October 7, 2025 • 18 mins
🌴 Costa Rica’s Top 5 LGBTQ+ Retirement Havens
Sunset cocktails, rainbow macaws, and a budget that doesn’t need CPR—Costa Rica’s Pura Vida isn’t just a postcard; it can be your retirement reality. In this week’s Queer Money®, we’re counting down the Top 5 Costa Rican towns for LGBTQ+ retirees—from the surf vibes of Tamarindo to the gay beach haven of Manuel Antonio.
We break down which areas offer the best mix of affordability, healthcare access, safety, and queer-friendly community, all while keeping the tropical dream alive. Whether you’re after cool mountain breezes or jungle-meets-ocean sunsets, Costa Rica has a place with your name (and rainbow flag) on it.
Takeaways:
- Why Costa Rica is one of the most stable, eco-conscious, and LGBTQ-friendly countries in Central America
- 🏖️ 5 top towns ranked for livability, cost of living, and queer community vibes
- 💸 How much you’ll actually spend on rent and daily life (spoiler: 30–50% less than the U.S.)
- 🌈 Where to find the best nightlife, nature, and new queer neighbors
- 💡 How to use our Happy Gay Retirement Calculator to see if Costa Rica fits your fabulous future
Links referenced in this episode:
Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Sunset cocktails, junglemacaws, and a budget that doesn't
need cpr.
Costa Rica's Pura Vida isn'tjust a postcard.
It can be your retirement identity.
This week, we're counting downthe top five Costa Rican towns for
LGBTQ retirees balancingaffordability, access to care, and
queer friendly vibes.
(00:21):
Grab your sarong andspreadsheet, bitches.
This is Queer Money, episode 608.
And today we're visiting CostaRica as part of our ongoing Queer
Money International retirement series.
So why Costa Rica?
Well, one, several people haveasked us to cover Costa Rica.
Two, David's been to CostaRica three times.
Yep, three times.
Has not taken me yet, though.
(00:42):
And we have to go sometimebecause I need to pop that cherry.
But most importantly, it's gotkind of a trifecta of amazing features
to it.
One, it's got greathealthcare, access to universal healthcare,
their public system, whichthey call caja, and sometimes expats
will oftentimes take advantageof that, but also get some private
healthcare insurance as well.
(01:03):
Affordability is really onpoint here.
There's a lot of affordability here.
In fact, you'll find that thecosts of living in many of the Costa
Rican towns that we're goingto cover are roughly about 30 to
35% lower than the US national average.
We're talking about the wholecountry, not state by state or city
by city.
So keep that in mind.
And then the LGBTQ + rights.
(01:24):
Same sex marriage has beenlegal there since May of 2020, which
is pretty awesome.
And San Jose has the largestLGBTQ nightlife scene as you have
experienced.
Yes, right.
In Costa Rica, as well as, Ithink, most Central American countries.
And Manuel Antonio is the defacto gay beach club that I am dying
to go to.
(01:44):
Yeah.
I will say some other greatthings about, about Costa Rica.
It's very centrally located.
Costa Rica, I think it was in1948, dissolved their military.
They are basically theSwitzerland of the Americas, which
puts them in a great spotbecause they have been able to invest
(02:05):
all that money that would havegone into a military, into making
the country a much more stableand beautiful place.
Not just because of the factthat the environment there, but they
are protecting the environment.
They're pouring millions ofdollars into protecting the environment
and making it a safe place, aswell as bringing up the education
level of the country.
(02:26):
I think that the literacy ratein Costa Rica is higher than the
United States.
Wow.
It's probably higher than our president.
Yeah.
So two weeks ago we did Greece.
So go ahead and take a look atthose comments that are on YouTube.
I know that several of ourvideos have really exploded with
comments, especially the onein Thailand.
And those comments are thethings that really drive the engagement
(02:49):
and education of the community.
And that's part of the reasonwhy we do these.
We do these videos as kind ofa foundation and then we allow a
lot of folks to comment orwant people to comment so that it
actually rounds out the full discussion.
Yeah, I've noticed that peopleare really having specific details,
discussions about, well, howdid you get a visa in Australia?
(03:10):
I was struggling to get one.
And this is, you know, this iskind of the loophole I went through.
And these are all questionsthat, that can only be answered if
you've sort of been throughthe process.
