Original subtitles

This view is priceless.

[narrator] Imagine a world of bargain dream real estate.

-Just $41,000. -What?

This is unheard of for the States.

Global destinations.

-Bonjour. -I'm gonna embarrass myself.

Fromagerie.

I love it. Great way to meet your neighbors.

-Yeah. -Yeah.

-This architecture is amazing. -[bell tolling]

And local expert know-how.

[realtor] The cost of this in the States,

I think it would be double for sure.

The cost of living here is so much more affordable than the US.

-It is definitely a bargain. -Thank you.

You can afford to live your dream...

Whoo!

I can't believe this is going to be my new home.

...at a price you never thought possible.

You did incredible.

This is exactly what we came all this way for.

Oh, my God, it's so beautiful. I love this weather.

Yeah, it's really nice today. Beautiful day.

It's so nice just to be out here and barefoot, no jacket.

This time of year in Connecticut, it is freezing.

I heard they're getting lots and lots of snow,

so I think I made it out just in time.

[festive music playing]

Just a three-hour flight from Miami and then a short drive is

the region of Puntarenas,

Costa Rica's Pacific playground.

Covering most of the country's west coast,

its vibrant surfing scene is ranked 10th in the world.

It's also one of Costa Rica's top tourist destinations.

Yeah -- oh!

With a cost of living 30% lower than in the US,

it's a hugely desirable property hotspot where you can

still find a dream home for under 150,000 US dollars.

This move has been on my mind since the first time I came to

Costa Rica 12 years ago.

Ivan and I met when I was here on vacation,

and we have dated, but now we're friends.

Meeting Ivan definitely played a role in my decision

to move to Costa Rica. -She fell in love.

Well, I did. It's not a lie.

Yeah, it happens.

In Connecticut, I worked a lot, and I didn't have a lot to show

for it at the end of the day.

I would say my monthly bills in Connecticut were roughly

$6,000 a month. -What?!

[laughing] Yeah.

That's why I had three jobs,

just trying to make all of that work.

So I'm here to help Jennifer to find her new house,

finding a new place for her that fit in

this new lifestyle that she wanted to get.

I really want her to change her life and start living

the Pura Vida life.

To max out the Pura Vida, or good life, relocation expert

Sarah will be her guide.

I came to Costa Rica over 10 years ago.

Here in the Central Pacific, I know this area like

the back of my hand.

The lifestyle is a massive draw for expats and investors.

Many come down here for the relaxed lifestyle,

the nature, the amazing weather all year round,

and the really warm culture and community.

One of the great things about the real estate market here in

Costa Rica is that foreigners can buy property with virtually

no restrictions.

The cost of living is so much more affordable than the US.

People pay sometimes between 20% to 30% less

to live in this amazing place.

-Hey, guys. You're here. -Hey!

You made it. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Jennifer, what's brought you here to Costa Rica?

I actually was in real estate in Connecticut,

so very busy 24/7 and not a lot of downtime.

So I'm kind of at a point in my life

where I'm looking to relax and slow down and just

take things a little bit easier.

I'm born and raised here in Costa Rica.

I grew up in Puntarenas, and I'm gonna be here

helping her, trying to figure out what's the best for her.

We have a lot of love and respect for each other,

so I wouldn't trust anyone more than Ivan

to help me with this process.

I love that. That's super sweet.

So what's on the line for you here financially

with this move? What budget are we looking at?

I would like to stay between

190,000 to 210,000 US dollars.

I know a lot of the properties here come furnished.

I definitely need to have two bedrooms

and two full bathrooms, because having the opportunity

to rent out the second room is ideal for me

and it has to be pet-friendly

because I do have a dog.

I'd like to be walking distance to the beach.

I would like to have a pool and I would prefer it

to be turnkey.

Well, I've spent a ton of time here and I feel pretty

confident we're going to find what you're looking for.

-Let's get going. -OK.

Before they head out, a must on any Puntarenas

wish list is to meet the local celebrity.

-[Jennifer] Oh, my gosh! -[Sarah] This is Morita the pig.

-Wow! -Amazing, right?

