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With literacy rates hovering around 95%, Costa Rica has established its education system as a standard among Latin American and Caribbean countries. When we break down the order, we discover three facets to the system, pre-education (before age 7), primary education (from 6-7 to 12-13), and secondary school (from 12-13 to 17-18). The system has a mix of academic and technical specializations that give children choices later in life. A typical school day consists of the classrooms broken into two separate cycles for students. Due to limited space, children alternate between morning classes and evening classes. So, children who attend classes in the morning hours 7:00 am to 12:30 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday may attend classes in the evening from 12:30 to 5:30 pm, on Tuesday and T...

Sometimes gathering information on becoming an expat or researching an area to live can get a bit tedious. In this article, we provide the much needed information you are looking for, but with a fun twist. Welcome to Survey Says! Just like a certain favorite television game show, we asked a single important question, and received our top answers from those who know, real expats. We covered five countries and posed our question to thousands of expats in each. What we received in return were top answers from each country as we have outlined below. We received some great answers, some serious and some a little goofy, but we counted all of them into our survey. What was the question? What are some things you wish you knew more about, or prepared for, before moving to Belize? ...

More people are working as digital nomads as the internet continues to provide platforms and resources that can advance such a lifestyle. Internet use allows most people to work without having to go to their offices and enables work from anywhere in the world. As such, if you have been thinking about living in Central America, you can do so freely as a digital nomad. Central America has several countries you can settle in, including Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Panama and even Colombia on the northern tip of South America. One of the perks of living there is the strong currency exchange rates. With this, you spend less monthly, than living abroad, but there are several other benefits. Self-motivation One of the main challenges of being employed by someone else is bored...

Have you thought of becoming an expat, but don’t know where to start on choosing where to live? Although we strive to give you as much information as possible through our site, Expat Central America, there is nothing like experiencing areas of interest yourself. If you are thinking of becoming an expat in Central America or anywhere else in the world, there are a few ways you can get to know the unique countries which have captured your attention. Many, who want to work abroad and especially retirees, have taken the traditional routes to explore countries around the world. Outside of tons of internet surfing and magazine reading, vacations and to be more specific, relocation tours have become a splendid way to gain expert advice and see appealing areas.   My wife an...

The Past I'm old enough to remember a time when the internet sprang onto society. The World Wide Web, a term that grew into the world psyche, as it was unknown to most of us. Sure, their were people who probably knew all about it, but you have to understand, they were not as prevalent as today. You may have had an uncle who worked for IBM, and that relatively new company Apple had a nifty computer, but for the most part tech was just getting started. The Promise It wasn't long before experts spoke of an "information age" where major economies, built on manufacturing, would outsource and the true leading economies would trade in information. I must say, I was quite confused by it all and only as the new system was rapidly put into motion did I slowly catch on. Reg...

A vast coastline, tropical forests and eco-friendly living are just some of the major attractions that draw expats to Costa Rica. In addition, taxes are very low, with no capital gains tax on real estate and a lower property tax than many other countries. The cost of living is also inexpensive, food and property prices much cheaper than in some first world countries. Some will tell you utilities are cheaper, but it really depends on your need. If running an air conditioner all day as some are used to in their home countries, you may find the utilities quite expensive. You’ll find the Costa Rican lifestyle famously laidback, so much so there is a national saying, ’Pura Vida’, which translates to ‘pure life’. An increasing number of expats are making the move to Costa Rica in search ...

You walk into a restaraunt with confidence. You've been practicing your food order in Spanish all morning. At the cash register is the waitress, waiting with pen in hand. You smile and blurt out Quiero una hamburguesa con queso, por favor. It's done. All your studying has paid off and soon you will be eating a juicy cheeseburger. Instead of taking the money you laid on the counter though, she looks at you with her own grin and asks. Quieres papas fritas? You're in shock. All you can do is stand and stare back at the waitress. You didn't practice in case someone asked you questions. What do you do? This may sound a little silly, but it's a true story and it happened to me in a Burger King in Buenos Aires. I don't tell you this to add to your anxiety of being an English speaker w...

When it comes to our fears, the unknown may be the scariest of all. Many have thought once or twice of moving and living abroad, only stopped by their own minds. What is it about the fear of traveling or moving to another country that stops us and what can we do about it? We’ve surveyed and found what held many expats back for years until finally, they overcame the anxiety of leaving home and living abroad. Let's look at those fears. Most people said the number one reason for deciding against moving to another country was leaving someone they loved behind. We fill our everyday lives with family and friends who make us feel comfortable and when it comes down to it; we like the security it makes us feel. The fear of leaving behind elderly family members or grandkids can be...