Costa Rica Real Estate in 2026: How the Evolving Traveler Profile Is Shaping Demand and Investment Potential
Travelers still come to Costa Rica primarily for its beaches, natural beauty, and adventure.
However, the way international visitors plan their vacations, choose where to stay, and decide what to spend money on has changed significantly over the past twenty years.
Average stays are shorter, spending is higher, and expectations regarding quality, privacy, internet connectivity, and services continue to rise. For investors in vacation rental properties, this is an important development: simply buying an apartment in a tourist destination is no longer enough.
The property must appeal to a clearly defined type of guest and remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market. Costa Rica has built an exceptionally strong tourism brand.
Costa Rica is associated with biodiversity, national parks, volcanoes, the ocean, surfing, and the pura vida lifestyle. That has not changed. What has changed is the profile of the visitor arriving in the country and, above all, the way people choose and plan their trips. Twenty years ago, travelers were more likely to book longer, pre-arranged itineraries with several stops, transportation included, and organized excursions.
Today’s visitor to Costa Rica has access to booking platforms, maps, reviews, social media, and thousands of hotels, apartments, and villas. Travelers often create their own itineraries, adjust them as they go, and assess far more carefully whether the price reflects the experience and value they actually receive.
The shift is most clearly reflected in data from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). The statistics are based on ongoing surveys of approximately 12,000 international visitors each year at the country’s two main international airports: Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia.
2006
2015
2025
12.0 nights
11.3 nights
10.3 nights
1,256.7 USD
1,369.3 USD
1,848.0
approximately 104.7 USD
approximately 121.2 USD
approximately 179.4 USD
Indicative calculation based on ICT data: average spending per stay divided by the average length of stay.
Between 2006 and 2025, the average length of stay decreased by approximately 14%, while spending per trip increased by about 47%. Estimated spending per night rose by approximately 71%. This does not mean, however, that travelers are purchasing 71% more services than before. Part of the increase reflects higher prices for accommodation, dining, transportation, and activities. These are nominal U.S. dollar amounts and have not been adjusted for inflation.
For property operators, the exchange rate also matters. Wages, maintenance, and many other expenses are paid in Costa Rican colones, while much of the revenue is denominated in U.S. dollars. Nevertheless, the underlying trend is significant: visitors have less time, but they are willing to pay for convenience, a good location, and a high-quality experience. According to preliminary data from the Central Bank of Costa Rica, the country’s tourism revenue reached USD 5.54 billion in 2025, an increase of 2% year over year. ICT statistics show that approximately 2.69 million international tourists arrived in Costa Rica by air, around 1% more than in 2024. The key consideration is therefore not only the number of arrivals, but also the value generated by tourism.
According to ICT surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025, the most common categories of activities include beach stays, ecotourism, adventure, culture, and wellness. Sun-and-beach activities were reported by 67% of respondents, nature observation by 37.1%, local cuisine by 36.1%, hiking by 32%, and visits to volcanoes by 29.5%. Costa Rica remains firmly established as a nature-based destination.
Today’s guests, however, also expect comfort and reliable service. They assess the quality of the bed and air conditioning, cleanliness, response times, ease of arrival, digital payment options, and the reliability of the internet connection. Even travelers who want to disconnect while on vacation may need to join a work video call or remain online for several days. This creates an opportunity for well-prepared apartments and villas.
The most luxurious property does not automatically come out on top; the strongest performer is the one that best meets the needs of its target guest. For couples, privacy and walking distance to the beach may be decisive. Families appreciate multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, a washing machine, and safe surroundings. In the premium segment, guests expect thoughtful design, high-quality furnishings, attentive service, transportation, and the option to arrange tailored excursions and dining experiences.
From an investment perspective, it is important to distinguish between two significant groups of visitors.
The first arrives at Juan Santamaría International Airport near San José and combines several regions within a single trip, for example, the Central Valley, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, the Caribbean coast, or Guanacaste. These travelers may spend only a few nights in each destination. For accommodation providers, easy access, a smooth check-in process, the ability to accommodate late arrivals, and efficient operations designed for frequent guest turnover are therefore essential.
