www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I am going to give it a shot this fall to move down to Costa Rica right after the end of this rainy season. I will probably stay a year to see if it's the right choice. I will probably keep my banking in the US for the moment. But is it really as simple as arriving on finding an apartment or are there other technicalities that I need to consider.

It can be almost that simple. You'll have to leave the country every 90 days for 72 hours. I find that having a local bank account is convenient. I had an ATM card eaten by a machine (my US card) and had a HELL of a time getting it returned. A year is a nice long time to make up your mind. I made up mine in about 2 months. Getting a telephone, especially a cell phone, can be a hassle. My first apt came with it's own phone, so no problem there for me. Beyond that, I didn't have any major problems, other than learning my way around and dealing with a new culture and language. You may have problems with not being horny anymore, it's rather a shock to the system.

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"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis

It depends on how and where you want to live. You'll probably want to find a furnished place, so go cheap and short term. Then you can take your time to find a place you like.

Yes, keep your US bank account for now. Make sure you find a place that has a phone, because it can take months to get a new phone line installed and you have to be a resident or own a corporation to do it. Same with cell phones.

You should probably do some recon work before you fly down, find out where you want to live, and under what conditions.