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Pura Vida! Just kidding, I really did not like Costa Rica. The exchange rate ( The colon is worth more than the dollar, really ??? ), the people were rude, po

Pura Vida! Just kidding, I really did not like Costa Rica. The exchange rate ( The colon is worth more than the dollar, really ??? ), the people were rude, power goes out a lot and internet was spotty at best ( on the Atlantic side ).

jlmorton 5y ago
> the colon is worth more than the dollar, really ??? I'm a little confused by this. The exchange value for 1 USD to 1 Costa Rican Colon is 1:621. But I'm even more confused why this is a problem for you. It's the purchasing power that is important, and Costa Rica is significantly less expensive that the United States for someone holding US Dollars. > the people were rude All 4 million of them? If you've written off an entire country as rude, it might be on you.
- gotrythis 5y ago
  When we were there last year, a lot of restaurants were way more expensive to eat in than restaurants in Canada, and the conversion rate was 2 to 1 everywhere, so if you carried U.S. money, you lost more than the actual exchange rate.
  - jlmorton 5y ago
    That's because the base unit is essentially 1,000 colones, and if you're transacting in US dollars, most people will give you 1000 colones to 2 US dollars (500:1). If you change your money, then you'll obviously get a better rate. When I said "holding US dollars," I didn't mean literally holding US dollars. I meant Costa Rica is generally cheaper than the United States for people whose primary income, or wealth is in US dollars.
    - gotrythis 5y ago
      Right, what he said.
  - el-salvador 5y ago
    For places with prices in Colones, you can pay in most places with a Visa/Mastercard or sometimes Amex card and you'll get a better rate than paying with cash.
- charlieflowers 5y ago
  > If you've written off an entire country as rude, it might be on you. To quote thomas jefferson out of context, “uhhh, France?” Kidding, but more substantially… you’re being a bit pedantic to the poster. When talking about places to possibly live for a while, anecdotes are helpful. And saying, “There people were rude” is a perfectly legit anecdote that clearly isn’t meant to imply the entire population was assessed.
xmichael99 5y ago
Atlantic side tends to suck, try going back and explore the Pacific!

jlmorton 5y ago

> the colon is worth more than the dollar, really ??? I'm a little confused by this. The exchange value for 1 USD to 1 Costa Rican Colon is 1:621. But I'm even more confused why this is a problem for you. It's the purchasing power that is important, and Costa Rica is significantly less expensive that the United States for someone holding US Dollars. > the people were rude All 4 million of them? If you've written off an entire country as rude, it might be on you.

gotrythis 5y ago
When we were there last year, a lot of restaurants were way more expensive to eat in than restaurants in Canada, and the conversion rate was 2 to 1 everywhere, so if you carried U.S. money, you lost more than the actual exchange rate.
- jlmorton 5y ago
  That's because the base unit is essentially 1,000 colones, and if you're transacting in US dollars, most people will give you 1000 colones to 2 US dollars (500:1). If you change your money, then you'll obviously get a better rate. When I said "holding US dollars," I didn't mean literally holding US dollars. I meant Costa Rica is generally cheaper than the United States for people whose primary income, or wealth is in US dollars.
  - gotrythis 5y ago
    Right, what he said.
- el-salvador 5y ago
  For places with prices in Colones, you can pay in most places with a Visa/Mastercard or sometimes Amex card and you'll get a better rate than paying with cash.
charlieflowers 5y ago
> If you've written off an entire country as rude, it might be on you. To quote thomas jefferson out of context, “uhhh, France?” Kidding, but more substantially… you’re being a bit pedantic to the poster. When talking about places to possibly live for a while, anecdotes are helpful. And saying, “There people were rude” is a perfectly legit anecdote that clearly isn’t meant to imply the entire population was assessed.

xmichael99 5y ago

Atlantic side tends to suck, try going back and explore the Pacific!