🇨🇷 Buy Property in Santa Ana, Costa Rica
146 properties from $115K to $1000K
Median Price
$175K
Avg Size
335 m²
Most Common
apartment
Listings
146
About Santa Ana
A popular expat suburb in the Central Valley, just west of San Jose, offering a slightly warmer and sunnier microclimate than neighboring Escazu. Modern condos, international restaurants, and good private schools make it family-friendly, while costs are a step below Escazu's premium prices. The Forum business park nearby houses many multinational offices, making it practical for those working in-country.
146 Listings in Santa Ana
Living in Santa Ana
What American expats need to know about Costa Rica
Visa
Digital Nomad Visa — requires $3,000/mo income ($4,000 for families). Valid 1 year, renewable once. Tax-exempt on foreign income. Rentista Visa — for those with $2,500/mo passive income or $60,000 deposit. Pensionado Visa — for retirees with $1,000+/mo pension. Both lead to permanent residency after 3 years.
Cost of Living
30-50% less than US major cities, though it is the most expensive Central American country. Expect $1,800-2,800/mo in the Central Valley or beach towns.
Key Fact
Costa Rica has excellent universal healthcare (ranked above the US by WHO) and no military — the budget goes to education and environment instead. The "Pura Vida" lifestyle is real but imported goods and cars are expensive due to import taxes.
Life in Costa Rica
Howler monkeys as your morning alarm, surfing before breakfast, and a country that dissolved its army in 1948 so it could spend the money on rainforests and schools instead.