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COST OF LIVING IN COSTA RICA
Living in Costa Rica has many advantages including the sheer variety of activities available for enjoyment and the spectacular sights you can visit throughout the country which make life here a constant adventure. If you add to this the availability of modern conveniences, many shops and restaurants to choose from, excellent cultural activities, exciting nightlife and excellent medical services at very reasonable prices; then you begin to understand why so many people have chosen to live and work as well as to vacation and retire in Costa Rica. One of the aspects I enjoy the most is the excellent cost of living (bang for the buck) that is available here which permits your dollar or euro to stretch much farther allowing for services and luxuries that would be just too expensive in the U.S., Canada or Europe. I will give you a glimpse of this cost of living so you can compare these costs to your own current situation. The cost of living in San Jose (the capital city) is among the lowest of any capital city in Latin America, for example, Utilities costs for such services as telephone, electricity and water run about 30% of what they do in North America. If you add to this the mild weather, which makes cooling and heating unnecessary, you can begin to appreciate the cost savings you can have.
Full time live-in Maid (Sundays off) - $200 + per month
Ticket to see a movie in a modern theatre - $3.50
Minimum ticket price to see a cultural event at the National Theatre - $2.00
Ticket to see a First Division Soccer Team play - $4.00
An excellent steak dinner – Under $12.00
Basic Commercial Phone service - $5.00 per month
Basic Cellular Phone service - $8.00 per month
Basic Cable TV service - $28.00
Cable Internet home service (1 meg download/256K upload) costs - $40.00 per month
Men’s haircut & shampoo at luxury barbershop - $10.00
Men’s haircut at local barbershop - $3.00
La Nacion – Costa Rica’s leading daily newspaper - $0.42
A bottle of Coca Cola - $0.55
A pound of beans $0.48
A bottle of imperial beer - $0.70
A pack of local cigarettes - $1.10
Bus ride from downtown San Jose to Escazu - $0.32
Bus ride from San Jose to Jaco Beach (60 miles) - $2.50
Suzuki ATV Ozark LT F250 - $5,250 out the door
Suzuki ATV Z400 - $8,150 out the door
Harley Davidson XL 883 Sportster - $9,800
Harley Davidson XL 883C Sportster Custom - $11,600
2007 Honda CRV 4x2 SUV - $33,000
2007 KIA Rio hatchback 1400 cc w/ extras - $15,600
PRICES AT THE FARMER’S MARKET IN PAVAS
Watermelon - $0.80 per Kilo (2.2 lbs.)
Tomato - $0.80 per Kilo (2.2 lbs)
Lemons – 5 for $0.20
Carrots - $0.40 per Kilo (2.2 lbs)
Broccoli - $0.40 per flourette
Pineapple - $0.40 per Kilo (2.2 lbs)
Papaya - $0.40 per Kilo (2.2 lbs)
Cucumbers - $0.68 per Kilo (2.2 lbs)
Radishes - $0.21 per bunch
Zucchini - $0.21 each
Onions - $0.40 per Kilo (2.2 lbs)
Mangos - $1.60 per Kilo (2.2 lbs)
Bananas - $0.58 for a bunch with 18 bananas
Strawberries - $1.60 for ½ Kilo (1.1 lbs)
A solid wood King size bed with matching nightstands made in Sarchi - $1050 (Sarchi is a town known for its great furniture makers.
The Editor’s favorite vehicle – a 2007 Toyota Prado 6 cyl Diesel 4 x 4 which is an ideal vehicle type for exploring Costa Rica – Fully Loaded - $37,500.
While some imported manufactured items such as appliances, TV’s, Computers, Vehicles, etc. are more expensive, these are generally one time expenses but your daily and recurring expenses are much cheaper here and you will enjoy a higher standard of living in Costa Rica while living in a country that has most of the comforts and lifestyle of North America and Europe. When you can have a fulltime maid for about $200 a month and a driver for around $400, your lifestyle undergoes a significant transformation here and you can enjoy luxuries you could not afford back in your own country. Taking all of this into account plus great weather year-round, friendly Costa Rican people, stable political climate, a relatively low crime rate and a generally peaceful atmosphere, it’s a wonder you are not living here already!!!
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