Costa Rica has the most expensive electricity in Central America, according to the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 carried out by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, known as ECLAC. The survey stated that Costa Rica has the highest rates for all types of consumption, residential, commercial and industrial in comparison to the rates...

Like every year, online magazine International Living offers its Annual Global Retirement Index, this is the 26th edition of this ranking where the top 10 countries to live a healthier and happier life are listed. The ranking is done by a team of International Living contributors who cover five continents, expats that have experienced life in different countries. The list of best places to reti...

As 2017 comes to an end Costa Rica will close with an alarming rate of 600+ homicides, at least 22 more than the total registered in 2016. 48% of the homicides that have been taking place obey to organized crime, confrontations between gangs to settle scores and win over specific territories. In 2012 the year finished with 407 homicides, in 2013 there were 411; 477 in 2014 and a year later 5...

Schools in Costa Rica take their usual break in December, kids go on vacation depending on the school sometimes just for a month and other times for a little over two months; kids and teens can get bored at home or parents may want to keep them busy, in this case, there are plenty of options for summer classes, of course you can find paid options but there’re also alternatives that are completely ...

As we begin the last week of 2017, traditional activities take place in Costa Rica for the entertainment of Tico families. Zapote: The popular Zapote festivities begin today and will extend through January 7th . The fair includes mechanical games for young children and adults, food stands, bars, and the center of all action of course, the Zapote redondel or bullring. There’s no bullfighting...

We all know that tamales in Costa Rica are a huge tradition, especially during Christmas time, usually tamales are made with pork or chicken, and additional ingredients of course, but there’s a new type of tamal, a unique type: chocolate tamales. These tamales are elaborated by Costa Rica’s Sibu Chocolate company , which early this year actually took the silver medal at the International Chocol...

Living in Costa Rica actually has a lot of pluses, it’s a beautiful country with an amazing weather, nice people, there’s no army, and you can choose to live in a modern city with all its comforts or a rural town surrounded by nature. But just as any other country, Costa Rica also has problems, living here is not always fun… so what do Costa Ricans' want for Christmas? I certainly can’t speak f...

Several events have been announced already for 2018 in Costa Rica, The Killers concert, the 2018 XKnights , Cirque du Soleil, and the Ocaso Underground Music Festival; but today a new concert has been announced and has filled social media with thumbs up, hearts, and wows, the artist responsible for such reactions is none other than famous tenor Andrea Bocelli. The announcement was made by SD Co...

Introducing unique traditions from around the world into your family festivities is a fun way to celebrate the holidays. In Costa Rica, tamales are a must at Christmas time. Ticos gather days beforehand for a tamaleada—an occasion where the whole gang comes together to prepare and cook delicious tamales, making for an excellent activity to enjoy with loved ones. Once the tamales are ready they are...

Costa Rica made the top 20 in the first edition of the Index of Environmental and Social Development - Laudato Si. Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si” was used to create a tool to measure and rank countries’ efforts in human and environmental development. The investigation analyzed 127 countries, it was carried out by the Universidad Catolica in alliance with Viva Trus, Incae Business Scho...

The Ocaso Underground Music Festival will take place in Tamarindo, Guanacaste from January 4th to the 7th in three different venues with an impressive lineup of house and techno artists. This is the second edition of this event, “Ocaso is a unique, fun and exciting concert, guaranteed to provide a safe respectful and beautiful experience for everyone. Our goal is to establish a cornerstone even...

The first Jewish settlers arrived to Costa Rica shortly after Christopher Columbus (1502), there was also a number of members of this community that arrived at the end of the XIX century. The Jewsish settlers from Poland and some from Central Europe arrived during the first decades of the XX century. Today, the estimated Jewish population is of approximately 5,000 the majority live in Escazu, San ...

Expat Insider's Ease of Settling in Index 2017 “covers various ‘soft’ factors that can be vital to making a staying abroad a success”. The survey took into consideration 65 countries. Although Costa Rica dropped one spot in the general index from 2nd out of 67 in 2016 and 3rd out of 65 in 2017, Costa Rica was ranked best in the subcategory of "Finding Friends". “When it comes to friendships ...

