Why is Costa Rica Real Estate so Expensive?

Recently, the question has arisen about just how affordable Costa Rica is to live in, particularly for foreigners. There have been a lot of complaints among the expatriate community about the increasing cost of living in Costa Rica and things do not seem to get better. In the face of such seeming bleakness, what possible reason can anyone have for deciding to live Costa Rica either full time or part time as a second home location? 

Over the years, Costa Rica became a hot destination for tourists with a record breaking number visiting Costa Rica in 2010. Despite the global economic meltdown that rocked the world economy, the numbers did not go down by much. Even more interesting and noteworthy is the fact that as the tourists keep pouring in, those choosing to make Costa Rica their permanent or semi permanent residence have kept pouring into the country in droves. 

So despite the fact that prices are increasing, as a matter of fact, just a few short weeks ago, ARESEP – the agency that officially fixes the prices of things in Costa Rica – approved the increase of gas prices, people are still coming to Costa Rica to live in; Costa Rica real estate has been stable pretty much during this time as well.  


The reasons for this are not that farfetched. The Costa Rica tourism department has consistently sold the idea of Pura Vida that is, the pure life to people living in the United States, Canada and other countries. The idea is that if you get tired of the daily grind and are looking for where to relax, unwind and take each day one at a time, in fact, if you are looking to get back to the pure life, Costa Rica is the place to go. And there are many reasons to support that. 

One of such reasons is where we live Jaco beach. With the new highway opening up last year it is now just 1 hour from Escazu the Beverly Hills of Costa Rica. The country itself is home to countless beaches, each appearing to be even more beautiful than the other. However, owning beach front property in Costa Rica is practically impossible as there are strict laws about that prohibiting the ownership of beachfront property by non Costa Rica nationals. Jaco beach real estate is an exception to that. Jaco’s Beachfront is 100% titled. 

Owning beachfront property almost anywhere else in the world is a capital extensive project. But Jaco beach real estate gives the opportunity to own a piece of the Costa Rican beach at an extraordinarily affordable price. Some people come here and think the prices are too high but the truth is they are not comparing Apples to Apples. I’m from California and you could never get this type of beachfront property for the prices it is selling for right now. The price isn’t the only factor the weather is 80 degrees all year around and the ocean water is like taking a bath. So give us a call and plan your next vacation and see what Pura Vida is all about in Jaco Costa Rica.