Introduction
Costa Rica tends to stick to you. Maybe it’s the scent of fresh coffee in the morning air, or how people stop to chat instead of rushing past each other. Whatever it is, it’s no surprise that thousands of expats have traded their old commutes for the pura vida rhythm.
Still, picking the best place to live in Costa Rica isn’t just about where the beaches look best. It’s about matching your lifestyle to the right community, budget, and climate. Some towns thrive on surf and smoothies, others on mountain breezes and farmer’s markets.
This guide breaks down some top spots that offer lifestyle quality over urban convenience, have a sense of community, clean air and nature, as well as a safety and lifestyle balance.
What Makes a Place “the Best” in Costa Rica
When someone talk about the best places to live in Costa Rica, they’re not comparing beaches or counting smoothie bars. They’re chasing balance, the sweet spot where comfort, cost, and connection all meet. A place that feels alive but not chaotic. Peaceful, but not isolated. That balance looks a little different for everyone, but here’s where most start the search.
Cost of Living and Everyday Comfort
Costa Rica can be as affordable or as indulgent as you make it. Life near the tourist coastlines (say Tamarindo or Nosara) comes with café culture, surf lessons, and yoga studios on every corner, but also with higher rents and imported grocery prices. Head inland to towns like Heredia or Atenas and your dollar stretches further, without giving up much convenience.
- Tamarindo: Around US $1,700/month for a single person
- Heredia: Around US $1,400/month
- Limón: Around US $1,260/month
You’ll realize that a big portion of your budget goes to housing, but day-to-day routine (markets, buses, mobile data) is reasonable once you live like a local.
Pro Tip: The weekly feria (farmers’ market) is a ritual worth adopting. You’ll come home with papayas, avocados, cheese, and coffee beans for half what supermarkets charge and you’ll actually know who grew them. A smile, a bit of Spanish, and a reusable bag go a long way.
Read More Like This: Costa Rica Cost of Living Guide: Prices, Budgets, and Tips
Infrastructure, Safety, and Healthcare
Costa Rica’s reputation as one of Latin America’s most stable democracies isn’t just politics, it’s felt in daily life. Roads get repaired, internet speeds are fast enough for remote work, and hospitals are clean and competent.
Areas like Escazú and Heredia have nearly everything anyone could want: fiber-optic internet, bilingual schools, international clinics, and even familiar grocery chains. More rural or coastal regions still feel like paradise, but they come with quirks: occasional power cuts, slower deliveries, maybe a frog or two in the bathroom. Most locals just shrug and pour another cup of coffee.
Fun Fact: Costa Rica’s healthcare system consistently ranks among the best in Latin America. Once you gain residency, you can join the national Caja (social security) system for a low monthly contribution that covers public healthcare nationwide. Many expats mix it with private care for the best of both worlds: full access, minimal wait times, and doctors who often trained abroad.
Climate, Geography, and Lifestyle
For such a small country, Costa Rica feels like several worlds stitched together. Drive two hours and the air changes from crisp mountain breeze to humid jungle to dry Pacific heat.
If you love cooler nights and waking to the sound of birds instead of waves, the Central Valley might be your paradise. It’s lush, temperate, and dotted with towns that glow at sunset. Prefer your mornings barefoot with the sea a few steps away? The Pacific Coast has that dream on repeat.
Choosing the best place isn’t about the prettiest view, it’s about the lifestyle that suits you. Do you want to walk to cafés, or to waterfalls? Hear cicadas, or the purr of the ocean? Discover mountain trails or ride the waves? Each region whispers a different version of pura vida.
Pro Tip: Costa Rica hides more than 20 microclimates, meaning what feels “perfect” to one person could feel muggy to another just a few kilometers away. Spend time in both dry and rainy seasons before you commit: green season storms can turn even die-hard beach lovers into mountain converts.
The Best Places to Live in Costa Rica
Everyone’s version of pura vida looks a little different. Some folks crave cool mornings and coffee with a mountain view. Others want salt water on their skin and sand in their shoes. Costa Rica delivers all of it, but every region has its own character and vibe.
1. Central Valley – Escazú, Atenas, and Heredia
Escazú
Escazú is known as the meeting place between modern life and mountain calm. Set just west of San José, it’s a city where you’ll see everyone from embassy staff, entrepreneurs, and long-term expats who love comfort but still want to feel connected to Costa Rica’s easy flow.
Mornings tend to start with good coffee and mountain views. Sushi bars, craft breweries and yoga studios share the same streets as tiny sodas serving homemade casado. Private hospitals, international schools, and big supermarkets make routine convenient, while weekend farmers’ markets and nearby hiking trails keep things grounded.
