# Expat Properties CR

> Real estate sales and vacation rental management in Playas del Coco, Ocotal, and the Gold Coast of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Published by Expat Properties CR S.A. (SUGEF registered), Plaza Dos Palos, Avenida Tortugas, Playas del Coco. The Journal is a library of researched, dated guides on buying, owning, renting, and living in Guanacaste, with a focus on the history and present of Playas del Coco. Not legal, tax, or financial advice. Cite as: Expat Properties CR, "[title]", expatpropertiescr.com, [date], [URL].

## Key pages

- [About this site](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/about-this-site/): publisher, scope, sourcing, how to cite
- [About us and the team](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/about/)
- [Properties for sale](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/properties/)
- [New developments](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/developments/)
- [Locations on the Gold Coast](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/locations/)
- [Property management](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/property-management/)
- [Vacation rentals, direct booking](https://booking.expatpropertiescr.com/)
- [Journal index](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/)
- [Privacy policy](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/privacy/)
- [Contact](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/contact/)

## Buyer guides

- [Buying Property in Costa Rica as an American: The 2026 Guide](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/guides/buying-property-in-costa-rica-as-an-american/): Can Americans buy property in Costa Rica? Yes, outright. Step-by-step purchase, 3.5 to 4 percent closing costs, financing options, corporati
- [Can Foreigners Buy Property in Costa Rica? Titled vs. Concession Land Explained](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/guides/can-foreigners-buy-property-in-costa-rica/): Foreigners can own titled property in Costa Rica outright with no residency. Learn the difference between titled land, Maritime Zone concess
- [How to Choose a Real Estate Agent in Costa Rica (No MLS, No Licensing)](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-real-estate-agent-in-costa-rica/): Costa Rica has no real estate licensing or MLS. Six questions to ask any agent, how commissions work, the SUGEF registration that matters, a
- [The Best Expat Communities on Costa Rica's Gold Coast, Compared](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/guides/best-expat-communities-on-costa-ricas-gold-coast/): Twelve Gold Coast communities compared for expats: town size, beach type, prices, airport distance, and rental strength. Coco, Ocotal, Hermo
- [Investment Property in Costa Rica: What Gold Coast Rentals Really Earn](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/guides/investment-property-in-costa-rica-rental-yields/): What Costa Rica investment property really earns: Gold Coast seasonality, running costs, the 12.75 percent effective rental tax and 13 perce
- [Buying Costa Rica Real Estate from Canada: Taxes, Currency, Health Coverage and Flights](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/guides/buying-costa-rica-real-estate-from-canada/): A Canadian's guide to buying property in Costa Rica: T1135 reporting, rental and capital gains tax with no treaty, currency strategy, provin

## Property collections

- https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/locations/playas-del-coco/condos/
- https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/locations/playas-del-coco/homes/
- https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/locations/curubande/homes/
- https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/properties/condos/
- https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/properties/homes/
- https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/properties/land/

