There is a lot to like about Costa Rica:
- Great weather
- Amazing national parks
- Same time zone as North America
- A territorial tax system – if structured properly, you can pay 0% income tax on overseas income
- Well-connected
- Decent infrastructure
- Great surfing
But people also like to criticize it for:
- Petty crime (not violent, mostly theft and the like)
- Relatively expensive
- Mandatory social security taxes
- Long processing times for residency
My take on Residency in Costa Rica
I like Costa Rica. I just don’t think it’s appropriate for everyone. As always, people need to be clear in terms of their objectives.
Personally, I prefer Panama due to its faster processing times and its role as a financial hub. As much as I like national parks, I can just fly to Costa Rica from Panama whenever I want to.
As for freedom, as long as you don’t get involved in local politics, Nicaragua is a better and cheaper alternative, albeit with inferior infrastructure.
Costa Rica is a decent in-between. Same thing with its residency options. Better than Nicaragua’s, but inferior to Panama’s
I sat down with my lawyer Mariela when I was in San Jose to discuss how to obtain residency in Costa Rica.
More information on the process, fees, and Mariela’s services here.
To a World of Opportunities,
The Wandering Investor
Subscribe to the PRIVATE LIST below to not miss out on future investment posts, and follow me on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Telegram, Youtube, Facebook, and Rumble.
My favourite brokerage to invest in international stocks is IB. To find out more about this low-fee option with access to plenty of markets, click here.
If you want to discuss your internationalization and diversification plans, book a consulting session or send me an email.