She truly is, you know,

a staple here in the town.

She's got quite the social media following.

She's got over 80,000 followers.

-Wow! -Wow, I didn't know that.

She's actually really famous.

Of all the things I ever thought I would see in

Costa Rica, it definitely was not a pig on the beach.

[snorting]

Jennifer's affordable real estate adventure starts in

the surfing paradise of Jacó Beach.

Whoop-whoop-whoo!

This two-mile-long stretch of coast is famous for

its consistent rolling waves that attract surfers

from all over the country.

[Sarah] The infrastructure here in the area of Jacó is

so expat friendly, and the weekend tourism is one

of the most popular in the country.

Expats moving here can expect healthy foods,

a slower pace of life,

and a really friendly community.

All right, let's go check it out.

-You guys ready? -[Jennifer] Yeah.

First on Sarah's property list is this modern two-unit house

where you get two connected but separate apartments

for the price of one.

It actually looks like a house.

It is a house?

Well, actually, two separate apartments,

which I know is something that I think you might be really

excited about. -[Jennifer] That's actually amazing.

I think that would work perfectly

for what I want to do, which is get some passive income

and rent one of the apartments out.

That would be great.

So it's in the lower end of your budget.

-So this home is at just under 199,000 US dollars. -Wow.

OK, it seems like it has so much to offer.

[Sarah] I think this is a great option for Jennifer.

It really encompasses a lot of what she's been asking for.

So number one, the income producing potential,

but also providing that privacy.

It's got that modern, open feel that I think she's looking for.

And the fact that it's just ready to move in,

I think is great.

-[Jennifer] Oh, wow. -[Ivan] Oh, this is nice.

Yeah. This is beautiful.

-I love that mural. -[Ivan] Wow.

It's actually beautiful.

[Jennifer] It's a little small, I think,

but it has a really big kitchen, which I love.

I could really see myself like, cooking dinner here

and sitting down and eating.

I love the open concept

and it definitely has a lot of natural light.

[Ivan] That's something that you really like.

So that's a good point about this one.

If this space is just for you and your dog, I think it

might work for you really well. -Yeah, me too.

I really like that it's two separate units,

because this would be my space. I would have my privacy.

I can work from home and not have to worry about

any interruptions.

Yeah, I think exactly the same as you.

Because you're such a copycat,

don't you have thoughts of your own?

Built in 2022, the main apartment on

the second floor has an open-plan living

and kitchen area, bedroom, and full bathroom.

The studio on the first floor has open-plan living,

a bedroom space, and full bathroom.

The community also has a shared pool.

-Oh, wow. OK. -I like it.

[Jennifer] Yeah, this is a really cute bedroom.

I love the headboard.

I do like that it comes furnished, so we won't have to

go furniture shopping. -Great.

[Jennifer] It could be really perfect for me.

[Ivan] I think the same.

Of course you do.

-Oh wow. -So cute.

OK, so this is definitely the smaller space.

So I feel like this would be the rental.

[Ivan] Yeah -- I feel like, wow, it's actually really nice.

[Jennifer] Yeah. It is small,

but it has a nice living room area... -[Ivan] Yeah.

...and it even has its own kitchen.

I mean, that's really great.

That's gonna make it really easy to rent, I feel like.

You know, even though this is a studio,

I feel like I could get maybe like a privacy panel

because this bedroom area is sort of in its own space

and that could help add some privacy.

It's definitely small, but it's perfect

just to cool down.

I mean, I don't need much, and I wouldn't have to worry

about the maintenance. -Yeah, that's true.

[Jennifer] I really love this.

It is a little on the smaller side, but the fact that it has

a completely separate unit, it's not something that I even

thought I would ever be able to find.

I love the price point,

so thank you so much for showing us this.

Puntarenas is one of the most important

tourist spots in the country, and you're never too far away

from the beach or one of the country's

most refreshing traditions.

-Oh, check this out. -Oh, what is it?

These are granizados.

[speaking Spanish]

[continues in Spanish]

He's gonna have double of everything.

-Oh. -Whoo.

