What are the property purchase costs in Costa Rica in 2026?

Plan for a property transfer tax currently framed around 1.5% of the registered value, plus legal and notary fees for the escritura pública, government stamps and registration, licensed escrow service, and title or corporate due diligence. Market guides commonly place a straightforward personal condo purchase near the mid-single-digit percentage band overall, often cited around 3.5% to 4.5% inclusive of transfer tax. Buying through a corporation or a more complex foreign structure can push the stack higher. Ask your independent attorney for a written estimate before you release escrow.

Typical deal flow uses a written option to purchase, an escrow deposit often around 5% to 10%, due diligence, then closing and post-closing filings that update municipal tax and HOA records. Skipping the HOA ownership update creates later billing headaches: Condominium fees.

Pull a recent certificacion literal from the Registro Nacional and confirm liens, boundaries, and seller identity before any large deposit. Beachfront and ocean-adjacent listings need an explicit titled-versus-concession check under the Zona Marítimo Terrestre rules; concession deals are not the same fee-simple cost model: Living in Tamarindo. Escazú and Santa Ana condo towers add cuota de mantenimiento as a lifelong monthly line after closing: Living in Escazú and Living in Santa Ana.

Buying does not grant DGME residence. Rentista, pensionado, and other categories remain separate: Apply for a residence permit and Get a DIMEX. Many movers still rent first while they learn a corridor: How to rent a home and Short-term housing for newcomers. Put purchase costs inside the national money map: How expensive is Costa Rica and Where to live in Costa Rica. Decline pressure deals that skip escrow or independent counsel: Avoid rental scams.