Pura Vida Retirement

There's a great deal about Costa Rica that makes it an attractive retirement destination, but one of the most convincing factors is the cost.
Health services, home care and the general cost of living are less in Central America than in most places in the U.S.
While it's important to note that government-provided Medicare insurance doesn't extend to U.S. residents living abroad, with Costa Rican prices, savings last longer, Aguilera said.
“For people living on a fixed income, each day buys them less and less quality of life (in the U.S. ),” he said. “Not to mention that home care is becoming tremendously more expensive.”

The benefits of opening Costa Rica to retirees extend beyond the retirees themselves.
Woodridge estimates that attracting 10,000 retirees each year could bring $340 million annually to the country, generate 40,000 jobs and indirectly benefit 30,000 other businesses.
And the gain extends beyond the dollar signs, said Foreign Trade Minister Marco Vinicio Ruiz. Retirees settling here bring their professional expertise, he said, and that could help push development in Costa Rica forward.
“The great majority of people (whom we hope to attract) are active people who look for things to do,” he said. “We want to include them in countrywide initiatives, in issues of research and development and ways in which they can collaborate with small- or medium-sized businesses... I see this as an enormous opportunity to collaborate.”
Though much of what is involved in positioning Costa Rica as a retirement destination depends on the private sector, Woodridge said he expects to work with the Immigration Administration, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute and the Health Ministry to facilitate the process from the public side.
“We have all the advantages – health, climate, natural beauty, peace,” Woodridge said. “If we don't take advantage of them, it would be a crime.”