People do describe vastly different experiences here. I can back up what Cork says about our neck of the woods. Michel and I have been in Costa Rica since 2021 and love it more every day. But we chose a very different path than most expats, for very different reasons. I have a good friend who was desperate to sell her home near the Caribbean coast at the same time I was planning the move here. She hated everything about Costa Rica, much the same way you describe. I don't think Michel's and my--and @Sircork's--good experiences here have been accidental. We avoid the high tourist areas like the black death plague and live very, very simply. There's no hot water in our home, no screens on the windows (or glass,) no indication of gringo wealth (which we don't have) and we blend in. I think that earns a certain degree of respect in these farming and ranch communities. They expect gringos to move in and start changing everything, but we bought our farm directly from a Tico family who'd owned it for generations, and we promised them we would not develop it in ways that would disrupt the community. I'm sure they were skeptical at first, but now they believe it, and are always quick to lend a hand any time we need it. So yes, different experiences exist. But to be noted: not everyone moving to Costa Rica would be willing to live like Michel and I do. Even Corky's gotta have his hot water. LOL