Cheap-Vacation-Rental.com mountain vacation rentals: Theres no better way to spend your vacation, and weve got the tips for scoring big. When vacationing in Costa Rica, which has the highest standard of living in all of Central America, do as the natives do: Avoid the expensive tourism-centered restaurants, and seek out the more affordable eateries, called sodas, which serve tasty meals for as little as 4. If youre intending to stay at a specific hotel for your vacation, be sure to negotiate rates with the hotel sales staff. Youre likely to get a better deal than if you were to have gone with the official corporate rates. Let this vacation be the highlight of your high life: