Interactive planning tools designed to bring clarity to your relocation. Fill them out at your own pace. Your progress is saved automatically.
Your written plan
The ten-section plan you build as you work through the fourteen decisions.
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Free
A streamlined 12-week checklist covering the essential steps for your Costa Rica move.
A simplified version of the Decision Brief to capture your initial relocation thinking.
The comprehensive financial readiness tool. Five pillars: Income Architecture, Burn Rate, Tax Exposure, Gap Analysis, and Stress Testing.
Review and reflect on your readiness quiz results with next-step recommendations.
Getting oriented
Rate yourself across 5 dimensions to see where you stand and where to focus.
Identify which specialized track matches your family situation.
The original long-form brief: a living document capturing your whole relocation decision.
Acknowledge the educational nature of content and your responsibility for professional advice.
Map your personal decision timeline with key milestones and go/no-go checkpoints.
Why and who
Craft your individual and shared purpose for moving abroad.
Your phased plan for building community and belonging in Costa Rica.
Map your current social circles and plan how to rebuild them in Costa Rica.
Ready-to-use scripts for telling family, friends, employers, and kids about your move.
Understand the predictable emotional stages of relocation and plan your coping strategies.
A structured plan to support children through every phase of the relocation transition.
Decisions and logistics
Score and compare Costa Rica regions across key lifestyle criteria.
Compare regions side by side with weighted scoring for confident decisions.
Track every administrative task from banking to residency applications.
A month-by-month countdown checklist covering every category of move preparation.
Research and verify critical details about your target area before committing.
Build a comprehensive emergency plan covering medical, natural disaster, and security scenarios.
Compare Costa Rica residency pathways side-by-side to identify your best option.
Evaluate and compare schools across academics, logistics, culture, and cost.
Health and daily life
Design your ideal daily routine accounting for Costa Rica climate, pace, and lifestyle.
Map your perfect week in Costa Rica balancing work, wellness, family, and adventure.
Compare health insurance options across CAJA, international, and local private plans.
Ensure continuity of medications, treatments, and specialist care during your transition.
Build your personal directory of healthcare providers, pharmacies, and emergency contacts.
Assess safety across natural hazards, crime, infrastructure, and health for your target region.
Evaluate whether to buy, ship, or go car-free based on your region and lifestyle.
Money, tax and estate
Build a realistic monthly budget across three lifestyle scenarios.
Step-by-step guide to setting up US and Costa Rica banking infrastructure.
Understand your US and Costa Rica tax obligations and build your professional team.
Audit and update your estate plan, beneficiaries, and account access for cross-border living.
Map your income sources and create a withdrawal strategy for living abroad.
Interview questions and evaluation criteria for choosing international insurance providers.
Vet and select qualified US and Costa Rica tax professionals for your cross-border situation.
Ensure your remote work setup is ready with internet, equipment, and cloud systems.
Culture and belonging
Essential Costa Rican cultural norms, etiquette, and phrases for daily life.
Identify and recalibrate unrealistic expectations about expat life in Costa Rica.
Plan your family participation in Costa Rican holidays, festivals, and cultural events.
Design your personal integration approach across language, community, and daily life.
Plan how you will give back to your new community through skills, time, and resources.
Essential Spanish phrases organized by real-life scenarios you will encounter daily.
Support your children in building a healthy identity that bridges both cultures.
Essential contacts, services, organizations, and resources organized by region.
Retiring couples
Assess alignment on key relocation decisions and identify areas needing discussion.
Navigate healthcare options for retirees including CAJA, international plans, and Medicare considerations.
Identify gaps between your current readiness and move-ready status with action plans to close them.
A structured 12-week plan for retiring couples covering pre-move, arrival, and settling phases.
Map your retirement income sources and create a sustainable withdrawal strategy for Costa Rica.
Families with kids
Research and plan activities, sports, and social connections for your children in Costa Rica.
Build a comprehensive family safety plan covering home, school, travel, and emergency scenarios.
Ensure continuity of pediatric care including vaccinations, specialists, and dental for your children.
Comprehensive school comparison tool tailored for families evaluating Costa Rica education options.
Age-specific strategies for supporting teenagers through the relocation transition.
Moving solo
A reflective tool for building identity, community, and purpose as a solo mover.
Build your three-layer social network from daily acquaintances to deep friendships.
Essential safety systems for solo movers including check-ins, medical prep, and emergency protocols.
A 12-week plan with solo-specific milestones for safety, social connection, and belonging.
Business owners
Plan time zone overlap, restructure meetings for async-first operations, and build your tool stack.
A 12-week plan to transition business operations covering infrastructure, simulation, and launch.
Comprehensive checklist for US banking, CR banking, payment processing, and currency management.
Prepare for professional consultations about your business entity structure when relocating.
Set up reliable remote work infrastructure including internet, power, hardware, and workspace.
