How much money do you need in the bank to move to Costa Rica?

The bank-balance requirement depends on the residency route. Pensionado requires lifetime pension income of $1,000+ a month, not a bank balance. Rentista requires either documented $2,500 a month in stable income for two years or a $60,000 deposit in a Costa Rican bank that gets drawn down over 24 months ($2,500 a month). Inversionista requires $150,000+ invested in registered Costa Rican property, a business, or qualifying assets. Beyond visa requirements, realistic upfront cash needs include first month plus deposit for a rental ($1,000 to $3,000 typically), shipping household goods from the US (a 20-foot container runs $4,500 to $8,000), vehicle import duty if shipping a car (Costa Rica imposes import duties that can equal 50 to 80 percent of the car’s value), and immigration attorney fees ($1,500 to $3,500). Costa Rica’s moderate cost of living at $2,075 per person per month is the operational benchmark. For the full cost picture, see our Costa Rica cost of living page.