Common Mistakes Expats Make
in Puerto Viejo

The common mistakes expats make when moving to Puerto Viejo are not the dramatic ones — not the wrong country or the wrong continent. They are the specific, avoidable errors that come from applying city-life assumptions to a Caribbean coastal community that operates on genuinely different logic. Most of them are recoverable. All of them are preventable. This guide covers the most frequent ones, drawn from the accumulated experience of the long-term resident community. 🌴

Mistake 1: Not Verifying Internet Speed Before Signing

The most consequential mistake for remote workers. A property with bad internet is not fixable after you have signed a lease — you are either stuck with it for the lease term or breaking your lease early. The fix is simple: always request a live speedtest screenshot, not a verbal claim. Speeds of 30+ Mbps upload and download are adequate. Under 10 Mbps upload will struggle with video calls. A landlord who refuses to provide this is telling you something useful. Every remote worker who has learned this lesson learned it the hard way. 📡

Mistake 2: Underestimating the First-Month Budget

The monthly budget math works — $1,800–$2,200 for a comfortable life. But the first month has one-time costs that do not appear in the monthly average: security deposit (1–2 months rent), transport from San José ($10–50 depending on method), initial grocery stock-up, bicycle purchase, local SIM and data plan, any household items missing from the rental. Have your ongoing monthly budget plus $1,500–$2,000 available before arrival. People who arrive with exactly their first month's rent available spend their first weeks stressed about money rather than settling in. 💰

Mistake 3: Choosing the Wrong Neighbourhood

The most common: choosing Punta Uva for its beauty before understanding what the 13km distance from town means in daily life. Or choosing town center because it is familiar and then realising you actually wanted beach access and quiet. The neighbourhood choice is the most important decision in the relocation process and it deserves serious thought rather than instinct. Read the neighbourhood guide in full. If possible, spend at least a week in each area before committing to a long-term lease. 🗺️

Mistake 4: Isolating in the First Month

The first month is when connections form most easily — when you are new and people are interested in meeting you. Expats who spend their first month working, exploring solo, and waiting for the community to come to them often find themselves at month three with shallow connections and wondering why they feel isolated. The community in Puerto Viejo is welcoming but not aggressively social. Show up at the same café every morning. Go to the Saturday market. Say yes to everything in the first two weeks. The connections you make in month one are often the ones that anchor your entire time here. 🤝

Mistake 5: Bringing City Expectations

The landlord who says "tomorrow" and means later this week. The bank process that takes three visits. The power outage that happens at the worst possible moment. The café that is inexplicably closed on a Tuesday. None of this is dysfunction — it is a genuinely different relationship with time and reliability that is part of the Caribbean coastal character. Expats who arrive expecting city-speed systems spend enormous energy fighting against the rhythm of the place. Those who adjust their expectations to the actual pace of the environment tend to love it within weeks. The irony: the same slowness that frustrates in week one becomes part of what you love about the place by month six. 🌴

Mistake 6: Ignoring Basic Security

Puerto Viejo is safe, but basic security practices matter. The most common incident pattern: unattended bags on the beach while swimming. Valuables visible in parked cars. Unlocked bicycles. These are not dramatic risks — they are the same light precautions that apply in any beach destination. Establishing habits early (bag goes in the water with you or stays at accommodation, nothing visible in cars, bike gets a lock) prevents the incident that defines someone's entire impression of the place. See the full safety guide: is Puerto Viejo safe for tourists. 🔐

Mistake 7: Underestimating Administrative Timelines

Banking, visa applications, importing belongings, setting up utilities — every administrative process in Costa Rica takes longer than expected, requires more documentation than initially stated, and sometimes requires going to the office more than once. The fix: start every administrative process two to four times earlier than you think necessary. Apply for the Digital Nomad Visa before you arrive if possible. Research bank account opening requirements in advance. Budget time generously for anything involving the Costa Rican bureaucracy. The full relocation sequence is at how to move to Puerto Viejo step by step. ⏰