Costa Rica is quite a laid back country when it comes to requirements for teaching. All that is officially required is that you have an international TEFL certificate from a reputable school. Complications can arise due to the popularity of the country as a teaching destination – meaning you will sometimes be asked for proof of university studies too if a school is overwhelmed with job applications.
Costa Rica has long been a popular destination for teachers of English and shows no signs of slowing up on its demand. Costa Ricans, otherwise known as Ticos, require English to have a competitive edge when finding work in Costa Rica or abroad, and you will generally find your students to be extremely friendly, motivated, and well-mannered.
Monthly salaries come in at around US$600 to US$1,000 per month, and while this might not sound like much it is enough to live off. You shouldn’t plan on saving any money though by teaching English here. Costa Rica is definitely one of the destinations where you earn enough money to live a comfortable local lifestyle, and get to enjoy living in a stunningly beautiful environment at the same time.
The start-up costs are also relatively affordable – especially for North Americans who can take advantage of cheap flights into Costa Rica.
We mentioned at the start of this article about safety. Apart from some areas of San Jose, you shouldn’t experience any safety-related issues in Costa Rica. It’s definitely one of the more safer countries in Central America and definitely a recommended destination compared to Mexico for example, which is no longer a destination we can recommend due to the surge of violet crime there over the past decade.