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world's leading luxury hospitality company, will assume management of a new collection of environmentally designed private villas and estate homes set to commence construction in February 2018. Construction completion is targeted for mid-Q4 2019. The announcement was made by US based investment firm Gencom. The exclusive enclave of 20 wholly owned properties...

The beginning of the holiday season was celebrated this weekend with activities in the different provinces, but the epicenter as usual was the city of San José where this Sunday night the traditional Christmas tree was illuminated. A beautiful night with the full moon as a backdrop seemed magical when the Philharmonic Orchestra took the stage in La Sabana Park for a free concert; the Orchestra ...

“Living the integration” is an initiative launched in Costa Rica by The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also known as the UN Refugee Agency in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Labour; this initiative has the goal of offering work options to refugees in Costa Rica. Refugees are all those people that are forced to leave their count...

Visiting the Isla del Coco in Costa Rica is probably the dream of many, unfortunately just a few make this dream a reality since getting there is complicated and requires a 10-12 day expedition; this is why the University of Costa Rica and the National Museum joined efforts to bring people closer to this amazing island through an exhibit that was inaugurated on November 23 and will be available th...

Kicking off the holiday activities in Costa Rica, the Russian Circus on Ice can be enjoyed as of today, November 23 in La Sabana, San Jose. Costa Rica is one of the stops of the famous Circus in its tour through Latin America. The last time the Circus presented its show in Costa Rica was 16 years ago, but a lot has changed since an they promise a completely renovated spectacle. “The public...

AyA says that aquifers that provide water to these communities are below the historical level. Daniela Abarca / CRH. The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) stopped a project of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), with which it was intended to solve the lack of water that has the coastal area of ​​El Coco - Ocotal and Playa Hermosa, in Guanacaste. The comptroller den...

According to information provided by the Ministries’ of Labor the Central American countries, Costa Rica pays the highest minimum wages in the region, while Nicaragua the lowest. Minimum wage is defined as the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their workers; equivalently it is the price floor below which workers may not sell their labor. This amount should allow workers to cov...

More than 11,000 people loved the concept of the Street Food Festival that took place in the Kölbi Center in Parque Viva, Costa Rica earlier this year, the success was such that the organizers decided to do a second edition the presence this 2018. The Street Food Festival this year had the participation of 25 food trucks and stands offering different gastronomy options, live music, kids zone,...

The developer company, of Ecuadorian origin, chose Costa Rica thanks to its good economic reputation in Central America and because it is home to important multinational companies worldwide, which generates greater market confidence. With an investment of US $ 45 million and the direct and indirect contracting of 200 people, the Furoinani Obras y Proyectos (FOP) real estate group starts operati...

Costa Rica has 5 active volcanoes, 1290 kilometers of coastlines, and 51.000 square kilometers of land, and Costa Rica’s National University, (UNA) in conjunction with the University of Costa Rica (UCR) have developed several observatories to help nationals and tourists safely enjoy the abundance of natural resources available here. In 1984, the UNA created the Volcanological and Seismological ...

This holiday season, globetrotting families should consider exploring the cultural wonders that are waiting to be discovered in sunny Costa Rica. Celebrating the season with an unforgettable immersive experience is one way to ensure lasting memories that will be treasured long after the tan lines are gone. Experiential travel, which continues to rise in popularity for its transformative results...

Starting a new life in a different country is certainly challenging, initially it may all seem exciting and romantic, like a long vacation, but as time goes by you start falling into the realization that this is your new reality, and adapting to it might not be simple, even if you speak the language and you already have your job and a few friends, adapting to a new culture and different way of doi...

Banks and credit unions in Costa Rica started receiving payments of the annual end-of-the-year vehicle registration fee, called the marchamo, on November 1. Vehicle owners have until December 31 to pay the 2018 marchamo fee to the National Insurance Institute. This year, banks have diversified their offers to attract customers to pay at their site. Some 1.4 million vehicles in Costa Rica wil...

Friday, November 10, the United States Embassy and Consulate in San José, Costa Rica will be closed in commemoration of the U.S. federal holiday, Veterans Day, In May 1938, this day was set as a commemoration of world peace and to celebrate what was known as Armistice Day, when it was customary to honor the veterans of World War I. "However, in 1954, after the Second World War, its name was ch...

