Yes, singles can find happiness here. Why? Because there is so much to do. As one long-time single resident once told me, “In Costa Rica there is something for everyone and everything for someone.”

You can see that singles can find almost anything they want in Cost Rica to stay happy during their retirement years.

There is a wealth of both indoor and outdoor activities to stay busy and happy. Just pick up a copy of the Tico Times and check out their weekend calendar  section and you’ll find hundreds activities, movies and clubs from which to choose.

You won’t be lonely here unless you choose to be. You can meet people easily through any of the activities I just described. On top of that, foreigners tend to gravita.te  towards each other when they live abroad. Believe me you’ll have no trouble meeting people with common interests here. I have more friends and acquaintances in Costa Rica than I ever had in the U.S. Everywhere I go I seem to run into someone I know.

If you are looking for someone for romance, Costa Rica might just be the right place for you.  Ladies will find gentleman admirers if they so desire.  Due to machismo, Costa Rican men are more flirtatious and aggressive than North American men.  Most Costa Rican men think foreign women have looser morals and are easier conquests than ticas (Costa Rican women).  Be careful to take time to develop a long-term, meaningful relationship and do not rush things. Many single middle-aged women have a tough time finding a mate because they cannot compete with the young curvaceous ticas. As one expat woman put it,  ”We just happen to live in a country of traffic-stopping gorgeous women.” However, I do know numerous American women who have formed successful relationships with other Americans or Costa Rican partners.

Men of any age will have no problem meeting Costa Rican women.  The women in Costa Rica seem to like older, more experienced men. It is not unusual to see a wife who is 10 to 20 years younger than her spouse.  This practice may be frowned on in some countries but is accepted in Costa Rica.  Many retirees we know claim to feel rejuvenated and to have a new lease on life after becoming involved with younger women.  Costa Rican women have an unparalleled reputation as being the most beautiful and accessible women in Latin America, including Brazil. The ladies of Costa Rica are more warm-hearted and devoted than their North American counterparts.  They consider you a joy.  One retiree we know boasts,  “The women here really know how to treat you like a king!” A man doesn’t even have to be rich to meet women; a $1,500 to $2,000 Social Security check translates to a millionaire’s pay in Costa Rica.

Here is what one expatriate’s Costa Rican wife said about her relationship with an older American man.  “Most of the time when a young woman marries an older man, people think she’s doing it for the money. I like older men. They are experienced; they’ve had a lot of fun in the past, so they start to think, ‘I want to stay now with someone for the rest of my life.’ Plus they have their life set up, so they have time to spend with their woman. With Costa Rican men close to her age, she says, their behavior changes after marriage. With Costa Rican men, you are a princess, but when you get married the whole thing changes: “You are going to have my children. I’m working, so you should make my dinner, wash my clothes.” The women get submissive and the Costa Rican men get possessive.

So, you can see that singles can find almost anything they want in Cost Rica to stay happy during their retirement years. In fact, they can have a new exciting lifestyle here that they could never find in the States or Canada.

For the past few days it has rained incessantly. If you didn’t know where you were, you’d think you were in Seattle, Washington. Cold, rainy, wet and gray skies is the kind of weather we’ve had. You would never think that you were in the  tropical country. By the way, in Costa Rica they call this type of incessant rain a temporal.

Unfortunately, October is the worst month for weather in Costa Rica. It coincides with the peak of the hurricane season in the Caribbean and we get all of the rain but not the dreaded hurricanes. Thank god! Nevertheless the last three or four Octobers have really been wet  I guess weather patterns all over the world have changed because man has destroyed and polluted the environment. These extreme changes in the weather are probably Mother Nature’s way of warning us that we are destroying the planet.

There are malls, where you can have lunch, see a movie or window shop if you get too bored at home.

By the end of the October nobody wants to see any more water. All the rain puts a damper on the outdoor activities here. I like to visit friends or go out to eat but when it is pouring I find it hard to get motivated to leave the house. Fortunately, I work at home and always have something to catch up on. There is a mall about ten minutes away where I can have lunch, see a movie or window shop if I get too bored at home.

The rainy season usually lasts about six months. If it rained like it is doing now throughout the whole rainy season, all of the retired people living here would probably leave and come back in November much like the snowbirds do in the States because of the snow.  One can easily put up with one wet month and enjoy  the  spring-like weather of the Central Valley most of the year. I don’t know of one person who has cancelled their retirement plans or moved back  to the U.S. because of Costa Rica’s weather. Usually the places where most people come from have scorching summers and freezing winters, so it wouldn’t make sense to move back to even worse weather.

Footnote: I wrote this article and the following day was beautiful and sunny. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Luckily my teeth are in good shape and other than check ups and cleanings I haven’t had to have a lot of dental work. Every six months I have my teeth checked and cleaned. The cost is under $40. I once had a dentist on one of my monthly retirement relocation tours and asked how I could keep my teeth forever. He suggested a check up every six months. Since that time I have followed his advice and haven’t had any major problems.