And a lot of people who havebeen through the process of gaining
residency or some other visaof some sort, it can answer if you're
looking to go to one of thesespecific countries.
Right.
So coming up in two weeks,we'll be taking a look at the Netherlands,
which again is another onethat folks have requested.
(03:33):
But this week we're looking atCosta Rica.
So remember, if you've been,if you live there currently, please
go ahead and comment and shareyour personal experiences about being
in the country.
And you.
We probably don't have to tellyou, but let us know what we get
right, let us know what we get wrong.
We're always learning ourselves.
So coming in at number five,we have Tamarindo, which is the Pacific
(03:56):
coast, the surf hub.
It's great.
Yeah, I can't say it.
I can't swirl my twirl my tongue.
Temporindo.
There you go.
It's great because it's sortof the walkable beach town with tons
of restaurants, surf and services.
There's.
It's sort of an easy on rampto moving to Costa Rica because there
are a lot of first time expatsand a lot of English speaking in
(04:18):
Tamarindo.
The caveat, though, always,whatever country you're planning
on moving to, definitely learnthe language.
You want to respect their culture.
The downside, however, is it'skind of touristy.
So it comes with the touristypricing and it has that seasonality
where you cut ebbs and flowswith lots of people and then nobody.
And so some people kind ofhave a struggle with that.
And then because it's verytouristy there, it comes with traffic
(04:39):
and some noise.
So maybe not the most theideal place for people who are just
really looking for living in nature.
The LGBTQ+ vibes.
There's no dedicated LGBTQ+ hotspot.
But the LGBTQ, I'm sorry, theoverall night scene is very mixed,
very inclusive.
It's sort of like a nightlife,yoga, surf culture vibe going on
(05:01):
there.
So it's kind of aninteresting, a combination of things
going on there.
The perks are that there is agreat international crowd, great
beginning, great for beginning surfers.
So if you want to tacklesurfing while you're in retirement,
that's a great place to start.
You do have access to theLiberia airport, so you get.
If you want to get out of thecountry, it should be relatively
easy.
(05:21):
In terms of costs.
Your average two bedroom rentgoes for about 12 to 1800 US dollars
a month.
It can be a little bit moreexpensive if you're going to be on
the beach.
So maybe living off the beacha little bit further away can help
you save some dollars.
Overall cost of living, as Ialluded to earlier, is about 30 to
35% lower than the US national average.
(05:41):
So keep that in mind.
You're definitely saving inthe long run.
And for all these reasons,we're giving it a queer money retirement
rating of 7 out of 10.
Amazing lifestyle, but theprice can creep up on you.
Yeah, I definitely will.
Say this area is beautifulbecause one of the things that is,
I think it's about an hour anda half, two hour drive.
You can get to the ArenalVolcano, which is a beautiful area.
(06:04):
And the Tobacco and Springsthermal resort and spa in the area
is amazing.
I went there.
It's awesome.
They have variety of differentpools at different temperatures.
It's just a great place torelax all day.
Still don't know why myhusband hasn't taken me.
All right, coming in at numberfour is are the suburbs of San Jose.
Specifically we're looking atEscazu, Santa Ana and Curitabat.
(06:30):
I think that's how that's pronounced.
It doesn't necessarily soundSpanish to me.
So I'm wondering what theorigin of that word is.
Why is this a great area?
Well, because you have accessto all the things that a big city
has to offer.
Big city healthcare, privatehospitals, the kind of shopping that
I think a lot of gay menespecially love.
(06:51):
There's also reliableinfrastructure and it is quick access
to the San Jose airport.
The other thing is, is it'sslightly cooler and less humid than
some of the other areas, notonly in central San Jose, but also
other parts of Costa Ricabecause the elevation is a little
bit higher.
Some of the downsides is thisis like many cities starting to experience
(07:15):
some Urban sprawl and traffic.
And I will say that in theseexpat areas where individuals like
to congregate, you're going tosee higher rents, especially in Eskazoo.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, this is the center of the
queer nightlife.
The queer community is in San Jose.
(07:37):
Clubs like Puchos, which isone that I'm pretty sure I went to,
is a club where the dancerstake it off, all right, Go all au
natural.
And one of the cool things isthat when we were there, we had a
taxicab driver who took usinto the area.
He was gay, his husband isalso a taxi cab driver.
(07:57):
And he basically said thatthey like to do taxis in the, in
that area, in part because itprotects individuals who are international
coming in to enjoy thenightlife in that area.
