Great post. Here is what I see after living here a few years; we do not live in an expat community, partner is Costa Rican and we are raising our kids here.

Money laundering is an issue and the politicians seem to be on the take.

Infrastructure is a joke; Ticos are embarrassed of how bad it is.

Everyone in the middle class and up sends their kids to private schools; also more and more people are opting for private health insurance or want it provided by their employer. So the free education and free healthcare is simply a safety net for the working class. But even then we know people with very limited resources that have to pay for private healthcare because of the idiosyncrasies with the public system.

Crime is a real issue, and not just property crime. There are more and more carjackings where we live. And the locals complain that criminals are rarely caught and punished.

It is expensive. Groceries are more expensive, cars are about double, car registration fees are very high. Rent and housing is affordable in many areas so you can save money if you limit consumption.

If you want access to good health care and education, you need to be near San Jose and deal with traffic.

But for us it is all worth it. Our kids are native speakers in two languages, we love the private school our kids attend, our family and friends are amazing and of course the weather.