The Costa Rica Taxi Rule Every Newcomer Learns Fast

Newcomers to Costa Rica have to adjust to certain cultural and lifestyle habits here. A short list might include rice and beans being a breakfast staple, one-lane bridges on busy two-lane roads, milk sold at room temperature, pedestrians walking three abreast with their backs to traffic, and the difference most mentioned by first-time visitors: used […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/06/07/the-costa-rica-taxi-rule-every-newcomer-learns-fast

Costa Rica’s OIJ Warns of Surge in Virtual Kidnapping Scams

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) is warning of a steep rise in “virtual kidnapping” extortion, with complaints jumping more than sevenfold over the past year — a pattern that authorities say increasingly targets people who run businesses or advertise services. Reports of the scam climbed from eight cases between January and May 2025 to […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/06/02/costa-ricas-oij-warns-of-surge-in-virtual-kidnapping-scams

Life in Costa Rica Shows Expats a Different Side of Politics

I moved permanently to Costa Rica for many reasons, but the political situation in the United States was not one of them. And to this day, I do my best to live unaffected by whatever is transpiring in my home country, as difficult as that can sometimes be. Recently, on a Facebook page dedicated to […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/30/life-in-costa-rica-shows-expats-a-different-side-of-politics

Costa Rica Coffee Culture and the Surprising Numbers Behind It

I just read a statistic that I find difficult to believe. According to worldpopulationreview.com, Hong Kong consumed a heart-racing 43 kilos of coffee per capita in 2023. This has to be some kind of record. I combed through other websites and found no other place or year anywhere close to this number. I thought I […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/26/costa-rica-coffee-culture-and-the-surprising-numbers-behind-it

Costa Rica Named Latin America Leader for Immigrant Well-Being

Costa Rica ranked 44th out of 82 countries in the 2026 Remitly Immigration Index, placing it in the middle of the global list of immigrant destinations but near the top of the world for happiness and social well-being. The index, which compares countries across 34 indicators in 16 categories, ranked Switzerland No. 1 overall, followed […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/23/costa-rica-named-latin-america-leader-for-immigrant-well-being

Costa Rica Bus and Taxi Fares Rise After Fuel Price Spike

Costa Rica approved higher bus and taxi fares this week after a rise in international fuel prices pushed up operating costs for public transport operators. The Public Services Regulatory Authority, known here as Aresep, approved a 5.43% increase for bus fares nationwide and increases ranging from 1.39% to 2.82% for taxi service. The adjustment covers […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/23/costa-rica-bus-and-taxi-fares-rise-after-fuel-price-spike

How Cell Phones Took Over Public Life in Costa Rica

Is there any device that humans now use more frequently and publicly than the cell phone? Once merely a portable telephone and text message sender, the cell phone is now an all-purpose communication and life center, indispensable to most, and certainly to anyone living and working on the grid. With more than 4,000 signal towers […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/22/how-cell-phones-took-over-public-life-in-costa-rica

Costa Rica to Offer No-Appointment Driver’s Tests at National Stadium

Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport will hold a special no-appointment driving test event at the National Stadium on Wednesday, June 17, in an effort to reduce waiting times for one of our country’s most in-demand license services. The event will run from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the northeast sector of […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/21/costa-rica-to-offer-no-appointment-drivers-tests-at-national-stadium

Costa Rica’s Central Bank Sets New Dollar-Buying Record as Colón Hits Historic Lows

The Banco Central de Costa Rica (BCCR) has broken its all-time annual record for exchange-rate stabilization under the managed-float regime in place since 2015, intervening more aggressively in the foreign exchange market than in any full year since the system was adopted. Between February 19 and May 18, the BCCR purchased $774 million on the […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/20/costa-ricas-central-bank-sets-new-dollar-buying-record-as-colon-hits-historic-lows

How Expats Survive Costa Rica Heat Without Air Conditioning

Summer won’t go away. The afternoon clouds and cooling rains have been few. We are a third of the way through May, and Green Season has yet to step forward. From 8 in the morning until 4ish in the afternoon, the heat of the sun is best avoided. I sit on the back patio in […]
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https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/15/how-expats-survive-costa-rica-heat-without-air-conditioning