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	<title>Meet Costa Rica&#187; Costa Rica Living</title>
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		<title>Living in Costa Rica &#8211; An Affordable Slice of Paradise for all Budgets</title>
		<link>http://www.meetcostarica.com/living-in-costa-rica-an-affordable-slice-of-paradise-for-all-budgets/</link>
		<comments>http://www.meetcostarica.com/living-in-costa-rica-an-affordable-slice-of-paradise-for-all-budgets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 May 2011 23:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MeetCostaRica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Costa Rica Living]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.meetcostarica.com/?p=2174</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People are migrating to Costa Rica in record numbers, and if you&#8217;re thinking of retiring, buying a second home, or starting a business &#8211; living in Costa Rica is much easier than you may think &#8211; and the benefits are huge &#8211; and affordable for everyone. Why Live in Costa Rica? There are many reasons [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2176" title="costa-rica-living" src="http://www.meetcostarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/costa-rica-living-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="194" height="145" />People are migrating to Costa Rica in record numbers, and if you&#8217;re thinking of retiring, buying a second home, or starting a business &#8211; living in Costa Rica is much easier than you may think &#8211; and the benefits are huge &#8211; and affordable for everyone.</p>
<p>Why Live in Costa Rica?<span id="more-2174"></span></p>
<p>There are many reasons people choose to live in Costa Rica &#8211; and they include stunning natural beauty, a slower paced lifestyle, low crime, great infrastructure &#8211; and you get a LOT for your money.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s look at some of the reasons why more people are moving to Costa Rica than ever before:</p>
<p>Property</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re moving to Costa Rica, the first thing to consider is the cost of property &#8211; and the good news is that it&#8217;s cheaper in comparison to the US &#8211; with beachfront properties costing up to 75% less!</p>
<p>The cost of a three bedroom home starts at just $60,000.</p>
<p>Property taxes are minimal, and there&#8217;s no capital gains tax when selling your home &#8211; and overseas buyers have the same rights as residents, so you&#8217;re legally protected.</p>
<p>Hired help is also inexpensive &#8211; you can hire a full-time maid for as little as $150 to $200 a month.</p>
<p>Also consider this: A $30,000 home purchased 15 years ago is now worth $800,000 today. Therefore, you can also make money when living in Costa Rica &#8211; from the steadily rising property prices &#8211; making it an ideal place to buy a second home.</p>
<p>Cost</p>
<p>When you live in Costa Rica you get more for your money &#8211; and this is a major attraction, with just about everything being cheaper than in the US. In addition, there&#8217;s a favorable exchange rate &#8211; and lack of inflation means your money goes further.</p>
<p>The cost of medical care, food, general utilities and entertainment are substantially lower than in the US. You&#8217;ll pay up to 70% less for groceries &#8211; or you can dine out for about $12.00 a head. Utility bills are also substantially cheaper.</p>
<p>By living in Costa Rica, you get access to world-class healthcare at up to 70% less than back home &#8211; and medical insurance is cheap.</p>
<p>If you move to Costa Rica, you&#8217;ll find that you can have a comfortable lifestyle for around $2,000 a month.</p>
<p>Lifestyle</p>
<p>Many Americans who now live in Costa Rica, like the slower paced, friendlier lifestyle &#8211; where people have time for each other &#8211; but you don&#8217;t have to give up your home comforts.</p>
<p>Living in Costa Rica means, you can still get a lot of U.S. culture &#8211; including excellent shopping, cable TV, and cheap communications.</p>
<p>The infrastructure is simply excellent &#8211; and with regular flights to the US that take just 3 hours to most of the southern US cities &#8211; you need never feel homesick.</p>
<p>One major attraction of living in Costa Rica though is the weather. Fed up with freezing winters and scorching summers? Then consider this:</p>
<p>Temperatures of 80 degrees during the day, and 60 to 70 degrees at night, make it a comfortable climate all year round.</p>
<p>Living in Costa Rica gives you a wide range of recreational activities, including:</p>
<p>. Golf</p>
<p>. Fishing</p>
<p>. Surfing</p>
<p>. Diving</p>
<p>. White-water rafting</p>
<p>Alternatively, you may just want to stroll through some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth &#8211; well, living in Costa Rica gives you all this and more.</p>
<p>Safety</p>
<p>Latin America is now very popular, but if you&#8217;re choosing a country in this area, then living in Costa Rica has advantages over its rivals.</p>
<p>Neighboring countries such as Nicaragua, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala are cheaper &#8211; but the quality of life and infrastructure are not as good.</p>
