Costa Rica
Digital Nomad Visa (Rentista-style) · San José
Pura vida with a tax exemption: stable, safe and stunning, Costa Rica trades rock-bottom prices for nature, calm and zero tax on what you earn abroad.
$3,000/mo
15–40 days
1 year
60/100
80 Mbps
Moderate
Tropical
UTC-6
Model your move to Costa Rica
Set who's coming and what you earn. We'll handle eligibility, taxes, contributions, living costs and what you'd have left — and compare it to home.
Staying more than ~183 days?
Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.
Your monthly life in Costa Rica
Pre-filled with typical costs in San José. Drag or type to match your life.
A nice place in a popular area
Power, water, gas
Home fibre + data
Food at home
Transit, rideshare, fuel
Private cover nomads usually need
Eating out, coffee, going out
Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.
You meet the income requirement
Needs $3,000/mo.
Your qualifying income
$6,000
$6,000
$1,904
$4,096
Tax in Costa Rica
Effective rate
0.0%
- Income tax / mo
- $0
- Social security / mo
- Not charged
- Total deductions / mo
- $0
- Take-home / mo
- $6,000
This visa exempts your foreign income — no local tax or contributions.
Private health insurance isn't required for this visa, but most nomads carry it — it's already counted in your living costs above.
The DNV grants a clean exemption on foreign-earned income plus duty-free import of work equipment.
vs. United States
Tax
22.8% at home → 0.0% here
Same lifestyle costs
$3,733 at home → $1,904 here
Money left over
$900 at home → $4,096 here
Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.
What it takes to qualify
Income & savings
- Monthly income (single)
- $3,000
- Basis
- $3,000/month ($4,000 with family)
- Family add-on
- +$1,000 spouse · +$0/child
- Combine two incomes?
- No — main applicant only
Single applicants show $3,000/month; families show $4,000/month.
The visa
- Program
- Digital Nomad Visa (Rentista-style) (Estancia para Trabajadores Remotos)
- Introduced
- 2022
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Max total stay
- 2 years
- Fees
- $290 (approx)
- Who can apply
- Employees, Freelancers, Business owners
- Bring family?
- Yes
Application plus DIMEX residence-card costs. One year, renewable for a second if you stayed 180+ days.
What you'll actually pay
Income tax
- Treatment
- Foreign income not taxed for nomads
- Headline rate
- 0%
- Tax residency at
- 183 days
- Employee social
- Usually home-covered
The DNV grants a clean exemption on foreign-earned income plus duty-free import of work equipment.
Good news
There's effectively no local income tax to worry about on your foreign earnings here.
Reviewed Source: Costa Rica Migración
Path to residency & citizenship
This is a lifestyle visa: great for living here now, but time on it doesn't count toward permanent residency or a passport.
The DNV 'estancia' doesn't count toward naturalisation — switch to Rentista/Inversionista/Pensionado afterwards, and that time counts toward the 7-year (5 for Ibero-American) citizenship route.
Reviewed Source: Costa Rica Migración
Typical costs in San José
Rent (1-bed)
$850
Rent (family)
$1,400
Groceries / person
$320
Utilities
$110
Internet
$50
Transport / person
$40
Health insurance
$80
Dining / person
$250
Cost index 51/100 vs New York · prices are about 54% of US levels (PPP). Monthly figures shown in USD.
Highlights & watch-outs
What makes it great
- Foreign income is fully tax-exempt.
- Duty-free import of your work gear.
- Stable, peaceful and famously green.
What to watch
- Pricier than its Latin neighbours.
- No direct citizenship track via the DNV.
Reviewed Source: Costa Rica Migración
Compare Costa Rica
Head-to-head with similar destinations.
Moving to Costa Rica from…
See the tax & cost picture for your home country.