More Things To Know About Some Services
Business aside, the retiree who has arrived in Costa Rica should know a few other available things and services as money, tips, taxes, electricity, credit cards, taxis and mail.
Money
In Costa Rica the unit of currency is the colon which fluctuates in value in relation to the dollar. Coins come in denominations of
¢5, ¢10, ¢20, ¢25, ¢50, ¢l00, and ¢500.The old ¢1 and ¢2, as also the tiny brass ¢1, have disappeared mainly because collectors and artisans hoarded them for making necklaces and bracelets. Several thousand coins of ¢500 were made but destined principally for collectors. This coin was easy to confuse with the ¢l00 coin because of its near similar size, so later a new and larger ¢500 was introduced. Bills currently in use come in denominations of ¢l000, ¢2000, ¢5000 and ¢l0,000. As devaluation continues to rise, it is not at all impossible that within a few years a ¢20,000 bill may make its appearance. The l00¢ bill disappeared in the late 1990s.
The ¢5000 bill is referred to as a toucan, and is of a blue and brightly colour. At business establishments cashiers usually inspect it to see if it is counterfeit and does not have the watermark in the shape of the famous bird. The ¢l0,000 bill is also carefully scrutinized. It is a light blue and has the picture of Ema Gamboa (famous educator) on one side and a puma on the other. During the past two decades the colon has been devaluated from 9 to 12%per year with mini devaluations of a few centimes (cents) occurring on a daily basis. The government policy was designed to offer greater stability by making small daily devaluations, which are not felt too much, rather than a big one at one time. From" time to time the subject has come up of converting the economy from one based on colons to one where all transactions are made in dollars. But officials want to see first how the change in Ecuador and El Salvador turns out before going ahead and changing colons to an entirely dollar economy.
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