Good news for people with handicap license plates in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), through its Directorate General of Traffic Engineering (DGIT), is now granting permits to people with disabilities so they can use their vehicle any day of the week in the downtown San José sector which has restricted access. The Costa Rican National Council of the ...

Photo Credit: Fotos Aereas Costa Rica For all those that are constantly seeking new adventures and enjoy discovering places in Costa Rica which tourists hardly ever hear of and locals many times don’t take their time to visit, a trip to the “Laguna de Hule” (Rubber Lake) is obligatory. The Laguna de Hule is part of the Bosque Alegre Wildlife Refuge, created in 1994 with the objective of prot...

Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica, was, less than 20 years ago, very different from the Santa Ana we know now; back then, it was known for the many onion plantations, big portions of land dedicated to agriculture or cattle, some didn’t think this area had a big potential, they talked about water supply problems and the clay like soils that presented drainage challenges. Today, Santa Ana is known ...

Once again Costa Rica is featured in National Geographic Magazine as one of the happiest countries in the world. The article, by Dan Buettner, is featured in the November 2017 issue of the famous magazine, is titled “These are the World’s Happiest Places”, and continues: What do Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore have in common? Their people feel secure, have a sense of purpose, and enjoy lives t...

The Consular Section at U.S. Embassy San Jose announced a Consular Outreach event in Tamarindo that will take place next Thursday, November 2. The notice sent today states: "Embassy staff will be available to accept adult passport renewals, perform notarial services, and take your inquiries on federal benefits and voting. ACS Chief Ben Peracchio and representatives of the Consulate staff will...

  A ruling earlier this year by an appeals court in San José, Costa Rica ruled that random searches of vehicles without good reason by police oversteps their powers and infringes on people's rights. The Costa Rican Public Security Ministry regularly sets up check-points near airports, ports, borders and on main highways to search at random vehicles passing by and in this way dissuade an...

Believe it or not the city of San José, Costa Rica is ranked as the “least stressful city” to live in Latin America, according to British company Zipjet and its 2017 Global Least & Most Stressful Cities Ranking. Zipjet develops technology which aims to reduce stress in people’s lives; they carried out a study to find out how the most stressful cities around the world can benefit from the exampl...

Costa Rica's businesses are trying to catch up technology-wise and offer consumers contactless credit card payment options. The technology means cashiers have no contact with your card and don't ask for your ID when you pay for a product. Many consumers prefer this, as it minimizes the risk of personal data being stolen or a card being forgotten at the store if a cashier forgets to give it back...

Relocating to a new country can be both exciting and scary, but usually, more than anything it can be quite a challenge, especially if you are making the move with your entire family, since this poses particular needs. If you’ve already made your decision to relocate to Costa Rica you probably have a lot of questions, and it’s important that you make your research and try to get all your answer...

Once again Costa Rica made the list of InterNations’ Expat Insider “The Best & Worst Places for Expats in 2017”; the country holds the second place in the list of best places for expats. This year’s survey saw many changes in relation to the 2016 result, although there is consistency in the bottom 3 with Kuwait and Greece maintaining their bottom positions for four consecutive years while N...

Costa Rican black bean soup is a delicious and nutritious dish, even famous chef Jamie Oliver agrees, apparently, the gastronomy connoisseur tried this dish while in a trip to the country and now is teaching others to prepare it, with of course his own twist. Known in Costa Rica as “Sopa Negra” (black soup), there are many different ways to prepare it, after all is a family recipe and therefor...

Anyone who has attempted to walk in and around San José knows the many challenges of being a pedestrian. Whether it be the utter lack of crosswalks, gaping holes, high curbs that you can't push a baby stroller up, slippery patches from rain and algae, or garbage strewn about, walking the city streets can often be unpleasant. A new Costa Rican non-governmental organization called "Hagamos Ace...

Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean are failing to meet their citizens’ demands to combat corruption, according to a Transparency International survey of more than 22,000 people in 20 countries across the region. Transparency International’s new report People and Corruption: Latin America and the Caribbean, which is part of the Global Corruption Barometer series, found that on averag...