Price of living in Costa Rica compared to United States

After all is said and done Costa Rica is a poor country with low labour costs. Buying locally is the key to make real savings. Living or retiring to Costa Rica will cost less than living in the United States, Europe or Canada but sticking to those home grown luxuries will bump up your costs.

If you do not want to buy a property for sale in Costa Rica but rent for a while and get a feel for the market then you can safely budget on around 1500 US dollars per month. You can rent a nice fully furnished home in a quiet area for an average of $400. This would be for an average home by US standards but the $1500 would allow some eating out, traveling and food costs.

A good strategy taken by many couples relocating to Costa Rica is to move to an area and rent for a while. Get to know the lay of the land, local prices and be on hand to buy up and bargain. Then buy a piece of land or property to live in. You could realize a return on this investment by building some cabanas to rent to visiting tourists. This can also be a nice way to keep busy.

As a price guide you can buy a lovely two bedroomed house for sale in Dominical for as little as 225,000 US dollars. For this you get a 2 bedroomed and 2 bathroomed property all ready to go. The house has no pool but amazing views across the mountains and out to sea. Plot size is generous at over 3,000 square meters and house size is again a very generous 1500 meters squared. With such a plot it would be easy to build a few cabanas and rent these out to traveling surfers.

Food prices in Costa Rica depend on your own preferences. Buying locally can safe a fortune over expensive imported products, and on the whole is much healthier. Restaurant prices are around $15 per head for a nice meal with wine.

As a general rule of thumb local produce and labour costs are lower but imported products much higher. Medical care is low and of a high level.

Uvita land for sale

In the South Pacific area of Costa Rica is a popular place known as Uvita. The famous Uvita land mark is the shape of its coastline created by a rocky outcrop it looks like and has been named the 'Whale Tail'.

Uvita is a quiet and unspoiled part of Costa Rica that is drawing some interest. You can buy a beach proximity house for sale in Uvita from as little as 150,000 US dollars. The property is only 400 metres from the local beach of Playa Chaman. Properties like these can be very well utilised as holiday homes or incomes can be gained renting them out to tourists. Others may decide to develop the property, install a swimming pool then sell for a nice profit. Prices are rising in the area and shrewd investors and showing interest.

Most of the Uvita area now has cell GSM coverage which means that phone and internet coverage are possible. This fact alone is drawing a lot of visitors that need constant access to their business via the internet.



A big portion of real estate interest is also land for sale in Uvita. Many people live with the dream of building their very own home to their own design in a dream location with sunset and beach views. Well in Uvita this is very possible at a budget that will surprise many. 79,000 US dollars can secure you an amazing tranquil sea view plot of land where you can build your ideal home. These plots have water and electricity ready to be connected to the house. For some year round access may need a four wheel drive car, but as the area flourishes this will no longer be the case. However these are the days when bargains can be had and dreams can become a reality.

Many of the plots of land in Uvita have local creeks and rivers with cascading waterfalls that can be enjoyed. The wildlife is truly stunning. Building costs for you new house will be very low as labour charges are minimal.