Your Piece of Paradise, Five Reasons Expats Are Moving Their Families to Costa Rica

You have probably fantasized about it at one time or another. Leaving your daily grind, packing up your family and moving to a tropical paradise. You dismiss these daydreams as cold induced delusions as they are most prevalent during wintertime. While any move is a big deal, a move to a foreign country can seem particularly daunting – a new language, a different currency, a different government. Despite these challenges, Costa Rica is a favorite destination for expats looking to leave their old lives behind and start a new life in a tropical paradise. Below are five reasons why expats with families are choosing Costa Rica as their destination for their tropical adventure.

1. Democracy / No Army. Costa Rica, known as the Jewel of Central America, has the isthmus’s longest standing democracy. It gave up its army in 1948 and created a social democracy emphasizing education and medical care. Its constitution is similar to the U.S. Constitution and foreigners enjoy all the same rights as Costa Ricans except the right to engage in political activities. In short it has a stable expat friendly government. Most expat families welcome the opportunity to leave politics behind and concentrate on their own families.

2. Great Expat Communities. Costa Rica is somewhat of a melting pot for expats. Not just from the U.S., but from all over the world. A beach town like Tamarindo has thriving expat communities from Italy, Argentina, France, Germany, Israel, Nicaragua, Canada as well as the U.S. Most expat families enjoy the mix of cultures and the common bond they all share having left their home countries for their piece of paradise. It also means you can find great “traditional” food from all over the world, which might be the best part of all!

3. Learn a Foreign Language. Most expats love the fact that their kids will be bilingual. Nearly all schools are bilingual and kids just seem to pick up a second language with much less difficulty than their parents. With so many families from different parts of the world, many children are trilingual. While you could move to any Spanish speaking country to immerse your family in Spanish, Costa Rica has the advantage of thriving tourist towns where English is spoken – just in case you and your kids need a break from your language studies.

4. Great Houses. Part of the dream of moving to a tropical destination is finding that perfect oceanfront or ocean view home to live in. Whether you buy or rent, you will want a stylish and safe place. Earthquakes are not unheard of in Central America. Thankfully, Costa Rica has strict building codes on par with the U.S. In addition to being safe, you are going to want something beautiful that takes full advantage of the tropical setting. Thankfully many talented architects are practicing in the country. The Tamarindo real estate market, for example, has raised the bar for the whole country. The boom in Tamarindo real estate has resulted in a surplus of amazing tropical homes. Most of these homes are owned by foreign nationals, who rent them for part or all of the year. If you are not ready to buy, many expats take the opportunity to rent a house they are interested in before they buy.

5. Education/Family. One of the most cited reasons why expats are moving their families to Costa Rica is to spend more time together. Life in Costa Rica seems to promote this goal. Virtually no one commutes, and there are great bilingual schools located near the major expat communities. Many parents choose to home school or combine home schools with local expat tutors. The result is an amazing experience for your kids and a lot more time together as a family.

Whether you plan to make a permanent move or just want your family to experience a different culture for a year, Costa Rica is a great choice. With developed infrastructure, burgeoning expat communities and safe and stable government, Costa Rica is a great choice for your expat family adventure.

Punta Playa Vistas is a Eco-conscious, residential Ocean View community located on Costa Rica’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our development offers more luxury than you would ever expect at an affordable price. Our development is close to beautiful beaches; offers Ocean View Condos; lots offering panoramic Ocean views; and affordable tropical residential lots.