Move to Costa Rica
from the UK

One of the most popular retirement havens in Central America, Costa Rica is blessed with infinitely exotic landscapes including lush jungles bursting with wildlife, blindingly beautiful beaches, and brooding, misty volcanoes.

This is the country where people use the phrase ‘pura vida’ - meaning ‘pure life’ - to greet each other and as a positive response in all type of situations, demonstrating their free spirit and zest life, love and appreciation of their incredible natural surroundings, and their hospitable, easy going manner.

Costa Rica is home to roughly 3,000 Brit residents - a mere drop in the Pacific compared to the 140,000-plus Americans and Canadians who have already made the move.

This is not a country with British pubs, cricket clubs, or local chippies. For perspective, the main British Expats in Costa Rica Facebook group has just 620 members!

You will be joining an American-dominated expat world, and the sooner you make peace with that, the happier you will be.

Wondering what pulls Brits here?

Costa Rica abolished its army in 1949 and redirected spending to education and healthcare. And it worked very nicely indeed.

Life expectancy is 81 years - higher than the United States. The Nicoya Peninsula is one of only five Blue Zones on Earth, where residents routinely live past 100.

The country operates a territorial tax system, meaning foreign-earned income is (is most cases) ignored by the tax authorities regardless of your residency status. The Central Valley - where most expats live - enjoys perpetual spring with daytime temperatures of 20–24°C year-round.

Where Brits Cluster

The small British population tends to concentrate in three areas: the Escazú/Santa Ana corridor in the western Central Valley (upscale, good international schools, easy access to San José), Tamarindo on the Pacific coast (surf culture, tourism infrastructure, increasingly expensive), and Nuevo Arenal near Lake Arenal (quieter, cooler, popular with retirees).

Outside these pockets, you won’t find many Brits.

And even in those areas, Brits are very much the minority compared to American expats.

Who Thrives Here

The Brits who do well in Costa Rica share a fairly consistent profile: they have secure foreign income (pension, remote work, or investment returns), they have learned at least basic conversational Spanish, they have realistic expectations about what daily life actually looks like, and - critically - they visited Costa Rica multiple times across different seasons before committing to the move.

Most also understand that "pura vida" is a cultural attitude… not a guarantee of effortless living. There are still hardships here.

Who Struggles

Needless to say, there is good reason why the country is still relatively “unproven” with Brits abroad.

Many come here expecting a cheap tropical paradise and are inevitably shocked by grocery prices. Or they can’t handle the distance from grandchildren and family events.

They refuse to learn Spanish and will become frustrated when banking, legal, and medical interactions happen entirely in Spanish. It’s not like actual Spain - Spanish is required!

Most fundamentally, they confused a two-week holiday with everyday life. The gap between a resort experience and actually living somewhere is enormous, and Costa Rica really punishes that misunderstanding…

Pros

• 180-day visa-free entry for British passport holders - one of the longest tourist stays available anywhere
• Territorial taxation - foreign-earned income (UK pension, remote salary, investment returns) is generally ignored by Costa Rican tax authorities
• £800/month pension visa (Pensionado) with no minimum age requirement and a clear pathway to permanent residency and citizenship
• 25% of the country is protected national parks and reserves - simply incredible biodiversity and outdoor access
• No army since 1949(!) - all military spending has been redirected to education, healthcare, and environmental protection
• Perpetual spring climate in the Central Valley - daytime temperatures of 20–24°C year-round with no heating or heavy cooling needed
• Affordable private healthcare - GP consultations from £35+, with many doctors trained in the US or Europe and speaking decent English
• Full property ownership rights (foreigners have identical legal rights to Costa Rican citizens for titled land)
• Dual citizenship is permitted after seven years of continuous residency
• A lovely friendly culture - "pura vida" is not just a tourist slogan. It also reflects a real cultural warmth toward strangers

