Quick answer: The strongest listings this quarter span an enormous range — from a $20 million oceanfront estate to Central Valley homes near the residency threshold — and the point of showing them together is not the trophy assets. It is that different objectives call for different properties, and the right one depends on whether you are optimising for lifestyle, residency qualification, or investment.
Ready to talk specifics? Book a strategy call and we will map your situation against the options below.
Listings and prices reflect current inventory at the time of writing and change; confirm availability and details before relying on any figure.
At the trophy end
The headline asset is a 126-hectare oceanfront estate at Playa Bejuco, Nandayure at $20,000,000 — a property that spans public, concession and titled land in a single deed, which makes it a case study in coastal due diligence as much as a listing. At $9,000,000, a 26-room beachfront hotel in Jacó is an operating business and a potential residency-qualifying investment at once. These are not for most buyers; they set the ceiling.
Estates for living
In the range where families actually settle, a 5,979 m² estate in San Antonio de Escazú at $1,750,000 sits in one of the Central Valley most established addresses — close to international schools and the major private hospitals, which is why the corridor draws relocating families. On the coast, a ocean-view villa at Punta Leona at $1,000,000 buys the water view the Valley cannot, at the coastal premium the view commands.
Qualifying-threshold inventory
For buyers whose priority is the investor residency threshold, the useful listings sit near $150,000. A one-storey house in Condominio Praga, Tres Ríos at $157,000 clears it with a margin — which matters, because valuation is assessed by the authorities rather than fixed by your price, so buying with headroom is the prudent play. These are not trophy assets; they are the practical anchor for a residency application, and title should be taken in the applicant own name to satisfy current DGME practice.
Development and investment land
At the investment end, a turnkey eco-resort and wellness retreat in Atenas at $1,300,000 is an operating hospitality asset that can double as a qualifying investment — though, as we always caution, a business failure can become an immigration problem, so it suits people who genuinely want to operate rather than those chasing residency alone.
How to read a portfolio
Not as a wish list but as a map of objectives. The trophy estate, the family home, the threshold house and the operating business are answers to different questions. The most useful conversation is not "which is the best property" but "which objective are you actually solving for" — and that is where a strategy call earns its place over a listings page.
Matching a listing to an objective, not a mood
The most useful way to read a portfolio is to start from what you are solving for, because the same money buys very different things depending on the goal. If the objective is investor residency, the relevant listings are the ones near the $150,000 threshold with clean title in the applicant own name — the Condominio Praga house at $157,000 does that job, and its unglamorous price is precisely the point. If the objective is a family home in the school-and-hospital corridor, the San Antonio de Escazú estate at $1,750,000 answers a different question entirely.
If the objective is income or a business, an operating asset like the Atenas eco-resort at $1,300,000 can double as a qualifying investment — with the caveat we always attach, that a hospitality business failing can become an immigration problem, so it suits genuine operators rather than passive residency-seekers. The trophy assets set the ceiling and photograph well; the decision-useful inventory is almost always the property matched to a clearly stated objective.
Why we show the whole range rather than only the trophies
Most portfolio showcases lead with the $20 million estate and bury everything else, which flatters the firm and misleads the reader. We deliberately show the range — from Guanacaste lots at $70,000 that do not qualify for investor residency, through threshold homes, up to the Playa Bejuco oceanfront estate at $20,000,000 — because the honest answer to "what should I buy" almost never sits at the top of the price band. It sits where your objective, your budget and your intended use intersect.
A $70,000 lot is a perfectly good purchase and no help at all to a residency application; a $157,000 house clears the threshold with the margin that valuation risk makes prudent; a $1.75M estate is a home, not a qualification play. Showing all of it is how you make an informed choice rather than an aspirational one.
Frequently asked
Are these listings current?
They reflect inventory at the time of writing and change quarter to quarter. Confirm current availability and pricing before relying on any figure.
Which listings qualify for investor residency?
Real estate at $150,000 or more can qualify, with title in the applicant own name per current DGME practice. Whether a specific property qualifies depends on structure and documentation.
Can you show me properties not listed publicly?
Some inventory is shared directly rather than published. A strategy call is the right place to see what fits your specific objective and budget.
Do the cheapest listings qualify for residency?
Not necessarily — the $70,000 Guanacaste lots, for instance, sit below the $150,000 investor threshold. Real estate qualifies from $150,000 with title in the applicant own name; buying with a margin above the line is prudent because the authorities assess valuation.
Can an operating business double as my investment?
Yes — a hospitality asset can qualify, but a business failing can jeopardise the residency it supports. It suits genuine operators, not passive residency-seekers. We will tell you honestly which you are.
How often does the portfolio change?
Continuously — listings and prices shift quarter to quarter, which is why we refresh these showcases and why any figure should be confirmed as current before you rely on it. Some inventory is also shared directly rather than published.
Can you find something not currently listed?
Often yes. Part of what a strategy call establishes is your specific objective and budget, against which we can source both listed and off-market options rather than limiting you to what happens to be public today.
How do I see the full portfolio?
A strategy call establishes your objective and budget, after which we share matched listed and off-market inventory rather than a generic catalogue. The public showcase is a snapshot; the useful set is the one filtered to what you are actually solving for.
Where to start
Decision-stage questions are best answered against your actual numbers, timeline and family situation rather than a general article. Book a strategy call and we will tell you plainly whether Costa Rica fits — and, if it does, which route and structure suit you. If a country other than Costa Rica is the better answer for you, we will say so.
This article is general information, not legal, immigration, tax or investment advice. Program terms and figures change and are applied to individual facts; those cited were accurate at the time of writing and should be confirmed. Engage qualified counsel and your own tax adviser before acting.