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🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Costa Rica
The whole move — visa, taxes, insurance, money and cost of living — in one place.
Visa & Residency
DNV
Comfortable solo budget
€2,760/mo
Stay
1 year
Taxes Abroad
Foreign income exempt
Living in Costa Rica
The visa is step one. Here is the rest of what it takes to live here — each researched and sourced.
🛂 Visa & Residency
Digital nomad visa €2,760/mo Costa Rica → 🧾 Taxes Abroad
Foreign income exempt Costa Rica → 🩺 Health Insurance
Required (explicit) from €46,000 Costa Rica → 💶 Cost of Living
€1,250–€2,000/mo San José Costa Rica → 🛡️ Health System
Only with social-security contributions Emergency: 911 Costa Rica → 🏡 Housing & Relocation
1 mo rent Costa Rica → Good to know
- Foreigners rent on equal footing with locals and need no special permit
- Standard security deposit is one month's rent, and advance rent is capped at one month under Law 7527
- Universal social-insurance system (CCSS) with strong primary care via community EBAIS teams
- National emergency number 911 with country-wide coverage (official 9-1-1 system)
Watch out for
- Leases are typically in Spanish; a lease may be verbal or written, but a written contract is strongly advisable for enforceability, so have a Spanish lease reviewed before signing
- Deposit returns are a common dispute area, so document the property's condition and put return terms in the contract (landlords often return the deposit around 30 days after move-out, once utilities and inventory are checked)
- Public CCSS care is contribution-based: tourists and short-stay foreigners are not covered and can only use public facilities by paying for services (or in emergencies)
- Enrolling in the public system requires contributions (e.g. as Asegurado Voluntario, which obliges payment to both health/SEM and pension/IVM regimes) and a valid migratory document
Cost of living
| San José | €1,250–€2,000/mo |
Qualifying insurance
Nomad Insurance (Essential and Complete plans) €54.36/mo Genki Traveler (successor to Genki Explorer, which was retired) €63.90/mo Cigna Global Health Options – International Health Plans (Silver / Gold / Platinum) —
Qualifying insurance →