Photo: Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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🇨🇷 Costa Rica
San José
A calm, safe base in the central valley, with Costa Rica's nomad visa and nature an hour away in any direction.
€1,300–1,900Fiber 100–500 Mbps in the metro areaEternal spring in the central valley, rains May to November
What it really costs
Prices checked on the ground by Zabelers. Each line shows when it was last verified.
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Where to live
Good for:
The catch: Rising prices
Good for:
The catch: Car-dependent
Where to work
Time zone: CST (UTC-6), aligned with North America
What living here is really like
Day to day
- Internet
- 100–500 Mbps fiber with Kolbi/Liberty CRC 25,000–40,000/month
- Safety
- Safe with standard caution; avoid downtown areas at night
- Healthcare
- Public Caja for residents; private insurance US$80–150/month
- SIM / eSIM
- Prepaid Kolbi/Claro SIM from CRC 5,000/5 GB
- Best season
- December to April (dry season)
- Community
- Nomad community spread between San José and the beaches; regular meetups
Living here legally
Tax
Nomad visa: 0 % on foreign income; otherwise territorial taxation
Flights & connections
SJO, Central American hub with US and Europe flights
Lisbon vs. similar cities
| City | Zabel score | Monthly budget | In short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medellín | 8.0 | 1.000–1.600 $ | Cheaper with more scene, less safe |
| Ciudad de Panamá | 7.2 | 1.300–1.900 € | More hub and skyline, less nearby nature |