Home Improvement
According to a survey from the National Statistics and Census Bureau, living conditions have markedly improved in Costa Rican households, particularly in regard to plumbing and appliances.

The findings show that in 1988 less than half of the Costa Rican households enjoyed a telephone, color TV set or a washing machine, while close to one fourth of them had latrines, and almost one tenth of them did not have electricity.

Today, even most of the poorest have an electric range, followed by a color TV set, a refrigerator, and a washing machine, in that order.

Microwave ovens are present in half of the households, computers in one fourth of them, and 18 percent of the families enjoy cable TV.

However, only 7.8 percent of the families have access to the Internet at home.

Analysts agree that most of the families have chipped in to obtain their goods and have found support in the Government, which has extended the electricity coverage, among other things.