U thru
the USA....unless u r duel citizenship?

I would say an automatic dishwasher, by me. The more upscale, expensive rentals sometimes have them but the dishwasher in this house is me.

Our closest neighbor is a Tica doctor and her husband who live right next door (within 40 meters). The house on the other side is owned by a Tico who works in the U.S. and it has been empty since we moved in next door, for at least 3 years. It is well maintained and a groundskeeper comes by every 2 or 3 weeks.

Drugs are slightly less expensive. We're paying out of pocket and find paying full price for prescription drugs is less than our deductible would be back home. I have Medicare but it's only good in the U.S. and I have yet to use it, when I do return to the States to see family.

Oh, another thing that is bad here are most of the roads. They're a patchwork of patches; very bumpy, except for the national highways.

FredHayek wrote: Was the economy hurt by the lack of tourism last year? And have more ex-pat's moved down since the pandemic? Or did Americans and Canadians go home?[ /quote]

Tourism did take quite a hit. The country closed its borders on March 18, 2020 to all foreigners. It reopened to air travel in August 2020. The land borders didn't reopen until April 2, 2021. This was mostly to benefit Nicaraguans who come to Costa Rica to work in agriculture.

Costa Rica's economy is based upon a combination of agriculture (7% - bananas, coffee, pineapples, and ornamental plants), industry (25% - microprocessors and medical equipment), and tourism/services (68% - hotels, restaurants, and banks).

Sunday ends the Semana Santa (Easter) holiday. It usually runs Thursday through Sunday and is when most Ticos go on vacation. This year, the government ordered all government workers to take three of their additional vacation days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to encourage longer in-country vacations to help tourist destinations.

I don't personally know of any expats moving back because of the pandemic.

SO, it seems the virus did NOT hit as hard down there? OR people were inoculated faster and more
efficiently?

It hit about the same but I think the Costa Rica government handled it better. They first limited traffic by the last digit of license plates. I couldn't drive on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Then, they closed restaurants to all but take away orders. Masks were required, temperatures taken at the door. Hand santizer is available at the entrance to everything. Businesses were limited to 50% capacity. They closed city parks and recreation facilities. No concerts or sports. The country built several temporary medical facilities to house those who came down with COVID-19 and re-opened an old hospital building to be just for COVID patients.

They eased off on the restrictions little by little, after assessing the current trend of the pandemic. Now, most everything is back open, but masks and temperature checks are still required at the door of all businesses. Citizens are mostly compliant about wearing a mask in pulblic.

The latest figures

217,000 cases
193,000 recovered
2,957 deaths

A 113-year-old man has become the oldest patient to survive here.

thecostaricanews.com/costa-rica-register...vered-from-covid-19/

We limited our weekly contacts to two gringo couples (one of them, two retired nurses) at the urging of our daughter. We've been eating out about 3 or 4 times a week, except for the period they allowed takeaway only. But we eat at five restaurants that have outdoor seating.

It was such a relief to get my first Pfizer shot a few weeks ago. Caroline is not in the age group, they're vaccinating yet (62 and above).

I assumed the C.R. gov. was more efficient...in several words or a sentence,how would U classify C.R.
government/operating m.o.??

Forward thinking bureaucracy.

I see docs. of Jamaica,India,other foreign countries where tourism/resorts are opulent and OUTSIDE
of the tourist enclave,it is pathetically poor...do U see the same ? Or is the quality of life evenly spread out?

I've only been to four or five countries in Latin America, I can say that Costa Rica is not like Mexico, where you have inclusive resorts next to shanty towns. That's not to say there aren't shanty towns (roughly defined as plywood or corrugated metal "houses.") They aren't next to resorts and there are no street beggars (except a drunk or two).

Costa Rica has a high quality of life and a longevity of life, including a "Blue Zone."
A “Blue Zone” is a region of the world where people commonly live past the age of 100 years. The Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica has been named one of the five classified blue zones of the world, where residents live even longer than those in the rest of the country.

I hope that answers your question.

THANK YOU.... it seems it is kinda like OKINAWA....where quality of life,diet have top billing.....(in the past,not sure about now)