Known as the happiest country in the world, Costa Rica is an incredible place with many advantages that many people highlight as one of the favorite destinations in the world.

First, lets talk about its people. It is normal to hear that ticos are “pura vida” and this is one of our most notable characteristics because ticos are extremely friendly, social, peaceful and well-educated people. Being “pura vida” means exactly that — trying our best to be nice to each other. So, when you choose to live in Costa Rica, you are likely to be around really nice people.

Something that makes Costa Rican culture unique is the blend of many cultures. For example, being a country with two coasts, the Pacific coast and the Central Valley will offer you a welcoming Latin culture, while the other side on the Atlantic coast especially in and around Limón has a strong influence by Jamaican African-Caribbean culture and it is English speaking.

However, with a literacy rate of 97.8% and with a huge investment in public education, where 6,7% of his gross domestic product (GDP) was expended according to the latest data by the World Bank on 2020, a large portion of the population speaks English as well as Spanish, which is the official language of Costa Rica.

A real paradise

Costa Rica is known for its biodiversity, where the territory is merely 0.03% of the Earth’s surface but is home to 4% of all the species of the planet. Because of that, any nature lover will find different species around the country. This is due to the strong environmental protection politics of the country, which have made close to one fourth of the total of land mass dedicated to protection areas and reserves.

With 28 national parks and many wildlife refuges and nature reserves, Costa Rica nature is our most important treasure. However, Costa Rica not only has many species of animals but also has a large diversity of climates because the country is very mountainous. It is because of this unique geology that in San José, the capital, the average temperature is between 20 and 27 ºCelsius (68 and 80 ºF), and in Puntarenas, in the Pacific coast, the average temperature is between 22 and 34 ºC (71 and 93 ºF) degrees, even though these places are a 2-hour long drive apart.

A solid democracy

Costa Rica has the second most stable democracy of North America, South America and the Caribbean, just behind Uruguay, and in the global ranking occupies position number 20 on the last Global Democracy Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit. So, Costa Rica is one of the best places in the world to enjoy a stable government with solid and transparent elections.

One of the keys to a stable democracy is that in 1949 Costa Rica abolished the army. Unlike its neighboring Central American countries that have military to protect their soil and freedoms, Costa Rica has a different mentality, having only the Public Force (Police), Rural Assistance guard, Frontier Guard and Coast Guard. Therefore, this allows us to redirect that funding into more important things as education, security and culture, which have made it a unique country in Central America.

As already mentioned, foreigners will find very peaceful, happy, educated, honest and friendly people. In Costa Rica, foreigners will find “pura vida” people. If you want to know more about the details that get into living in Costa Rica as an expat, get in contact with us. We’ll be happy to help.