Costa Rica, topic by topic
Seven chapters that apply to everyone. Start at the beginning or jump to what you need.
Bureaucracy
Getting your DIMEX card, enrolling in the Caja, and understanding how long the paperwork really takes.
$123 DIMEX card fee (adult) Read bureaucracy 02Banking
State banks will open an account before you have residency; private banks and real credit wait for your DIMEX card.
BCR / BNCR Easiest banks for non-residents Read banking 03Visas & Immigration
Four real residency doors — Pensionado, Rentista, Inversionista, and the digital nomad permit — plus a fading fifth: the visa run.
$1,000/mo Pensionado minimum pension Read visas & immigration 04Work
Local jobs are legally hard to get; most residents live on foreign income, a pension, or their own registered business.
₡373,092 Monthly minimum wage, unskilled (2026) Read work 05Education
Free public school in Spanish, a well-developed bilingual/international private sector clustered around San José, and a handful of respected universities.
Free Public school (Spanish-language) Read education 06Housing
Central Valley suburbs are cheaper and more livable long-term; beach towns cost more and come with their own utility and internet quirks.
$700–1,200/mo 2BR, San José residential areas Read housing 07Cost of Living
Costa Rica is one of Central America’s pricier countries to live in, with CCSS contributions and private health coverage as two non-negotiable line items.
30–45% Cheaper than US suburbs (budget CV living) Read cost of livingSources & how current this is
Costa Rica has moved fast on immigration and tax rules since 2023 — CCSS contribution brackets, the digital nomad law, and proposed crackdowns on visa-running have all shifted within the last two years. Confirm every threshold with DGME, CCSS, or a licensed immigration attorney before you act on it.