Costa Rica is without a doubt one of the most popular vacation spot in the world for ecotourism, medical tourism and for its beautiful beach. It is also one of the top countries for expats to retire in because it not only offers a cheaper cost of living; it also offers most of the amenities from home.
As an expat living in Costa Rica, I have had my share of touring the country looking for the perfect location. I have bought and sold a house in Escazu, Costa Rica lived in Sabana Sur, Moravia, Athenas, Ciudad Colon and many other places around the Central Valley and I wanted to share my experience in finding houses for rent under $500.
After buying and selling my third piece of real estate in Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica, I thought that it was time for me to rent again before I decided to buy another home.
I was looking for a location that would give me the amenities I wanted in a safe neighborhood in the San Jose area. After weeks of looking and asking friend about real estate in the San Jose area I came up with this list of the best possible choices.
Living in Moravia, Costa Rica
This lovely city is located in the 14th canton in the province of San Jose with a population around 60,000 people. It is ideal for families looking for reputable private schools without having to live in the more expensive Escazu. Some of the schools include Saint Francis College, Colegio Nuestra Senora de Sion and Saint Joseph. Here is a list of private and public schools in Costa Rica.
In addition, Moravia offers many excellent restaurants and even the Lincoln Plaza which is one of the largest, modern and newest shopping mall in Costa Rica. It is also home to the Braulio Carrilo Nationa Park and has over 500 species of birds and 150 species of mammals that a visitor may see in the park.
You can easily find a 2 bedroom house for rent under $500. I actually found a two bedroom 1.5 bath home for rent in the Los Colegios area for $400 per month by browsing through La Nacion newspaper.
I would consider Moravia to be in the upper middle class neighborhood range as they are many areas that have homes for sale in the $300,000 to one million dollar range.
Living in Guadalupe, Costa Rica
Downtown Guadalupe is only 8 km away from Down San Jose and is a rich and diversified neighborhood that is mostly populated by locals but does have a growing number of expats living in the area. It is a middle to low middle income neighborhood/city that has a population of around 26,000.
One of the advantages of living in Guadalupe is that it is easily accessible by car or by public transportation and from pretty much anywhere in the San Jose area.
Guadalupe does not have its own shopping mall but it is only a few kilometers away from the Lincoln Plaza in Moravia and it does have many stores and shopping center to enjoy. It also has several private hospitals s uch as Hospital Hotel la Catolica and Hospital Jerusalem.
I have actually lived in and out of Guadalupe for 5 years and I can say that the price of homes and apartments vary from $350 to $600 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath rental in one of the better neighborhood of Guadalupe which include La Robert and San Gerardo.
Living in Ciudad Colon
For those who are looking for warmer weather away from the fast pace living of the city life but only 28 minutes from Downtown San Jose, Ciudad Colon is probably the place for you. Ciudad Colon offers some of the best weather in Costa Rica and is usually a bit warmer than Santa Ana. Surrounded by mountains, Ciudad Colon is the perfect place to go hiking, horseback riding and mountain climbing.
This quaint city may not be big on large American chains of restaurants which makes it ideal if you wanted to live as a local and not as a tourist. This makes living in Ciudad Colon the perfect retirement location because it also offers spacious affordable homes renting at $500 as well as l luxurious homes renting around $1000 per month.
Here is an example of a great luxurious property for rent in Ciudad Colon to prove my point.
Apartment for Rent in Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica
Rental Price: $900
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2.5
Size: 125 square meters
Built: 2002
This apartment is in a gated community in Costa Rica that offers 24 hour security, a BBQ area, a laundry and a swimming pool. Add a two car garage to the mix and you are talking luxury at a bargain price. Click here for details on this property. from UpropertiesCR.
I hope you enjoyed this informational article about renting a home in Costa Rica under $500 and remember that I have only hit some of the many places that are affordable and a great deal in Costa Rica. So it is possible to find bargain homes for rent in Costa Rica If you are willing to do a bit of research and legwork.
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