<p>Furthermore, safety is a major concern &#8211; as petty crime, violent crime, kidnappings, as well as drug wars, are a problem in these countries.</p>
<p>In conclusion, living in Costa Rica gives you a better and safer lifestyle &#8211; with something for everyone.</p>
<p>Living in Costa Rica is an adventure that can enhance your lifestyle. You&#8217;ll only be bored if you want to be &#8211; and Costa Rica suits people with ALL budgets.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve ever dreamed of living in paradise, then you should consider living in Costa Rica.</p>
<p>FREE Guide! &#8211; The Secrets of Building Wealth in Real Estate and Land. How to invest in land [http://www.costaricalandlots.com/free-wealth-report.php] with low risk for long term capital growth.</p>
<p>Visit our website and grab your free report now! [http://www.costaricalandlots.com/free-wealth-report.php]</p>
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		<title>Costa Rica and Coffee &#8211; Two Beans in a Pod Would Not Fit Any Better</title>
		<link>http://www.meetcostarica.com/costa-rica-and-coffee-two-beans-in-a-pod-would-not-fit-any-better/</link>
		<comments>http://www.meetcostarica.com/costa-rica-and-coffee-two-beans-in-a-pod-would-not-fit-any-better/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:43:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MeetCostaRica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Costa Rica Living]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.costarica1.com/?p=67</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The history of coffee in Costa Rica has a rich and unique tradition. Costa Rica is the only country in the world with an executive order (#19302-MAG, December 4, 1989), banning the production of any variety of coffee other than Arabica. This country has also enacted laws protecting an estimated 25% of its territory in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.costarica1.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/costa-rica-coffee.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-70" title="costa-rica-coffee" src="http://www.costarica1.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/costa-rica-coffee-299x300.jpg" alt="" width="299" height="300" /></a>The history of coffee in Costa Rica has a rich and unique tradition. Costa Rica is the only country in the world with an executive order (#19302-MAG, December 4, 1989), banning the production of any variety of coffee other than Arabica. This country has also enacted laws protecting an estimated 25% of its territory in order to preserve the 5% of the world&#8217;s biodiversity it shelters, much of it in coffee plantations. Such closely knit relationship between the environment, laws and popular support for the brew is truly remarkable.</p>
<p>After El Salvador, Costa Rica is the second smallest Central American nation. The narrowest distance separating the Caribbean from the Pacific Ocean measures only 73.94 miles (119 kilometers). The broadest area of the country measures 173.98 miles (280 kilometers). The distance from the northern most point of Costa Rica to the Panamanian border is only 298.25 miles (480 kilometers). The country&#8217;s land mass is part of the great Andean-Sierra Madre chain which is present in the western region of the Americas. There are many volcanoes and mountains everywhere. The nation&#8217;s northwestern part has low, narrow hills. The mountains grow steeper and larger near the Panamanian border.</p>
<p>Costa Rica lies wholly within the tropics. The country has at least a dozen &#8220;climatic zones&#8221; and very diverse local microclimates.</p>
<ul>
<li>Most regions have a rainy season, usually from May to November. The dry season is from December to April.</li>
<li>The rainfall tends to follow a predictable schedule. Highland ridges are wet. Windward sides of the country record the most rain.</li>
<li>The geography and natural habitats in Costa Rica are really beautiful. The country is perfectly suited to grow crops such as coffee.</li>
<li>The country&#8217;s soils are enriched by volcanic ash which helps produce a slight degree of tropical acidity.</li>
<li>The soils are also rich in organic matter which promotes healthy root systems and retains humidity. The result is good oxygenation and quality crops.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>The quality of Costa Rican coffee is simply outstanding. </em></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Most of the coffee grows in the mountains. The altitudes vary from 3,000 feet to 6,000 feet.</li>
<li>The length of daylight varies little during the year. Usually, sunrise is around 6 in the morning and sunset 12 hours later.</li>
<li>Seasonal variations in temperatures typically do not vary by more than a few degrees in any given location.</li>
<li>Hottest months: March to May. September and October can be quite warm.</li>
<li>December, January and February enjoy lower temperatures because of cool winds bearing down from northern latitudes.</li>
<li>During the summer time, called the &#8220;dry season,&#8221; night temperatures can be quite cool. Clear skies at night allow maximum heat loss through radiation.</li>
<li>By contrast, during the wet season, the nights are warmer as the heat built up during the day is trapped by the clouds.</li>
</ul>
<p>All these weather conditions are perfect for coffee growth and help maintain a quality hard to find elsewhere.</p>
