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
$1,026,000
$3,420/mo × 12 ÷ 4%
Best for: Pacific surf-luxury base — dirt roads, beachfront villas, Nicoya Peninsula's nomad anchor for the wellness and founder crowd.
FIRE number in Santa Teresa
$1,026,000
$3,420/mo × 25
FIRE number at $5K/mo (US)
$1,500,000
US-typical baseline
Years saved
~5.5 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 Santa Teresa’s mid-tier nomad budget ($3,420/mo) at 5% real return.
Just starting
$0 saved, $1,500/mo invested
27y
Mid-career
$200K saved, $2,500/mo invested
14y 3mo
Late starter
$500K saved, $1,500/mo invested
9y 7mo
Santa Teresa runs along a 4-km dirt strand on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula — Mal País to the south (the original surf village), Santa Teresa proper in the middle, and Playa Hermosa to the north. It's the Costa Rican equivalent of Tulum five years ago: dirt roads, jungle, surf-luxury hotels, and serious founder/digital-nomad density. Internet is the catch — the main road (Calle Principal) has solid fiber but anything off it depends on the villa's installation. Coworking is light (Selina Santa Teresa is the main one); most work from villa pools. Closest airport is Tambor (private hops to San José) or Liberia (3-hour drive).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Teresa | $3,420 | $1,026,000 | 20y 11mo |
| 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 |
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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.
