man hiking across bridge in Costa Rica jungle

Making the Move to Central America: The Essential Guide

Are you looking for a new adventure? Do you want to take advantage of some of the world’s most incredible natural sights and start a new life in an exciting country?

Maybe you’re moving for warmer climates, or for family, or for an incredible opportunity.

If you’re moving to Central America, there are many things to be prepared for, so let’s run through some of them before you go!

Antigua Guatemala classic colonial town with mountain background

Health Insurance

The move to Central America is likely to be a stressful experience, with hundreds of different things to think about every day.

The best way to get through it all successfully is by crossing items off of your list ahead of time. A great one to cross off is health insurance.

You can be ready for anything with the right health insurance policy, you can find insurance in Costa Rica for Americans easily online that will cover you against any eventuality.

Once you’ve found your policy, you can continue to make the move without any worries about your health, safe in the knowledge that everything is taken care of.

Learn the Language

Sure, many people in Central America know English, but that’s never something you should rely on. Not only will it backfire on you in an emergency, if the only person who can help doesn’t know a word of English, but also it’ll help you to assimilate into the culture and become more friendly and accepted by the locals. 

Start learning early to make the process as easy as possible. The only way to learn a new language is time. Luckily, there are many Spanish tutors out there who can help you along the journey, or you could use an app or online service to get the basics down.

Just remember that a lot of the learning will come when you’re thrown into their world, so get the foundations down and go with the flow!

The Natural World

One of Central America’s greatest draws is the stunning nature that it preserves. Many parts of Central America are full of rare plants and animals, tropical jungles, docile volcanoes and stunning national parks.

If you’re still looking for a particular place to live, maybe consider the natural beauty to sway your vote. 

Check out the natural beauty in various areas of Central America, can you see yourself exploring the world around there? Many tourists come to Central America to see its wonders, so see what they have to say and you can use those experiences as a way of deciding where you want to be!

The Property Market

Central America has a wide range of markets and property conditions. It’s often said that it’s harder to find property in Central America due to the lack of a centralised database of listings.

Instead, you may have to search multiple sites and seek out the listings you want to see rather than having them handed to you. 

Do your research into the housing markets of various parts of Central America, and contact a local realtor who will help you along the way. There are plenty of gems to be found in the Central American housing market, and many of them will be cheaper than you may think! But you will have to put the work into finding them!

Safety

Unfortunately, certain parts of Central America appear in the news regularly as hot spots for criminal activity. Certain areas are indeed dangerous places to live, but there are fantastic, safe, and friendly places too.

Being aware of the dangers of particular areas is very important, but remember that there are dangerous places in every part of the world. 

Costa Rica is generally considered the safest country in Central America, however, you should do your research and find the areas that would suit you best based on the statistics. You’ll find that every country has exciting and safe places to live. 

Employment

If you’re moving to Central America in search of work, you may be in luck! There are many countries in Central America that are desperate for certain trades such as web developers, teachers, and nurses.

If you have any skills or training that you can bring with you, you should be welcomed with open arms!

You may have to get used to lower wages, but that’s in line with the lower cost of living in most Central American countries! So maybe you’ll find your calling and you’ll be able to follow your dream career!

Central America is full of wonder and surprises!

It can be an incredible place to live and it can give you so many opportunities you may never have expected!

So if you’re planning your move, take a leap and head down there, equipped with as much preparation as you can do.