How Information, Borrowed Experience, and Firsthand Experience Work Together
I recently had a prospective consulting client tell me something interesting. He said he had access to "military-grade AI" and could do all the research himself.
My response? "You're probably right."
The truth is that artificial intelligence has become an extraordinary research tool. In seconds, it can answer questions that would have taken hours or days to research just a few years ago. Want to know about residency requirements, the healthcare system, climate zones, taxes, banking, or building costs? Ask AI. The answers are often surprisingly good.
In many ways, there has never been a better time to research a move to Costa Rica.
But here's the distinction most people miss: information and experience are not the same thing.
The Information Problem Has Been Solved
When I first came to Costa Rica in 2001, information was hard to find. There were guidebooks, online forums, and a handful of websites, but most of what you learned came through trial and error. Today, almost every factual question can be answered in minutes — climates, healthcare, residency options, real estate markets, construction costs.
The challenge is no longer finding information. The challenge is knowing what to do with it.
Information Doesn't Make Decisions
AI can tell you that Pérez Zeledón enjoys a spring-like climate. It can't tell you whether you'll enjoy living 30 minutes up a mountain road. It can tell you that Dominical receives significant annual rainfall. It can't tell you whether waking up to jungle sounds and afternoon showers will feel magical or frustrating after six months.
AI can tell you what it costs to build a house. It can't tell you whether building is the right choice for your personality, budget, timeline, and tolerance for uncertainty. It can tell you what other people say. Experience helps you understand what those things actually feel like.
The Question Most People Get Wrong
One of the most common questions I hear is: What's the best place to live in Costa Rica?
There's no answer. The better question is: What's the best place for me?
That depends on things no AI can fully assess — your lifestyle, your priorities, your budget, your tolerance for heat, humidity, rain, isolation, traffic, and change. The beach lover and the mountain lover may both be considering Costa Rica, but they're often looking for entirely different lives.
What 25 Years Has Taught Me
I've lived in Costa Rica since 2001. I became a citizen and have spent more than two decades helping people explore the country — both as travelers and as prospective residents. Over time, I've noticed something: the people who struggle most are rarely the ones who lacked information. They usually had plenty of it. What they lacked was perspective.
They underestimated the importance of access. They chose an area that looked great on paper but didn't fit their lifestyle. They focused on the house instead of the life they were trying to build. They made decisions based on facts without fully understanding the realities behind those facts.
Three Ways of Knowing
There are really three stages to learning about Costa Rica.
The first is information — and AI handles this better than anything that's come before it. The second is borrowed experience: learning from people who have already spent years living, working, investing, and navigating life here. The third is firsthand experience. At some point, you have to stop researching and start experiencing. You have to drive the roads, visit the communities, feel the climate, meet the people. No AI, article, YouTube video, or consultant can do that part for you — but they can help you prepare for it.
So Why Use a Consultant?
Honestly, you may not need one. Many people do their own research and do just fine, and I encourage it — the more informed you are, the better.
My consulting service isn't designed to replace your research or your own firsthand experience. It's designed to complement both. You gather the information; I help you interpret it. You come to Costa Rica; I help you make the most of your time here. You form your own opinions; I help you avoid some of the mistakes and dead ends I've watched others stumble into over the years.
My job isn't to tell you what to do. It's to help you ask better questions, explore better options, and make better decisions.
A Final Thought
AI is a remarkable tool — I use it every day. But moving to Costa Rica isn't ultimately an information problem. It's a decision problem. And sometimes having someone who has already walked the path can help you see things that don't show up in any search result.
I'll be straight with you: this article is partly a pitch for my consulting service. But I think it's an honest one. Do your research. Ask questions. Use AI. Read everything you can. Then come experience Costa Rica for yourself. And if you'd like help making sense of it all, I'm happy to be part of that journey.
Related Video
In this short reel, I discuss the three ways people learn about Costa Rica: information, borrowed experience, and firsthand experience.
