I strongly encourage you to read this recent article I found, even if you are only considering a visit to beautiful Costa Rica. It gives you a good idea of the conditions there!
http://www.ticotimes.net/More-news/News-Briefs/Costa-Rica-ranked-best-Central-American-country-for-elderly-retirees-new-report-says_Tuesday-October-08-2013
When you read this article, please keep a few things in mind that they don't mention.
Mostly, these tips I have all boil down to: moving isn't for everybody, and certainly should not be undertaken without a good amount of personal research first, including a few trips there!
DentaRica is pleased we can offer "trial run" trips to Costa Rica as simple vacations, plus perhaps a doctor consultation or a tour of a hospital (on days when you are not visiting a rain forest or museum). This is a great resource, whether you are considering a move or merely wanting to see medical and dental facilities before you decide.
According to AARP, most Americans who move to Costa Rica move back home within one year, but for those willing to adapt to a change in climate and culture and lifestyle, it can be a very beneficial move (in terms of health, happiness, low stress, and even public safety). In my travels around Costa Rica as a tourism destination specialist and medical tourism facilitator, I have met people from the USA (even from my hometown area) trying to "escape" to Costa Rica for a variety of reasons --bad debt, bad marriages, lack of retirement savings, lack of health coverage, etc.
People who are irresponsible and who have poor family relationships in the USA are not likely to have a greater level of personal happiness or improved health in Costa Rica, or anywhere else for that matter.
People who have never traveled to an under-developed county in the past may be dissatisfied. The electrical service goes off at times, and some services such as mail are virtually non existent. The roads are congested and in ill repair partly because of the heavy rains and runoff, and the pedestrian does not have the right of way. The desserts are not sweet, the language is different, and the country is not handicap friendly. Consumer goods (such as appliances) are very expensive, nearly twice the price as in the USA. Real estate is very expensive.
People who have a low degree of mobility or some existing health issues may not be comfortable. As I said, the country in general is not especially handicap friendly. Getting around may be tricky. The health care system there in not entirely free for residents, and most citizens in the USA will have lower payments under the Affordable Care Act if they have a low income. Advantages are the fresh fruit and vegetables, but my local supermarket sells Costa Rica pineapples and bananas, in addition to the locally grown collard greens and cool weather crops. There is a lot of hype about moving to Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil, Spain, and any number of countries.
This all being said, one can have a good life in Costa Rica, but no one should read an article and sell their home and move there, as did one senior I recently met from Oregon when I was last there. She needed mobility devices like a scooter, and had health issues, did not speak Spanish and had no family for support. Basic activities for her were extremely difficult while there. These types of people read online articles and then leap into a change of lifestyle with false assumptions and information. Some tour companies will capitalize on someone's ignorance and charge fees to "show them around; introduce them to Costa Rica" and "help them find housing and move" through seminars that cost thousands of dollars.
What needs to be remembered here is that the Tico Times article is addressing which of the Central American countries is best for retirees, and is not looking at the entire spectrum that compares it to elsewhere in the world. I often have to be brutally honest in my business of DentaRica, explaining to people that if they live in the USA, then they are better off living in America and traveling to Costa Rica as a tourist to take advantage of their high quality, low cost healthcare and dental treatments, and to tour around and enjoy Costa Rica as a tropical paradise destination, then go home. The country of Costa Rica also does not need gringos that are fleeing bad debts, bad relationships or criminal backgrounds.
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