Costa Rica
San José · Central America
A small Central American democracy with no standing army, strong environmental protection and a long-established set of residence categories for people living on foreign income. Remote work has its own statute, which exempts qualifying income from Costa Rican income tax.
- OECD
- CAFTA-DR
- Capital
- San José
- Currency
- CRC ₡
- Language
- Spanish
- Population
- 5.2M
- Long-stay routes
- 3
- Route to permanent residence
- Yes
- Unemployment
- 7.3%
- Drives on the
- Right
Costa Rican colón
2024 estimate
Soonest, 3 years
2025, indicative
+506
Entry and short stays
What your passport allows before any long-stay permission is involved.
Reading your passport selection…
Can I live here?
Every long-stay route this country publishes, checked against what you tell us. The checking happens in your browser.
About you
Stored in this browser only. Never sent anywhere.
Before tax, in the currency you earn.
Reading your answers…
Nothing here is an approval, and nothing here is advice. Only the authority deciding your application can tell you the answer, and it will weigh things this tool does not model.
Long-stay routes
Stored as structured records, so the same data drives the checks above, the comparison view and the checklists.
Remote worker / digital nomad status
Remote workA one-year status, renewable once, for people earning stable foreign income. The statute exempts that income from Costa Rican income tax and exempts imported work equipment from duty. It does not lead to permanent residence.
- Income needed
- US$3,000 a month
- Leads to settlement
- No
Rentista residence
Retirement and passive incomeA two-year temporary residence for people with guaranteed unearned income, or who deposit a lump sum with a Costa Rican bank to generate it. Unlike the remote-worker status, it leads to permanent residence.
- Income needed
- US$2,500 a month
- Leads to settlement
- After 3 years
Pensionado residence
Retirement and passive incomeThe retirement route. The income bar is low, but the income must be a lifetime pension from a government scheme or a recognised private plan. A couple can qualify on one pension.
- Income needed
- US$1,000 a month
- Leads to settlement
- After 3 years
Cost of living
An estimate you can shape. It is not survey data and it is not a quote.
| Category | Monthly range |
|---|---|
| Housing | US$500 – US$1,100 |
| Food | US$300 – US$550 |
| Utilities | US$70 – US$180 |
| Internet | US$35 – US$70 |
| Transport | US$40 – US$200 |
| Healthcare | US$80 – US$250 |
| Everything else | US$180 – US$400 |
| Total | US$1,205 – US$2,750 |
| Suggested monthly buffer | US$3,300 |
Modelled from a baseline for one adult and scaled, not sampled from households. Figures are shown as ranges because that is the honest shape of the data.
Worth knowing. Modelled estimate. Costa Rica is noticeably more expensive than its Central American neighbours, and imported goods and vehicles carry high duties.
Housing
Foreign nationals have the same property rights as citizens for titled land. Land in the maritime zone, within 200 metres of the high tide line, is concession-based and subject to restrictions on foreign majority ownership.
What landlords usually ask for
- Identification or DIMEX
- Proof of income
- Deposit, commonly one month
Encuentra24 (opens in a new tab)Properties in Costa Rica (opens in a new tab)
Worth knowing. Market conventions, other than the maritime zone rule which is statutory.
Healthcare
A universal social insurance system (the CAJA) with a good regional reputation, alongside a well-developed private sector that residents use to avoid public waiting lists.
- If you live there
- Residence categories require compulsory CAJA enrolment, with contributions assessed on declared income. Remote worker status holders use private insurance instead.
- If you are visiting
- Emergency treatment is available; private clinics treat visitors on a fee-paying basis.
Tax
- Tax residency threshold
- 183 days
- Taxes worldwide income
- Territorial
- Income tax range
- 0% – 25%
- VAT or sales tax
- 13%
Costa Rica taxes on a territorial basis: only Costa Rican-source income is generally taxable, whether or not you are resident.
Remote workers. Ley 10008 expressly exempts income earned abroad under the remote worker status from Costa Rican income tax. Your home country may still tax you.
Social insurance. CAJA contributions are compulsory for residence categories and assessed on declared income, which makes them a real ongoing cost rather than a formality.
Capital gains. A capital gains regime applies to Costa Rican assets, with relief on a principal residence.
Special regimes
Ley 10008 remote worker exemption
Statutory exemption from Costa Rican income tax on foreign-earned income, plus relief from import duty on work equipment, for holders of the remote worker status.
Worth knowing. Territoriality is a settled principle but its application to specific arrangements can be contested. Take advice.
Work and the labour market
Conditions in the labour market, which is a different claim from how many jobs are open right now. This product does not pretend to know the second from static data.
- Unemployment
- 7.3%
- Youth unemployment
- 18%
- Average earnings
- US$700 / mo
- Minimum wage
- US$660 / mo
Worth knowing. Indicative. Minimum wages are set by occupational category rather than as a single national figure.
Sectors
- Shared services and business process outsourcinggrowingA large English-speaking services sector serving North America.
- Medical devicesgrowingA significant export manufacturing cluster.
- EcotourismstableA cornerstone of the economy, concentrated on both coasts.
Cities
A country-wide average hides a lot. Where we have city data, use it instead.
San José
The capital and the centre of the formal economy, in the Central Valley at around 1,170 metres, which gives it a mild climate year-round.
One adult, monthly: US$1,400 – US$2,300
Tamarindo
A Pacific coast town with a large foreign community and prices to match. Reliable connectivity for its size, and a pronounced dry season.
One adult, monthly: US$1,700 – US$2,800
Sources
Every claim on this page traces to one of these. If something here matters to a decision you are making, read it there.
Authorities for Costa Rica
- DGME — residence categories, rentista and pensionado requirements (opens in a new tab)Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería · National immigration authority
- Ley 10008 — Ley para atraer trabajadores y prestadores remotos de servicios de carácter internacional (opens in a new tab)Asamblea Legislativa de Costa Rica · Government department
- Trámite Ya — official service catalogue including migration procedures (opens in a new tab)Gobierno de Costa Rica · Government department