Part one · 3 steps
Visa & residency
Start the Pensionado (Retiree) Residency path
Costa Rica's route for retirees. Plan on roughly $1,000/month of provable income — pension, Social Security, dividends — and expect the consulate to want it documented. The current read:
From our Atenas research
Requires proof of US$1,000/month lifetime pension (Social Security or private) from a single source; figure as of 2026 and unchanged for years — one of the lowest thresholds in the Americas. The same $1,000 covers a spouse and dependents under 25 with no extra income required (couple effectively still $1,000/mo). Temporary residency renewable every 2 yrs; eligible for permanent residency after ~3 yrs, citizenship after ~7. Pension income must generally be exchanged/used in Costa Rica; pensionado cannot work as an employee but may own a business.
Read the full Atenas profile →Get key documents apostilled + certified-translated
Birth/marriage certificates, background checks — start early; it's slow, and every residency application wants them.
Our visa paperwork guide →Decide who runs the move — you, or a concierge
Part two · 3 steps
Healthcare
Map your care in Atenas
Know where you'd go before you need it — the hospital for something serious, the specialist, the pharmacy that speaks English. Here's our current read:
From our Atenas research
Two-tier system. Residents on the pensionado visa must enroll in public CAJA (~7-11% of declared income, family included) but most expats also pay out of pocket or carry private insurance for speed. Acute/emergency care locally via Linea Vital (private, English-speaking, 24/7 home visits) plus the public Atenas clinic and the regional San Rafael hospital in Alajuela. Nearest world-class facility: Hospital CIMA in Escazú (~30 min), JCI-accredited with English-speaking doctors; Clinica Biblica in San José is the other top private hospital (~45-60 min). Numbeo CR Health Care Index ~64.8 (Dec 2025), staff competency rated high.
Read the full Atenas profile →Know what Medicare does — and doesn't — cover abroad
Original Medicare generally doesn't cover care outside the US. Whatever your plan becomes, it has to answer that gap.
Medicare abroad, explained →Compare international / expat health insurance
See what international health plans actually cover — and what they cost.
Part three · 5 steps
Money & taxes
Pressure-test your Atenas budget
A comfortable month in Atenas runs about $2,714 for a couple, at current exchange rates. Build your own version on top of that base — your rent tier, your healthcare, your flights home — and see what's left over.
Build the real monthly number →Understand US taxes as an expat in Costa Rica
You still file US taxes abroad, and FBAR applies once foreign accounts pass $10,000. The country side matters just as much:
From our Atenas research
Territorial system (PwC): only Costa Rica-source income is taxed, so foreign pensions and US Social Security are not taxed in Costa Rica. No US-Costa Rica income tax treaty — US citizens still file with the IRS on worldwide income, relying on the Foreign Tax Credit/FEIE rather than a treaty. Pensionado residency does not automatically create CR tax residency.
Read the full Atenas profile →Set up low-fee international money transfers
Bank wires quietly cost 3–5% in bad FX; specialists are far cheaper.
Have someone check the retirement math before you commit
Plan day-to-day cash + card access (and a backup card)
Check your cards' foreign-ATM fees before you go, and carry a backup card on a different network in case one gets swallowed.
Part four · 4 steps
The scouting trip
Book the Atenas reconnaissance trip
Not a vacation — a rehearsal. Rent in an ordinary neighborhood for a few weeks and live a normal week: groceries, buses, a doctor's appointment, a quiet Tuesday. Getting there and back:
From our Atenas research
About 45 min-1 hr from San José's Juan Santamaría airport (SJO). Direct US service to Miami (~3 hr, multiple daily), plus nonstops to Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Atlanta, NYC (JFK), LA, SF, Orlando and Washington — strong connectivity to the eastern US in particular. Same time zone as US Central (no DST).
Read the full Atenas profile →Compare trip insurance for the scouting trip
Read the safety picture for yourself
Atenas sits under a US State Department Level 2 (“exercise increased caution”) advisory. Check the current one before you book, then weigh it against the on-the-ground picture:
From our Atenas research
US State Dept Level 2 ("exercise increased caution," reaffirmed April 2026) for Costa Rica overall, same tier as France/Italy — driven by petty crime plus some violent crime affecting tourists nationally. Atenas itself is among the safer towns (Numbeo-style Crime Index ~40, Safety ~60); violent crime is rare and the main risk is opportunistic theft/burglary. Natural hazards: seismic activity and seasonal landslides on rural roads.
Read the full Atenas profile →Test the season, not the postcard
Every place has a month the brochures skip. If you can, scout in the worst one:
From our Atenas research
Sits at ~2,300-4,000 ft; highs in the low-to-mid 80s F, lows rarely under 65 F, low humidity — frequently marketed as "the best climate in the world." Most homes need no heat or A/C and it is largely mosquito-free at altitude. Real downside: a pronounced green/rainy season mid-May through November with heavy afternoon downpours.
Read the full Atenas profile →Part five · 6 steps
The move itself
Rent first — live a full season before you even think about buying
The single biggest regret-saver. The market isn't going anywhere.
Book a short-term furnished rental for your landing
Give yourself 1–3 months to find the right neighborhood.
Decide what to ship, store, or sell
Shipping a household is expensive; many movers regret over-shipping.
Re-home your US mail before you go
Banks, the IRS, Medicare — the mail keeps coming after you leave. Keep a US address you check from anywhere, or hand the whole job to a service.
Sort pet import + airline requirements early
Timelines for vaccines and paperwork can be months.
Our pet-move guide →Scan and cloud-back-up every key document
Passports, prescriptions, insurance cards, the marriage certificate — one folder you can open from any phone, anywhere.
Part six · 4 steps
Settling in
Find your people in Atenas
Loneliness is the #1 reason people move home — build the community before you build anything else. What's already there:
From our Atenas research
One of Costa Rica's most established expat enclaves for its size — roughly 1,500-2,500 full/part-time foreign residents, swelling in high season, with active clubs, a well-known weekly farmers market, and a strong North American social network. Because it's a genuine Tico town (not a resort), day-to-day life (banking, repairs, government paperwork) still runs largely in Spanish, so conversational Spanish matters more than in beach-resort hubs.
Read the full Atenas profile →Join the expat community before you arrive
Start the conversations months before the flight.
Our community guide →Set up a local SIM + home internet
If your phone's unlocked, an eSIM can cover you from day one; sort home internet once you have an address.
Start the language — even 20 words changes everything
Spanish is what your daily life will run in — the clinic front desk, the market, the neighbors. A head start pays off from day one.
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