Costa Rica Expat: Brian Logan

Age: 33
Place of Birth: Ridgewood, NJ
Current Home: San Jose, Costa Rica
Lives with: Girlfriend
Has lived in Costa Rica: 11 years
Occupation: Owner of Idioma International, a Corporate English Services company
“I found out about the opportunity from working as an English teacher in the market and then opened my own operation with my own concept.”

What other groups or activities are you involved in here?
None, running a business keeps me busy.

When did decide to move to Costa Rica?
I decided to come to Costa Rica about three months prior to my first visit in September of 1996. The purpose of me moving here included an interest in traveling in Central America along with learning the Spanish language. I also had the idea in the back of my head that I would open a business in CR if I came across the opportunity. I had two friends from my hometown who had visited CR and recommended it, so that was the final factor in deciding to come here.

How did you get residency status and health insurance?
I applied for residency as an investor 6 years ago and was approved. That was before the stricter immigration laws were passed in the Pacheco administration. I buy an international health insurance plan from the INS that provides good coverage here and abroad.

Do you speak the local language and do you think it’s important?
Yes I do and it is essential to speak Spanish to do business here in my opinion.

Do you miss people or particular aspects of your home country?
Well, I work with many North Americans, so I am lucky to still have exposure to people from my country. I used to miss more things about the U.S. before so many things were available here. Lately though, it has been easier to get most of the goods you can get in the States. One aspect I miss very much about the States is the almost universal appreciation for a clean environment (water, land and air).

Do you have any business or travel plans for the future?
We have been considering Panama for a couple of years now, however, we are very busy in Costa Rica, making a move abroad to be a difficult venture at this point.

Are you renting or own property here? What is the average rent?
I am renting an apartment. I pay $450 for a nice two bedroom place (I have had the same rate for 5 years). I haven’t bought because prices have increased so much, that to buy the equivalent of what I rent would cost me more than double in mortgage payments (with about a 9% APR).

What is the cost of living here?
For food, lodging and rent, I would say it is about half (or a little more) of what you would pay in the U.S. for the same quality. Many other goods (mostly imports) are much more expensive though.

What do you think about Costa Ricans and how they treat foreigners?
Costa Ricans are generally very nice and friendly people. They treat North Americans and Europeans very well. Other Central and South American nationalities are not treated as well though.

What do you think of the Expat community in Costa Rica?
Good and bad. CR tends to attract courageous, free spirited, travel hungry, consciences and educated individuals (generally of the younger crowds 20-40 years old). There is also a fairly large entrepreneurial community here as well, represented by young ambitious North Americans. However, for being a country that offers a lot a freedom and little regulation, you also get some characters you would not consider to be the most positive and productive members of society- often running from the U.S. law.

What are the positive aspects of living in Costa Rica?
The weather, the cost of living, the local people, the business opportunities, the freedom, the Latin culture, the travel destinations and the values the country is founded upon.

Negatives?
Pollution, crime, rising prices, tough immigration policy, and a rising crime problem.

What is your favorite place to visit in Costa Rica?
Corcovado national park, Arenal Volcano and surrounding areas, and out on the Nicoya Peninsula by Montezuma and Mal Pais.

Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Costa Rica?
Learn Spanish and learn the local customs. Often, Costa Rica and its citizens get a bad wrap from foreigners who do not speak the language well and who do not know the country, customs and systems well for challenges they may face when operating in CR. Costa Rica is very different from the U.S., so, it is important for foreigners to understand that things here are different and to adapt to the way things are done here. Cultural sensitivity, especially to a particular culture, takes time and an interest in learning how things get done here. And learning the language may take much longer than people expect especially to achieve a fluent level. Patience and persistence are the keys to learning the language.

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