Costa Rica is truly an amazing country, well deserving of its reputation as a prime retirement haven. The climate is excellent. Healthcare is inexpensive and of high quality. Foreign owners of real estate enjoy all the rights of a Costa Rican citizen and real estate is still very affordable. The people of Costa Rica enjoy and take great pride in their stable democracy. The cost of living is low; $2000 a month will give you a comfortable life style. Today more than 20,000 Americans have retirement homes and many more own investment property in Costa Rica.Costa Rica is a very small country but it is extremely diverse. The 32,000 square miles that make up this small country have approximately 6 less than what you spend in the U.S and utilities (telephone service, electricity, and water) are cheaper than in North America .There are thousands of restaurants in the central valley offering cuisine from most countries of the world. Large American supermarkets offer most familiar items. Items imported from North America are more expensive usually, however many familiar name brands are manufactured in Central America and the prices are reasonable. Costa Rica has 110-115 Volt electricity and the NTSA television system both the same as in North America.With Costa Rican Life expectancy higher and the infant mortality rates lower than that in the United States it is no wonder the United Nations consistently ranks Costa Rica?s public health system in the top 20 worldwide and the best in Latin America. Costa Rica?s health care system is readily available to retirees and other foreign residents. Most foreigners and retirees opt for the medical insurance offered by the government?s insurance company at amazing low rates such as $900 per year for a man between 45 and 50 which and covers 80 literacy rate is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Costa Ricans place a very high value on education. There is a free education system for all, through high school. There are excellent bilingual and trilingual schools available with a principal language of English, French or German. There are many qualified professionals and technical personnel. Many young professionals have received a bilingual education from grade school and through high school in English, German or French. You will find many English speaking Costa Ricans to help you in many common situations.Cell Phones, telephones, Cable TV and Internet are widely available in Costa Rica.According to a survey in the Robb Report of potential foreign investment/retirement areas, Costa Rica surpasses all countries, including Mexico, Panama, the Caribbean Islands, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Australia, and Greece. It is not surprising that there are more Americans, Canadians, and Europe.