<p><em>Ready for a cup of delicious Costa Rican Tarrazu gourmet coffee? </em></p>
<p>Timothy (&#8220;Tim&#8221;) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him &#8220;The Gourmet Coffee Guy.&#8221; He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.</p>
<p>Come visit the author&#8217;s website: <a href="http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com" target="_new">http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com</a></p>
<p>© Copyright &#8211; Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide</p>
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		<title>Medical Care in Costa Rica</title>
		<link>http://www.meetcostarica.com/medical-care-in-costa-rica/</link>
		<comments>http://www.meetcostarica.com/medical-care-in-costa-rica/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Dec 2009 05:20:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MeetCostaRica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health Care]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.costarica1.com/?p=16</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Medical Care in Costa Rica &#8211; World Accredited Facilities, Board Certified Doctors, 65% Cheaper Costs Every year, more than 25,000 people, mostly Americans, hop a jet or cruise ship and travel south for medical care in Costa Rica. Why are more and more folks taking vacations to that country that also include medical tourism? Because [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2178" title="Costa Rica Health" src="http://www.meetcostarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/costa-rica-health-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" />Medical Care in Costa Rica &#8211; World Accredited Facilities, Board Certified Doctors, 65% Cheaper Costs</strong></p>
<p>Every year, more than 25,000 people, mostly Americans, hop a jet or cruise ship and travel south for medical care in Costa Rica. Why are more and more folks taking vacations to that country that also include medical tourism? Because they are finding that medical care in Costa Rica is now on par with the best hospitals in the States but at a fraction of the cost.</p>
<p>Only the world&#8217;s finest hospitals receive Joint Commission International Accreditation and three Costa Rica hospitals are so certified and accredited, providing assurance that they meet the highest international benchmarks for hospitals and patient care. Those hospitals are Cima, Clinical Biblica, and La Catolica Hospital, all in or very near to San Jose. The patient care and delivery of service is top drawer, often delivered by Board Certified physicians.</p>
<p>It is no secret that American health care is the costliest in the world&#8212;by a long shot. And, for the nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance, there is insult added to injury because hospitals charge uninsured patients much more for services than folks having good insurance. This is where medical care in this little Latin America country comes in for thousands of suffering American tourists. Why? Because they can save up to 65% in Costa Rica for the identical services they would receive in the United States.</p>
<p>Not convinced? Here is an example: for patients without health insurance, total knee replacement surgery in the U.S. can cost $35,000 or more. Clinica Biblica charges less than $12,000.</p>
<p>Internationally accredited medical hospitals and board certified doctors&#8212;many who have studied and trained in the United States and at world renowned universities-charge about $3,200 for breast augmentation. Lasik eye surgery that can run up to $5,000 in the States is less than $2,000.</p>
<p>For more and more women wanting plastic surgery, Costa Rica is the answer. Instead of paying $10,000 for a facelift, they hop a plane, pay $3,000 or less, recuperate in a tropical paradise on vacation, and go home with money in their pocket.</p>
<p>In addition to the three JCI accredited hospitals, there are three clinics accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Facilities. They are UNIBE (Universidad de Iberoamerica) which offers ambulatory and surgical care; Sonrisa Por Todo (Smiles for Everybody) providing dental care; and Pino Plastic Surgery Clinic.</p>
<p>Quality dental care is so affordable in this Central American country that more than a third of all its medical tourists now come for dental surgery or dental implants. Implants costing up to $3,000 in the United States are between $500-$750 in this tropical paradise. Periodontal surgery that is at least $2,500 in America is about $400.</p>
<p>With American medical and dental expenses heading into the stratosphere, tens of thousands of patients are being lost each year and Costa Rica is gladly providing the same quality of care and treatment. Unlike Mexico, it is safe to bring a family to this country. Unlike Thailand or India, you will be just a short flight away from home.</p>
<p>So, if you need medical or dental care but cannot afford American prices, my advice is simply this: take a   rel=nofollow [http://www.costa-rica-vacations-blog.com]Costa Rica vacation!</p>
<p>About the writer: Vic Krumm lives in sunny Costa Rica. Visit his acclaimed website about Costa Rica Vacations and see why [http://www.costarica-discover-it.com/medical-tourism.html]Costa Rica Medical Tourism is world-famous.</p>
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