Most people—even adventurous souls who decide to pick up and move to another country—have a lot of stuff that they’ve accumulated over the years. Even if you consider yourself non-materialistic and have made an effort to keep your possessions to a minimum, chances are that what you own is more than you could check as baggage on a flight to Costa Rica.
And this method—bringing in your possessions as checked baggage—is by far the cheapest and easiest option. As long as you can convince customs officials that everything you bring is portable, for your own personal use, and necessary for your enjoyment or for the practice of your profession while in Costa Rica, you will pay no duties (taxes on imported goods) and there will be no bureaucracy save filling out the usual customs form that flight attendants hand out just before the plane lands.
The second-easiest option is to send a small shipment as air cargo (not as luggage accompanying you on your flight)—at least some of the shipment will be taxed, and there will be forms to fill out and lines to stand in.
  The third option is to ship your possessions by boat; the container will arrive at a port on either the east or west coast of Costa Rica. In terms of customs, hassles, and duties, this is the most time- and money-intensive option, but it’s the way to go if you really want to bring your entire household with you: books, CDs, stereo, sofa, bed, stove, and refrigerator—even your car can go in the shipboard container.
  But why lug your old life with you to a new country, especially when you have to pay so dearly for the privilege? If you’ve lived in one place for more than a few years, I’ll bet that you’ve been meaning to purge your belongings—to have a garage sale or take a few trips to the Salvation Army drop-off station. It feels good to pare down, and a lot of people who move to Costa Rica do so in part because they want to simplify their lives. You can start simplifying even before you get here, by thinking carefully about what possessions you can’t live without, then selling or giving away the rest. “I thought about selling all my favorite things, all the great stuff I’ve collected over the years, and I just couldn’t do it,” says Mary Ann Jackson, who planned to move to Costa Rica in 2004. “But I wasn’t going to lug it all with me, either. So I gave it all away to friends. Now I can visit my stuff in their houses.”
  You may be tempted to bring your appliances, but I would advise against it. You will pay high duties on these items (sometimes more than 50 percent of the item’s value), and it’s easy to buy appliances here. You’ll probably pay about what you’d pay in the United States, though the selection isn’t as good down here. The best deals are in the Pacific coast port of Golfito, near the border with Panama. There Ticos and tourists alike can buy up to US$500 in duty-free goods every six months. Many people hang around the area, selling off their buying rights to the highest bidder. Golfito is near the legendary surf spot of Pavones, and close to the Osa Peninsula, home to magnificent Corcovado National Park. You could do worse than head south for a week of surfing, tapir-watching, and appliance-shopping.
  Furniture is another thing that it’s easy to come by in Costa Rica. In fact, many newcomers have pieces custom-made for not much more than they’d pay for ready-made items in the United States or Canada. Costa Rica is known for its gorgeous tropical hardwoods and for its tradition of woodworking. Even if you don’t want to spring for a custom-made dining room table or a hand-carved headboard, there are plenty of ready-made items that show the local materials and skills to good advantage. The Central Valley town of Sarchí, for example, is known for its lovely wood-and-leather rocking chairs, which are very comfortable and will look great on your tiled front porch with volcano view.

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