Costa Rica closing cost calculator
Buying in Costa Rica costs more than the sticker price. Enter a purchase price and see the real cash you will need at closing. Costs typically land between 3.5% and 4.1% of the price.
How much are closing costs in Costa Rica?
About 3.5% to 4% of the purchase price. The usual parts are the 1.5% property transfer tax, about 0.85% in documentary stamps and about 1.25% in legal and notary fees, which comes to 3.6%. By custom buyer and seller split them 50/50, and the seller also pays the agent's commission.
Estimate only. Confirm with your abogado.
Estimate only. Notary fees follow a regulated scale and small fixed registry/municipal stamps apply. Commission is not set by law: 5% plus IVA is customary on a residential resale, and land, farms and lower-priced properties are often agreed higher. Confirm with your abogado.
Who pays closing costs in Costa Rica?
By custom they are split 50/50 between buyer and seller. It is negotiable, and in plenty of foreigner purchases the buyer ends up covering all of it. Whatever you agree, put it in the offer in writing before anyone signs.
What about the agent's commission?
The seller pays it, out of the sale proceeds, and it is separate from the transfer tax, stamps and legal fees above. The customary figure on a residential resale is 5% of the price plus 13% IVA on the commission, which works out at about 5.65%. It is not fixed by law. Land, farms and lower-priced properties are often agreed higher, and the rate belongs in the listing agreement before the property goes on the market.
When a buyer has their own agent, that agent is paid by splitting the commission the seller already agreed to pay. So being represented costs a buyer nothing extra: the same money is divided between two agents instead of one. A buyer still pays their share of the closing costs.
What about annual taxes?
The annual property tax is 0.25% of the registered value, paid to the municipality. Higher-value homes also pay the solidarity (luxury) tax on a sliding scale. Both are small next to what you would pay back home.