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Commuting/Living in Costa Rica
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Author:  Beachdago [ Wed Feb 01, 2006 2:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

Hey Guys

I have been a member for a few months and have been to CR 3 times since October. Of course I love it and I want to take it to the next level.

I need some guidance.

I am a recruiter/headhunter and I am in a position to move or at least
commute to Costa Rica. I have a friend who is doing it from Brazil and it is
working fine. As most of my job is done on the phone and via the internet,
it does not really matter where I set up shop.

I need to sublease minimal office space or have some sort of set-up where I can do my job. Perhaps a decent apartment that I could work from as well. . I don't really care where I work or live, it just needs to be decent. Could be SJ, Excazu, Pedro etc.

I recently purchased a vonage system (www.vonage.com) and it works good from Redondo Beach to Costa Rica.

I am not sure how well it will work from Costa Rica to Redondo(LA) . It's a
VOIP system with it's own VOIP router that plugs into an existing router and works like a regular phone. Pretty slick and pretty cheap. If anybody is using VOIP in CR right now, let me know how it is working. I need a high quality connection.

If you guys have any ideas on where I could rent a place to live as well as
office space or desk space let me know.

Can anyone comment on how much it takes to live in Costa Rica? I am trying to get a handle on the numbers.

Also, If there are any negatives to this idea, please comment as well.

Marc

Author:  Traylor Park [ Wed Feb 01, 2006 5:59 pm ]
Post subject: 

Welcome to the board.

Do you think you can find me a job in Costa Rica working for an Ameican company?

Hey as long as you can make a decent wage working for US dollars you should have no problem living in Costa Rica... as long as you don't plan on living like a king. The Ticos, if they're lucky, live on about $400 a month on average. Tico, wife (novia) bebes, rent, food and utilities for under $400 dollars a month.

Damn, if i sold off all my belongings, not including my house and car, i'd be able to live in Costa Rica for a few years without working.... something i'm seriously considering.

Don't forget... i'm looking for a job in Costa Rica, working for an American company. :lol:

Author:  YMMV [ Wed Feb 01, 2006 7:32 pm ]
Post subject:  I'm doing that

I've been working for an American company here in Costa Rica for about 6 months. So far so good. VoIP doesn't work especially well here because the bandwidth available doesn't compare with that of the US.

I use Vonage and also Skype (see Skype.com) and both work (...pretty) well on occassion, and poorly at other times. Also, DSL goes out (completely) pretty frequently which can be frustrating.

My solution is I have about $100 worth of phone cards on hand at all times. When VoIP solutions or DSL aren't functioning well, I just make a call, instead.

To keep costs low, I live/work from a small comfortable apartment. I put away the bulk of my earnings each month because my costs are so low.

Happy to help with any other ?'s if I can.

My advice to you- GO FOR IT! Moving from LA to Costa Rica has been the best decision I've ever made.

Good luck!

YMMV :wink:

Author:  Ejaculator [ Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:46 pm ]
Post subject: 

Beachdago:
I've been in CR for about 4 months, recently retired from the Navy, I was born here but lived in the US for over 30 years. there are some good and bad things in this country, but most of them are good.

Utilities are a lot cheaper here, my electric and water bills are about one fourth of what I paid in the US.

Digital cable is about the same, high speed internet is double but it may be
cut in half sometime soon.

Groseries are much cheaper, specially produce and fruit, restaurants are less expensive more so if you like the local food.

Gas prices are almost double than the US... I think, I haven't done the math, liters/gallons/colones/dollars.

Very good prices on alcohol, good local beer...Imperial

You can find a decent apartment for about $400-$600 in places near San Jose like Moravia and San Pedro, if you're looking to find places in Santa Ana or Escazu you will have to spend a bit more, some places go up as much as $2000.

If you don't already speak the language, it would be a good idea to learn it.

And of course the costarrican women, I wouldn't know where to start.

I love it here and can't imagine moving back to the US, I will go back and visit at least once a year.

