Is Costa Rica Safe?

I get this question probably more often than any other question, and I understand why.  Safety is a big concern and it should be. Compared to the USA, Canada and other big countries Costa Rica has very little serious crime.  Like any city or country, there are good parts and not so good parts, so it depends also a lot on where you live.  San Jose is a major city with over 3 Million people.   Anytime you have that many people in one place there will be crime.  But statistically violent crime is very low in Costa Rica; it is usually what they call property crime or crime of opportunity.  I hate when they use the term Petty Theft, because when someone steals your $1,000 laptop that isn’t petty. 

A very common question I receive when people begin looking at making the move to Costa Rica is, “Should I rent or should I buy a house in Costa Rica“? People make the point that you should rent in Costa Rica for a while, to make sure you like it before you buy. There is obviously some merit to this and of course each person has a different opinion.  Personally, I have always been a firm believer in home ownership as that is the American Dream, right?  

I have owned many properties in my life, buying my first house at 23 years old. I have never wanted to rent a property for quite a few different reasons.  First of all, it isn’t MY property.  So I can’t do what I want.  I can’t paint it the color I like, build the BBQ I need, or plant the landscaping I want to see every day.  I am at the mercy of the owner and must live by their rules.  Now, if the owner happens to be a great guy, who is very flexible, then that might work out ok.  But what if the owner isn’t easy to deal with?  We have all heard the horror stories of crazy landlords and I have never wanted to put myself in that situation.  I have owned every property I have ever lived in, and I also own the real estate that my businesses operate on.