galeno
Commander
KISS & STC
Posts: 221
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Post by galeno on Aug 20, 2021 14:10:20 GMT
Costa Rica sucks for USD retirees. Especially the 13% VAT and the 2.2% bid/ask CRC/ USD.
Expense Ratio...= 0.14% L1WT + L2WT.....= 0.09%
Sum1............= 0.23%
Commissions.....= 0.01% Bid/Ask Spread. = 0.04% Wire Tx Fees....= 0.03% USD 2 CRC.......= 0.11% IBC.............= 0.20%
Sum2............= 0.39%
CR VAT..........= 0.52%
Sum3............= 1.14%
The equivalent income tax rate = 22.8% on every USD spent.
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Post by Chahta on Aug 20, 2021 14:29:45 GMT
What are some of the good things in CR? Fishing, the ocean, weather, food?
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Post by uncleharley on Aug 20, 2021 14:41:21 GMT
Climate
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Post by xray on Aug 20, 2021 15:23:02 GMT
My family lived in CR [near the US Embassy] for four years 1996-2000]. Some of the highlights [pro/con]:
Pro:
-Remains at approx 73 degrees 24 hours around the clock [good for outdoor activities] -Rains normally 1pm-3pm everyday -Good internet -2 hours away [driving] to the beautiful [BLUE/CLEAN] beaches -Good Food -Some major chains are there -Hot springs easily available -Walk into un-active volcano [visit others] -Morning coffee shops available -Oversize airport [used to spray the inside of the plane (with us in it) before takeoff] -Great for dieters [pastries normally 30% of what we get here -Should have a 4-wheel drive as some roads are not paved -Elections are interesting where the winning opposing police go to taxi drivers, and the taxi drivers become policeman -Some cars are stopped when approaching a holiday for some traffic violation but can be "BOUGHT" out of the problem encountered
Con:
-Spanish mostly spoken [should have some basic language skills if/when going] -Medicare not accepted [go to states] -Three major hospitals [only one to really go to (forgot the name)] -Had to have a [jewish made] "welded" piece put on floor shift to prevent car theft -Money conversion rate was always declining -No street signs [had to rely on building colors or types of buildings] -Multiple Police at major locations [shopping parking lot with machine gun/inside police wandering around -Must travel in groups to prevent theft and problems -Many potholes and some vehicles get damaged if not avoiding them
Live Long and Prosper....
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Post by xray on Aug 20, 2021 15:44:58 GMT
Oops....
the line: -Elections are interesting where the winning opposing police go to taxi drivers, and the taxi drivers become policeman should read the other way around: -Elections are interesting where the winning party of current employed taxi drivers become the Police, and the current police go to be the taxi drivers
Sorry about that,
Live Long and Prosper....
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galeno
Commander
KISS & STC
Posts: 221
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Post by galeno on Aug 21, 2021 8:54:48 GMT
The Costa Rican people, weather, and raw geographic beauty make it a magical place in which to live.
But it's far from perfect. It's similar to the California and Southern Mediteranian countries situations.
What angers me.
Horrible traffic Ever increasing COL Top 1% is in the PUBLIC sector
What scares me:
Debt/GDP ratio is 70% and rising. Very high youth under employment. Increasing Cartel activity
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Post by xray on Aug 21, 2021 22:09:20 GMT
For those who will move to Costa Rica:
My "-Had to have a [jewish made] "welded" piece put on floor shift to prevent car theft"
You should leave your car [4 hour installation process] at the Jewish Car installation area as soon as you pick up your car [approx 8 hours to get to shipping receiving area, process paperwork, and come back to San Jose]. When I was there, the car jackers were smashing the back windows of cars to steal the car. Lots of luck with that if you have the installation done....
Footnote: You get "special" keys [2] for the locking mechanism [and is "NOT" duplicable]. You must go back to the installation area for them to look up your paperwork and give you new matching keys....
Comment: When we went to get our car [long trip], it wasn't there. They made a mistake and it was still on the ship going to the next port of entry. We looked foolish in this huge receiving lock clicking our key alarm trying to find the car. Don't expect much help as they appear to know less than you will. We had to wait an additional 2 weeks for the ship to be on the return trip.....
Live Long and Prosper....
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Post by Chahta on Aug 22, 2021 17:02:50 GMT
The Costa Rican people, weather, and raw geographic beauty make it a magical place in which to live. But it's far from perfect. It's similar to the California and Southern Mediteranian countries situations. What angers me. Horrible traffic Ever increasing COL Top 1% is in the PUBLIC sector What scares me: Debt/GDP ratio is 70% and rising. Very high youth under employment. Increasing Cartel activity Doesn't sound much different from the US.
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Post by richardsok on Aug 22, 2021 17:50:19 GMT
The Costa Rican people, weather, and raw geographic beauty make it a magical place in which to live. But it's far from perfect. It's similar to the California and Southern Mediteranian countries situations. What angers me. Horrible traffic Ever increasing COL Top 1% is in the PUBLIC sector What scares me: Debt/GDP ratio is 70% and rising. Very high youth under employment. Increasing Cartel activity Doesn't sound much different from the US. Ah, but the women! The women-n-n-n-n......
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galeno
Commander
KISS & STC
Posts: 221
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Post by galeno on Aug 23, 2021 1:56:43 GMT
"Ah, but the women! The women-n-n-n-n......"
I didn't want to go there. But yes. The two "W"s of CR are "women and weather".
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Post by chang on Aug 23, 2021 5:20:05 GMT
"Ah, but the women! The women-n-n-n-n......" I didn't want to go there. But yes. The two "W"s of CR are "women and weather". I guess the climate is too hot to produce good wine.
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galeno
Commander
KISS & STC
Posts: 221
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Post by galeno on Aug 23, 2021 10:35:16 GMT
I don't like wine and know almost nothing about it. But I'm seeing more locally made wines at social events.
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Post by anovice on Aug 23, 2021 10:43:26 GMT
"Ah, but the women! The women-n-n-n-n......" I didn't want to go there. But yes. The two "W"s of CR are "women and weather". I guess the climate is too hot to produce good wine. Si. Wine grapes do not grow in hot tropical climates.
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galeno
Commander
KISS & STC
Posts: 221
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Post by galeno on Aug 23, 2021 12:06:09 GMT
In CR you choose your preferred climate according to altitude. We live at 2168 ft. Perpetual springtime weather.
E.g. if you like cold you live here:
Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica's highest peak at 12,533 feet, averages in the mid 60's during the day, and often dips below freezing at night. The lowest temperature ever registered in the park -- and the country -- was a chilly 16°F.
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