Costa Rica

Living in Costa Rica: the short version

Costa Rica is known for political stability, biodiversity and its “pura vida” lifestyle, and has long attracted North American retirees. It offers clear residency categories based on pension, passive income or remote work, but costs are higher than elsewhere in Central America.

Best for: Retirees, remote workers and nature lovers from North America.

How to move to Costa Rica: main visa and residency routes

Summaries only — requirements and income thresholds change. Always check the official sources below.

Digital nomad visa

For remote workers with a qualifying monthly income from outside Costa Rica.

Pensionado residency

For retirees with a lifetime pension above a monthly minimum.

Rentista residency

For people with guaranteed monthly income or a qualifying deposit.

Inversionista residency

For people making a qualifying investment.

Healthcare for newcomers

Legal residents must join the public CCSS (Caja) system; private hospitals in San José are good and relatively affordable.

How Costa Rica compares

Calculated from our data for all 55 countries. How we calculate this

Cost of living rank

23rd cheapest of 55

Single person, core costs

$950/mo

Family of four, core costs

$1,860/mo

Take-home on $60,000

$45,719/yr

• Renting a one-bedroom home takes about 43% of the average local salary in Costa Rica, more than the median of 36% across the countries we cover.
• Core monthly costs for one person (rent, groceries, transport, utilities, internet and eating out) come to about $950, or 81% of the average local monthly salary.
• On a gross salary of $60,000 taxed locally, our estimate leaves $45,719 a year after income tax and employee social security (an effective rate of 24%), the 18th highest take-home pay of 55 countries. After single-person core costs, that leaves roughly $34,319 a year to save or spend.
• Countries with a similar overall cost of living: Chile, Portugal, Poland.
• Cheaper options in Central America & Caribbean: Dominican Republic.

Estimates for planning, using simplified national tax brackets in US dollars; local taxes, deductions and your own spending will differ. Try your own numbers in the tax calculator or budget planner.

Our guides to Costa Rica

• Panama vs Costa Rica for Retirement: Costs, Visas and Healthcare · Cost of Living

Sources and methodology

Figures on this page are estimates in US dollars, compiled from the international datasets below and converted at recent exchange rates. The cost of living index uses New York City as 100. Guidance was last reviewed on September 30, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.