Although a couple of years ago one of my molars started to hurt and went to see my dentist Doctora Ana Cristina Brenes in downtown Heredia. It turned out I needed a root canal. I ended up having visit to her six times  to complete the treatment. The whole series of treatments only cost me $140. I imagine the same process costs well over $1000 in the States.

My son had to have four wisdom teeth pulled at the suggestion of his orthodontist. The total price was $150.

Affordable dental work brings many tourists come to Costa Rica to have their cosmetic dental work done.  The quality of dentistry in Costa Rica is equal to that found in Europe, Canada or the United States. On the average, dental work costs about 25 to 30 percent less than in the United States.  Most dentists charge about $35 for an initial exam.   Check prices with the dentist of your choice, since rates vary.

Costa Rican dentists offer the following services: implants, gum treatment, root canals, whitening, oral surgery, crowns, bridges and nitrous oxide sedation.  Orthodontics for children and adults are available and affordable in Costa Rica. Our son has braces. The total cost for a two-year treatment is about $1,500  which can be paid in monthly installments of $45.

One word of caution for foreigners, some Costa Rican dentists  advertise in English-language publications and cater almost exclusively to foreigners.  Patients will sometimes pay more for the dental services these doctors provide.  The Costa Rican Surgeons and Dentists Association (Tel/Fax: 2256-3100, E-mail: dentista@racsa.co.cr, www.colegiodentistas.org) will give you a list of dentists practicing in Costa Rica. Check with other residents for recommendations.

When you read the title of this article you will probably think that it is impossible to live so cheaply and so well. This especially true if you reside in an expensive area of the U.S. like California. You could probably scrape by on a few thousand dollars a month up north but you certainly wouldn’t be living in luxury.

Let’s see why the title of this article is true. A couple who owns a $150,000 home (three bedrooms and three baths) free  and clear and has a car will probably have the following monthly expenses in Costa Rica.

Private medical insurance $200
Dental care $50 per month
A part time maid $100 to $150
Part time gardener $30
Beauty parlor $75
Food including inexpensive fruits and  vegetables form a
Farmer’s market and many imported American products $500 per month
Entertainment (movies, socializing) $200- $300
Dinning out a couple of times a week $300
Private gym $50 – $100 per couple
Country Club (after you pay initial fees) $100 to $200 per month
Car insurance for a relatively new car $100
Utilities (water and electricity) $100
Telephone (using Vonage or Skype for long distance) $75-$100
High speed Internet $50
Cable or satellite TV $50
Car repairs $50
Garbage $40 per year
Property taxes on your $150,000 home $20 per month

Misc. expenses $300

Other possible expenses
Travel to U.S. or other countries $3000-$5000 or more per year

Really your lifestyle determines what you will spend here. You can choose to spend a lot more money if you are a high roller or yuppie type  or substantially less if you wish to live modestly. I know single people who live for less than $1000 per month and others who have expensive tastes who spend what they would in the States. Nevertheless, you can live very well on the budget above. I should know because I have lived here almost 30 years and buy and do everything I want for under $4,000 monthly.

When you move to Costa Rica you really don’t have to worry about missing your favorite TV program from the States. Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNBC News, CNN News, Show Time HBO, ESPN , to name a few, are available here. The company and package you choose will determine what channels you will be able to view.

Here is a description of your options:

Cable Tica and Amnet are the two main cable TV providers. Each offers 50 to 60 English channels plus the local Spanish stations. But Cable Tica does not have some of the major U.S. Networks like CBS. The good news is that both companies do offer high-speed Internet via a cable modem. The cost of cable TV is about $25 monthly. If you want their Internet service you will have to pay another $25.

Sky TV, formerly know as Direct TV, offers a huge variety of programs including many movie channels via satellite. The downside is that they don’t broadcast CBS, NBC or ABC or the local Spanish stations. Also some of their programming is in Spanish for their Latin American audience. The best feature of this service is that you can have it installed any place I the country, no matter how isolated you are.  Sky does not offer Internet service.

They do have an attractive NFL football package so you watch all of the games on Sunday.

Satellite DISH NETWORK is available in Costa Rica. There are few independent companies offering this service here. The programming is superior to Sky TV and includes CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox plus everything else from their U.S. packages. For an extra cost you can view the professional Hockey, the NBA and college football and basketball. Initially, you have to pay around $2,700 to purchase a special receiver and an eight-foot-dish which is made here. You can’t use the small dish as in the states. So don’t try to bring one from there thinking it will work here. When you sign up for this service the local company will open an account for you in the States.

I have had DISH NETWORK for 5 years and love it. I really enjoy having the option of watching almost any program I want from the United States. I also have Amnet Cable to view the local Spanish stations since we are a bilingual household. Serious Spanish students may also want this option so they can improve their language skills by watching Spanish TV programs.

To sign up for DISH NETWORK see www.sunsattv.com.  Also see www.dishnetwork.com to get an idea of what programs and packages are available.

NOTE: You CAN’T sign up for the Dish Network in Costa Rica by contacting the main company in the States. It has to be done through the local company in Costa Rica.