For the foreigner or expat that is living in Costa Rica, not all expats are of retirement age and the ones that are may be looking to work a part-time job.
In order for a foreigner to work in Costa Rica legally, they need to have a work permit or become a citizen. Some industries are more lenient about the work permit while others can help you acquire a working permit. Yes, some of the jobs mentioned may require special skills like learning to speak Spanish but they can be fun and adventuresome.
Costa Rica Real Estate Broker
Many expats have chosen to become Costa Rica real estate broker because having a real estate license is not requirements to sell a home for other people. All you need is a car, some clients and a good property lawyer.
The only drawback is that the real estate company market in Costa Rica is saturated and the competition is fearce.
Start a Business
This job is time consuming,requires a lot of effort and there is a lot of financial risk involved but when it is a success it really pays off. In most case but many expats have opened bars, shops and restaurants in Costa Rica.
This route however, can leave you with a headache as opening a business is tough in whatever part of the world you are in. You need to take care of things like license, certifications and pay taxes on your business as well as run the business efficiently.
Work at Call Centers
Costa Rica has become a call center heaven for many companies like Amazon, GE and HP to mention a few companies and they need people to man their phones. English is in most cases a requirement and they pay between $5 to $7 an hour.
Work as an English Teacher
This job requires a TEFL certification however, many people stepped around it by simply advertising their English tutorial services online or by handing out flyers.
The pay will vary from $5 an hour to $25 an hour depending on the clients you target but the advantages of this job is that you more or less create your own hours.
Sportsbooks and Gambling Companies
Online Sportsbooks and gambling companies in general are always on the lookout for sales representative or customer service agents. They are always looking for foreigners to man their phones because they understand the culture of their clients better and are willing to pay well.
If you take a look at the local newspapers like AMCostaRica, LaNacion and the Ticotimes, you will often see an array of gambling related jobs.
Become a “Pirata” Taxi Driver/Uber Driver
Ok, this one may not be ideal for most of us as it requires knowledge of San Jose but being a “pirata” taxi driver can be fun if you limit yourself to taking people to the beach. No license necessary as long as you don’t get caught and have the passenger sit in the front seat.
All you have to do is sit at bus stations and start asking people if they need a ride somewhere!
Become a Freelance Writer
You can be like me and just start writing articles about Costa Rica or anything else that the client may want. Just look on Costa Rica classified Ads websites for jobs. The pay will vary depending on who you are writing for but it will usually vary from 0.01 to 0.05 cents a word.
Finding a job in Costa Rica is fairly easy as long as you are not too picky as to what you want to do. Just remember to relax, enjoy yourself and pat yourself on the back for deciding to live in Costa Rica.