There are some other areavenues, especially around the area,
La California, Paseo Colon.
And there's also a really nicegay resort there called Colors Oasis
(08:23):
Resort.
And that Colors is spelled theEuropean way.
It adds a U in there.
It's a great place, but it isnot necessarily in one of these neighborhoods.
Some of the perks here you dohave one stop access to specialists,
faster care when it comes to healthcare.
And it's best for part timerswho travel often.
Right.
If you want to get out ofthis, out of the country and go explore
(08:45):
the rest of the Central orSouth America, it's a great place
to take off from.
As far as cost of living,average two bedroom, two bathroom
rent in these various areasare coming in around 1700 for Eskazu,
1300 for Santa Ana, and around1150 for Kurdabat.
But keep in mind that theneighborhoods oftentimes can have
(09:07):
wide ranges, in part becausedepending on how old or how new and
modernized something is,overall cost of living, again, it's
around 30 to 35% lower thanthe U.S. but in some of these areas,
especially Escazoo, you'regoing to see the prices be a little
bit higher.
And for this reason, we'regiving these suburbs a queer money
retirement rating of seven anda half out of ten.
(09:29):
All right, coming in numberthree is Puerto Viejo.
Did I say that right?
Yay.
Look at me, Talamanca.
Yeah, gotta add the last part there.
This is great because it givesyou a combination of the Afro Caribbean
culture.
It's like sort of jungle meetsbeach vibe, which is pretty cool.
A lot of people like that.
A strong, creative, bohemian community.
So if you're sending, ifyou're like the gay hippie, this
(09:50):
is Maybe where you want towant to head.
Some of the Best has also someof the best rents for a coastal town
that you'll find in Costa Rica.
The downsides are that it's alittle bit further away from hospitals.
So if you need access to thathealth care on a regular basis, this
may not necessarily be theplace for you to land.
And sometimes it's morebecause it's remote, some of the
costs can be a little bit more expensive.
(10:11):
So maybe look for moreexpensive groceries and other amenities
that you might be looking for.
If your budget doesn't allowfor that, keep that in mind.
And it's also much stickier.
The weather is.
The weather is.
Yeah, this is an area whereit's, it's pretty humid and it's
very hot.
So that could affect your gaysex, LGBTQ plus vibe and hotspots.
(10:31):
It's a small town, It's a verymixed and laid back community.
There's friendly guest housesand bars, but there's no formal gay
location or gay gayborhood, soto speak.
The perks are that it's aslower pace of life.
You've got like your bikeculture, it's great for snorkeling
and if that you're kind ofinto the outdoorsy kind of thing.
Hiking, hiking, camping andall that.
There's a great selection oflong term rentals outside of the
(10:53):
tourist core, so that mighthelp you save a little bit of bucks.
The average two bedroom goesfor about 750 to $1,200 for a typical
modest two bedroom, a twobathroom apartment.
Of course you can find moreexpensive ones if that's what you're
looking for.
The cost of living versus theUS national average.
This is slightly wider rangebecause it's going to be contingent
on where you decide to landspecifically, but you're looking
(11:14):
at about 30 to 50% lower thanthe US national average.
The PV coastline is often alittle bit cheaper than beach towns
that you'll find anywhere elseon the Pacific though for all these
reasons, we give it a QueerMoney retirement rating of 8 out
of 10.
Got your value plus your vibefor laid back lifestyle.
All right, coming in at numbertwo are two small towns in the Central
Valley.
(11:34):
Central Valley is actuallywhere San Jose is located, but it's,
it's quite large.
These two towns are Grecia and Atenas.
Please correct me if Ipronounce those wrong.
I'm sure I did.
So what's great about these?
Well, they are famous fortheir eternal spring climate.
Remember I mentioned thataround the suburbs of San Jose, the
(11:55):
weather is much nicer andcooler than some of the other parts
of the country.
Well, it's the same here especially.
The nice thing is you are inthe mountains.
You have wonderful mountainviews, there are great farmers markets
here and strong expat networks.
The thing is to keep in mindis that it is close enough to San
Jose to go in and get accessto all that health care.
(12:17):
But these are also stapleswhere retirees are watching their
costs without sacrificing comfort.
So you can be close to SanJose and access San Jose through
bus or if you have a car andthen you're far enough away for the
cost to be a little bit lower.
