The best areas for digital nomads in Costa Rica
If you’re looking to come to Costa Rica to work remotely, this post will give you an idea of all the hotspots in the country, so you can see which area’s right for you. Be sure to check out the video at the end of the post as well, to hear from digital nomads here in the country and get a better feel for some of the hot spots on this list.
A lot of the best areas to first land here are going to be tourist hubs, because these are the places with great internet, car rentals and taxis, and hostels or short-term housing rentals. You can pretty much look at where Selina has locations to know which areas in Costa Rica are digital nomad friendly, and this is a great way to start out your trip and check out an area since almost all of their locations have a co-working space with good internet. But the longer people are here they tend to move to areas just outside of these main hubs where the prices are better for rentals, and there is more of a mixed community of long-term tourists, expats and locals, as opposed to super busy tourist towns.
The top areas for digital nomads to consider when first coming to Costa Rica are:
The Greater Metropolitan Area of San José: Downtown and suburbs
Almost anywhere in the greater San José area you’ll be guaranteed to have the most reliable internet, and faster speeds available. Specific neighborhoods that are DN hotspots include Barrio Escalante, Rohrmoser, Escazú and Santa Ana. Rentals tend to be more affordable here compared to the beach towns, and you’ll have all the conveniences and luxuries of city life. There is Uber and Uber Eats, all kinds of international restaurants to try, art and cultural events, live music, and plenty of co-working centers. The weather here in the Central Valley is also much more moderate than at the coast, so it’s a great option if you’re not a fan of the heat and humidity. It’s also a great central location to check out the rest of the country from on weekend trips.
Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a growing beach town in Guanacaste, and the entire area around Tamarindo is a great place for nomads to consider. The larger community extends north and south of Tamarindo to Playa Grande, Playa Avellanas and others. But Tamarindo is the hub where most of the stores, banks, and offices for the surrounding communities are located. It’s also a pretty popular tourist and expat destination, so you’ll find lots of condos and apartment rentals with fast wifi and Tamarindo also has a co-working center, Sand & Surf CoWorking, with 200 megabytes per second internet. This is probably the fastest speed in town, but plenty of cafes have good wifi and great views, and there’s also a Selina hostel and co-working center in town.
Nosara
This area is really popular for people who are into yoga, wellness, spirituality and surfing. It’s kind of the Tulum of Costa Rica, and the rental and restaurant prices reflect that as well. There are hostels, shared homes, and other budget options if you look, and there’s also a Selina with a co-working space here too. Nosara has a lot of international residents, it’s great for families, and though it’s out in the jungle with mostly dirt roads, there are plenty of conveniences right in town because of how popular it is. If this is where you’re dreaming of digital nomad-ing, definitely try to secure a rental well in advance or try coming during low tourist season.
Sámara
Just down the coast from Nosara, Sámara is a great town to spend some time in with fast internet and a beautiful palm tree-lined beach. There is a great co-working center there called LoCoworking with high-speed connections and back up internet options. If you want to learn to surf or take Spanish classes, this is a great place to do those things.
Santa Teresa
Located at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, this beach town has a large international population of tourists and expats with another “Tulum-like” scene. Similar to Nosara, you’ll find life centered around surfing, yoga and a generally healthy lifestyle spent outdoors. There are all kinds of restaurants and amazing villas, two Selinas with co-working centers, and Outsite has a co-living house here as well. You can still find pretty affordable rentals here, and the same rule of heading to neighboring beaches for better deals applies here too. Though it’s harder to get to than some of the other beach towns on the list, most of the basic conveniences aren’t too far since this is a fairly developed area and fiber optic is in town with speeds up to 100 mbps.
Jacó
Jacó is the closest beach area to the city, and because of its proximity to San José, it’s basically a city on the beach. This is a great place for people who want to be in a coastal town with plenty of action and nightlife, and all the conveniences of a city. There’s a Selina right on the beach here with a co-working center, and plenty of long-term condos for rent. If you’re looking for something close by that’s not quite as busy, consider Playa Hermosa.
Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio is a popular tourist destination with a beautiful national park, a Selina co-working space, and amazing beaches. About 3 hours from San José and next to the town of Quepos with a large boating marina, this is also a great option if you want to experience jungle living without sacrificing too many conveniences or feeling like you’re too remote.
La Fortuna & Monteverde
Heading inland to the Lake Arenal and Monteverde areas, you’ll find a much different lifestyle and climate from the coast. It’s much cooler here and these areas are known for the Cloud Forest Reserve in Monteverde and the Arenal Volcano that looms over the lake. These are great places for nature lovers who like to hike and enjoy peace and quiet. There are Selina co-working centers in La Fortuna and Monteverde if you want to try out nomad life in these more relaxed hotspots, but there are also plenty of surrounding areas outside the tourist zones that are great options to immerse yourself in local culture and still have good internet.
Puerto Viejo
The Caribbean coast is also a great place for digital nomads in Costa Rica, in Puerto Viejo and the surrounding area. High speed wifi, Caribbean culture, and beautiful beaches are what many digital nomads dream of, and this is where you’ll find all those things in Costa Rica. Selina has a location here with a co-working center, and there is also Puerto & Co, a co-working center with fiber optic internet and a vegan cafe.
These are the areas with the best internet, co-working centers, nomad and expat communities and where having a car is not necessary. But you’re certainly not limited to these places if you come to Costa Rica to work remotely! It may be a small country but is a lot to experience here in the land of Pura Vida. The more time you spend here the more you’ll feel comfortable venturing out of the tourist hubs and discovering different areas.
If you want to hear the perspectives from other digital nomads currently in Costa Rica, check out our video below!