Recently I had a relative from the States in my home for a couple of weeks. It had been five years since her last visit and she was amazed to see all of the home improvements I had made.

First, she noticed my new kitchen. When I told her how much my custom cabinets cost she almost fainted. She remarked, “In the U.S. that would have cost four times the $4000 that you paid here”. Then I showed her my second story addition and asked her what it would cost to do the same work in Washington State where she lives. She said that the same improvement would have cost around $60,000. I only paid $9,000 for a large second-story room with a 180-degree panoramic view of the Central Valley.

If home improvements are so reasonable here, imagine how much cheaper it would be to build your retirement dream home or remodel a home in Costa Rica.