International Living Community

Hi David,

Costa Rica, being a Catholic country, is socially conservative for the most part. However, the tide is changing.

Same-s*x marriage was legalized in May 2020 under President Carlos Alvarado Quesada’s administration. It is one of the first countries in Latin America to not only recognize same-s*x marriage, but to legalize it.

The Costa Rican people (especially in the cities and in the international expat communities) continue to be welcoming towards expats and tourists, regardless of sexual preferences or gender identification. However, in the more rural areas, it is still best to avoid obvious public displays of affection.

There is a large LGBTQ scene around San José, where you can find a variety of bars and events supporting the community. An online search can point you in the right direction. Each year, the city hosts a big pride parade and event.

Manuel Antonio, on the Central Coast, continues to be the number one alternate lifestyle tourist destination. There you will find hotels, bars, and tours catering to this growing tourism demand.

Tamarindo, on the Gold Coast, hosted the country’s first ever Glitter Festival to promote diversity in Guanacaste tourism. It also recently opened a popular gay bar further cementing this Guanacaste beach area as an LGBTQ-friendly option in the country. It’s reopened for the season as of last weekend, and its drag shows are reportedly super fun.

Hi Bradley,

Medical tourism has become big business in Costa Rica. People around the world are realizing the benefits of the country’s high-quality, low-cost medical services.

The World Health Organization ranks Costa Rica’s healthcare system slightly above that of the U.S. This achievement is the result of a large government investment in the health sector. The influx of foreigners in Costa Rica has also been a big incentive for private hospitals to open and expand their operations.

Tens of thousands of Americans, including many retirees, live in Costa Rica, and more than 700,000 Americans make annual visits. With hundreds of board-certified physicians, surgeons, and dentists practicing in or near the capital city of San José, health travel has gained a strong foothold.

To give you an idea of the savings that can be made by seeking medical procedures in Costa Rica, below is a comparison table of procedures and their cost in the U.S. and Costa Rica according to the Medical Tourism Association.

(Always keep in mind, prices listed are only estimates and can certainly vary based on a number of factors including doctor, facility, and of course complexity of each individual case.)!

Read more about healthcare in Costa Rica on the dedicated page of our website here.

Hi Matt,

No immunizations are required when entering Costa Rica from the US or Canada. However, there are some recommended.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the following recommendations, classed as “routine vaccines”:

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Polio
• Shingles

Personally, I don’t get the flu vaccine, and having received the others when I was young don’t need to worry about those.

Other recommended vaccines by the CDC are:

• COVID-19
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Malaria
• Measles
• Rabies
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever

I got a couple of Covid-19 shots, but I am not continuing with them; the only other two I have gotten are Hepatitis A and B. I don’t know anyone who has ever taken Malaria medicine before traveling to Costa Rica.

However, if you plan to spend time in very rural parts of the country, you may want to play it safe and get everything. Also, if you plan to travel to other Latin American countries from Costa Rica, be aware that some vaccines such as yellow fever and typhoid may be required.

For everything else you need to know about moving to Costa Rica, check out the dedicated page on our newly redesigned website.

All applications for residence must be filed in your country of origin, through your local consul, or directly with the Department of Immigration in San José.

It’s recommended you hire an attorney in Costa Rica to handle your residence application, especially if you don’t speak Spanish.

Most of the government officials you will interact with will not speak English. Plus, attorneys are familiar with the process and will help you avoid unnecessary delays due to missing documents or other issues.

Expats typically apply for residency through one of three main programs.

The Pensionado Program

Among the five categories of residence, most expats, especially retirees, opt for the Pensionado Program. It requires proof that you have at least $1,000 per month in income from Social Security, disability, a pension, or other retirement plan with income guaranteed for life. You won’t be able to work as an employee in Costa Rica, but you can own a company and receive dividends from it. The program allows you to bring in a spouse and dependents under 18 years of age.

The Rentista Program

The Rentista Program is for people without a fixed retirement income. It requires proof of $2,500 monthly unearned income (in other words, it cannot be from a job but rather interest, savings, or dividends) for at least two years or a $60,000 deposit in a Costa Rican bank approved by immigration authorities. If you choose to deposit the money, you can spend the money or not, but you will have to show that you have $60,000 in the bank when you renew it for the next two years. Other provisions of the Rentista Program are like those for pensionados.

The Inversionista Program

If you don’t qualify for the other two ways, you can invest at least $150,000* in a Costa Rican business or commercial or residential property (including your home).

There’s also the Permanent Residency Program, designed primarily for spouses of Costa Rican citizens, although anybody can apply after three years as a temporary resident. Permanent residents can work, unlike the other categories.

For a full guide to applying for residency in Costa Rica, including the list of required documents and contact details for attorneys, be sure to read Chapter 5 of our Escape to Costa Rica guidebook.

This depends a lot on the part of Costa Rica you wish to spend time in.

Recently, the Costa Rican Accessible Tourism Network has been working on environmental and social responsibility projects related to making the country more accessible. But some places are seeing more impact from this than others.

In San José, the capital, city buses are wheelchair-accessible, and most taxis can put a folding wheelchair in their trunk. The national airline, Sansa, can take passengers using a folding wheelchair; however, they require everyone to be able to board and deplane by themselves.

Roads and sidewalks in other parts of the country could prove challenging, as many are in poor repair.

Some expats laud Tamarindo as a good place for people with mobility issues and seniors because of its easy access to the beach and town, plus the prevalence of sidewalks. Its central location is great for seniors, however, in my opinion, there are not many sidewalks that are wheelchair friendly.

Speaking of beaches, the first beach that was made accessible in Jan 2021 was Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste. This beach has a 52-meter retractable walkway to the sea, a couple of amphibious chairs, and other facilities.

In June 2022, Playa Herradura, just north of Jacó, became the13th accessible beach in Costa Rica. So you can see that there has been a recent push to expand access even though there is still work to be done.

In general, I would suggest staying closer to San José, perhaps somewhere in the Central Valley.

One thing is for sure: it is easier to get around with disabilities in the US and Europe than in Costa Rica. I would contact the hotels and activities in the area I plan to visit to confirm accessibility before booking a trip.

Options to hire personal caregivers in Costa Rica are plentiful. And I have had some friends hire live-in help for their parents. The most important thing to consider is hiring from a reputable source to verify certificates and get recommendations.

You can find the list of minimum salary amounts in Costa Rica here. A personal home caregiver in the Central Valley has a monthly salary of about $700, much lower than U.S. prices.

I hope this has been of some help! You can get much more detail about life in Costa Rica in our Escape to Costa Rica guidebook.