Costa Rica

Pensionado ($1,000/mo pension) or rentista ($2,500/mo or $60k deposit) visas; permanent residency after 3 years.

Foreigners own outright with the same rights as citizens, including beach-adjacent (concession zones near the waterline need care).

Caja public system open to residents (~7–11% of declared income); good private hospitals in San José at big discounts to US.

Fiber in the Central Valley and main towns; beach/jungle areas rely on Starlink more than you'd like.

Common in tourist and expat zones; Spanish for everything official.

No longer cheap — imported goods and cars are heavily taxed; still below US overall.

Among the safest in Latin America; petty theft is the main complaint.

Roads are the running joke; power mostly reliable (and 99% renewable), water good in the Valley.

Buses reach everywhere eventually; no trains; most expats end up with a 4x4.

Potholes, rivers-as-roads, and a 4x4 requirement outside the Valley.

UTC-6: ~8h of a 9–5 Pacific workday falls in local waking hours.

Health cert + rabies; no quarantine — pets are routine here.

The region's institutional gold standard; decades of stability.

The global conservation icon: ~99% renewable power, 25% protected land.

Nature is the show; arts scene is modest (San José tries).

Casado country — international options thin outside San José/expat towns.

Central Valley fair; beach towns priced in dollars for foreigners.

Nonstops from many US cities into SJO/LIR.

Naturalization after 7 years; dual allowed; Spanish + history test.

Decades-deep American retiree community; every service has an English-speaking option.

Same-sex marriage legal (2020), first in Central America; broadly tolerant, church-influenced socially.

Earthquakes and volcanoes are background reality; outside the hurricane belt proper.

Medical/industrial legal since 2022; personal recreational use unpunished in practice but not a legal market.

Territorial taxation — foreign-source income (your US pension/investments) is not taxed. A major draw.