## Recent Journal articles

- [Buying Pre-Construction in Costa Rica: Rewards and Red Flags](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/buying-pre-construction-in-costa-rica-rewards-and-red-flags/): Pre construction in Costa Rica can mean lower prices and staged payments, but real risk too. Here are the rewards, red flags, and checks we 
- [Moving to Costa Rica with Pets: Flights, Paperwork, Vets](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/moving-to-costa-rica-with-pets-flights-paperwork-vets/): Moving to Costa Rica with pets? Our checklist covers the health certificate, vaccines, SENASA permit rules, and flights into Liberia, step b
- [Buying for Rental Income Near Liberia Airport: Why Proximity Pays](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/buying-for-rental-income-near-liberia-airport-why-proximity-pays/): Why an investment property near Liberia Airport rents better: verified transfer times, LIR passenger growth, and what we see managing 40 ren
- [The 15 Essentials Everyone Ends Up Buying After Moving to Costa Rica](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/the-15-essentials-everyone-ends-up-buying-after-moving-to-costa-rica/): Moving to Costa Rica essentials: the 15 things expats really buy after arriving, from fans and surge protectors to a used 4x4. Notes from Pl
- [What It Costs to Live in Playas del Coco: 3 Real Monthly Budgets](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/what-it-costs-to-live-in-playas-del-coco-3-real-monthly-budgets/): The real cost of living in Playas del Coco: three monthly budgets from modest to premium, with sourced 2025 and 2026 prices for rent, power,
- [5 Ways Expats Overspend in Their First Year in Costa Rica](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/5-ways-expats-overspend-in-their-first-year-in-costa-rica/): The five most common expat mistakes in Costa Rica that drain first-year budgets: import taxes, cars, leases, groceries, and exchange rates. 
- [Airbnb Rules in Costa Rica: Registration and Taxes for Hosts](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/airbnb-rules-in-costa-rica-registration-and-taxes-for-hosts/): Airbnb rules in Costa Rica explained: ICT registration under Law 9742, 13% VAT, and income tax for hosts, plus what unregistered rentals act
- [Golf, Pickleball, and Tennis: Staying Active on the Gold Coast](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/golf-pickleball-and-tennis-staying-active-on-the-gold-coast/): Golf in Guanacaste, pickleball in Playas del Coco, and tennis on the Gold Coast: the three championship courses, real 2026 green fees, and h
- [Curubande: Country Living 20 Minutes from Liberia](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/curubande-country-living-20-minutes-from-liberia/): Curubandé, Guanacaste offers country living 20 minutes from Liberia, near Rincón de la Vieja. What life, land, and real estate there are rea
- [Living in Playas del Coco: A Complete 2026 Guide](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/living-in-playas-del-coco-a-complete-2026-guide/): What living in Playas del Coco is really like in 2026: weather, neighborhoods, healthcare, costs, and visas, from a local team that lives th
- [Coco with Kids: 11 Family Activities That Always Work](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/coco-with-kids-11-family-activities-that-always-work/): Visiting Playas del Coco with kids? 11 family activities that always work, from calm beach mornings to wildlife parks, from locals who live 
- [Internet in Coco: Fiber, Starlink, and Working Remotely](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/internet-in-coco-fiber-starlink-and-working-remotely/): How good is internet in Playas del Coco? Fiber and cable providers, Starlink in Costa Rica, mobile backups, and what to check before you ren
- [Wildlife You Will Actually See on the Gold Coast](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/wildlife-you-will-actually-see-on-the-gold-coast/): Guanacaste wildlife you will actually see: howler monkeys, iguanas, magpie-jays, and turtle arribadas, honestly described by our team in Pla
- [Building a Home in Guanacaste: Permits, Costs, and Timelines](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/building-a-home-in-guanacaste-permits-costs-and-timelines/): What building a house in Costa Rica really involves: permits, water letters, per square meter costs in Guanacaste, and honest timelines from
- [Costa Rica's Digital Nomad Visa: Requirements and Reality](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/costa-rica-s-digital-nomad-visa-requirements-and-reality/): Costa Rica digital nomad visa in 2026: the income proof, insurance, and fees you need, how renewal works, and when a 180-day tourist stay ma
- [Rincon de la Vieja: Volcano, Hot Springs, Waterfalls](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/rincon-de-la-vieja-volcano-hot-springs-waterfalls/): Rincon de la Vieja packs mud pots, waterfalls, and hot springs into one Guanacaste day trip. Our local team covers fees, hours, trails, and 
- [Water Letters and Well Permits: The Document That Makes or Breaks a Land Deal](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/water-letters-and-well-permits-the-document-that-makes-or-breaks-a-lan/): A water letter can make or break a Costa Rica land deal. Learn who issues the carta de agua, how Guanacaste well permits work, and how to ve
- [Rentista Residency: Costa Rica's Income-Based Visa](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/rentista-residency-costa-rica-s-income-based-visa/): The rentista visa Costa Rica offers requires US$2,500 a month in stable income or a US$60,000 bank deposit. See how the 2026 requirements re
- [Eating Out vs Cooking In: Food Costs on the Gold Coast](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/eating-out-vs-cooking-in-food-costs-on-the-gold-coast/): Food costs in Costa Rica, priced for 2026: restaurant prices in Playas del Coco, grocery and feria budgets, and the 23% added to every resta
- [Condo or House: Which Rents Better in Coco?](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/condo-or-house-which-rents-better-in-coco/): Condo vs house rental in Costa Rica: we compare how each performs in Playas del Coco, from booking pace to costs, based on the 40 rentals we
- [Utilities in Costa Rica: Electricity, Water, and Why AC Is Your Biggest Bill](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/utilities-in-costa-rica-electricity-water-and-why-ac-is-your-biggest-b/): What do utilities cost in Costa Rica? Verified 2026 Guanacaste electricity rates per kWh, real AC bill examples, and practical ways to cut c
- [What a Vacation Rental in Playas del Coco Actually Earns](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/what-a-vacation-rental-in-playas-del-coco-actually-earns/): What does a Playas del Coco rental really earn? We manage about 40 rentals and explain vacation rental income in Costa Rica: seasons, costs,
- [Scuba Diving in Playas del Coco: A First-Timer's Guide](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/scuba-diving-in-playas-del-coco-a-first-timer-s-guide/): Scuba diving in Playas del Coco, explained for first-timers: local dive shops, Catalina Islands mantas, Bat Islands bull sharks, seasons, an
- [Grocery Shopping in Playas del Coco: Where Locals and Expats Buy](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/grocery-shopping-in-playas-del-coco-where-locals-and-expats-buy/): Grocery stores in Playas del Coco compared by a local team: Auto Mercado, Super Compro, Luperon, the Sunday market, and stock-up runs to Lib
- [Coco's Main Street: Then and Now](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/news/coco-s-main-street-then-and-now/): Playas del Coco's main street went from dusty fishing village road to a busy downtown strip. We walk it end to end: what changed, and what n

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- [French site](https://www.expatpropertiescr.com/fr/)