Cons

• Groceries are basically the same price as the UK… only 1.1% cheaper according to our latest Numbeo run-through, well and truly shattering the "cheap tropical living" myth
• Tiny British community (3,000+) - you are joining an American-dominated expat world with precious little British social infrastructure
• Glacial bureaucracy - residency applications take 6–12 months, government offices operate on their own timeline, and patience is not optional
• Savage import taxes of 45–85% on vehicles - ouch! A £20,000 car in the UK costs £35,000-40,000 in Costa Rica
• Frozen UK state pension - familiar story, your pension is locked at the rate when you leave and never increases
• No UK-Costa Rica double taxation agreement - this creates real complexity during the transition period (and requires specialist tax advice)
• Rough infrastructure outside cities - secondary roads are potholed or unpaved, a 4WD vehicle is essential outside the Central Valley
• Language barrier for essential services - banking, legal matters, and medical consultations outside private hospitals happen entirely in Spanish
• Tropical maintenance demands - humidity destroys electronics, mould is a constant battle…

The Caja - Public Healthcare

Costa Rica's public healthcare system - the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), commonly known as "the Caja" - covers roughly 92% of the population and is funded by mandatory contributions of 7–11% of declared income.

Costa Rica currently has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with the UK. Temporary and permanent residents must join CCSS and pay monthly premiums based on income.

For residents, this works out to roughly £40-150 per month.

The Caja covers basically everything: GP visits, specialist referrals, hospital stays, surgery, prescriptions, and even dental care. Pre-existing conditions are covered with no exclusions or waiting periods.

It’s not all sunshine and roses though. The wait times can be slow: non-emergency specialist appointments take weeks to months, and non-urgent surgery can take months to years even.

Private Healthcare

The three main private hospitals - CIMA Hospital in Escazú, Clínica Bíblica in San José, and Hospital La Católica - all offer care that rivals good European hospitals.

Many doctors trained in the United States or Europe, so they speak excellent English, and give 30-60 minute consultations (compared to the 10-minute rush-you-out-the-door NHS standard).

For that matter, Costa Rica has become something of a significant medical tourism destination… particularly for dental work, orthopaedics, and cosmetic surgery. Although it’s mostly used by Americans rather than Europeans (Brits find it cheaper to fly to Turkey!).

Health Insurance

INS (the government insurance provider) offers plans from £38–190 per month. International providers like Cigna Global cost £115-490 per month for a 30-year-old depending on coverage level and deductible. We’d advise to budget at least £100-200 per month per person for a combination of Caja contributions and the typical private top-up insurance.

The standard expat approach is known as "mixed medicine" - which is to use the Caja for chronic condition management, routine check-ups, and prescriptions (which are free through the public system), and then go private when you need speed, specialist access, or English-speaking doctors.

This actually gives you some fairly comprehensive coverage… at a fraction of UK private healthcare costs.

British and International Schools

The British School of Costa Rica (BSCR) in Pavas is the only school in the country offering a British curriculum, with IGCSE and International Baccalaureate programmes.

2026 annual tuition fees range from ₡4,004,022 to ₡8,438,850 (£6,500 to £13,750), plus a one-time family admission quota of ₡610,000 plus VAT (£990).

It is the natural choice for families planning to return to the UK eventually or wanting seamless curriculum continuity.

Several US-oriented international schools offer excellent education: Country Day School has tuition from US$7,353 to US$22,015, plus separate application, matriculation, entrance, and family fees.

Blue Valley currently publishes 2025–2026 annual tuition from ₡5,573,000 to ₡9,577,000 (£9,000 to £15,320).

Side note: Yes, you’ll need your currency exchange calculator at the ready when comparing prices!

All teach primarily in English with Spanish language instruction. Most follow American or IB curricula.

State Schools and Bilingual Options

Costa Rican state schools are free and generally decent by Latin American standards, but an important point is that instruction is entirely in Spanish with no language support for foreign children.

Children under six typically adapt within 6–12 months through full immersion. For families wanting a middle ground, bilingual private schools cost £225–300 per month - significantly cheaper than international schools while offering instruction in both English and Spanish.

Family Life and Safety

Costa Rica is, by and large, a happy family-friendly place to live.

Children are welcomed everywhere, outdoor activities are extraordinary (zip-lining, volcano hikes, wildlife spotting, surfing), and the pace of life is relaxed.

