I am a 22 year old male from the United States. I want to move to Brazil or Costa Rica. I can't decide, help

I just got back from living in Costa Rica for six months. If you are going to party, Costa Rica really isn't the place. It is beautiful. And it is cheaper than Brazil. The people are incredibly hospitable (I guarantee you that if you and your roommate run out of food one night, the mom or grandma living next door to you will pile food on a plate for you). The girls aren't really that attractive. Nicaragua to the north has beautiful people...Costa Rica, not so much. In Costa Rica they speak Spanish. In the coastal/touristy areas you will meet some who speak a bit of English. But in general, you are going to hear Spanish and be expected to speak it. In Brazil they speak Portuguese, but I think in general more people also speak English. I haven't been there, so I don't know what the people are like. But rumor has it that the women are beautiful and like to party. Haha. I think, though, that they also like to try to take advantage of American guys, so if you go there, just be careful :-) Hope this helps a bit!

Costa Rica is safer, as Brazil is known for high delinquency and kidnappings. Surely they must have more coastline, as they are a bigger country, but I'll put my money down than Costa Rica is more safe than Brazil. As for girls, well Brazil has a bad rap for the amount of AIDS that's going around. I don't know Costa Rica's numbers, but if you're looking for good looking girls, start by looking at how healthy they are. Also before moving consider the possiblities of employment. For example, I'm from Panama, and before recommending my country (which is better than those 2) you would find it hard to get employment as you will require a work permit in almost any kind of formal employment. Check to see if Brazil is lenient with their labor laws. I know Costa Rica is a bit more laisse faire with immigrants working as bartenders or the like in the tourist spots, but if you plan to get formal employment I'll be the Costarican authorities will require some sort of permits before you work. Nightlife wise Brazil has beaches closer to major cities than Costa Rica. San José, Costa Rica is in the middle of the country, so you will have to drive at least a couple of hours from San José in order to get to the beach. However there's a great spot in a city in Costa Rica called Liberia. You could probably move there and try to do something from there. Besides the nightlife is usually around cities or hotels. As for the girls....I've been in both places. The cariocas are more wild than the ticas. However the ticas are more sweet than the cariocas. Both are beautiful women, a bit different ethnical background, as in Brazil you will find a mix between Portuguese, Caribbean, Spain, Germany. In Costa Rica the ethnical mix is more towards Germany and Spain, and the locals of course. I don't know much as for the cost of living in Brazil, but I believe it's not cheap. You as an american will need to live in a different neighborhood, and since you're from out of town it won't come cheap. Costa Rica in that sense is cheaper, as it's safer so you have more options on where to live.

I would suggest going there first and visiting before you moved. You cant go through life with a hard on 24 hours a day. The only jobs for gringos are working in the sports books mainly during football season in Costa Rica and teaching english in both places. Teaching english pays about 500 dollars a month If you want to live there and have a decent lifestyle unless you are living on a trust fund is work a seasonal job in the states and spend 5months or so in Brazil or Costa Rica

BRAZIL, for sure

São Paulo has no beaches. It's not in the litoral. To wcruzq, "Brazil has problems with AIDS", what a myth that I don't know where comes from. The proportion of people with AIDS in Brazil is 0,7%, in Costa Rica 0,6%, in US 0,6%, in Panama 0,9%

Consider this, in Brazil the people don't speak Spanish. In Costa Rica, people Speak spanish. Brazil has had problems with kidnappings. Costa Rica is a great place to visit and move to! Note, you can't work in either place legally that I know of. If you go, be a gentleman always and you might find an incredible woman/wife in either place. Remember, many people around the world believe Americans are rude and obnoxious so show them otherwise. And, Costa Rica... about 2 & 1/2 hours from Houston, Texas and Miami, Florida. Brazil... a very long trip. Best wishes

Skip Brazil. Expensive, dangerous and not nice. Definitely go somewhere else. You'll find Costa Rica the opposite. Costa rican women are gorgeous.

I live in Sosua, Dominican Republic now for 5 years. The women are beautiful and have motors in the rears. They can dance like you won't believe and are the best looking group of women I have seen both in Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. They always have a smile on their faces and man can they dance. You can get along in Sosua without speaking a lot of Spanish. You will be a happier camper is you DO SPEAK Spanish.

I would vote for Costa Rica--main reason? Spanish. If your going to go live in another country, you may as well come back with a language that's spoken worldwide.