Living in Costa Rica as an American: what daily life is like

Costa Rica has had a large American community for decades. People come for the climate, the stability and the outdoors, and the ones who stay are usually those who expected a different country, not a cheaper version of home. This page covers what daily life is like. For the paperwork, see the steps for moving to Costa Rica.

Pros and cons

What people like	What people find hard
A stable democracy with no army	Slow bureaucracy and long lines
Spring-like weather in the Central Valley	A rainy season that lasts about half the year
Good public and private healthcare	Waits in the public system
Short flights to the US from two international airports	High prices for cars, fuel, electricity and imports
Beaches, forest and wildlife close to wherever you live	Rough roads and slow driving
A friendly, low-key culture	Petty theft, and the need for basic home security
Tap water you can drink in most areas	Humidity, mould and insects on the coasts

Weather and seasons

There are two seasons. The dry season runs roughly from December to April and the green, or rainy, season from May to November. In the rainy season mornings are often clear and the rain arrives in the afternoon.

Altitude matters more than latitude. The Central Valley, at roughly 2,500 to 5,000 feet, is mild all year and most homes there have neither heating nor air conditioning. The coasts are hot and humid. The Caribbean side has its own pattern, with rain in every month. See the best places to live in Costa Rica.

Money and banking

• The currency is the colón. Dollars are widely accepted, and rents and property are often priced in dollars.
• Opening a full bank account is far easier once you have a resident card (DIMEX). Before that, expect limited accounts and a lot of questions about where your money comes from.
• Everyday payments between people and to small businesses run on SINPE Móvil, a phone-based transfer system tied to a local bank account.
• The exchange rate moves. When the colón strengthens, as it has in recent years, life gets more expensive for anyone with a dollar income.

See the cost of living in Costa Rica for budgets.

Getting around

• Roads outside the main highways are narrow, winding and sometimes unpaved. A 60-mile trip can take two or three hours.
• Many homes in the hills and at the beach need a vehicle with high clearance, and some need four-wheel drive in the rainy season.
• Cars cost much more than in the US because of import taxes, and hold their value.
• Tourists can drive on a US licence for the length of their permitted stay. Residents convert to a Costa Rican licence.
• Addresses are given as directions from landmarks, not as street numbers. You get used to it.

Language and culture

Costa Ricans call themselves ticos. The style is polite and indirect: people avoid saying no outright, and appointments and deadlines are looser than Americans expect. Getting angry at a counter rarely speeds anything up.

Spanish is the language of government, banks and the Caja. English is common in tourism and among younger people in the Central Valley.

Healthcare

Residents join the public system, the Caja, and many also use private doctors and hospitals, which cost far less than in the US. Medicare doesn’t pay for care in Costa Rica. See healthcare in Costa Rica.

Safety

Most foreign residents feel safe day to day and take ordinary precautions against theft and break-ins. Violent crime has risen in some areas in recent years. See is Costa Rica safe to live in.

Staying connected to the US

• Flights. The main airport is near San José and the second is at Liberia in Guanacaste. Both have direct flights to US cities.
• Mail. Home postal delivery is unreliable. Most residents use a mail forwarding service with a US address.
• Internet. Fibre is widely available in towns. In rural and hillside areas, check before you sign a lease.
• Taxes. You still file a US return each year. See taxes for Americans in Costa Rica.
• Consular services. The US Embassy is in San José.

Where Americans live

The largest communities are in the Central Valley towns west of San José, such as Escazú, Santa Ana, Atenas and Grecia, and on the Pacific coast in Guanacaste, around Jacó and Manuel Antonio, and in the Southern Zone. Families tend to choose places with international schools.

Try it first

Rent for a few months, including part of the rainy season, before you ship anything or buy. A tourist stay of up to 180 days is long enough to find out whether the place suits you.

Common questions

Is Costa Rica a good place for Americans to live?

For many, yes. It is politically stable, close to the US, has good healthcare and a mild climate in the Central Valley. It is also more expensive than its neighbours, slow in its paperwork and hard on cars. People who visit for a few months before committing tend to judge it more accurately.

How long can an American live in Costa Rica without residency?

US citizens can be admitted as tourists for up to 180 days per entry, at the immigration officer's discretion. Living there year after year calls for residency or, for remote workers, the digital nomad visa.

Do I need to speak Spanish to live in Costa Rica?

You can manage in English in the main beach towns and in parts of the Central Valley. Banks, government offices, public clinics and repair people mostly work in Spanish, so even basic Spanish makes daily life much easier.

What are the downsides of living in Costa Rica?

The ones people mention most are the cost of cars, imported goods and electricity, slow bureaucracy, road conditions, the long rainy season, and petty theft. None is a surprise if you rent for a while before you buy.