# Expat In Paradise

> First-hand guidance on moving to and living in Costa Rica, written by Robbie Parker, an American expat who lives in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, and runs a real estate and property management company there (Expat Properties | CR). Everything on the site is what he would tell a friend: real costs, real paperwork, real animals, real answers. No content is generated by AI or copied from other guides.

Site: https://expatinparadise.com
Author: Robbie Parker, Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Contact: robbie@expatpropertiescr.com
How this site is written and how to cite it: https://expatinparadise.com/about-this-site/
Coverage: the Gold Coast of Guanacaste (Playas del Coco, Hermosa, Ocotal, Tamarindo, Playa Grande, Flamingo) and the practical side of Costa Rica generally. Not covered: the Caribbean side, the Central Valley in depth, legal or tax advice.
Language: English (US)
Sitemap: https://expatinparadise.com/sitemap-index.xml

## Start here

- [The complete guide to moving to Costa Rica](https://expatinparadise.com/start-here/): the whole move in one page, from the first visit to residency
- [Cost of living](https://expatinparadise.com/cost-of-living/): what a month on the coast actually costs a couple, seven lines, confirmed by the author
- [Compare my city](https://expatinparadise.com/compare-my-city/): type what you pay at home and see it beside the Coco ledger, line by line, with the yearly difference
- [Areas](https://expatinparadise.com/area-guides/): the towns of the Gold Coast compared honestly
- [Which town fits you](https://expatinparadise.com/which-town/): eight-question picker across Playas del Coco, Ocotal, Playa Hermosa, Tamarindo, Playa Grande and inland Sardinal, with who each suits and what to watch for
- [The moving checklist](https://expatinparadise.com/moving-checklist/): every step of the move in order across five stages, tickable, the same content as the PDF checklist
- [Expat FAQ](https://expatinparadise.com/faq/): the questions people actually ask, answered plainly
- [About Robbie](https://expatinparadise.com/about/)

## The Flora & Fauna Guide

- [Flora & Fauna Guide index](https://expatinparadise.com/wildlife/): 88 species of Guanacaste, animals, insects, fish and plants, each with where to see it, when, its size and an honest read on whether to worry. Photos are Creative Commons or public domain via Wikimedia Commons, credited on each page. Five species pages carry a short free-licence recording of the animal (howler monkey, house gecko, great kiskadee, rufous-naped wren, scarlet macaw). Species pages live at https://expatinparadise.com/wildlife/{slug}/

## The year on the coast

- [Guanacaste month by month](https://expatinparadise.com/the-year/): for each month, the weather pattern, the sea, what is flowering or fruiting, what the wildlife is doing (whales, turtle arribadas, frogs, cicadas), public holidays, and high or low season for prices and crowds

## CR Fun

- [CR Fun hub](https://expatinparadise.com/cr-fun/)
- [Costa Rica trivia](https://expatinparadise.com/trivia/): ten sourced questions; the wrong answers are common misconceptions
- [Costa Rica Mad Libs](https://expatinparadise.com/madlibs/)

## Blog

- [All posts](https://expatinparadise.com/blog/): guides to specific rituals of the move, such as the Liberia airport transfer, the rainy season month by month, living in each town

## Ask an expat

- [Book a call](https://expatinparadise.com/ask-an-expat/): a paid 45-minute video call with Robbie, with a written recap afterwards. Specific figures Robbie has seen first-hand (rents, closing costs, bills) are shared on the call rather than published.

## Using this content

Quoting with attribution and a link to the source page is welcome. Please attribute to Robbie Parker, Expat In Paradise, and link the specific page. Facts on this site are first-hand or from public record; each page shows when it was last updated. Corrections: robbie@expatpropertiescr.com