Depending on your country of origin, you might not need anything but a passport for stays of up to 90 days. Costa Rica does require residents of some countries to have a visa for tourism or business travel. Other types of visas include temporary residence and permanent residence. Temporary residence visas are valid for up to one year and require you to be employed in Costa Rica. You can obtain a permanent residence visa if you are immediate family (spouse or child) of a Costa Rican citizen; plan to retire in the country and have a regular income equivalent to $600 USD per month (pensionado); or if you are going to invest in a business in Costa Rica, receive at least $1,000 monthly from foreign investments or make a five-year deposit of $75,000 or more into a local bank (rentista).
Common jobs for immigrants in Costa Rica are teaching English, acting as a tour guide or working reception in a hotel. Depending on your skills and mastery of Spanish, you also might be able to obtain upper management positions with multinational corporations.
The cost of living is much lower than in a country like the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom. Several factors determine what you will need to earn to support yourself, including what you consider essential, the type of food you plan to eat and where you want to live. You might be able to live frugally on as little as $800 USD per month for one person, though $1,500 USD is a more feasible amount for budgeting purposes.
Wages are much lower in Costa Rica than in the U.S. or the U.K. and include a wide range of hourly compensation. For example, a nonskilled worker might earn $1.81 USD per hour, while someone with a bachelor's degree could make $3.43 USD per hour. All Costa Rican employees receive an annual bonus in December that is equivalent to one month's pay.
Costa Rica has fair property ownership laws that allow foreigners the same rights as citizens, making it a good country for buying property. No one in Costa Rica is allowed to own or build on land within 50 meters of the shore. Property can cost from a few thousand dollars all the way up to millions, depending on the location and features. Renting is usually a better option for recent immigrants, to determine if living in Costa Rica is the right choice. Small apartments start around $200 per month, though there are more lavish properties that can cost thousands each month. Utilities usually have a combined average of about $25 per month for water and electricity.
