Bookmark Nomada — the one-tab toolkit every digital nomad needs·⌘D / Ctrl+D
Bookmark Nomada — the one-tab toolkit every digital nomad needs·⌘D / Ctrl+D
FIRE number
$516,000
$1,720/mo × 12 ÷ 4%
Best for: Costa Rica Caribbean-coast town — Afro-Caribbean culture, surf-and-rasta beach base.
FIRE number in Puerto Viejo
$516,000
$1,720/mo × 25
FIRE number at $5K/mo (US)
$1,500,000
US-typical baseline
Years saved
~13.8 years sooner
Same saver, different city
Representative saver: $50,000 invested, $2,000/mo contribution, 5% real return, 4% safe withdrawal rate.
Assuming your monthly burn matches Puerto Viejo’s mid-tier nomad budget ($1,720/mo) at 5% real return.
Just starting
$0 saved, $1,500/mo invested
17y 10mo
Mid-career
$200K saved, $2,500/mo invested
6y 8mo
Late starter
$500K saved, $1,500/mo invested
4mo
Limón Province coastal town on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast — culturally distinct from the country's Pacific-Spanish side, with deep Afro-Caribbean (Jamaican Patois-speaking) heritage and a reggae-and-rasta beach-town vibe. Puerto Viejo town and the Playa Cocles / Playa Chiquita beach strip immediately south are the walkable cores. Same Costa Rica DNV ($3,000/mo income, 1-year + 1-year extension); 90-day visa-free entry. The structural draws are Caribbean-coast geography, Bri-Bri indigenous-territory access, and meaningfully cheaper-than-Pacific-Costa-Rica pricing.
Pathway
Digital nomad visa
Program
Costa Rica Estancia DNV
Typical max stay
24 months
Costa Rica's Estancia DNV (Ley de Atracción de Trabajadores Remotos, launched 2022) — USD 3,000/mo income for individuals or USD 4,000/mo for families, 1-year initial + 1-year renewal. Tax-exempt on foreign-earned income. Standard visa-free 90 days on arrival for US/UK/Canada/EU; Rentista (USD 2,500/mo, 2-year) and Pensionado (USD 1,000/mo pension) cover residency paths. Border runs to Nicaragua via Peñas Blancas are the workaround for nomads stacking multiple visa-free stays.
Editorial summary, not legal advice. Verify with the relevant consulate before applying — visa programs change with little notice.
Same representative saver, four reference nomad cities.
| City | Monthly | FIRE number | Years to FI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Viejo | $1,720 | $516,000 | 12y 8mo |
| Lisbon | $1,980 | $594,000 | 14y 2mo |
| Berlin | $2,540 | $762,000 | 17y 1mo |
| Bangkok | $1,430 | $429,000 | 10y 10mo |
| Mexico City | $1,970 | $591,000 | 14y 1mo |
One email a week with new visa launches, fresh city data, and the moves that actually matter. Free, no spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Editorial estimates. Not financial advice. The 4% rule is a planning anchor, not a guarantee — sequence-of-returns risk and tax-jurisdiction friction (US-LLC / FEIE / state residency) can move the real number meaningfully. See our expat tax directory for the cross-border side of the math.