-That's my favorite. -I'm not surprised.

-Oh, Lord. -This is definitely like the Costa Rican

ice cream truck. -Oh, wow.

It sounds great.

[Ivan] Granizado this kind of like a shaved ice.

He put it in a cup with some milk powder.

-[Jennifer] Nice and refreshing. -And also syrup.

[Jennifer] It looks a little bit like a snow cone.

And he will put, like, condensed milk.

This definitely gives me a lot of memories back in the days

when I was a kid with my family.

[speaking Spanish]

Mm-hmm.

Oh, wow.

Yeah, I can see why kids love these.

Definitely a good way to cool down on a hot day.

Oh, yeah.

After cooling off with granizados,

just a three-minute drive from Jacó Beach is Jacó Town.

With easy access to the capital, San Jose,

it's a mecca for tourists.

Renowned for its environmental credentials,

the country's developers prioritize

sustainable building,

meaning this stretch has evolved

into an eco-friendly property hotspot.

And just a short walk from the beach in the sunny suburb

of Torres Del Mar is a pristine

great-value Seaview apartment

in a modern condominium.

So this is a brand-new development.

It was just finished last year, and you'll be the first person

in this actual unit. -Oh, wow.

So I really love this because I feel it fits in

with your lifestyle. There's a coffee shop

right here down the street.

Go grab your coffee, head over to the beach

for those walks that you like to do or surfing.

[Jennifer] I can see from the outside it's super modern.

It looks really nice, so I'm a little nervous to ask

what's the price?

The apartment is a little over budget.

It's 215,000 US dollars.

Yeah, it looks really modern, which is what I'm looking for,

so I think it's gonna be a great option.

-Ready? -Oh, wow.

-Wow, this is beautiful. -[Ivan] Wow.

[Jennifer] I love the island. It's really big.

-[Ivan] I like it. -Oh, there's a balcony.

It is nice to have some outdoor space, but I would prefer if

it had a little bit of a nicer view.

This great value modern apartment built in 2025 has

an open-concept kitchen-living space,

two good-sized double bedrooms,

two modern full bathrooms,

and an outdoor space.

[Jennifer] This is feeling a little bit small, if I wanted to rent out

the second room, it might be

a little bit small to have guests here.

But the unique selling feature of the home...

-Oh, wow. -Oh.

...is this incredible roof terrace.

-Oh, my God. This is amazing. -This is way different.

[Jennifer] Wow. This is an awesome space.

-This is incredible, actually. I really like this view. -[Jennifer] Yeah.

Me too.

I think I would spend a lot of time up here.

Probably all my time.

[Ivan] I can bet that, like, you're probably gonna just hang out

taking some sun in the morning.

-Yeah. -And I feel like it's perfect for you.

Yeah, this is really great.

I originally thought that the apartment was pretty small,

but this definitely changes things.

-Yeah. -I could even watch the sunset from here.

-You know what you need? -What?

-[Ivan] Spicy margarita. -Yeah.

For the sunset.

-Yeah. -I know you love that.

You're gonna have to learn how to make them.

-Hey, guys. -Hey.

-How was it? -We loved the rooftop terrace.

That is amazing.

That was kind of like the main thing about this apartment.

Yeah, I would have to agree.

But I do think I think the space would be a little bit

small for my dog, and it might make things difficult

when I have to take her outside to use the bathroom.

But it's a great, really modern,

beautiful apartment.

Further along the coast and viewable from

the apartment's roof terrace is one of Costa Rica's most

spectacular beaches.

[Sarah] OK, so this is Playa Hermosa Beach.

This beach is very special for Costa Rica.

So it was actually Costa Rica's first protected surfing zone.

So that's why you're not gonna see

the same kind of development here.

You know, you can see all the trees.

It looks a little bit more quiet, right?

[Jennifer] Yeah, no, I really like that.

It feels really secluded, and it's so beautiful.

Next up, just under a 20-minute drive

from Hermosa Beach, is the coastal community

of Herradura.

Spanish for horseshoe, this town gets its name from

the nearby crescent-shaped beach.