Because of that, some of thedownsides, it is a little sleepier,
especially after dark and ithaving a car would be helpful.
(12:40):
And especially in these areas,the further you go away from say
for example, major tourists orcities, you're going to find Spanish
is a must in this area.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, this is a really low key
area.
This is very much like the suburbs.
You're still far away from,far further away from the nightlife
(13:02):
that the city has to offer.
But you can get into townpretty easily.
Some of the perks here arethat it's a great place if you want
to try to balance your budgetand keep it, keep it low.
It's also for more for calmliving and easy access to a capital
city.
As far as the cost of living,a two bedroom is going to run you
(13:22):
around 850 to 1500 in Atenasand then in Grecia about 1200 to
1500 depending of course onthe area or the neighborhood that
you're in and the quality ofthe home.
Overall cost of living isabout 40% lower than the US average.
And for this reason we'regiving this an 8 1/2 out of 10 on
(13:44):
our queer Money retirement rating.
Coming in at number one isprobably no surprise to anybody.
If you've been know anythingabout, I guess Costa Rica is Manuel
Antonio.
It's great because it's CostaRica's best known LGBTQ area, beach
area and combination ofrainforest meets ocean scenery.
It's a beautiful national parka year round tourism supporting restaurants
(14:06):
and services.
As with some of the locationsearlier because it is a little bit
touristy, you kind of have theseasonal crowd and the seasonal pricing
which can be.
Having lived in Las Vegas fora couple of years, we know that it
can be a little bit frustrating.
And then you also have peoplewho sort of come in and don't necessarily
respect the area while they'rethere because it's not their home.
And so that can get a littlebit frustrating after a while.
So if that doesn't jive withyou, you may not necessarily want
(14:29):
to land here.
The LGBTQ vibe and hotspots.
It's Manuel Antonio is thecountry's standout queer beach destination.
You just a lot of speedosthere, a lot of men in speedos, if
that's your vibe.
I will say that I don't thinkthat Manuel Antonio is necessarily
the gay hotspot that it wasmaybe 20 or 30 years ago, in part
(14:49):
because it was starting tohave that almost Ibiza kind of vibe.
And I think that the town gota little frustrated with the fact
that there was a lot morenoise coming from the gay community,
so they started to clamp downon that a little bit.
But it's still a great place.
(15:09):
There is a lot to offer therefor the queer community.
Yeah.
Some locations to check outour hotel Villaroka, Collaba Tropical
and the Falls Clubs like ClubKarma and is also great for the social
scene if you're looking toconnect with other LGBTQ folks while
you're there.
Perks are that you have accessto the beach, of course, but there's
also a combination of drag,cabaret and nightlife culture there.
(15:30):
And it's an easy bus ride ordrive to San Jose for clinics if
you need some additional services.
Although I will add it'susually best to take a small plane
between Quepos and Manuel Antonio.
I'm sorry, between Quepos andSan Jose.
Especially during the rainyseason, the roads can get washed
out or the bridges can getwashed out.
So driving there and taking abus there is a little risky.
(15:54):
Good to know.
As for cost of living, yourtwo bedroom rent goes for about 600
to $1,200 for a two bedroom,two bathroom.
And of course, you can findmore expensive if that's what you're
looking for.
Overall cost of living isabout 30 to 35% of the US national
average.
Just think, this is thetourist zone, so you're going to
have all those additionalcosts for dining out, entertainment
(16:16):
and all that.
For all these reasons, we'regiving it a Queer Money retirement
rating of 9 out of 10.
It's the best combination ofqueer community and livability.
But you have to consider thetourist vibe.
Yeah.
And definitely the beaches.
If Costa Rica is calling yourname, remember, pick the lifestyle
first, then fit the budget.
Want a beachy queer pub?
(16:36):
Manuel Antonio tops our list.
Want cool breezes and lowrents than the Central Valley towns
like Atanas and Grecia may deliver.
Which city sounds most likeyour vibe?
We'd love to know in thecomments and to map out your personal
finish line when and where andhow you're going to retire.
Remember to grab your HappyGay Retirement calculator with the
(16:57):
QR code on screen, or thedescription of this YouTube video,
or the link in your podcastplayer if you're listening on your
podcast.
For Queer Money Retirementrating card and our scoring criteria,
go to queermoneypodcast.comforward/cities or click the link
in the description or yourpodcast player.
