The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “buzz word” as a voguish or “in” phrase. Here is the million dollar question among retirees who want to live abroad to stretch their shrinking dollars and enjoy a quality lifestyle. Is Costa Rica “the” place to retire offshore? I feel the answer is “yes” for a variety of reasons.

Almost anyone you talk to in the Unites States knows someone who has visited Costa Rica, bought a vacation home or retired here. Regarding the latter, there are more foreign retirees proportionately living in Costa Rica than any country outside of the U.S. That should say it all. Indeed Costa Rica is the “buzz word” abroad.

Why?
The country enjoys a stellar international reputation. You never hear anything negative about it in the U.S. news. On the other hand, Nicaragua, Mexico, Ecuador and even Panamá and other so-called “new” retirement havens receive a lot of negative press. All you hear and see about Costa Rica is basically positive. There have been countless programs and documentaries about the country’s natural beauty, adventure tourism and spectacular scenery. No wonder, the country is often referred to as the “Switzerland of Central America.”

Costa Rica is also famous for having the longest enduring democracy in Latin America and for abolishing its army over 50 years ago. If you look at the latter it is quite an accomplishment with all of the wars and conflicts in our present day world.

The country has other achievements like a literacy rate of 95% and universal medical care for its citizens and residents. The U.S. with all of its money and resources is still trying to solve its health care issues. This little county of just over 4 million people did it over 50 years ago.

So what else keeps Costa Rica in the radar as a prime Baby Boomer retirement haven? First, the country offers affordable medical care for retirees. They can choose either the public or private system at a drastically lower cost than in the U.S. The year-round spring-like weather in the Central Valley is a strong attraction. Low utility bills and domestic help are another plus. A wide variety of affordable rentals and homes in different settings is definitely something else to consider. Public transportation is also dirt cheap. You can go anyplace in the country for less than $12.00 at the most. To boot, the friendly Costa Rican people actually like Americans.

On top of all of the above for many people the Costa Rican lifestyle is hard to beat. It really all comes down to lifestyle. It’s reflected in the national motto, pura vida, which means pure life or pure living. As an American friend of mine often says, “If you get hooked on the lifestyle here, you won’t ever want to return to the U.S. to live. Heck, they’d have to drag me back.”

Hopefully now you can now understand why Costa Rica is the buzz word in many circles.

Be aware if you understand Spanish and have access to the local news you’ll see certain issues sensationalized. The media all over the world thrives on this. Many on-line newspapers and forums in English talk about some of the negative aspects of living here. Most of these threads are written by neophytes with clouded perception who don’t understand the language or culture, have brought their personal problems with them and the majority of whom have nothing better to do with their time than seek their “five minutes of fame.” Unfortunately, the Internet is the perfect stage for them. Always consider the source of anything you may read on-line and remember paradise doesn’t exist anywhere. No country is utopia. But for me Costa Rica definitely comes close.