10 reasons why you should move to Costa Ricaa*

Do you dream about another life where you could live in another country, working and enjoying life at the same moment? What exactly is it about this beautiful country that lures people to pack their belongings and invest their lives there?

* Källa: www.vivatropical.com

1. Stunning Nature Abounds

Costa Rica is literally covered in natural wonders. It has epic volcanoes with spewing lava that create natural hot springs you can soak in. It has tall mountains you can climb to see the Atlantic and Pacific coasts at the same time.

It has hundreds of miles of shoreline varying from black to pink to gold to white. It has dolphins and whales for you to watch on and off shore. The sea varies from enormous waves for exciting surfing to calm and still for snorkeling and diving. The land is covered in old growth trees, swaying palms, and beautiful flowers. Rushing rivers and waterfalls flow through mangrove forests or reveal themselves deep in the jungle.

Animals take refuge in the lush landscape and the Osa Peninsula is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Howler monkeys live in the trees in your backyard. Sloths cross the road causing traffic jams. Toucans and scarlet macaws fly over your head.

Costa Rica is easily one of the most magical and beautiful countries on Earth.

2. Great Healthcare is Affordable

Healthcare is top-of-the-line and inexpensive, which has brought a new kind of tourism to the country: medical tourism. Hospitals in the capital of San Jose offer world-class care. Procedures including dental work, surgeries, and more are available at a fraction of the cost of the U.S. and are extremely high quality.

Costa Rican citizens receive free healthcare and residents can pay a low fee to join the national healthcare program.

Santa-Anna-Hospital

4. A supportive expats community

Because Costa Rica has been popular among expats for years it has a well-established supportive community in most of the coastal towns as well as in San Jose. These communities have created excellent schools for children, health-focused stores, markets, restaurants and cafes, and other practices like yoga, pilates, and bodywork.

The communities are very supportive and make integration into a new country much easier. Living in a small town with like-minded people, you may even find yourself in a closer community than the one you were in back home.

Govinda - Awake Center Uvita

3. “Perfect” Weather

Perfect is subjective, we know, so let’s be objective: Here on the western coast, our weather hovers around 24º-35ºC year around, with sun almost every day of the year. A few minutes drive from the beach upp in the mountain overlooking the Pacific ocean, temperatures is even more comfortable with temperatures around 20-29 year around, so you never need to heat or cool your house, you can live outdoor year around!

During rainy season (most residents’ favorite season, by the way!), you’ll often see afternoon showers and the occasional thunderstorm. When the rains pass, the clouds lift, the sun often comes back out, and we enjoy another spectacular sunset.

Uvita Mountains

Nosara

Pipa fria - bästa läskande drycken

5. A Healthy Lifestyle

Eating less processed foods and more local fruits and vegetables, being outside with nature every day, and using your body to achieve more tasks are all changes that take place for most people who move to Costa Rica. Many report losing weight because they become much more physically active.

The slower-paced lifestyle and immersion in nature help one to fully relax which is incredibly health beneficial. Not to mention, outside of the city there is much less pollution and toxic fumes than cities in Europe and North America.

6.The Stable Government and Economy

Thanks to its stable and developed economic base, Costa Ricans enjoy a higher standard of living than other Central American countries like neighbor Nicaragua and also has a stronger growth rate in terms of social, political and economic matters. Although the Costa Rican economy is not as powerful as that of the USA or the European nations, it certainly punches above its weight and was lucky enough to recover quickly from the global financial crisis. Additionally, it is working on making its economy sustainable as well as powerful and weeding out inequality. With, for example, the abolishment of their army, Costa Rica has been able to invest into social security and education, like the almost free University of Costa Rica.

Strand-promenaden Dominical

Bondens marknad Dominical

7 Kind, Generous Local Culture

Local Costa Ricans, Ticos, are some of the most hospitable, nature-loving, peace-oriented people on earth. They love their country and are welcoming to tourists and expats who love it too. Costa Rica has a 95% literacy rate and nationals are highly educated.

Raised in an amazing ecological environment, most are quite knowledgeable on plant medicine, wildlife, and other aspects of nature that many people in North America never study.

The smaller coastal towns tend to have very integrated communities where locals, long-term tourists, and residents are friends. It’s also fairly common for families to be multicultural with one local Costa Rican parent and one foreign parent.

8 Outdoor Adventure Opportunities

With unlimited hiking trails, white water rafting, excellent swells for surfers, rivers for kayaking, standup paddleboarding, snorkling and world class diving. Costa Rica is an adventure lovers dream. High adrenaline activities are very popular here including ziplining, paragliding and rafting. In Costa Rica, even a simple walk on your nearby beach can become an adventure.

Surf dags Hermosa Beach

9 The Pura Vida Lifestyle

What may truly set Costa Rica apart from the rest of Central America is its dedication to the words “pura vida”. Pura vida is more than a phrase, it is a way of life. When locals say “pura vida” it is a reminder to themselves and the rest of the world to relax, let things go, and be grateful for what you have.

Isn’t that why most people get off the grid after all?

It may not be the place for everyone, but Costa Rica is an exceptional option for anyone looking to live abroad in Latin America. These are just a few of the many reasons to move here.

Nosara Beach

10. Costa Rica is the place to thrive and grow as a human

Here you meet and thrive with awake friends from around the world, a mecca for retreats, plant-medicine, permaculture, herbalism, healing, sustainability, spirituality and everything in between. Here you will find the best organic and natural food in Central America. The place for ongoing yoga and movement classes all infused with local culture nestled alongside some of the most beautiful beaches in the county.

Tierra Magnific Nosara