www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Usually get coffee @ Mas x Menos, they have Cafe Britt cheaper than the airport but still an overpriced tourist product IMO. My favorites (both about half price of Cafe Britt) are Cafe Leyenda, orange bag (also made by CB) and Montana, green bag.

_________________

Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

I HAVE THE BEST IN CR

Dentist
Cell phone in 10 minutes under $50
Glasses with exam $18 in 3 days
Doctor
Barber under $3 with tip
Hotel Room $100 per week
Bus Information

If you are not interested don't PM me.

SEAHAWK

Regarding glasses... I went to a local place to buy a pair for a poor K*D I know, and they quoted me a price of over $200, which was totally absurd, especially considering the correction was minor. I said so (in Spanish) and began to walk out. Miraculously, they were able to give him a serviceable pair for about $50. Gringo 'discount' in effect.

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

It really gives me pain whenever I see instances when the Ticos try their best to get over on the foreigners only because they 'think' we don't understand nor speak Spanish. There's a BIG difference between $50 and $200. If one is not aware and alert about how they can abuse the prices they will charge, they will really get over on us.

However, even when I've spoken very clear Spanish to them, they have tried their best to charge me a very large amount.

_________________
Respectfully,

Muff

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Here is a BAD BUY !
Kraft Parmesan Cheese 24 oz
Pricesmart 6995 colon, $14 dollars.
Sams Club Ga $6.73 including tax.

Dude. This is more than double for a dry goods item. Yeah a little extra for shipping and import taxes but more than double !

I'm guessing that this is the kind of crap that pushed Rambo over the edge.

_________________
* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

I love great imported cheeses. Was so happy to find them in Auto Mercado till I saw the prices. $50 per pound.

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

Unfortunately good local cheese is not a CR staple. Auto Mercado is the highest priced supermercado in the country. You can find lots of gringo imported foods but expect to pay premium prices. Even worse is expect to pay premium price for local goods. Good bakery items though.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Why ? Flour, Sugar, and cooking oils are not expensive here, so why does a Birthday Cake cost $24.00 at most grocery stores ? Just about the only cheap place to buy one is Pricesmart .

_________________
* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

I have no idea.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I've learned that by now. I shop for most basic things at either Mas o Menos, and get as much as I can in produce and meat/fish at Mercado Central. I plan on packing about ten pounds of great cheese in my baggage the next time I visit the USA.

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Man I'm living life like a great white shark swimming with minnows! It's all about panocha, great scotch, fine cigars, loud-ass rock music and speed, speed, speed - plus spending as much time as possible in paradise on earth, Costa Rica!

It's hard to find "Good Buys" in Costa Rica. Most stuff cost double what it cost in the USA.

But...

Right Now at PriceSmart you can find Rubbermaid Glass storage-cooking-serving containers with resealable lids (14 piece set) for $40.00 bucks, $26 dollars LESS than they cost in the USA ! Pricesmart may not have these forever so I got two sets.

I enjoy most of my meals at home so these are really nice. The nice thing about glass is you can pour boiling hot sauces or soups and meat right off the grill in them, unlike plastic. This is a top of the line set. BPA Free too. Oven safe to 420 degrees f.

This same 14 piece set Cost $65.99 on Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Piece- ... roduct_top


Another "Good Buy" in CR is refillable/returnable 2.5 liters of Coke for a mil at Pali.

_________________
* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Almost everything is cheaper in Costa Rica except imported things with American name/brands. I would say that everything that involves ‘services’ is cheaper in CR. For example, dentist, doctors, medical procedures (like colonoscopy), hookers, massages, maid service, haircut, manicure, etc.
Fruits that are grown locally could be very inexpensive: mangoes, pineapple, peaches, bananas, watermelon, etc. (and other tropical fruits that I’ve never seen in the USA). If you are visiting for a few days, coffee and wood hand craft are a good buy. If you want to buy thing made in the USA, with few exceptions, you may have to pay a little more in Costa Rica than you do in the USA.

I need to find Maracuya, Parchita, Chinola fruit while I am there so I can make fresh juice. (hopefully Boyd will let me use a blender) Got hooked on it in the DR and can only find powdered or the Dole passion fruit juice in the store here. The fresh stuff is incredible also very good with vodka.

"American Brands?" Most of the 'stuff' here is American Brands with the exception of Vehicles. What brands does the tiny country of Costa Rica make ? What toaster do they manufacture ? Which bicycles do they manufacture ? They make fruit, coffee, vegetables, and wood furniture products. Thats it. And if your not paying double for "American Brands", you are paying double for junk brands from China. I thought they had some cheap junk at USA Wal Mart until I saw the junk they sell at the Wal Mart in CR !

"Almost everything", What can you name besides a few fruits and vegetables which are well offset by eggs and potatoes costing double ?




Yes. Doctors, Dentist, Hookers. Half.

But if your young and healthy with a girlfriend. There is no savings here. And if I needed some heart surgery or another important surgery, I'd be on a plane back to the best doctors in the world.



A 10 pound bag of Potatoes costs $5.33 including tax at Sam's Club. Here at Pali or Pricesmart , 10 pounds of potatoes cost $10.76. More than Double.
Orange Juice, fresh squeezed, Double
40 eggs At Pali or Pricesmart $8.90. 36 eggs at Sam's Club $3.17 More than Double
Sugar cost the same at about 60 cents a pound.

And if you want some Parmesan Cheese: Kraft Parmesan cheese 24 ounce plastic container: $7.87 at Sam's Club.$14.65 at Pricesmart. About Double




Not a "little more" for name brands from the USA or China but, Double the price.
Nike shoes. Double
Levi Jeans. Double
LG TV. Double
Replacement Ink cartridge. Double
Fridge. Double
Toaster. Double
Coffee Pot. Double
Tools. Double
Drill. Double
Bed Sheets. Double
McDonalds Combo meal. About Double. c3600 or $7.20 in CR $4.25 in the USA.
Light Bulbs. Double
Batteries. Double
Christmas toys for the K*ds. Double

_________________
* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

McDonalds Combo meal. About Double. c3600 or $7.20 in CR $4.25 in the USA.

Combo meal is $ 6.50 in Boston area and that's not super sized.