Then come back next week whenwe dive into the topic of getting
a golden visa.
(17:18):
They seem to be coming alittle bit more rare around the world,
and we now have someinformation on how you might be able
to get a a very intriguinggolden visa for the country of Portugal.
So more information coming outon that next week and then in two
weeks.
Also, per request, as Davidsaid, we're going to cover the Netherlands
and the five best places forLGBTQ plus retirees there.
As always, please remember ifyou like this episode, like subscribe
(17:39):
set notifications, click allthe bells and whistles and share
this with your friends orfamily who also want to retire abroad.
And until next time, stay fabulous.
Sunset cocktails, junglemacaws, and a budget that doesn't
need cpr.
Costa Rica's Pura Vida isn'tjust a postcard.
It can be your retirement identity.
This week, we're counting downthe top five Costa Rican towns for
LGBTQ retirees balancingaffordability, access to care, and
queer friendly vibes.
(00:21):
Grab your sarong andspreadsheet, bitches.
This is Queer Money, episode 608.
And today we're visiting CostaRica as part of our ongoing Queer
Money International retirement series.
So why Costa Rica?
Well, one, several people haveasked us to cover Costa Rica.
Two, David's been to CostaRica three times.
Yep, three times.
Has not taken me yet, though.
(00:42):
And we have to go sometimebecause I need to pop that cherry.
But most importantly, it's gotkind of a trifecta of amazing features
to it.
One, it's got greathealthcare, access to universal healthcare,
their public system, whichthey call caja, and sometimes expats
will oftentimes take advantageof that, but also get some private
healthcare insurance as well.
(01:03):
Affordability is really onpoint here.
There's a lot of affordability here.
In fact, you'll find that thecosts of living in many of the Costa
Rican towns that we're goingto cover are roughly about 30 to
35% lower than the US national average.
We're talking about the wholecountry, not state by state or city
by city.
So keep that in mind.
And then the LGBTQ + rights.
(01:24):
Same sex marriage has beenlegal there since May of 2020, which
is pretty awesome.
And San Jose has the largestLGBTQ nightlife scene as you have
experienced.
Yes, right.
In Costa Rica, as well as, Ithink, most Central American countries.
And Manuel Antonio is the defacto gay beach club that I am dying
to go to.
(01:44):
Yeah.
I will say some other greatthings about, about Costa Rica.
It's very centrally located.
Costa Rica, I think it was in1948, dissolved their military.
They are basically theSwitzerland of the Americas, which
puts them in a great spotbecause they have been able to invest
(02:05):
all that money that would havegone into a military, into making
the country a much more stableand beautiful place.
Not just because of the factthat the environment there, but they
are protecting the environment.
They're pouring millions ofdollars into protecting the environment
and making it a safe place, aswell as bringing up the education
level of the country.
(02:26):
I think that the literacy ratein Costa Rica is higher than the
United States.
Wow.
It's probably higher than our president.
Yeah.
So two weeks ago we did Greece.
So go ahead and take a look atthose comments that are on YouTube.
I know that several of ourvideos have really exploded with
comments, especially the onein Thailand.
And those comments are thethings that really drive the engagement
(02:49):
and education of the community.
And that's part of the reasonwhy we do these.
We do these videos as kind ofa foundation and then we allow a
lot of folks to comment orwant people to comment so that it
actually rounds out the full discussion.
Yeah, I've noticed that peopleare really having specific details,
discussions about, well, howdid you get a visa in Australia?
(03:10):
I was struggling to get one.
And this is, you know, this iskind of the loophole I went through.
And these are all questionsthat, that can only be answered if
you've sort of been throughthe process.
And a lot of people who havebeen through the process of gaining
residency or some other visaof some sort, it can answer if you're
looking to go to one of thesespecific countries.
Right.
So coming up in two weeks,we'll be taking a look at the Netherlands,
which again is another onethat folks have requested.
(03:33):
But this week we're looking atCosta Rica.
So remember, if you've been,if you live there currently, please
go ahead and comment and shareyour personal experiences about being
in the country.
And you.
We probably don't have to tellyou, but let us know what we get
right, let us know what we get wrong.
We're always learning ourselves.
So coming in at number five,we have Tamarindo, which is the Pacific
(03:56):
coast, the surf hub.
It's great.
Yeah, I can't say it.
I can't swirl my twirl my tongue.
