Costa Rica, measured for your move.
Every figure on this page is a checkpoint in a real relocation plan. Start with the numbers that decide whether Costa Rica works for you, then walk the corridor month by month.
How you can legally move to Costa Rica
7 visa routes, ranked for a remote worker planning a stay of a year or longer. The numbers that decide the route: income floor, timeline, who comes with you, and what filing costs.
| Route | Income floor | Timeline | Family & work | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital Nomad Visa (Estancia)Top-ranked route | $3,000/moRemote income qualifies | 1 year~4 wks processing 路 Renewable | Remote work ok, Family ok | $100 fee$800 all-in |
 Inversionista | VariesRemote income qualifies | 2 years~14 wks processing 路 Renewable | Remote work ok, Family ok | $250 fee$5,000 all-in |
| Pensionado | $1,000/moRemote income qualifies | 2 years~12 wks processing 路 Renewable | Remote work ok, Family ok | $250 fee$3,000 all-in |
| Rentista | $2,500/moRemote income qualifies | 2 years~12 wks processing 路 Renewable | Remote work ok, Family ok | $250 fee$3,500 all-in |
| Permanent Residency (Residencia Permanente) | VariesRemote income qualifies | 5 years~24 wks processing 路 Renewable | Remote work ok, Family ok | $250 fee$3,000 all-in |
| Naturalization (Carta de Naturalizaci贸n) | Varies | Varies~78 wks processing | $250 fee$3,500 all-in | |
| Tourist Entry (Visa-Free) | Varies | 6 months | Family ok | $29 all-in3 documents |
United States to Costa Rica: the money facts
Treaty coverage, double-tax exposure, and what setup actually costs, so you know the financial shape of the move before you commit.
Where to land in Costa Rica
Typical monthly budgets by base, so you can shortlist the city before you shortlist the street.
The corridor timeline
Six months out to landing day. Each marker below becomes a checklist of tasks in your Nomad plan, 53 in all, with the documents and fees for each one.
- 6+ mo outPick the routePick the destination and visa route, then start the slowest paperwork: passport renewal, apostilled background checks, civil documents, and the pet's rabies work.
- 3-6 mo outFile the visaFile the visa, line up insurance that meets the visa minimum, open a multi-currency account, and decide what you ship, sell, or store.
- 1-3 mo outBook and close outGive notice, book flights and first-month housing, schedule the movers, and start closing the accounts and registrations you will not need.
- Final monthDocuments in handConfirm the entry documents, pack a carry-on document folder, close out utilities, and set up phone and money for day one.
- LandingLand in Costa RicaRegister with the local authorities, get the tax ID, open the bank account, and start the clocks that only start once you arrive.
What the move costs to file
The application fee is the number you budget. The filed total, documents and extras included, is the number you actually pay. Both, per route.
The move is 53 small certainties in the right order. The reward is one large one: you live in Costa Rica now.
Turn this guide into your plan.
90 seconds of questions and you get your personal Costa Rica corridor: your visa route, your document list, your timeline with real dates, and every fee totaled up front.
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Costa Rica by the numbers
Authoritative figures for Costa Rica, each linked to its source.
Deep dives by topic
The part of the move that is keeping you up at night, taken one piece at a time. Each one pulls the real Costa Rica specifics, live from the Nomad knowledge graph.
Coverage that crosses borders with you, so a hospital visit abroad never becomes the reason you go home.
Get expat health insurance
via SafetyWingSafetyWing covers you in 175+ countries for ~$45/mo.
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Compare the real fares across airlines so the move out costs you less than the indecision did.
Find the flight out
via AviasalesAviasales compares 1200+ airlines and agencies, so the one-way fare you book is the cheapest one going.
Search flightsBook the one-way flight out
via Kiwi.comKiwi.com builds one-way and multi-leg routes across 750+ airlines, including the legs other engines skip.
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Activate before takeoff and step off the plane already online, no scrambling for a kiosk or a local SIM.
Land with data already working
via AiraloInstall an Airalo eSIM before you fly. It covers 200+ countries and switches on the moment you land.
Get your eSIMUnlimited data for the landing weeks
via YesimYesim runs unlimited plans in 150+ countries, so apartment hunting, maps, and bank calls never hit a cap.
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Other destinations to consider
Not tax or legal advice. Always confirm visa requirements with the official consulate.