Yes, traffic can get heavy at rush hour, but it’s a small price to pay for being close to everything, from a hospital visit to a sunset dinner in the hills of Santa Ana. Most people learn the city’s quirks quickly, timing errands around quiet hours and keeping a sense of humor about it.
Best for: Professionals, families, and digital nomads who want city comfort, reliable infrastructure, and proximity to everything from shopping malls to mountain trails.
Atenas
Atenas is set between rolling green hills about 45 minutes from San José, a town where you hear church bells at noon and roosters before sunrise. People smile in the streets, stop to chat at the bakery, and remember your name after you’ve visited twice.
Locals proudly call it “the best climate in the world,” and it’s hard to argue with them. The air stays warm but never sticky, and evenings cool down just enough for a light sweater. In Atenas, days move at a more natural pace. The weekly feria (farmers’ market) is a highlight, overflowing with pineapples, avocados, flowers, and friendly gossip that passes between neighbors who’ve known each other for years.
Many homes come with views of the Central Valley and are built to catch the breeze. You’re close enough to the capital for day trips but far enough to forget it exists once you’re home.
Best for: Retirees and semi-retired expats who want sunshine, clean air, safety, and a friendly small-town feel without isolation.
Heredia
Heredia is one of the Central Valley’s oldest cities, full of history and color, but also young at heart thanks to its universities and lively plazas. On a typical morning, you’ll see students with coffee cups racing to class, vendors selling fresh empanadas by the park, and families gathering for ice cream after work.
The city is known for its colonial architecture, cobblestone corners, clean air, and shaded streets lined with trees. It has all the essentials (hospitals, supermarkets, good Wi-Fi, and easy transport) yet it feels more local and affordable than Escazú. The nearby mountains are dotted with coffee plantations and hiking trails, giving residents an easy weekend escape.
Heredia is also popular among professionals who work in San José or the nearby business parks in Belén. It strikes that sweet balance between lively and livable, with a strong sense of identity that blends modern progress with old-town charm.
Best for: Younger expats, students, or families who want affordable living, good internet, and a real mix of local and international culture.
Pro Tip: The Central Valley is ideal for remote workers. Fast internet, mild weather, and mountain views make even a Tuesday morning feel relaxed.
Fun Fact: Atenas sits almost perfectly between the capital and the coast. You can leave after breakfast and be at the Pacific in under ninety minutes.
2. Pacific Coast – Tamarindo, Nosara, and Samara
For many newcomers, the Pacific Coast is the dream that brings them here. It stretches for hundreds of miles and is dotted with surf towns, fishing villages, and modern beach communities. The sunsets here are the kind that stop conversation.
Tamarindo
Tamarindo moves fast and fun never feels far away. Once a sleepy surf town, it has grown into one of Costa Rica’s most vibrant coastal communities. You’ll find a mix of locals, newcomers, and travelers who came for a vacation and ended up deciding to stay.
On main street, you can spot surfboards, bicycles, and open-air cafés. Restaurants range from beachfront grills to sushi bars and vegan spots. There’s an energetic nightlife scene, plenty of coworking spaces, and every modern comfort you might need (from supermarkets and clinics to fiber-optic internet). The beach is broad and golden, perfect for swimming, long walks, or simply watching the surfers chase the last wave before sunset.
Life in Tamarindo is active, social, and a little spontaneous. It’s easy to meet people, and opportunities for small businesses or remote work abound. The trade-off is a higher cost of living and more tourist traffic during peak season, but for many, the energy is worth it.
Best for: Active expats, entrepreneurs, and social butterflies who want oceanfront living with plenty of dining, nightlife, and networking.
Nosara
Nosara is where the roads are still mostly unpaved, howler monkeys call from the trees, and the sunsets seem to last forever. It’s known as one of Costa Rica’s wellness capitals, where yoga mats lean against surfboards and smoothies double as breakfast.
This town draws people who want simplicity but also community. There’s a strong focus on sustainability, which means no high-rises, minimal light pollution, and a shared respect for nature. There are boutique hotels, eco-lodges, and coworking cafés tucked behind palm trees.
Nosara also sits within the Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world’s five Blue Zones, where locals regularly live well into their nineties. Many credit that to diet, daily activity, and deep social ties, which say a lot about what life feels like here.
Best for: Wellness seekers, creatives, and digital nomads who want structure without stress and a tight-knit, eco-minded community.
Samara
Samara is small enough that you can walk everywhere, but big enough to have everything you need: a couple of grocery stores, cafés, restaurants, and one of the most swimmable beaches in Costa Rica.