The second group arrives at Liberia International Airport and focuses primarily on Guanacaste. These visitors often choose a single base near the ocean, stay for a week or longer, and take shorter trips around the region. They may prefer a resort, villa, or fully equipped apartment and spend more on dining, private transportation, wellness services, and organized activities available close to their accommodation. Neither model is automatically more profitable. Each requires a different type of property, pricing strategy, and operating model. What works in Playas del Coco, Nosara, or Tamarindo cannot simply be replicated in La Fortuna, Jacó, Manuel Antonio, or the South Pacific region.
Hotels are no longer the only mainstream accommodation option. Booking platforms have opened the market to privately owned apartments, houses, and villas, allowing guests to choose according to their group size, preferred location, length of stay, and budget. ICT’s official accommodation supply estimate for 2025 lists a total of 56,950 rooms across 3,095 lodging establishments. However, this overview does not include vacation rentals such as private houses, apartments, and cabins. The actual supply against which an investor competes on booking platforms is therefore considerably larger. This is one of the most important conclusions for property buyers.
Growth in tourism alone does not guarantee occupancy for a particular property. Supply evolves alongside demand and, in some locations, may grow even faster. Within minutes, guests can compare prices, photographs, amenities, ratings, and distance from the beach. An average property without a clear competitive advantage can easily become lost among dozens of similar listings.
An apartment designed for a couple on a week-long vacation has different requirements from a family villa, a property intended for digital nomads, or premium accommodation with a full range of services. A generic property marketed as being “for everyone” often fails to appeal strongly to anyone.
In 2025, international visitors spent an average of 10.3 nights in Costa Rica. A more remote location may offer exceptional natural surroundings, tranquility, and privacy, but these qualities are not exclusive to any one part of the country. They can be found throughout Costa Rica, including in destinations with significantly better accessibility and a wider range of services.
The value of a location is therefore determined not only by what guests find when they arrive, but also by how much time, money, and planning the journey requires. If reaching the accommodation involves a connecting domestic flight, waiting time, and additional transportation after arrival, accessibility cannot be measured solely by time spent in the air.
Traveling by car may take up a substantial part of the day, and guests face the same journey on the way back. For travelers who want to explore several parts of the country during a single vacation, the added logistical complexity may outweigh the advantages of an otherwise attractive location.
What matters is the transfer time from the airport, the condition of the access road, accessibility during the rainy season, proximity to restaurants, shops, and activities, and whether guests need a car. A shorter average vacation makes time more valuable. If travelers spend a significant part of their stay dealing with complicated transfers, they may prefer more expensive but better-connected accommodation.
Reliable internet, responsive communication, a seamless check-in process, professional cleaning, and prompt handling of maintenance issues are not minor extras. They affect guest reviews, listing visibility, and the willingness to pay a higher nightly rate. For a property purchased from abroad, a capable local property manager is therefore just as important as the apartment or house itself.
Guests with larger budgets do not pay only for marble, a swimming pool, or a view. They pay for privacy, flawless service, security, seamless logistics, and the confidence that their limited time will be well spent. An expensive property without professional management may therefore not be a true investment product—it may simply be an expensive property.
Data from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute provide an excellent overview of the direction of the market, but they cannot be used to calculate the return on a specific apartment. They do not reveal occupancy on a particular street, the difference between high and low season, how many new units have entered a specific local market, or the rates guests have actually paid for comparable accommodation.
A purchase decision must therefore supplement national data with a detailed analysis of the specific location and project. This means comparing genuine competing listings, achievable nightly rates, seasonal occupancy, operating costs, the quality of the property manager, the property’s legal status and title, and a realistic resale strategy.
Over the past twenty years, Costa Rica’s tourism industry has not lost its fundamental appeal. Visitors still come for the ocean, nature, adventure, and relaxation. They are, however, better informed, more independent, and more demanding. They stay for shorter periods, concentrate their budgets on fewer destinations, and expect higher prices to be matched by a corresponding level of quality.
For a carefully selected and professionally managed property, this represents an opportunity. For a project based solely on the assumption that “Costa Rica is a tourist destination, so any property will rent,” it should serve as a warning.
Costa Rica is not a single, homogeneous real estate market. Each region attracts a different type of guest and has its own seasonality, accessibility, pricing, and operational risks. This is precisely why the selection of an investment property should begin with an analysis of demand—not with a photograph of the view from the terrace or a property visit during the peak tourist season.
