Is it cheap, or are we?

One of the things that appeals to people about Costa Rica is the lower cost of living. In much of the country, there is no need for heating or air conditioning, thus saving thousands during the winter and hot summer months. Our monthly utility bills for a modest home with four people, two cats and a dog average: $42-telephone with DSL Internet, $14- electricity, $6-water, $7-cooking gas. We have no mortgage payment, registration and insurance for our car are manageable, and our property taxes are still a song. Fruits, vegetables and locally grown meats are not only are fresher and healthier, but are also more affordable.

Another big difference is the cost of labor. For example, the going rate for gardeners, maids and nannies is a fraction of what it would cost in the US. There is often a temptation to compensate these people more, people who help so much. The problem is that by doing so, we would be altering the local economy. If my gardener made $10 per hour, his friends would expect to earn the same. Soon enough, no one would be willing to work for less than only a few are able to pay. We try to keep our gardener's wages just above the going rate. We see most foreigners doing the same.

There are instances, however, when one side takes advantage of the other. Locals asking too much with the common expectation that all foreigners come with pockets bulging with cash and can afford the overcharge. We also see foreigners who could afford to compensate their workers legally, but instead choose to cut out even the meager social security benefits, "Caja". At times, it can also strike the wrong chord to see wealthy foreigners take advantage of a good deal. Considering how little many people in Costa Rica have and earn, it is fair to dub most foreigners as being wealthy, especially those who have moved down on sizeable pensions and are building their dream homes.

This leads to a story of a local woman who happens to be an acquaintance of ours, someone we consider a friend. This woman is nearly elderly and has rented rooms in her house to one of these pensioned couples for $60 per month. I don't know who covers utilities, but this $60 covers their shelter, a garage for their SUV, and the local woman's services as a cook and maid with laundry. They are renting from her while they build their own home. While they are gone, they have the comfort of knowing their belongings are being looked after, as well as their dog. As far as I know, they are paying what she asked. They did not ask for a discount, so I suppose it's a "fair" deal. Still, I have a problem seeing the arrangement as being fair.For $60, this woman is working as a cook and a maid in her own home and she has sold her privacy to a couple and their dog. Maybe the thought of an extra $60 per month seemed so tantalizing that it was the figure she suggested, but someone who could have analyzed the situation better should have advised her that this was no deal for her. Perhaps her other foreign friends who first brought this couple and their dog to her doorstep might have itemized her services to come up with a number still impossibly affordable for their new friends, yet more substantial for this local woman.

There are times when we innocently enjoy the deal of the century. It always feels good to save our hard earned money. However, the good feeling of a full purse can never compare to that of making a difference in the lives of others. Maybe sometimes we all need to more carefully examine the deals we are presented with, and step up to compensate what is more fair, even at the risk of changing things.