Living In CR

This week we are celebrating 10 years of living in Costa Rica. Wow, how the time has flown! Back in 2013 when we first arrived, we thought we’d be able …

Costa Rica’s annual vehicle inspection, known as Dekra (previously Riteve), can make even the most carefree person stressed out. Will the car pass easily or will you have to pay …

After purchasing our home in Costa Rica and doing some renovations to the interior, it was time to think about the yard. Even though we live near the beach, everyone …

If you’re thinking of moving to Costa Rica, you probably picture your new life filled with endless sunshine and clear blue skies. Costa Rica definitely has that for a good …

In a recent post, we gave some background on private schools in Costa Rica. We explained about the different types of accreditations, options for types of schools, costs, and the …

If you’re planning to move to Costa Rica with your kids or just visit for an extended stay, you’re no doubt trying to figure out where to send them to …

Last Updated: June 5, 2024 Since COVID, Costa Rica has seen a surge in digital nomads. More and more people are working remotely, making it the perfect time to try …

When moving to a foreign country, one of the biggest challenges can be where to buy the things you need. In Costa Rica, it can be especially hard if you …

Most tourists traveling to Costa Rica can use their license from their home country to drive. But visitors from some countries will need an international driving permit. Likewise, people who …

If you’re like most people, your phone is an important extension of your daily life. And while you may be able to turn off work emails during your vacation, you …

Last Updated: November 8, 2024 Those who have gone through the residency process in Costa Rica and received their DIMEX card (sometimes called a cedula) know what a process it …

Patacones are a staple in Costa Rican cuisine. These fried green plantains are relatively simple to make and delicious. Making them always feels like a treat in our house. We …

After recently buying a house in Costa Rica, we quickly got started on some renovation projects to make it our own. Our initial list of improvements was modest, but once …

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 The process of buying a house can be overwhelming, let alone trying to figure it out in a foreign country. We have been living in …

Last Updated: November 6, 2024 In this new era of work from home, many people are interested in spending extended periods of time abroad. If you’re comfortable traveling, it’s a …

Each year we get many questions about what it is like during Christmas and New Years in Costa Rica. People want to know about the weather, local traditions, and which …

With its warm weather, beautiful landscapes, and welcoming locals, Costa Rica is a desirable location for those moving or retiring abroad. For many people, building a house in Costa Rica …

This past July marked our seven-year anniversary of moving to Costa Rica. It’s amazing to think how different life would be if we never took the chance. When we first …

For several months, we have been updating our readers on the coronavirus and how it has affected Costa Rica. That post has mostly formal details on the current number of …

Last Updated: November 6, 2024 Moving to Costa Rica with kids can be an exciting adventure. From the hidden beaches to exotic wildlife, Costa Rica definitely has a lot to …

More and more people seem to be deciding to give Costa Rica a try as their new home these days. And many are still of working age (not retired) and …

We’ve done a series of posts in the past about having a baby in Costa Rica. These covered prenatal care, delivering at a small private hospital in San Isidro de …

In a recent post, we shared how to make a staple of Costa Rican cuisine: homemade beans. In this post, we’ll teach you about another mainstay of traditional food, arroz …

In Part 1 of our virtual field trip to Costa Rica, we had you discover wildlife through guidebooks and trail cameras, taught you how to make homemade beans (yum!), planted …

At home wishing you were in Costa Rica? Even from afar, there are meaningful ways to connect with and learn about the country’s rich culture, abundant wildlife, and diverse ecosystems. …

When a lot of people cook using beans, they just open a can that is already prepared. But in other parts of the world like Costa Rica, making homemade beans …

A half decade (yes, five years!) has passed since we first boarded that plane to Costa Rica with our eight mismatched suitcases and twinkles of adventure in our eyes. When …

Another year update. It seems surreal. When we first moved to Costa Rica in 2013, we counted those first weeks, months, and even years with amazement. “Wow, I can’t believe …

It seems like it was only a few months ago that we were writing our two-year update on living in Costa Rica. But this past weekend, we just breezed by …

Last Updated: June 17, 2020 After spending almost three years in Costa Rica, coming and going on a tourist visa, we have decided to apply for residency. This is a …

