Hello. There are so much variety here in Costa Rica, so you will need to figure out what your needs are -- get specific and think about things such as climate, location, and healthcare.
I suggest spending a month and staying in different places to really get a feel for them and check out the vibe for yourself. I recently visited Atenas and Grecia in the Central Valley and you might want to check them out if being close to health is necessary
The best healthcare is in the Central Valley, so keep that in mind. The best equipped hostpitals and most specialists are there. Often times, a specialist will visit a clinic in Guanacaste once a month. So it isn't as conveninet.
I met a wonderful woman in Grecia, who specializes in real estate in these areas. I suggest contacting her on WhatsApp: Brooke Bishop +506 8311 5336
In the Central Valley, you will find the country's biggest cities and many bigger towns. That doesn't mean it's all urban. There are plenty of quiet countryside locations, little mountain villages, bustling market towns — you can also get away from it all in the Central Valley.
I suggest checking out some other areas, maybe Escazu, Alajuela, Santa Ana, Pavas, Tres Rios, and Cartago. If you stay in San Jose, you might want to stay at the Grano de Oro or the Gran Hilton Hotel. And we hold our yearly conference at the InterContinental Escazu.
Another important factor to consider is the weather. What temperatures do you prefer? It rains everywhere, yet some places have more rain than others.
The beaches- Hot and humid, and I love them!
Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific receives more rain.
Lake Arenal- Cooler (temperature) than the beach.
Nuevo Arenal gets about 50% more rain than Tronadora, located just across the lake.
Tronadora is much windier.
La Fortuna and the surrounding towns like Chachagua are drier and warmer.
The Central Valley- Cooler temperatures - especially from the variety of elevations available.
I always recommmend reaching out to FB groups and asking questions. I use those groups to learn about differnt areas and connect with new people all of the time. FB groups are very active here and worth using as a resource.
These FB pages might be a good start:
Arenal
https://www.facebook.com/groups/712758082803982
https://www.facebook.com/groups/270122543035935
Guanacaste
https://www.facebook.com/groups/297720547030161
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3442610169117243
Jaco
https://www.facebook.com/groups/290260966853843
https://www.facebook.com/groups/711552235579574
There are lots of expat groups too:
search 'Expats in... '
As for budget, the best thing in my opinion is to talk with peopel currently living in the area. You can find expat meetups in FB groups. For example, this group posts about a women's would be a great place to get insider info. https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758784658197
Many people find staying in an Airbnb a good way to check out a community, more so than a hotel.
I talked with Nick when in Nuevo Arenal and he rent out an Airbnb.
https://internationalliving.com/from-deaths-door-to-thriving-in-lake-arenal-costa-rica/ (https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/40036748?source_impression_id=p3_1719933875_P3ic3CyJiPWB-oYF)
Let me know if you have any more questions and if you head to the Tamarindo area. Once you narrow down your search, send me an update here so I can share more info.
🙂 Happy New Year!
-Bekah, IL Costa Rica Correspondent