More Kudos for Costa Rica

It’s not surprising that Costa Rica has received another feather in its cap. The country’s impeccable international reputation, natural wonders, unequaled weather, and friendly people have combined to put it a the top of retirement and relocation havens for foreigners.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the country known for its “pura vida” lifestyle was recently ranked as the second favorite country in the world for expats in which to live. The report was titled “Looking at the world through the eyes of expatriates 2017” (Mirando el mundo a través de los ojos de los expatriados).

InterNations is the company that bestowed this honor upon Costa Rica. Furthermore, earlier this year International Living – considered by many to be the most authoritative source on retirement destinations — named Costa Rica as the best retirement destination in the world

Let’s look at the factors that influenced InterNation’s ranking of Costa Rica. The study was based on feedback from 12,500 people of 166 different nationalities around the world. People who live and work in countries other than those where they were born contributed to the report.

The study was divided into different categories: quality of life, ability to adapt to a new culture, job options, family life, and the cost of living. Costa Rica especially stands out with foreigners because of the ease of adapting to its culture. This is reflected by a comment one of the clients on my monthly relocation tours made when he stated, “Costa Rica is a very user-friendly country for foreigners.” It is also is a place where it is easy to make new friends. Most expats here say that they have far more friends than they did in the U.S. or Canada.

The excellent lifestyle found here is another key factor that contributed to Costa Rica’s high ranking in the report. Expats call it “La vibra de pura vida.” Which is roughly translated as the “vibe of pure living” which is contagious and permeates the ambiance of the country. In fact, Costa Rica is ranked among the top ten countries in the world when it comes to its lifestyle quality of life.

No country is perfect and a utopia does not exist. However, in the 38 years that I have lived, played and worked in here, I would be hard-pressed to find a better place to reside when all is said and done.