If you have decided to move to Costa Rica as I did there are a few things you should get as a must. The first thing I noticed was that the warm weather in Guanacaste gets a bit too hot at night, so make sure you get an air conditioner or plenty of fans for your home, you will be needing them.

 

Be aware that in Costa Rica, weather does change a lot and because of this bugs tend to move around depending on the hour of the day and the season. Around 4:00 pm you need to make sure you have a repellent near by because mosquitos come out hungry and unfortunately we are all new meat to them.

 Mosquitos!!!

If you are moving to a rural area, you will find cheaper vegetables and legumes but some other items might be a little hard to get or a bit expensive. It is better if you go to the market as little as possible and get everything you need on one trip, that way you won’t have to spend gas every time you need something; this rule also applies if you move down town, not so much for the distances but because of the traffic. Remember that Costa Rica has more cars that people.

 


Costa Rica living is quite peaceful, you can get all services everywhere including water, electricity and even satellite TV, so If you are one of those people that think they will be living on a Tipi in the middle of the jungle, maybe you need to reconsider. Costa Rica is not a forest, nor an island, it has many forests and natural reservations but it is a city like any other.

 

Another thing you need to get as soon as possible is a cell phone line, this you will need to get from someone who is leaving or selling one on the side, cell phone lines are very few and the ICE which is the company that handles telecommunications only releases a few lines every so often. Costa Rica telecommunications will be changing in the next couple of years and there will be a lot more choices, not only for cell phone lines but also, internet connections, in the meantime, all we can do in the meantime is wait until the negotiations are finalized.

 

At the moment, most of the real estate Costa Rica has to offer will include utilities already yet, it never hurts to ask. If you are getting a car, get a 4X4, might be a little more money but in the long run you will be thank me. Costa Rica roads are not always in the best condition and you will save money.