What to Pack When Moving to Costa Rica

So, you've decided to replace you bed with a hammock and your beer coozie for a coconut, by moving to Costa Rica. With such affordable ocean front villas, a lower cost of living, and 1$ beers at the bar; why wouldn't you. You made the decision to jump on the bandwagon; now the question is, what do you take with you?

Since you're reading this article, odds are, you aren't the type of person who can just sell off everything you have and head to the tropics.

Since you're reading this article, odds are, you aren't the type of person who can just sell off everything you have and head to the tropics. You seem to be one that needs more advice and direction on your move. You'll be happy to know you have a few different choices to chose from.

Packing for Costa Rica - Pack Up and Go!

Unfortunately for you, the whole "pick up and go" method is the easiest and cheapest. Selling off all your worldly possessions is a great way to go. This will give you plenty of money in your pockets and nothing to worry about other than finding your perfect spot in paradise.

Packing for Costa Rica - Pack Up and Go (kinda)

For those of you who are adventurous, but not that adventurous, there is another option. Pack your must have items into your airline luggage. Obviously, there is a limit on what you can bring. This will help you cut down your personals to must haves; Thus, giving you some extra money while still holding on to the important things.

When going this route keep in mind that most airlines will allow for two checked bags that do not exceed 50 pounds, a storable carry on, and a purse or backpack. If your bags weigh over 50 pounds you will be charged extra. You will also need to prove to customs that everything is portable, for personal use, a necessity for your own pleasure, or a must have for your profession.

If you can convince the custom officials of this, it will save you money of duties (taxes on items brought into the country) and less paperwork for you to fill out.

Packing for Costa Rica - Ship by Boat

Do you have too much stuff to fit in your bags, but not enough to justify shipping it? You can always send a box as air cargo on your flight. This costs extra of course, but has a few benefits. These include fewer taxes than shipping and the fact that you know where your belongings are when you arrive in Costa Rica. (Assuming they make it on your flight!) The drawback is you will probably have to wait in some more lines and have more paperwork to fill out.

The last option is to ship your possessions by boat. If you decide to go this route, make sure you plan far in advance, as it is a very slow means of shipping. Your things will arrive at a port in Costa Rica. You will then have loads of taxes and paperwork to fill out. Not to mention, it is the most expensive option of the three. If you feel the need to bring everything you own, including your car, then this is the way to go.

Packing for Costa Rica - Things to Pack

If you clicked on this article hoping to find a list of what to bring and what not to bring, sorry, this isn't that article. Everyone has their own ideas of what is important and what's not. If you absolutely must have a list, then check out the one below. It is a list of things that are hard to come by in Costa Rica.

High Tech Electronics: The newest iPods, laptops, and other electronic goods are going to be hard to come across here. You may be able to travel to larger cities like Panama City for these types of items, just be ready to pay more.

Books in English: Most people never think about this. While there are books written in English floating around, they are in very small quantities and hard to come by. So, if you're a reader, make sure to pack along some books (Or learn Spanish!)

Hard to Find Music: With the invention of file sharing programs like Napster, it has become easy to get any CD of popular artist. If you are in to local bands or other less known bands, you may want to bring those along with you.