Good luck, if you have anymore questions let me know

Author:  LVSteve [ Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:02 am ]
Post subject: 

ADDING TO THE ABOVE:
GAS IS ABOUT 448 COLONES PER LITER WHICH IS ABOUT .80 CENTS WHICH WORKS OUT TO ROUGHLY 3.21 US PER GALLON. ANOTHER PRICE INCREASE IS COMING SOON WHICH WILL MAKE IT CLOSE TO 4.00 A GALLON.
AS FAR AS GROCERYS, USE THE OPEN AIR MARKETS - TOMATOES CAN BE PURCHACED FOR ABOUT 300 COLONES PER KILO, ORANGES FOR 300 COLONES FOR A BAG OF 25. IN SHORT, I BUY A WHOLE WEEKS WORTH OF LETTUCE, CAROTS, TOMATOES, ORANGES, RADISHES, CUCUMBERS AND PEPPERS FOR LESS THAN 1500 COLONES (2.50US).
ALSO, DON'T FORGET DRUGS (THE LEGAL KIND). PERSCRIPTIONS RUN ABOUT 40 TO 50% LESS HERE AND YOU DON'T NEED A PERSCRIPTION.
LVSTEVE

Author:  liurouwan [ Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

International Phone Call Communication, International SMS And Voice Service, Voip Phone System, voip phone, ip phone. Ant Tone,Inc.
https://www.anttone.com

Author:  MM3 [ Sun Oct 14, 2018 7:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

Holy Spam in a necropost, Batman!

Author:  Netgems [ Sun Oct 14, 2018 12:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

I retired early here this January. I could technically live here on my savings and soc sec income, but not really comfortably in the USA lifestyle I am used to, so I work part time from my office in my home here in Barrio Amon about 15 to 20 hours a week...not every week, lol... :o

There's people in their 80's doing my type of business from their homes, and it gives me a connection to my youthful money making former life, the excitement of making money still and accomplishing something.

I'll probably work 'till I die, hopefully immediately after a mind numbing leche with one of my faves, but possibly my face in my keyboard and one of my clients saying "Hello? Hello? Hello? and figuring CR lost the connection, or the local volcano could explode and I'll go out the way some of my ancestors did in Pompeii... :( :!: :roll:

You never mentioned your income, and/or your budget. Is it modest or spectacular? If you have a high income, you can rent a fancy condo in a high rise in Escazu or Sabana, and lay down the law with your landlord that you want cable connected internet.

Wi-fi may be ok for keeping in touch with friends n relatives, checking sites you are interested in, checking your bank info, etc., but I find it sux if you, like me, have to access multiple complex software programs at once while talking to clients and associates.

Before getting cable internet in my apartment, which works quite well, I used this office rental space, a stones throw (literally if you throw like Tom Brady or Drew Brees) from SL.

Selina.com

They gave me a deal before I got my present apartment with cable internet, apx. $300 a month for a beautiful private room with calming courtyard view. They have all office bennies, fax, printing, etc.

They have wifi, but it's business wi-fi so it's pretty good, far superior to the garbage wifi available for personal use. It's an excellent temporary option before you find your own set-up, or you could use them forever if you enjoy having an office away from your home and you can afford it.

They have an excellent restaurant, and SL and other restaurants are all within walking distance, they also offer nice but pricey temporary and perm apartments in Barrio Amon. I think if you get an apartment from them you get the office space either free or low cost, it may be worthwhile if you work a lot, plus you're in a great safe neighborhood.

Since I don't drink, gamble or feel the need for daily poonage, and never pay more than $80, and even THAT'S rare, once or twice a week works for me, and I cook most my own food, chose not to get a car, and found a magnificent fully furnished 2/2 in Barrio Amon with cable internet, cable, elec, etc., for $650, I live comfortably on 2k to 2.5k per month. :P

Whatever extra I come across goes into one of my money accounts IN THE USA, so I have backup in the event of an emergency, and I recommend to all expats have money set aside you never touch that could get you home and set you up with apartment, car, etc., if the sh*t hits the fan down here. :shock:

Will one of the old grump all knowing expats sitting in judgemental tribunes here harrumph, then belch, then let one ripppppp, then claim it'll never happen? Don't K*D yourselves, it could happen. :shock: :lol:

Decades ago, Venezuela was a wonderful place, and bullets are flying and young people yearning to be free are dying in former tranquil Nicaragua.

