Digital Nomads in Costa Rica
a) Defining a digital nomad
Digital nomads are region-independent by embracing technology in executing their daily chores, thus embracing a nomadic lifestyle. The lifestyle of digital nomads includes working remotely and teleworking instead of presenting themselves physically at an organization’s office. Digital nomads earn a living in several ways, such as freelance writing services, participating in travel blogs, engaging in photography, and tutoring English as a second language, among other job descriptions befitting a nomadic lifestyle. It is important to view Digital nomads in Costa Rica in several ways, including why Costa Rica is considered a good destination for digital nomads; places for digital nomads in Costa Rica; internet affordability, and the cost of living for digital nomads in Costa Rica.
b) Reasons why Costa Rica is a Good Destination for Digital Nomads
As a nation in Latin America, Costa Rica remains a prevalent choice for digital nomads. While Costa Rica is considered a bit expensive compared to countries such as Mexico and Thailand, it remains the best choice for digital nomads based on several reasons, including pleasant weather, fast and affordable internet and Wi-Fi, ability to learn a new language, and make new friends quickly, and being a country that is easy to get to.
Costa Rica’s Pleasant Weather
Costa Rica’s pleasant weather makes it a common choice among numerous digital nomads. Considering the country’s nearness to the equator, tropical weather defines Costa Rica as devoid of an ideal winter season, it has been a common trend that digital nomads seek to reside in Costa Rica to evade the cruel cold winter in other nations. Residents of Costa Rica enjoy several vivacious sunny days across the calendar. The nation enjoys 12 hours of sunshine on a daily basis. The geographical positioning of Costa Rica thus places it in a very favorable region, between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
Fast and affordable internet and Wi-Fi
Several regions in Costa Rica have access to fast and reliable internet. There is also free Wi-Fi in most restaurants, cafés, and shops, thus being very convenient for travelers. This indicates that digital nomads can still afford to get out of their nomad zones or homes for a change of scenery and manage to execute their tasks without being limited by access to the internet. In terms of internet speeds, Costa Rica is positioned 80th across the globe at 43.32 Mbps downloads (broadband internet). This rating is quite a fast and affordable internet in such a Latin American nation.
Ability to learn a new language and make new friends quickly
Costa Rica is ranked among the happiest nations globally due to several qualities defining this nation. Among these factors include the locals’ friendliness across the entire republic. Everyone has mastered a culture of a welcoming hug or smile as a strategy to receive guests. On top of this, non-Spanish digital nomads have the opportunity to learn a bit of Spanish in Costa Rica since the residents are always willing to share in learning their language.
Ease of accessibility
Costa Rica’s geographical positioning makes it easily accessible from numerous regions of the globe and works into certain convenient time zones where one’s job is time-sensitive. Since it is situated in Central America, it lies within the Central Standard Time Zone with approximately one hour on either side of Mountain, Pacific, or Eastern times.
c) Places for digital nomads in Costa Rica.
Looking for a residence in Costa Rica might appear to be a daunting task, especially for first-time visitors. However, several sites can help one identify the best places for accommodation in Costa Rica, such as social media sites, directories, and travel agencies, among other sources. Airbnb is one such source that can be an excellent source for digital nomads to locate accommodations based on their preferences. Through Airbnb, digital nomads can locate various places alongside their prices, thus being able to decide on their preferences. Joining Costa Rica’s Facebook groups can be another magnificent way of identifying some of the best places to reside, in addition to doing networking. Thus, among Costa Rica’s top destinations include the following:
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a destination favoring the lovers of beaches in Costa Rica. Located very close to the Caribbean Sea, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is home to a plethora of wildlife, beaches, and magnificent social life. This region is always entertaining; there is never a dull day. Among the major pros include the feasibility of making new friends, a chance to view wildlife, affordable rental places (ranging from $300 to $900), and beautiful beaches. Among the cons include being distant from San Jose International airport and the fact that certain places are not internet-enabled.
Jaco in the Central Pacific
This town is an excellent destination for digital nomads who wish to live close to San Jose and are lovers of huge crowds of people. Among the major pros include numerous upscale housing choices, and is situated just an hour away from San Jose. Besides, there is wildlife, sparkling nightlife, excellent fast internet, and great accessibility even without a car.
San Jose
San Jose is the best destination in Costa Rica for lovers of city life. This destination favors those who do not have a taste for beach life. Among the major pros include the San Jose international airport, very fast internet, a range of housing preferences, easy town accessibility by bus, accessibility of various services, movie theaters, different types of foods, and a great local culture. Other notable places to visit include Samara (for lovers of yoga, surfing, and beaches), Santa Teresa (for those who love nature), and Tamarindo (favoring the vibrant digital nomads).
Cost of living for digital nomads in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is absolutely a great place for digital nomads but comes with expensive costs of living. However, the cost of living will differ from one digital nomad to another based on aspects such as accommodation, food, proximity to a city, and travel, among others. Generally, the monthly approximations in major cities are as follows:
- Accommodation expenses (between $300 and $900)
- Phone and Internet expenses (from $75)
- Food expenses (from $400)
- Transportation expenses (from $150)
- Entertainment expenses (from $250)
Approximately the cost of living as a digital nomad is $1500 on a monthly basis. However, this will vary based on an individual’s lifestyle and the city of residence. Internet facilities in Costa Rica and not badly off, but the speeds might not please digital nomads from established countries like the United States, Britain, and China, among other nations with fast and affordable internet. Free public Wi-Fi might be quite challenging especially given speed and reliability; thus, this necessitates personal modems, and this adds to the increased cost of living.
What are you waiting for?
All said and done, Costa Rica is a nice place to be as a digital nomad. Digital nomads should thus consider choosing the various destinations in Costa Rica while being guided by multiple factors such as the cost of living, accessibility to various entertainment and cultural places, and cost of the internet, among others.