Here’s a list of all the small and random differences I’ve noticed between Costa Rica and the United States in the short amount of time I’ve lived here.
**DISCLOSURE: I can only speak for San Jose, Costa Rica and Texas, USA! I’m sure there are many differences throughout each of the countries, but I’ve only lived in San Jose, more specifically Curridibat, and Texas, more specifically Houston. Therefore, all of my comparisons relate only to these places**
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Costa Rica |
USA |
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Tico Time! (Tico is a common word here referring to a Costa Rican) everybody is always late and it’s not offensive or rude, that’s just how it is. The event simply won’t start until everyone is present, whenever that may be. |
If you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re late! You’re expected to be everywhere on time, if not early, and if you’re not then you’re considered rude. The event definitely will start without you. |
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Asking the opposite gender to go get coffee alone is not asking them on a date! In fact, it’s common curtesy to ask anyone to go get coffee with them, and that’s all it means; getting coffee. |
Anytime a guy and a girl go out together alone it’s considered a date, even if they don’t think it’s a date, everybody else calls it a date, even if it’s just getting coffee. |
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Everybody hand washes laundry and hangs them outside on a line to dry. |
Everybody has a washer and dryer to wash and dry clothes. |
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Don’t flush the toilet paper! Anywhere! |
You can flush the toilet paper. Everywhere. |
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Stop signs are optional and traffic lights don’t exist. Driving is kind of crazy here, but surprisingly there seem to be a lot less wrecks than in the states. |
There are traffic lights every half mile and if you don’t stop at stop signs, you could get pulled over twice in one week (yeah that happened to me). There are a lot more rules to driving. |
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Pedestrians don’t have the right of way! Cars will not stop for you even if you’re in the middle of the road! |
Pedestrians are supposed to have the right of way, most of the times cars will stop for you or at least not almost hit you. |
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Motorcycles and buses are the most common types of transportation, not the mention the most efficient. |
Cars are the most common types of transportation, everybody has their own and they are super efficient. |
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Hygiene is extremely important here. Costa Rican’s shower every single morning before they leave the house, and if you don’t, you get weird looks. It’s so important that not being able to shower is a valid excuse to miss school or work. |
It’s not weird to shower every other day, I even know some people who only shower twice a week! Nobody really cares that much when you shower as long as you don’t stink too bad. You definitely could not get away with missing school or work because you didn’t shower. |
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Kids in school or day care brush their teeth after lunch. It’s simply part of their routine, teachers pass out toothbrushes labeled with the students name, they line up at the sink, the teacher gives them some toothpaste and they brush their teeth. |
Have you ever seen a student brush their teeth at school after lunch? I haven’t. It would be crazy to me if a teacher handed me a toothbrush at school. |
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Clean floors are a must. At our Costa Rican home we are required to sweep and mop the floors every single day. Most Costa Rican’s do this multiple times a day. Even at our ministry we sweep the floors before nap time. |
We’re lucky if mom swept and mopped the house once a week. It would be crazy to see a teacher sweep the floor at school between lessons. Nobody really notices if the floor is a little bit dirty. |