The bay is naturally protected by a coral reef, which keeps the waves gentle and the water clear. Locals swim in the mornings before work, and families gather in the afternoons when the sun softens. Expats describe Samara as “just right”: not too quiet, not too busy, and still affordable compared to other Pacific towns.
There’s a steady community of foreign residents, an international school, and a strong sense of belonging. People wave as they pass, and most evenings end with sunset drinks by the shore.
Best for: Families, couples, and anyone who wants simple, ocean-centered living with just the right balance of comfort and calm.
Pro Tip: Try to experience the coast during both the dry and rainy seasons. The dry months show you the social side of coastal life, while the rainy months reveal its beauty when the crowds disappear.
Fun Fact: Nosara’s beaches, Guiones and Pelada, are part of a protected wildlife refuge, which means no beachfront construction. The result is a rare stretch of intact shoreline that still feels a little bit wild.
3. Caribbean Coast – Puerto Viejo and Cahuita
The Caribbean Coast feels like a completely different country, and that is what makes it special. It blends Afro-Caribbean culture with Costa Rican warmth, reggae beats with rainforest silence. People here measure time by tides, not clocks.
Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo is a swirl of color and sound. You’ll hear reggae playing from beach bars, bicycles rattling over cobblestones, and conversations in English, Spanish, and Creole all blending together. The town has a creative pulse thanks to a mix of artists, musicians, expats, and locals who seem to know how to make everything feel effortless.
The shore stretches for miles, alternating between calm coves and strong surf. Cafés spill out onto the street, and restaurants range from Jamaican-inspired to vegan and Italian. The food here is part of the culture, often cooked slow, with coconut milk.
It’s not as polished as the Pacific coast, but that’s the point. The energy is raw, friendly, and full of life. It attracts people who prefer sandals over shoes, fresh markets over malls, and human connection over convenience.
Best for: Creatives, young digital nomads, and free spirits who want culture, music, and an artistic community by the sea.
Cahuita
Just a short drive north, Cahuita feels more intimate. It borders a national park filled with howler monkeys, sloths, and coral reefs. You can snorkel before breakfast, then grab a coconut pastry from the local bakery on your way home. It is quieter than Puerto Viejo but still lively enough to feel connected.
Best for: Nature lovers, retirees, and couples who want peace, a sense of belonging, and access to wildlife and the sea.
Both towns are humid and green throughout the year, with less infrastructure than the Pacific, but the Caribbean charm is hard to beat. It is a place where mornings smell like rain and afternoons taste like cocoa and salt.
Pro Tip: Rain is part of the deal. Locals treat it as a cue to rest, read, or cook something slow. You learn quickly that “bad weather” doesn’t really exist.
Fun Fact: Cahuita hosts an annual chocolate festival that celebrates local cacao growers. It is small, friendly, and unforgettable, a perfect snapshot of how the community comes together.
Read More Like This: Your Guide for a Smooth Transition Moving to Costa Rica
How to Choose the Right Location for You
Finding the best place to live in Costa Rica is less about falling in love with a postcard and more about understanding how you want every day to feel. The country is full of beautiful options, but not every beach, town, or valley will suit your preferences. The secret is knowing what kind of life you want to build once the excitement of the move settles into routine.
Match the Lifestyle, Not the Fantasy
Ask yourself how you like to spend your mornings. Do you wake up early to walk the dog, head to a café, or surf before breakfast? Are you happiest surrounded by greenery or close to people? The answers matter more than photos.
If you crave belonging, good schools, and reliable internet, the Central Valley might be your match. If you want barefoot mornings and sunsets that stop conversation, the Pacific Coast might speak to you. And if you like art, color, and a touch of unpredictability, the Caribbean side will probably make you smile.
Pro Tip: Spend a few days in each area, not as a tourist but as a local. Grocery shop, do laundry, take the bus. Small tasks reveal what living there would actually feel like.
Visit Before You Commit
No amount of research beats being there. Each place has its own energy, and it changes with the seasons. The dry months bring light, open skies, and a social buzz. The rainy season brings slower mornings, cooler air, and quieter beaches. Both have beauty, but one will feel more natural to you.
Pro Tip: Rent for at least a month before buying property. Long-term stays teach you how a town sounds after midnight, how it smells after rain, and how people treat you once the tourist glow fades. Those details decide happiness more than ocean views ever will.
Know the Legal Basics
Foreigners can buy property in Costa Rica, often with the same rights as locals, and the legal system is clear and stable. Still, the process can feel unfamiliar. Titles need checking, taxes vary, and land close to the beach follows maritime zone regulations.