By the way, the economy here is teetering and the old guard who run things here have dug themselves a financial hole and the citizenry is starting to wake up to their corruption and theft of the nation's wealth... :shock: :x :evil:

The temporary good news is USA dollars buy more and more every day, but it could get rough if things get worse, some of us may hi-tail it to Colombia or sadly back to Florida if it gets really nasty... :shock:

Since I'm fortunate that my work software has its own excellent phone system built in, I can't give good advice on voip, but for family and friend and personal biz calls to the USA, surprisingly, if you have a gmail account, I find the gmail phone service, free calls to the USA, works reasonably well for me.

I'll use it occasionally to call clients and my partners if I don't want to go to the trouble of firing up my business software... 8)

My recommendation is that since many N. Americans love coming here on vaca, but discover they really don't want to deal with the inconveniences of living here, and there are many, don't jump in holding your nose just yet, come down and live for a month or 2 or 3, travel around, ask questions here, meet fellow expats, experience it fully before selling all you have and diving in.

Vistalindaapartments.com is the place I initially stayed before finding my current apartment. Carlos is the owner, speaks English, is honest, I have a friend staying there now checking things out just like you, excellent cheap convenient first place to start, also many expats there dispensing advice and you can share taxi and uber with.

No deposit, no credit check, pay apx. $530 or less for a nice but old clean furnished one bedroom apartment in Calle Blanco, gated, safe, month to month, about 20 minutes north of downtown

It's apx. 2k uber to get to the gulch during non high traffic times, and if you're crazy enough to get a car, they have parking, the bus comes by like every 20 minutes, the stop is about 100 feet from the front gate. Their internet sucks, but you can choose the other place for work since both are so cheap.

There's my 200 colones, once worth .40 cents, now about .35 cents... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Author:  Seabee [ Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

Do you realize the post you are answering is almost 13 years old?

Author:  911 Driver [ Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

What me worry :? :? :? :? :?
Regards, 911 Driver

Author:  Netgems [ Sun Oct 14, 2018 5:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

Seabee wrote:
Do you realize the post you are answering is almost 13 years old?


Haha, looks like a rookie first answered him and it triggered it to fall into first place in my "unread posts" options. :shock:

Wonder how he found it???? :? :?: :?: :?:

I forgot this clumsy ill written software has strange quirks... :x

Oh well, I'll copy and past my highly informative recommendations for the next inquiry :idea: , the same ones keep popping up here over and over, one will show up soon... :arrow:

But nonetheless, should have seen it... :lol: :lol: :lol: :x :x :x :oops: :oops: :oops:

By the way, "Beachdago"....

Are you here???

Is it working out for you??? :?: :?: :?: :? :? :? :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Author:  partytime [ Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

Hey Netgems

Thanks for the information and glad you replied.
I’m sure there’s lots of guys
(me included) thinking about retiring
In CR.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Author:  LocoGringo [ Mon Oct 15, 2018 10:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

Netgems,

Is that office space in Selina chica friendly?

Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk

Author:  Netgems [ Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

LocoGringo wrote:
Netgems,

Is that office space in Selina chica friendly?

Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk




I suppose you can bring anyone with you that you want, but the office space is all glass, windows, so...

https://lonelyplanetwpnews.imgix.net/20 ... 735307.jpg

Author:  Netgems [ Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Commuting/Living in Costa Rica

LocoGringo wrote:
Netgems,

Is that office space in Selina chica friendly?

Sent from my BLN-L24 using Tapatalk



Ask me any question, I'll tell you the good, the bad and the ugly!

Appreciate the accolades!

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