The main practical hazards are tropical rather than criminal: fierce sun requires constant sunscreen, riptides demand respect at Pacific beaches, and occasional encounters with wildlife (snakes, scorpions, monkeys raiding the kitchen) are all part of the deal.

Childcare

Full-time nursery or daycare typically costs around £230–600 per month. A live-out nanny might charge £150–375 per week and must be registered with the Caja (social security) by the employer.

Costa Rican labour law requires a 13th month bonus (aguinaldo) paid in December, equivalent to one month's salary. Factor this into your annual childcare budget!

Costa Rica is excellent for families who can budget £9,000-18,000 per child per year for international schooling.

The combination of outdoor lifestyle, friendly culture, and affordable domestic help makes daily family life enjoyable. But let’s be honest here, a life in Costa Rica is significantly easier on the wallet for childless expats and retirees who can skip the school fees entirely.

Getting Around

Costa Rica drives on the right - the opposite of the UK.

Ordinary visitors can usually drive on a valid foreign licence for up to 3 months after entry. If you become resident, you should exchange your UK licence for a Costa Rican one; GOV.UK says this can be done without a driving test (but a medical was required when we last checked).

Digital nomads can use their home-country licence for the full duration of their authorised stay.

As for the actual road quality, it varies dramatically: the main motorways are decent, but secondary roads are riddled with potholes or entirely unpaved.

A 4WD vehicle is not a luxury outside the Central Valley - it is damn near essential, and especially in the rainy season (May–November).

Uber operates in the greater San José area in a legal grey area. Public buses are cheap (£0.75–15 depending on distance) but they are also painfully slow.

Phones and Internet

Three main mobile providers we can consider: Kölbi (state-owned, best rural coverage), Claro (fastest 4G in urban areas), and Liberty (rolling out 5G in San José).

Prepaid SIM cards cost £1.50-3. Data plans are usually around £8-12 for 5GB over 30 days. Home fibre internet is widely available in the Central Valley at 60Mbps+, which is perfectly adequate for remote work (without being lightning fast).

Rural areas may be limited to slower connections.

Banking

BAC Credomatic is the bank most recommended for expats - on balance, it offers the best English-language services and has the most experience dealing with foreign residents.

Even so, you can expect multiple visits to open an account, extensive paperwork, and occasional bureaucratic frustration.

Use Wise (formerly TransferWise) for GBP-to-CRC transfers - the exchange rates and fees are nearly always better than bank wires. You might also keep a Revolut card as an ATM backup for the initial weeks before your local account is operational.

Language

English works in the Escazú/Santa Ana expat corridor, Tamarindo, and tourist areas.

For everywhere else - including banks, government offices, hospitals (outside private facilities), and police stations - you better dust down that Spanish.

The Caribbean coast around Puerto Viejo and Limón is an exception, where English-Creole is widely spoken due to some of the Afro-Caribbean heritage.

We’d say that learning Spanish is the single biggest quality-of-life investment you can make during your months here (or before you even arrive).

Even basic conversational ability transforms your daily experience, your relationships with neighbours, and your ability to navigate much of the bureaucracy.

Property

Foreigners have identical property ownership rights to Costa Rican citizens for titled land - no special permits, no restrictions, no nominees required.

Property tax is remarkably low at just 0.25% of the registered value annually.

The main restriction is the Maritime Zone (Zona Marítimo-Terrestre): a complicated set of rules where the first 50 metres from the high-tide line is public land that cannot be owned by anyone, and the next 150 metres is concession land where foreign ownership is capped at 49%.

Most beach properties are outside this zone, but you absolutely must verify before purchasing. Most British buyers use cash or arrange finance through UK lenders.

Locally, the Costa Rican mortgage rates of 7-10% make local borrowing very expensive.

Bringing Pets

Costa Rica has no quarantine requirement for dogs and cats arriving from the UK.

You will still need an APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) Export Health Certificate, a rabies vaccination administered at least 21 days before travel, and DHLPP vaccination for dogs.

Budget £200-600 for admin processing if arranging transport yourself (airline cargo fees, vet certificates, transport crate), or £1,100–3,000+ if using a professional pet shipping company.

Start the process at least three months before your planned departure date - the APHA paperwork alone takes several weeks!