With the average price of a two-bedroom house in

Connecticut costing around $350,000,

in this gated community,

Jennifer could have an off-plan house built,

just like this show home, for a fraction of the price.

[Sarah] OK, here we are. This is the house right here.

-[Jennifer] Oh, wow. -[Sarah] Isn't it so nice?

-[Jennifer] Yeah, it's beautiful. -[Sarah] Yeah.

All right, let's go check it out.

So this particular house is a showroom house.

What's really great about it is you're in early enough where

you can actually really customize the actual build.

-OK, I like that. -There's over 400 lots here.

So it's a large community, five pools, there's some

tennis courts, has a great dog park as well,

and lots of space for you to, you know, walk your dog around.

The price without furniture is 205,000 US dollars.

The 205,000 sounds good.

It is close to the higher end of my budget, but there is

a lot of amenities being offered.

So yeah, I'm definitely interested.

-Oh, wow. -[Ivan] Oh, it's nice.

-[Jennifer] Yeah. I like the high ceilings. -[Ivan] It's cute.

[Jennifer] Yeah, this is really pretty.

I love the open concept and the island.

-[Ivan] I like it. -[Jennifer] Yeah, me too.

It's very modern and it's definitely turnkey.

So I feel like I wouldn't have to do anything.

I mean, this is really beautiful.

-Oh, wow. -Oh, this is...

Really pretty.

-[Ivan] Actually, yeah. -[Jennifer] Yeah.

[Ivan] I like that it doesn't have any door.

Good lighting also, which is important.

As well as a large open-plan living space and kitchen,

the apartment will have two double bedrooms,

two modern bathrooms, and a pool.

Although the floor space inside is fixed, as it's yet to be

built, the buyer can tailor the interiors to fit

their own design and taste.

[Ivan] Imagine this pool with all of our friends coming here.

-[Jennifer] Yeah. -[Ivan] We can make, like, a barbecue.

-We can hang out, out here. -[Jennifer] Yeah, it is really nice.

-Oh, this is perfect. -Yeah.

Now I want to jump.

[laughing]

Yeah, it's perfect, like, in pretty hot days like today...

-Yeah. -...to have this little pool out here.

It would be great to have that, actually.

[Jennifer] Yeah. I think so, too.

Oh, OK. This is the guest bedroom.

[Ivan] What do you think?

[Jennifer] It's a little small, but I think it could work.

It would be nice if they could do maybe a private entrance for

this room and maybe even have an ensuite bathroom

in here also.

Oh, this is probably where I'm going to be staying

when I come and visit. -Yeah.

This is actually really comfy. I can come here all the time.

I really like it. It has a lot of natural light.

I love the high ceilings. I like the open concept.

The island is gorgeous.

I know the distance to the amenities was something

that was also really important to you.

So I do have to tell you about the beach.

So the beach would actually be a seven-minute drive,

which I know might be a little bit further

than what you wanted. -[Jennifer] I'm really not sure.

I did really want to be walking distance to the beach,

but I might be able to compromise.

So what did you think about the showroom home?

Oh, that's the one that I really like.

[Jennifer] I hadn't considered living in a gated community, and I'm not

sure if it's too big for me, but it's not as close to

the beach as I want it to be.

I thought that the Seaview apartment was on

the smaller side, but it did have that rooftop terrace.

What do you think about the two-unit home?

[Jennifer] I really like that one.

Being just under $200,000, I really think that is

a great value for everything that it has to offer.

This could be too good of an opportunity to pass up.

So I'm thinking that I'm gonna make an offer.

Let's cheers for your new Pura Vida life.

So I put in an offer on the modern two-unit house

and I just got the keys.

I think tomorrow we'll start moving all my things in.

I can't wait to have my first night's sleep in here!

At least we didn't have to go furniture shopping.

I could not get over the fact that I would have a completely

private space to be able to rent out and get that

passive income that's so important to me.

I was able to negotiate the price down to $191,000,

so I got really close to the lowest end of my budget,

and I'm super excited!

And Ivan, you are such a big help.

I couldn't have done this without you.

-Congratulations! -Thank you.