Costa Rica: housing

What share of Costa Ricans own their home?

66.3% of Costa Rica's 1,889,698 households owned their home outright in 2025, and another 6.9% were paying for it in instalments, according to INEC's national household survey as published in the Ministry of Housing's 2025 housing statistics compendium. 364,999 households, or 19.3%, rented.

The rest lived in housing that was lent or provided (121,911 households) or in informal occupation, "en precario" (19,349). Shares were calculated from the compendium's household counts. Renting is most common in the Central region around San José, where 252,217 of the country's renting households live.

Official sources: 2025 housing statistics compendium

How much is rent in Costa Rica?

The average monthly rent in Costa Rica was ¢184,228 in 2025, according to INEC's national household survey as published in the Ministry of Housing's 2025 housing statistics compendium. Rents averaged ¢218,178 in the Central region and ¢88,313 in Huetar Caribe, the lowest of the six regions.

The figures cover 361,847 rented homes where the rent was known. The compendium compares rent with the average total household income of renting households, ¢1,209,825 a month nationally, a ratio of about 15%. INEC's consumer price index also tracks rents; in July 2026 housing rent made the largest positive contribution to services inflation.

Official sources: 2025 housing statistics compendium

How many housing bonuses are paid in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica paid 10,596 family housing bonuses (BFV) in 2025, worth ¢134,549 million, up from 9,320 in 2024, according to the Ministry of Housing's 2025 housing statistics compendium, using BANHVI and Central Bank data. The average bonus was about ¢12.7 million.

The bonus is a grant, not a loan, for low and middle-income families to buy, build or repair a home. It is administered by the Mortgage Bank for Housing (BANHVI) through authorised banks and cooperatives. Payments fell to 8,222 in 2023 before recovering.

Official sources: 2025 housing statistics compendium

How many people live in informal settlements in Costa Rica?

65,769 people lived in informal settlements (precarios) in Costa Rica in 2025, according to INEC's national household survey as published in the Ministry of Housing's 2025 housing statistics compendium. 73% of them were in the Central region and 91.8% in urban areas.

A precario is land occupied without legal title. The figure comes from a household survey, so it is an estimate with a margin of error. Households in such settlements can apply for the family housing bonus under the slum eradication programme run by BANHVI.

Official sources: 2025 housing statistics compendium

How many homes are being built in Costa Rica?

Building permits were recorded for 41,758 residential works in Costa Rica in 2025, 10.2% fewer than the 46,523 of 2024, according to the Ministry of Housing's 2025 housing statistics compendium. They included 29,960 houses, 9,361 social interest homes and 1,981 apartments, the only main type that rose.

The counts include new builds, extensions and repairs recorded in building statistics. A permit does not mean a home was finished in that year. The compendium also reports the construction inputs price index, which stood at 138.42 for middle-class housing at the end of 2025.

Official sources: 2025 housing statistics compendium

How many people in Costa Rica live in cities?

The latest figure from the UN Population Division, for 2025, is 79.7%. That is the highest since at least 2005. Latin America & Caribbean median: 66.2%; Costa Rica is 9th highest of 33. Of 193 countries with 2025 data, 43rd highest.

How common are informal settlements in Costa Rica?

According to UN-Habitat, the share of city dwellers living in slums in Costa Rica was 3.5% in 2022. That is the lowest since at least 2006. Latin America & Caribbean median: 14.7%; Costa Rica is 21st highest of 26. Worldwide: 112th of 170.

How many people in Costa Rica have electricity?

According to the World Bank, the share of people with access to electricity in Costa Rica was 99.8% in 2024. The peak was 100.0% in 2021 and the low 99.0% in 2010. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 99.5%, and Costa Rica placed 12th highest of 33. Worldwide: 104th of 193.

How many people in Costa Rica have clean water?

WHO and UNICEF puts the share of people using safely managed drinking water in Costa Rica at 80.5% in 2024. The peak was 80.5% in 2019 and the low 78.0% in 2005. Latin America & Caribbean median: 66.3%; Costa Rica is 3rd highest of 14. Of 134 countries with 2024 data, 63rd highest.

What share of people in Costa Rica have safe sanitation?

26.3%: that is the share of people using safely managed sanitation in Costa Rica for 2024, according to WHO and UNICEF. That is the highest since at least 2005. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 44.7%, and Costa Rica placed 13th highest of 16. Worldwide: 106th of 134.

What share of homes in Costa Rica cook with clean fuels?

In 2024, the share of people using clean cooking fuels in Costa Rica was 97.0%, according to the WHO. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2005. Latin America & Caribbean median: 95.0%; Costa Rica is 10th highest of 33. World rank, highest first: 71st of 192.