For years, Allyson and Andrew Rappaport spent their days caring for animals at the veterinary practice they owned in New York, often working six days a week.
At night, they returned to their cozy four-bedroom home in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where they lived with their two sons.
Although they had built a comfortable life, they found the cost of living high and dreamed of slowing down. They were also worried about school safety and their kids growing up in what they saw as a highly competitive, consumption-driven culture.
When the opportunity to sell their veterinary practice arose, the couple saw it as a chance to retire and make a lifestyle change.
“We started soul-searching about what we really wanted our lives to look like and what we wanted our kids’ lives to look like,” Andrew, 65, told Business Insider.
The couple knew they wanted to leave the cold behind, but they couldn’t think of anywhere else in the US they wanted to live. Instead, they kept coming back to the idea of Costa Rica, a country they’d visited multiple times and loved.
When they returned for another family vacation, they checked out a few properties and found Las Catalinas, a car-free beachfront town on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It felt like the perfect fit.
“Immediately we’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is where we need to be,'” Allyson, now 50, told Business Insider.
They didn’t have to do much convincing with their sons, who were 6 and 8 at the time. Having already visited Costa Rica, both boys were excited about the move, she said.
In 2020, they sold their Connecticut home for $915,000 and relocated permanently to Costa Rica.
The car-free beach town they fell for
The Rappaports, who consider themselves retired, now live in a four-bedroom home in Las Catalinas with their two sons.
Their current residence is the second property they’ve owned in Costa Rica. They said they sold their first house in Las Catalinas for around $1.5 million before purchasing a larger home nearby for $1.6 million in 2021.
They spent roughly $200,000 upgrading it. The home sits steps from the beach and features a pool and garden.
Their annual property taxes in the US were about $15,000. Now, they pay around $5,000.
A comparable beachfront house would likely have been out of reach in the US, Andrew said. “We would not have been able to afford that anywhere.”
One of the things the couple appreciates most about the town is its strong sense of community. In the US, they rarely interacted with their neighbors. Here, it’s common to run into people they know while walking through town.
Their sons attend an international school and have formed friendships with kids of different ages and backgrounds, Andrew said.
“The walkability of the town has been so great for the kids, because they can just go out and we don’t have to worry about them getting hit by a car,” Allyson added.
Back in Connecticut, their sons regularly participated in active-shooter drills at school, something Allyson found deeply unsettling.
“Our kids were going to grow up in this environment where you have to worry about being shot in school,” she said. “It’s not some place I’d want to raise my kids.”
The reality of starting over
The Rappaports are among many Americans who have chosen to make Costa Rica home. According to the US Embassy in Costa Rica, approximately 120,000 Americans live in the country.
It helps that Costa Rica offers multiple residency options for foreigners, including visas geared toward retirees, digital nomads, and investors. The investor program allows foreigners to qualify for residency by making a minimum $150,000 investment in the country, including in real estate — the route the Rappaports took.
Business Insider has spoken to several Americans who have relocated to Costa Rica in recent years. Many pointed to the country’s affordability, slower pace of life, and outdoor lifestyle as reasons for making the move.
Still, moving abroad came with a learning curve for the Rappaports. While English is widely spoken in Costa Rica, the family initially struggled with the language barrier. Now, they are fluent in Spanish.
The slower pace of life comes with trade-offs, too. Everyday tasks and bureaucratic processes often take longer than they would in the US, but the couple said it’s simply part of adapting to a different culture.
“Pura Vida, that’s the local thing. Like, ‘Oh, it’s all good. Pura Vida!” Allyson said, referring to a Costa Rican phrase that’s often used to express a laid-back, optimistic attitude toward life.
Still, there are aspects of life in the US that the Rappaports miss. Specialty ingredients are sometimes hard to come by, and online shopping isn’t nearly as convenient or accessible as it was back in Connecticut.
That said, Allyson sees an upside: The family has become more mindful about what they buy.
“You realize, maybe I don’t really even need that,” she said.
More than anything else, the Rappaports say they get to spend a lot more time together.
“Our kids have us growing up, both of us. We’re at all the functions now,” she said.
Running errands also takes more time than it did in the US. A trip to the grocery store, a car service appointment, or other routine tasks can easily take several hours, Andrew said.
“People say to me, ‘Aren’t you bored all the time?'” Andrew said. “We fill every day. There’s really not a lot of downtime, yet we never feel rushed or pushed or stressed.”
On a typical chore-free day, that lack of urgency is easy to see.
After making breakfast and getting the kids ready for school, Allyson heads to the tennis courts before the couple meets for lunch. In the afternoons, they’re often at the beach, by the pool, or working out at the gym.
The slower pace of life has benefited their marriage, too.
“Even after seven years, it still feels like we’re living on vacation,” Allyson added.
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