Temporindo.
There you go.
It's great because it's sortof the walkable beach town with tons
of restaurants, surf and services.
There's.
It's sort of an easy on rampto moving to Costa Rica because there
are a lot of first time expatsand a lot of English speaking in
(04:18):
Tamarindo.
The caveat, though, always,whatever country you're planning
on moving to, definitely learnthe language.
You want to respect their culture.
The downside, however, is it'skind of touristy.
So it comes with the touristypricing and it has that seasonality
where you cut ebbs and flowswith lots of people and then nobody.
And so some people kind ofhave a struggle with that.
And then because it's verytouristy there, it comes with traffic
(04:39):
and some noise.
So maybe not the most theideal place for people who are just
really looking for living in nature.
The LGBTQ+ vibes.
There's no dedicated LGBTQ+ hotspot.
But the LGBTQ, I'm sorry, theoverall night scene is very mixed,
very inclusive.
It's sort of like a nightlife,yoga, surf culture vibe going on
(05:01):
there.
So it's kind of aninteresting, a combination of things
going on there.
The perks are that there is agreat international crowd, great
beginning, great for beginning surfers.
So if you want to tacklesurfing while you're in retirement,
that's a great place to start.
You do have access to theLiberia airport, so you get.
If you want to get out of thecountry, it should be relatively
easy.
(05:21):
In terms of costs.
Your average two bedroom rentgoes for about 12 to 1800 US dollars
a month.
It can be a little bit moreexpensive if you're going to be on
the beach.
So maybe living off the beacha little bit further away can help
you save some dollars.
Overall cost of living, as Ialluded to earlier, is about 30 to
35% lower than the US national average.
(05:41):
So keep that in mind.
You're definitely saving inthe long run.
And for all these reasons,we're giving it a queer money retirement
rating of 7 out of 10.
Amazing lifestyle, but theprice can creep up on you.
Yeah, I definitely will.
Say this area is beautifulbecause one of the things that is,
I think it's about an hour anda half, two hour drive.
You can get to the ArenalVolcano, which is a beautiful area.
(06:04):
And the Tobacco and Springsthermal resort and spa in the area
is amazing.
I went there.
It's awesome.
They have variety of differentpools at different temperatures.
It's just a great place torelax all day.
Still don't know why myhusband hasn't taken me.
All right, coming in at numberfour is are the suburbs of San Jose.
Specifically we're looking atEscazu, Santa Ana and Curitabat.
(06:30):
I think that's how that's pronounced.
It doesn't necessarily soundSpanish to me.
So I'm wondering what theorigin of that word is.
Why is this a great area?
Well, because you have accessto all the things that a big city
has to offer.
Big city healthcare, privatehospitals, the kind of shopping that
I think a lot of gay menespecially love.
(06:51):
There's also reliableinfrastructure and it is quick access
to the San Jose airport.
The other thing is, is it'sslightly cooler and less humid than
some of the other areas, notonly in central San Jose, but also
other parts of Costa Ricabecause the elevation is a little
bit higher.
Some of the downsides is thisis like many cities starting to experience
(07:15):
some Urban sprawl and traffic.
And I will say that in theseexpat areas where individuals like
to congregate, you're going tosee higher rents, especially in Eskazoo.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, this is the center of the
queer nightlife.
The queer community is in San Jose.
(07:37):
Clubs like Puchos, which isone that I'm pretty sure I went to,
is a club where the dancerstake it off, all right, Go all au
natural.
And one of the cool things isthat when we were there, we had a
taxicab driver who took usinto the area.
He was gay, his husband isalso a taxi cab driver.
(07:57):
And he basically said thatthey like to do taxis in the, in
that area, in part because itprotects individuals who are international
coming in to enjoy thenightlife in that area.
There are some other areavenues, especially around the area,
La California, Paseo Colon.
And there's also a really nicegay resort there called Colors Oasis
(08:23):
Resort.
And that Colors is spelled theEuropean way.
It adds a U in there.
It's a great place, but it isnot necessarily in one of these neighborhoods.
Some of the perks here you dohave one stop access to specialists,
faster care when it comes to healthcare.
And it's best for part timerswho travel often.
Right.
If you want to get out ofthis, out of the country and go explore
(08:45):
the rest of the Central orSouth America, it's a great place
to take off from.
