Part one · 3 steps
Visa & residency
Start the Pensionado (retiree) residency; Rentista alternative 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 Tamarindo research
Pensionado requires a guaranteed lifetime pension/Social Security of at least US$1,000/month (as of 2025-2026) — one of the world's lowest thresholds. A single $1,000 pension covers spouse and dependents (no extra income required per person), but the income must be a lifetime pension, not drawdown savings. Temporary residency granted for 2 years, renewable; permanent residency after 3 years. Renewal requires the income to be received in CR and ~4 months/yr physical presence. CCSS public-health enrollment is mandatory (~9-11% of declared income). Rentista alternative: ~$2,500/mo for 2 yrs or a $60k deposit for those without a pension.
Read the full Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo
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 Tamarindo research
Acute/everyday care is local: Clinica Tamarindo and a 24/7 private emergency clinic (Pacific Emergencies, ~$60/walk-in) with bilingual staff. For anything serious — major surgery, complex care — the nearest real options are private hospitals in Liberia (~1 to 1.5 hrs by road/ambulance) and, for the highest tier, CIMA and Clinica Biblica in San Jose (~4-5 hrs by road, often flown). World-class, English-speaking, medical-tourism-grade care exists in CR but is not in Tamarindo itself. Residents must join CCSS (public system); most expats pair it with private insurance. Distance-to-trauma-care is the genuine weak point for an older buyer.
Read the full Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo budget
A comfortable month in Tamarindo runs about $4,021 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 Tamarindo research
Territorial system: foreign-source income is NOT taxed — US Social Security, pensions, 401(k)/IRA, and overseas investment income are exempt (per PwC). Local-source income (e.g., CR rental or a CR business) is taxed 0-25%. There is NO US-Costa Rica income tax treaty, so coordinate with US filing (FEIE/foreign tax credits offer limited help on passive income); US citizens still file with the IRS on worldwide income.
Read the full Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo research
Served by Liberia (LIR / Daniel Oduber) international airport, ~1 to 1.5 hr drive (~70-80 km). LIR has seasonal/year-round nonstops on United, American, and Delta to US hubs (e.g., Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Newark), making Guanacaste one of the easier Latin-America beach areas to reach from the US. San Jose (SJO), ~4-5 hrs away, adds far more routes. No commercial jet service into Tamarindo's own airstrip (small SANSA puddle-jumpers only).
Read the full Tamarindo profile →Compare trip insurance for the scouting trip
Read the safety picture for yourself
Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo research
US State Dept Level 2 ("Exercise Increased Caution," reaffirmed Apr 2 2026) for the country, driven by crime. Guanacaste/Gold Coast is among the safer regions; violent crime is concentrated in Limon and parts of San Jose. In Tamarindo the real risks are petty theft on the beach, break-ins at vacation rentals, ATM/scam crime, and opportunistic robbery — a Nov 25 2025 US Embassy alert flagged rising property and financial crime against foreigners nationwide. Numbeo shows a moderate crime index (~58, Jun 2026). Common-sense precautions needed, but not a violent-crime hotspot.
Read the full Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo research
Hot tropical coast, ~27-33C year-round. Distinct dry season (Dec-Apr, sunny, dusty, peak crowds) and green/rainy season (May-Nov, humid, afternoon downpours). High humidity and AC are facts of life; AC adds ~$100-200/mo to utilities. No real "cool" season — appeals to true warm-weather lovers, less so to anyone wanting four seasons or low humidity.
Read the full Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo
Loneliness is the #1 reason people move home — build the community before you build anything else. What's already there:
From our Tamarindo research
Nicknamed "Tamagringo" — the most established, concentrated North American expat hub on the Pacific coast. Town pop. ~5,000 with a disproportionately high share of US/Canadian and European residents; turnkey expat services, real-estate, clubs, and English-speaking businesses. Upside: instant social landing pad and zero language barrier. Downside: very touristy/transient, gringo-priced, and you can live here for years without learning Spanish or integrating with Tico life.
Read the full Tamarindo 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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