🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Costa Rica Guides
10 guides on moving to, living in, and buying property in Costa Rica as an American. Organized by topic below.
Cost of Living
2 guides
Cost of Living in Costa Rica for Americans (2026) — Real Monthly Budgets
San José, Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio — CAJA healthcare, pura vida budgets, and why Escazú is the American suburb of Central America.
Cost of Living in Costa Rica vs. USA (2026) — Real Side-by-Side Numbers
Real side-by-side numbers: San José vs Denver, Tamarindo vs San Diego. Costa Rica is 40-50% cheaper with Pura Vida healthcare, no military budget, and the easiest LATAM visa path.
Visas & Immigration
2 guidesCosta Rica Inversionista Visa: Can You Get Residency by Buying a House?
Costa Rica's Inversionista investor residency for Americans: $150K property threshold, how it works, and why Pensionado or Rentista may fit better.
Due Diligence Checklist for Buying a House in Costa Rica
A practical due diligence checklist for buying property in Costa Rica as an American — maritime zone, registry, water rights, scams, and the real risks.
Buying Property
3 guides
Common Real Estate Scams in Costa Rica Americans Keep Falling For
The specific scams that target American property buyers in Costa Rica in 2026: fake sellers, ZMT concession fraud, corporate title flips, dual pricing, and the due diligence that prevents them.
San Jose, Costa Rica: Cost of Buying a House in the Central Valley
What Americans pay to buy a house in San Jose and the Central Valley of Costa Rica in 2026. Neighborhoods, closing costs, the pensionado visa, and monthly carry.
Costa Rica's Maritime Zone Rule: What Americans Need to Know Before Buying Beachfront
The Maritime Zone law makes 95% of Costa Rican beachfront technically un-ownable by foreigners. Here's how concessions really work and when to walk away.
Things to Do
1 guide
Country Guides
2 guides
Things To Do in Costa Rica: The Ultimate Travel Guide for 2026
Arenal volcano hot springs, Monteverde cloud forest, Manuel Antonio wildlife, Tortuguero turtles, and Caribbean vibes.
Can an American Buy Farmland in Costa Rica? Maritime Zone Rules Demystified
Yes, Americans can own Costa Rican farmland in their own name — but not beach concession land. Here's the 2026 rulebook on ZMT, corporations, and rural title.