As far as cost of living,average two bedroom, two bathroom
rent in these various areasare coming in around 1700 for Eskazu,
1300 for Santa Ana, and around1150 for Kurdabat.
But keep in mind that theneighborhoods oftentimes can have
(09:07):
wide ranges, in part becausedepending on how old or how new and
modernized something is,overall cost of living, again, it's
around 30 to 35% lower thanthe U.S. but in some of these areas,
especially Escazoo, you'regoing to see the prices be a little
bit higher.
And for this reason, we'regiving these suburbs a queer money
retirement rating of seven anda half out of ten.
(09:29):
All right, coming in numberthree is Puerto Viejo.
Did I say that right?
Yay.
Look at me, Talamanca.
Yeah, gotta add the last part there.
This is great because it givesyou a combination of the Afro Caribbean
culture.
It's like sort of jungle meetsbeach vibe, which is pretty cool.
A lot of people like that.
A strong, creative, bohemian community.
So if you're sending, ifyou're like the gay hippie, this
(09:50):
is Maybe where you want towant to head.
Some of the Best has also someof the best rents for a coastal town
that you'll find in Costa Rica.
The downsides are that it's alittle bit further away from hospitals.
So if you need access to thathealth care on a regular basis, this
may not necessarily be theplace for you to land.
And sometimes it's morebecause it's remote, some of the
costs can be a little bit more expensive.
(10:11):
So maybe look for moreexpensive groceries and other amenities
that you might be looking for.
If your budget doesn't allowfor that, keep that in mind.
And it's also much stickier.
The weather is.
The weather is.
Yeah, this is an area whereit's, it's pretty humid and it's
very hot.
So that could affect your gaysex, LGBTQ plus vibe and hotspots.
(10:31):
It's a small town, It's a verymixed and laid back community.
There's friendly guest housesand bars, but there's no formal gay
location or gay gayborhood, soto speak.
The perks are that it's aslower pace of life.
You've got like your bikeculture, it's great for snorkeling
and if that you're kind ofinto the outdoorsy kind of thing.
Hiking, hiking, camping andall that.
There's a great selection oflong term rentals outside of the
(10:53):
tourist core, so that mighthelp you save a little bit of bucks.
The average two bedroom goesfor about 750 to $1,200 for a typical
modest two bedroom, a twobathroom apartment.
Of course you can find moreexpensive ones if that's what you're
looking for.
The cost of living versus theUS national average.
This is slightly wider rangebecause it's going to be contingent
on where you decide to landspecifically, but you're looking
(11:14):
at about 30 to 50% lower thanthe US national average.
The PV coastline is often alittle bit cheaper than beach towns
that you'll find anywhere elseon the Pacific though for all these
reasons, we give it a QueerMoney retirement rating of 8 out
of 10.
Got your value plus your vibefor laid back lifestyle.
All right, coming in at numbertwo are two small towns in the Central
Valley.
(11:34):
Central Valley is actuallywhere San Jose is located, but it's,
it's quite large.
These two towns are Grecia and Atenas.
Please correct me if Ipronounce those wrong.
I'm sure I did.
So what's great about these?
Well, they are famous fortheir eternal spring climate.
Remember I mentioned thataround the suburbs of San Jose, the
(11:55):
weather is much nicer andcooler than some of the other parts
of the country.
Well, it's the same here especially.
The nice thing is you are inthe mountains.
You have wonderful mountainviews, there are great farmers markets
here and strong expat networks.
The thing is to keep in mindis that it is close enough to San
Jose to go in and get accessto all that health care.
(12:17):
But these are also stapleswhere retirees are watching their
costs without sacrificing comfort.
So you can be close to SanJose and access San Jose through
bus or if you have a car andthen you're far enough away for the
cost to be a little bit lower.
Because of that, some of thedownsides, it is a little sleepier,
especially after dark and ithaving a car would be helpful.
(12:40):
And especially in these areas,the further you go away from say
for example, major tourists orcities, you're going to find Spanish
is a must in this area.
As far as the LGBTQ vibe andhotspots, this is a really low key
area.
This is very much like the suburbs.
You're still far away from,far further away from the nightlife
(13:02):
that the city has to offer.
But you can get into townpretty easily.
Some of the perks here arethat it's a great place if you want
to try to balance your budgetand keep it, keep it low.
It's also for more for calmliving and easy access to a capital
city.