Last Updated: February 7, 2024 In our other posts on having a baby in Costa Rica, we discuss prenatal care (Part 1), delivery at a small private hospital (Part 2), …

So you’re narrowing down different countries to retire or move to. Or maybe you’re already sure that Costa Rica will be your new home. Beautiful beaches, wildlife, rolling mountains, and …

In our first post about having a baby in Costa Rica, we shared our experience with prenatal care. We covered public vs. private healthcare, and how we picked our doctor …

We’ve mentioned in the past about how it can be difficult to find certain items in Costa Rica. Up until this point, this has been fine. With just the two …

Moving abroad can be very stressful. We remember what it was like getting ready for our big move to Costa Rica from Boston in 2013. Selling our stuff and condo, …

With only weeks until our new addition arrives, we thought it was time to start sharing our experience of having a baby in Costa Rica. Moving here, we knew that …

Last Updated: May 10, 2023 When we first moved to Costa Rica, we did house sitting for several years and walked into all different kinds of situations. Sometimes homes and pets …

When we first announced our decision to move to Costa Rica in July 2013, we joked that we were saying goodbye to our typical two week vacations, and hello to …

  In July 2013, we stepped off the plane feeling fairly confident that we knew what our new lives in Costa Rica would be like. We had not only visited …

Last Updated: October 29, 2024 If you’ve read our other posts on this topic, you know what we think about house sitting. We think it’s awesome! When we first moved …

Last Updated: October 30, 2024 We get emails all the time from people interested in moving to Costa Rica. They have been drawn in by the relaxed pace of life, …

Last Updated: May 10, 2023 In another article, we shared about how to save money on accommodations through house sitting. We explained how the process works, the three best websites …

Last Updated: May 10, 2023 You’re probably reading this and saying to yourself, this can’t be true. How can you live somewhere exotic like Costa Rica and pay just a …

Over the past thirteen months, we’ve lived in eight towns across Costa Rica. From the Pacific to the Caribbean, we dragged our eight suitcases through booming resort towns, quaint mountain …

We took over 5,000 photos during our first year in Costa Rica and used them to create this video. We journeyed across the country, living in eight towns and visiting so many amazing beaches, …

Today marks our one-year anniversary of living in Costa Rica. It’s hard to believe that a year ago today we were arriving in San Jose with nothing but eight suitcases …

Since Buying a Car in Costa Rica about 10 months ago, we have gone through many of the motions of car ownership, including taxes, insurance, maintenance, and of course repairs. …

We read an article a while back about how mold and fungus can start growing inside the lens or body of a camera, especially in high humidity environments like Costa …

Right before we moved to Costa Rica in July of 2013, we did a post about what we were bringing. We itemized the contents of each of our eight suitcases …

Today marks our six-month anniversary of living in Costa Rica. There is a lot we could say about our time here so far but we’re going to lighten things up …

We’ve been in Costa Rica for five months now, through some big holidays, first Thanksgiving, and now, Christmas. Christmas is an important holiday for both of our families back home …

In our last post, we told you about all of the traditional ways we’re trying to learn Spanish, like using books and online learning tools. Now we’re going to get …

We’ve been living in Costa Rica for about four months now and are really starting to adjust to daily life here. We have a routine for work, have figured out …

Last Updated: October 31, 2024 When we moved to Costa Rica, one of our first priorities was to buy a car. We couldn’t wait to be cruising down the road, …

We’ve been living in Costa Rica for over a month now and are gradually adjusting to the changes we mentioned in our previous update. Even though we’ve been here for …

Today marks our two-week anniversary of living in Costa Rica. We truly love it here so far—the people, the relaxed approach to life, not to mention the spectacular natural beauty. …

Our big move to Costa Rica is just a mere week away. As our pre-trip to-do list shortens and it gets closer to July 23, we are getting more and …

With our move just two months away, the focus is shifting to what we’re leaving behind. Visits with friends and family are ending with sad looks and us saying, “Don’t …

We have some big news: We quit our jobs and are moving to Costa Rica! After more than two years in the works, we’re making our dream happen and relocating …