Value of $4.50 in Costa Rica for an U.S. expat in 2012

There are a lot and I mean a lot of things here in Costa Rica that are more expensive than in the U.S. Most of you can go to the local Walmart and pick up a new coffee maker for $9.99. Now it may be a basic Proctor Silex but you will get a good 4 years out of it. That exact same model with a small defect, like it’s really loud when brewing, will cost me anywhere from $25 to $35 dollars. It is because it is considered a convenience item. I could just heat up the water and pour it through the grounds in one of these bad boys (Sock Coffeemakers) and not have to buy one.

The gas to pick to pick up said coffee maker is at $5.50 a gallon right now and the car, our beloved 1990 Isuzu Trooper, gets about 13 miles to the gallon. We have discussed buying a smaller car to save on gas but cars are one of the most expensive items sold here so we could never see the benefit of the gas savings! Plus our Trooper runs really well and you never know what you might get when you purchase a used car, especially in a country where more people pay a bribe to get their license than actually take the test. It’s true, police have raids on license centers and make busts on the people behind the counter.

 Value of $4.50

BUT what I can get for $4.50 is an amazing amount of stuff I really need.

5 Ears of corn
4 Cucumbers
1 Papaya
16 Tomatoes
20 Carrots

We have most of this stuff in the ground right now but it is not ready to harvest yet.

I am including our Cucumber Sauce recipe for no reason what so ever. Once a week we make Gyro’s and this sauce is the icing.
1 Cup Plain Yogurt
1 Cup Sour Cream
Oregano
1 Small Onion
4 Garlic Cloves (we use a lot)
1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Small Cucumber (peeled and deseeded)
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
I add everything, except the sour cream and yogurt, to the blender get it all nice and blended and then mix ALL together. I make it in the morning and put it in the fridge, so by the evening it’s all yummy!