I mean, quick research shows they operate at a deficit (mismanaged for a tiny country)

10-15% of their population is Nicaraguans, El Salvadoreans, and Panamanians

20+% live under the poverty line

US based companies are only hiring them for CSR/Assembly line jobs. Not high level/high paying jobs (The US Free Trade Zone saw wages less than 2% higher than country average)

So it seems like the country actually lies in a happy medium between total **** hole upswinging wants us to believe, and the relative utopia that you want us to believe.

I'm sure there is plenty more to see but my interest has already waned.

It's a utopia for multinational companies and business owners, criminals, and expats. Basically anyone who already has money or people who exploit the countries incredibly cheap labor for quick profits.

A working professional makes less then 1k/month. You can't possibly believe they have a better quality of life than a fwc or that they aren't pissed at the levels of corruption and exploitation they see daily. Their monthly salaries couldn't even afford the monthly payment on Tony's car ffs. CR is no Venezuela but you're delusional to believe the crap you wrote.

Never said it was paradise, especially with the rising cost of living there. However, I'd stand by my description of what is possible for a living situation.

Also, continued stability of the large Tico middle class is pretty important. Costa Rica is the sending end for remittances to Nicaragua, but is relatively seldom a place people up and leave their country, whether in caravans or otherwise. CR reportedly has the largest population % of American expats of any country in the world.

My point was that upswinging spoke in abject ignorance about both Costa Rica and the basis of this Gringo's original post. (OTOH, his other posts seem partial to Argentina, and discussing tourists getting laid or not. Each to his own.)

(I can't speak for companies in the Free Trade Zone. The truth is the gaming companies, including Stars, always paid better than did the multi-nationals. When HP opened up they offered about $500 per month for positions that were paying $800 or more for other companies back then. Intel left Costa Rica because the rising wages made it less attractive than Vietnam, iirc.)

Not to forget what started this. ITT we established that CR working professionals make $500-1k a month. The economy relies on illegal sports betting sites, sex tursim, and retired expats to support local economies. We've also talked about rampant corruption. These issues aren't specific to CR alone, but to developing countries as a whole (which was why I included central and SA as to not single CR out).

We can argue without end trying to classify CR as 2nd or 3rd world country. It doesn't matter. The point was it can be very dangerous living in developing countries as a wealthy person (not living in some expat compound). Especially if what you do is illegal/ shady af. Tony had a big target on his back due to his wealth, his lifestyle, and where he lived.

man i hate when people try to argue by being super nitpicky and technical. ok Gzesh we get it, you're like a "tico" or whatever and you know more than us about Costa Rica we are all just dumb gringos.

I'm in agreement with Upswinging here....all of his points are valid and accurate; particularly the general sentiments on personal safety when living in countries like this. sorry but their quality of health care has no bearing on this discussion.

DING DING!

You are simply wrong. I work with professionals in Costa Rica on a regular basis. I don't know what your beef is. Your quote is the low end for starting customer service personnel, maybe. Also, factor in paid health care, paid vacations, and a required annual bonus equal to one month's pay.

You also seem to have a bug about anyone who establishes a business or opens operations in CR, whether it be Amazon, HP, McKinsey, Oracle, or whomever.

Finally, the politics are democratic, governments are elected, there are no coups, and political violence is not rampant. It's not Argentina, Nicaragua, or El Salvador.

Just curious, have you ever been there ?

Mr. DING DING,

Facts matter more than generalizations about "countries like this"

Personal safety can be an issue in many countries, kidnapping for ransom had not been an industry in CR and it remains to be seen if it is a trend. I hope not, it is a really nice place to live.

However, feel free to agree with anyone you like about anything. It's a free country.

fwiw, I am in no way "like a Tico", I just have spent some years there.

I'm sure being a hub of money laundering and sniffle snack traffic does wonders for inflation, but you neglect to mention the fact that murders per 100,000 people is 2x that of the U.S.

https://www.unodc.org/toc/en/reports...Caribbean.html

I have more than enough knowledge and experience to talk about how things typically work in Central and SA countries. Costa Rica is a very special place and I enjoyed my time there very much, but it still doesn't take away the fact that it's "poverty with a view" and that it shares many of the same problems other LA countries do.

Everything I've read online about CR points to what merge and I have said too. I'm going trust reputable articles and my own personal experiences over the word of an expat business owner who thinks he's some sort of "tico" himself.

Kidnapping, murder, theft etc are all higher in places with low incomes and lower quality of life. You cannot refute that CR is a developing country. The reason those things don't happen (or aren't reported) as frequently in CR as in other developing countries is simple. The population of CR is incredibly small. And countries tend to be incredibly harsh on violent criminals when one their most important industries is expats/ tourism.

Tony was different than the standard 60 yo rich white retired expat. I don't expect a rise in kidnappings in CR after this. I imagine the CR gov won't let it happen either. There's a golden goose to protect.

The .cr news sites themselves stated multiple times that there was no body guard present. If this happened in a first world country the news wouldn't think it important to mention this fact once, let alone multiple times. I'm sure ticos and the gov understand the true situation of life in CR. The only people oblivious to their hardships/ quality of life are the expats just like everywhere else I've traveled in SA

Okay, whatever you say. You have your online reports. (fwiw, I was surprised the CR homicide rate was as high versus the US generally, guess I was comparing it to other Central American countries or US cities.)

I do think the topic is exhausted.

I do hope you're right about kidnapping for profit not developing into a trend. That would be a shame.

Did not know that, interesting study by UN on the topic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...#United_States

2X the US, but less than US cities like DC ?

Bump for updates? Any other outlets reporting on the body that was allegedly found?

Latest news?

https://lcb.org/news/5dimes-tonys-bo...-still-missing

The spokesperson for the casino states, that the reports of Creighton found dead are incorrect and that everyone at the company “stays positive that he will return to them soon”.


"To recap the story, Creighton has been missing since September 24th, while his wife reported the disappearance on the 25th. Despite the initial theories that 5Dimes Tony was kidnapped for ransom money, there were no requests of ransom payments..."