For residency, there are a few main routes: the pensionado program for retirees, the rentista visa for those with steady income, the digital nomad visa for, well, digital nomads, and the investor visa for larger financial commitments. Each comes with its own paperwork, but none are overly complex with local guidance.
Pro Tip: Always work with a reputable attorney and a registered real estate agent. Costa Rica’s property market is friendly, but informal deals can create long-term headaches.
Fun Fact: Many folks who start out renting end up buying within two years. Once people find their town and community, the desire to put down roots comes naturally.
Think Long Term
Moving abroad is exciting, but sustainability matters. Will you still love your area when it rains for a week straight? When you need a dentist or when friends visit from abroad? Choose a place that supports you, not just inspires you.
Costa Rica rewards patience. The more time you take to explore, the clearer the decision becomes. A town that feels quiet on day one may start to feel like home once you know the rhythm of its mornings and the faces behind its market stalls.
Pro Tip: Before you move, make a list of non-negotiables. It could be reliable Wi-Fi, a nearby hospital, or access to international schools. Having clarity saves time and prevents romantic impulse buys that might not fit your reality.
FAQs
Q1. Is Costa Rica safe?
Yes. Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in Central America, but safety still depends on habits. Petty theft can happen in touristy areas, so the usual precautions apply. Smaller towns like Atenas, Heredia, and Samara are especially calm, and locals tend to look out for one another. Once you learn basic Spanish and settle into a neighborhood, you’ll likely feel safer here than in most big cities abroad.
Q2. Can foreigners buy property easily?
Yes. Foreigners enjoy the same property rights as Costa Rican citizens, even when buying land outright. The only exception is the “maritime zone”, which covers beachfront land within 200 meters of the high-tide line and has special rules. Everywhere else, you can buy, build, and register your property just like a local.
Q3. Do I need to speak Spanish?
Not necessarily, but it helps more than you might expect. English is common in international hubs like Escazú, Tamarindo, and Nosara, yet daily life becomes smoother and more rewarding when you can greet people, order food, and ask for help in Spanish. Locals genuinely appreciate the effort, even if your grammar is off.
Q4. What’s the healthcare like?
Excellent. Costa Rica has both public and private healthcare systems, and many expats use a mix of the two. Once you gain residency, you can join the national Caja system, which covers everything from general checkups to surgeries for a modest monthly fee. Private hospitals, especially in San José and Liberia, offer modern facilities and bilingual doctors at a fraction of U.S. prices.
Q5. How do taxes work for expats?
Costa Rica only taxes income earned within the country. Foreign income generally isn’t taxed, which makes it attractive for retirees and remote workers.
Q6. How easy is it to make friends and build community?
Surprisingly easy. Costa Ricans, or Ticos, are friendly, curious, and welcoming by nature. Most towns also have a steady international community that organizes events, language exchanges, beach cleanups, and volunteer projects. Once you show genuine interest in the local way of life, friendships tend to happen naturally.
Pro Tip: Attend your local feria (farmers’ market), join Facebook groups, or take a Spanish class. Small, consistent gestures help you integrate faster than any relocation guide ever could.
Q7. What about internet and remote work?
Reliable and fast. The Central Valley has some of the best connectivity in the region, and many coastal towns now offer fiber-optic options. Digital nomads often stay long-term because they can easily balance work calls with beach breaks. Costa Rica even offers a Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers earning income abroad, making long stays much simpler.
Fun Fact: The average internet speed in Costa Rica is now faster than in much of South America, and major tech companies are investing heavily in expansion.
Find Your Version of Pura Vida
Moving to Costa Rica might be about starting over, but it’s also about slowing down enough to notice what matters again. The sound of rain on a tin roof. The kindness of a stranger at the market. The small luxury of drinking your morning coffee outside, surrounded by real green.
There isn’t one “best” place to live here because Costa Rica doesn’t work like that. Each one has a different personality, and what feels perfect for one person might feel too quiet or too busy for another. That is part of the beauty. The country gives you options to match every lifestyle, from polished city comforts to slow jungle mornings.
The people who thrive are not the ones chasing perfection, but the ones curious enough to explore. They try Atenas before deciding on Heredia, spend a few months on the shore, and learn what kind of vibe feels most natural to them.
If you are ready to turn research into reality, download our Costa Rica Handbook, subscribe to our newsletter, or explore the many resources throughout our website. The best way to discover your corner of pura vida is to come and feel it for yourself.
Your next sunrise might look a little brighter here.