As far as the cost of living,a two bedroom is going to run you
(13:22):
around 850 to 1500 in Atenasand then in Grecia about 1200 to
1500 depending of course onthe area or the neighborhood that
you're in and the quality ofthe home.
Overall cost of living isabout 40% lower than the US average.
And for this reason we'regiving this an 8 1/2 out of 10 on
(13:44):
our queer Money retirement rating.
Coming in at number one isprobably no surprise to anybody.
If you've been know anythingabout, I guess Costa Rica is Manuel
Antonio.
It's great because it's CostaRica's best known LGBTQ area, beach
area and combination ofrainforest meets ocean scenery.
It's a beautiful national parka year round tourism supporting restaurants
(14:06):
and services.
As with some of the locationsearlier because it is a little bit
touristy, you kind of have theseasonal crowd and the seasonal pricing
which can be.
Having lived in Las Vegas fora couple of years, we know that it
can be a little bit frustrating.
And then you also have peoplewho sort of come in and don't necessarily
respect the area while they'rethere because it's not their home.
And so that can get a littlebit frustrating after a while.
So if that doesn't jive withyou, you may not necessarily want
(14:29):
to land here.
The LGBTQ vibe and hotspots.
It's Manuel Antonio is thecountry's standout queer beach destination.
You just a lot of speedosthere, a lot of men in speedos, if
that's your vibe.
I will say that I don't thinkthat Manuel Antonio is necessarily
the gay hotspot that it wasmaybe 20 or 30 years ago, in part
(14:49):
because it was starting tohave that almost Ibiza kind of vibe.
And I think that the town gota little frustrated with the fact
that there was a lot morenoise coming from the gay community,
so they started to clamp downon that a little bit.
But it's still a great place.
(15:09):
There is a lot to offer therefor the queer community.
Yeah.
Some locations to check outour hotel Villaroka, Collaba Tropical
and the Falls Clubs like ClubKarma and is also great for the social
scene if you're looking toconnect with other LGBTQ folks while
you're there.
Perks are that you have accessto the beach, of course, but there's
also a combination of drag,cabaret and nightlife culture there.
(15:30):
And it's an easy bus ride ordrive to San Jose for clinics if
you need some additional services.
Although I will add it'susually best to take a small plane
between Quepos and Manuel Antonio.
I'm sorry, between Quepos andSan Jose.
Especially during the rainyseason, the roads can get washed
out or the bridges can getwashed out.
So driving there and taking abus there is a little risky.
(15:54):
Good to know.
As for cost of living, yourtwo bedroom rent goes for about 600
to $1,200 for a two bedroom,two bathroom.
And of course, you can findmore expensive if that's what you're
looking for.
Overall cost of living isabout 30 to 35% of the US national
average.
Just think, this is thetourist zone, so you're going to
have all those additionalcosts for dining out, entertainment
(16:16):
and all that.
For all these reasons, we'regiving it a Queer Money retirement
rating of 9 out of 10.
It's the best combination ofqueer community and livability.
But you have to consider thetourist vibe.
Yeah.
And definitely the beaches.
If Costa Rica is calling yourname, remember, pick the lifestyle
first, then fit the budget.
Want a beachy queer pub?
(16:36):
Manuel Antonio tops our list.
Want cool breezes and lowrents than the Central Valley towns
like Atanas and Grecia may deliver.
Which city sounds most likeyour vibe?
We'd love to know in thecomments and to map out your personal
finish line when and where andhow you're going to retire.
Remember to grab your HappyGay Retirement calculator with the
(16:57):
QR code on screen, or thedescription of this YouTube video,
or the link in your podcastplayer if you're listening on your
podcast.
For Queer Money Retirementrating card and our scoring criteria,
go to queermoneypodcast.comforward/cities or click the link
in the description or yourpodcast player.
Then come back next week whenwe dive into the topic of getting
a golden visa.
(17:18):
They seem to be coming alittle bit more rare around the world,
and we now have someinformation on how you might be able
to get a a very intriguinggolden visa for the country of Portugal.
So more information coming outon that next week and then in two
weeks.
Also, per request, as Davidsaid, we're going to cover the Netherlands
and the five best places forLGBTQ plus retirees there.
As always, please remember ifyou like this episode, like subscribe
(17:39):
set notifications, click allthe bells and whistles and share
this with your friends orfamily who also want to retire abroad.
And until next time, stay fabulous.
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