Living in Costa Rica
Loneliness after moving to Costa Rica
You chose the move. You may love parts of Costa Rica. Neither fact makes loneliness a contradiction. A new place can feel interesting long before it feels like home.
Why can you feel lonely when people are around?
Loneliness is about the connection you feel you need, not simply how many people you see. You can have friendly conversations, join a group and still miss someone who understands your history without an explanation.
After moving, ordinary familiarity may disappear. The colleague who noticed your mood. The friend you could see without making a plan. The ease of expressing humour or frustration in the language that comes naturally to you.
The NHS describes different experiences of loneliness, including feeling emotionally disconnected even when other people are present. A 2025 study of 207 internationally mobile adults also found an association between isolation and poorer wellbeing among accompanying partners. It was not a study of Costa Rica and cannot tell us how common loneliness is there.
When everyone expects you to be happy
If friends mainly see photographs of your new surroundings, telling them you are struggling can feel awkward. You might edit the difficult parts before anyone even asks.
Try being specific. You may enjoy living here and miss having a close friend nearby. You may want to stay and still grieve your old life. Both can be true. You do not have to turn the whole move into a success or a mistake.
Start with familiarity, rather than a full social calendar
Choose one place or activity you can return to regularly. That could be a class, a walking group, a community activity or a shared workspace. Repeated contact gives a connection room to develop. It does not have to become a friendship immediately.
If Spanish is still difficult, look for a setting where you can participate without performing fluency. Learning the language can support daily independence; it should not become another reason to shame yourself.
A small plan for this week
- Choose one familiar person you can speak honestly with.
- Choose one local activity you could return to twice.
- Make one specific invitation, such as a short coffee after the activity.
Notice how each contact feels. A comfortable conversation counts, even if it does not immediately change your mood.
You can keep close relationships at home while building new ones. Neither has to prove that the other matters less.
When loneliness needs more support
If you are withdrawing, struggling to function or feeling persistently low, speak with a qualified mental health professional or local doctor. Not every difficulty after a move is simply adjustment. Sleep, health, anxiety and depression may also need attention.
Individual therapy can offer space to understand the kind of connection you miss and what makes it hard to seek. See online therapy enquiries for people in Costa Rica, including location checks and local support options.
If the loneliness is becoming an argument with your partner, read about settling at different speeds. For a broader reflection, explore loneliness while living abroad.
Local and urgent support
This practice is not a crisis service. In an emergency in Costa Rica, call 911. For local psychological care, you can check the CPPCR professional directory and ask about English-language appointments.
