Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa · by numbers
Costa Rica names the number in the law itself: $3,000 a month for a single applicant, rising to $4,000 if you bring family. It is a stable, dollar-denominated bar — and the law also exempts the equipment you bring for work from import duty.
Do you qualify?
Set your monthly income and who is coming with you. The bar moves with family size — this is the arithmetic the consulate does.
Family rule: +33% of the base for a spouse, +0% per dependent child.
An arithmetic aid, not an eligibility decision. Consulates weigh the documents as a whole and assess the threshold in force on the day of your appointment.
What that number actually means
The same threshold, placed on three scales the consultancy guides never show: local pay, local output and local prices.
$19,970 per person a year (2025) — World Bank, CC BY 4.0.
Prices in this country sit at 60% of the US level (2024), so the same income goes further. Price level is measured across the whole economy, not a nomad's basket.
The fine print
Every row carries its own status and links to the authority that sets it — nothing here is a guess dressed as a fact.
| Stay granted | 1 yearverified | Renewable for a second year if you spent at least 180 days in the country. |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal | one extra yearindicative | Maximum two years in total on this status. |
| Decision | ≈ 15 working days (statutory)indicative | Applications are filed online with DGME. |
| Government fees | $100 statutoryverified | Set by Law 10008; consular and card costs may apply on top. |
| Tax | 0% on foreign incomeverified | Holders are not treated as tax residents and foreign income is not taxed. Work equipment is exempt from import duty. |
| Path to permanent residence | noindicative | Time on this status does not count toward ordinary residency. |
| Family | yes — at $4,000 a monthverified | A single higher figure covers the whole family group. |
What you have to show
- Proof of stable remote income at the threshold for the last twelve months
- Health insurance covering the whole stay in Costa Rica
- Proof that the work is for employers or clients outside Costa Rica
- Passport valid for the period of stay
- Payment of the statutory fee
How it compares
Costa Rica sits #7 of 19 flagship programs by income threshold, counted from the most accessible upward.
Cite this page
Our compilation — the threshold in USD, the ratios above and the per-fact status — is published under CC BY 4.0. Use it anywhere, including commercially, with a link back. The underlying government figures belong to the authorities that publish them.
Us, by Numbers. "Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa: income requirement." Costa Rica: $3,000/month (a flat figure written into Law 10008), checked 2026-07-27. https://usbynumbers.com/nomad-visas/costa-rica
Questions people actually ask
How much income do you need for the Costa Rica digital nomad visa?
$3,000 a month — about $3,000 — set as a flat figure written into Law 10008. Costa Rica names the number in the law itself: $3,000 a month for a single applicant, rising to $4,000 if you bring family. It is a stable, dollar-denominated bar — and the law also exempts the equipment you bring for work from import duty.
What is the income requirement with a spouse or children?
Each family member raises the bar: add 33% of the base for a spouse and 0% for each dependent child. A couple therefore needs about $3,990 a month rather than $3,000. The law states a single figure for applicants with dependants — $4,000 a month, whatever the family size — rather than a per-person percentage. Our calculator approximates that as one step up from $3,000.
Do you pay tax in Costa Rica on a nomad visa?
0% on foreign income. Holders are not treated as tax residents and foreign income is not taxed. Work equipment is exempt from import duty. This is general information, not tax advice.
Does the Costa Rica nomad visa lead to permanent residence?
no. Time on this status does not count toward ordinary residency.
Which countries ask for less than Costa Rica?
Among the flagship programs we track, Costa Rica ranks #7 of 19 by income threshold, from the lowest bar upward. The closest programs below it are Cabo Verde ($1,620), Malaysia ($2,000), Italy ($2,520). The lowest of all is Colombia at $1,440 a month.
Sources
- OfficialDGME — digital nomads (official)
- DataGDP per capita and price level: World Bank (CC BY 4.0), via our own GDP per capita ranking and cost-of-living page.