Retire outside the USA?

The USA has been getting more and more polarized and violent. We have had synagogue shootings, church shootings, school shootings, Walmart shootings to name just a few. We are one of the few “advanced nations” without universal healthcare. So, I did some research on the best places to retire. Costa Rica was at the top on most lists. I contacted a highly rated travel agent located in Costa Rica. (If you want to see Costa Rica without a tour group, give them a very high recommendation. Contact me for the name.) We arranged a tour using shared shuttles for transportation. We stayed at a surf camp in Tamarindo on the Pacific coast, Monteverde in the mountains, Arenal at the Volcano with hot springs, Puerta Viejo de Talamanca on the Carribean coast and two nights in San Jose on the way home. Costa Rica has many pluses, but also some minuses.

The country has free medical care, and retirees can join the system for a small monthly fee. We saw a protest march by government employees in San Jose. Even though the government employees make 70% more than private-sector employees, they were protesting the government’s attempts to control costs. Costa Rica needs infrastructure improvements. It wasn’t until 1949 that blacks were given citizenship. There are still racial problems, but not as bad as in the USA. They have a major immigration problem from people fleeing Venezuela and Nicaragua. Costa Rica has the highest percentage of immigrants of all the south and central American countries, which is putting a strain on the economy. The economy is based on tourism and agriculture. Like many countries, there is a substantial gap between the very rich and the rest of the population, which is growing. We really enjoyed our time in Costa Rica, but are not going to pack up and move there.