Hi Anne Marie,
I will be happy to answer any questions you have. There was a Kiwanis club listed in the 1997 English phone book for Costa Rica, but they seem to have disappeared from the Tico Times. You could contact the Tico Times Weekend editor to see if they have any recent contact information ( see
www.TicoTimes.net for contact info)
Otherwise the obvious choice would be on the west side of San José if you are looking for easy to reach Gringo members. The East side would do for you if you would like less overhead and to reach Ticos and expatriates.
Private hospitals (like Clinica Biblica and CIMA) are generally able to work with US and European insurance providers. I checked the site and they just ask you to contact their insurance department to confirm your international coverage.
For rental prices you can look in the Tico Times for an idea, we don't have anyone specializing in rentals at the moment in the Central Valley. In general, the more rural the home the lower the price. Areas on the east side of town (Barrio Amon, Los Yoses, San Pedro) offer nice rentals at very reasonable rates. You might also enjoy Rohrmoser and the higher priced rentals are in Santa Ana & Escazú - although you can still find deals there too. You can plan on paying $300 to $700 a month at a minimum. It will all depend on the extras (complex pool, guard, furnished, etc.) and location. Rentals can be as high as $2500 per month or more for executive type homes.
I am working on an article about employee benefits and rates, so stay tuned to the website. In short though, you would pay a maid about $200 per month. This includes insurance, but not vacation pay or the annual Christmas bonus. If she lives with you the workday is 12 hours, less 1 hour of break time that coincides with a meal. She also must get a half day off per week and on national holidays.
