Beyond Bananas: The 30 Export Products Powering Costa Rica’s Economy

The #1 appeal of Costa Rica is the diversity of the regions, home opportunities, and adventures to experience.

You can find a variety of resources, like Howler Media, to inform yourself of the vast array of choices.

I planned my first vacation in 12 years and I was eager to see what was to come. Yes, the input of information was tremendous from social media, advertising, and promotions. But a personal referral is the one I used for my decision. You will probably discover that is the #1 referral.

Vacations here in Costa Rica…can be a lot a things to a lot of people. Rain or shine, beaches or jungles, you have your options.

The place I chose was an hour from Liberia International Airport. I can tell you a lot of advantages, some you would not care for, others you might relate to. That’s the dilemma here…everybody is different. What makes my week great may be the total opposite of what you’re seeking.

The cover photo is from a soda in the little town we stayed at. Four times we ate there, each time under $12. Plus we got to experience authentic Costa Rica hospitality and food.

The town was small, had everything you needed from stores to eating locations, two breweries and dozens of adventures to choose from.

The town was clean. Meaning, you can sense the pride a community has in the way it presents itself in the visible appeal that you witness as you drive into the rural community.

Windmills dotted the skyline as did the rolling hills and the nearby dormant volcano. The rainy period had the area bursting with green foliage.

Our small rental had just what we needed. Nothing fancy, but the essentials to eat, sleep, and shower. A small creek ran next to the cabin for a 24-hour non-stop serenade of relaxation. Plus, the birds added their chirping to the appealing atmosphere.

The adventures, like the cover photo, could be as simply dynamic as the great maze breakfast to the relaxation of soaking in the nearby turquoise river. From the coffee and chocolate tours to the wildlife adventures…we had an amazing time with each excursion.

Sure, some information I knew, some animals I’ve read about…but first-hand encounters supersede whatever you may see in print or videos.

We had time to “do” and relax. It was a great balance.

If that sort of arrangement is not for you, you can find the total opposite just a couple of hours away. Which is fine. That’s what makes Costa Rica so rich in it’s appeal to the variety of worldwide visitors she welcomes each day.

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Planning Your Trip

Planning a trip to Costa Rica means balancing weather, budget, and activity level with how independent you like to travel. The outline below hits the main choices you mentioned so you can start narrowing down dates, destinations, and style of trip.

When to go

  • The driest, sunniest weather is roughly December to mid‑April, and this is also the most crowded and expensive period.
  • May–August (“green season”) brings some daily rain but fewer crowds, richer landscapes, and slightly lower prices; September–October tend to be the rainiest and are often avoided outside of specific regions.
  • Actually…anytime is a good time, seriously.

Budget and expenses

  • A realistic mid‑range budget is roughly 60,000–65,000 Costa Rican colones per person per day (around 100–110 USD) for private rooms, a mix of paid activities, and eating out.
  • With flights and activities, a one‑week mid‑range trip often falls under about 2,000 USD per person, while two‑week itineraries commonly land in the 3,000 USD‑per‑person range if you move around and do tours.
  • Here’s where researching all the options in the area pays off. Don’t disregard having a tour guide. They are trained to provide valuable information to you.

Adventures and fitness level

  • Popular adventures include zip‑lining, white‑water rafting, surfing, volcano hikes, wildlife night walks, and canyoning, many of which have minimum fitness/health requirements and sometimes weight limits.
  • If you have heart, joint, or balance concerns, prioritize shorter guided hikes, hot springs, wildlife boat tours, or easier canopy walks instead of long, steep jungle treks.
  • We had one hike that was very exhausting. Yet, people older than me (I’m 64) were enduring the rocky, challenging trail.

Safety, guides, and going alone

  • Costa Rica is generally considered one of the safer countries in the region, but petty theft and occasional muggings do occur, so you need to be careful with valuables and avoid poorly lit or remote areas at night.
  • Independent travel between well‑known towns is straightforward, but certified guides are strongly recommended for remote hikes, night walks, and adventure sports because they improve both safety and wildlife spotting.
  • Just use common sense. Which can range from “hold my beer, watch this…” to staying with a group of people, not wearing flashy jewelry, and leaving cash in safe hidden places.

Where to stay and how to eat

  • Hotels are best if you want on‑site services and easy tour pickups; condos or Airbnbs suit longer stays and families; small lodges and B&Bs give more local character and often include breakfast. Condos like Lake Arenal Condo is a great option to consider.
  • Eating out three times a day adds up, so many travelers choose places with at least a mini‑kitchen, cook simple breakfasts or some dinners, and then eat one main meal out to keep costs and effort balanced.
  • There are local stores to get the basic food items. Depending on the area, a good pork rib package can range from $5 to $15. The high touristy locations….expect larger price tags.
  • Once again, use local suggestions on eating out.

What is within a two-hour trip?

  • So what if you chose a day to drive a couple of hours to experience other adventures? We were in a location to access dozens of beaches, more volcanoes, Lake Arenal, adventure parks, and more.
  • Options…where is the spot that offer you and your family the most the opportunities?

Summary quiz:

The place we went to for a week was:

  • San Jose
  • Tamarindo
  • Bijagua
  • Puntarenas
  • Limon
  • My full budget was:
  • $750
  • $1000
  • $1250

Costa Rica’s export story today is really a tale of two strengths: cutting-edge medical technology and world-famous tropical produce. Together they anchor a remarkably diverse list of the country’s top 30 export products, based on the latest 2024 goods trade data (about US$19.88 billion in merchandise exports).(es.tradingeconomics.com)

At the same time, wider measures that include services such as tourism, business services and transport put total exports of goods and services at over US$36 billion in 2024, showing how broad the country’s outward-facing economy has become.(TheGlobalEconomy.com)

What are Costa Rica’s top 30 exports in 2024–2025?

Costa Rica’s top 30 exports are dominated by optical, technical and medical apparatus, followed by fruits and nuts, processed foods, plastics, metals and a mix of industrial and agricultural goods.

Using 2024 United Nations COMTRADE data presented by TradingEconomics and other trade databases, here is an updated top 30 list with approximate values and shares of total goods exports.(es.tradingeconomics.com)

  1. Optical, photo, technical and medical apparatus (including electro-medical equipment and orthopaedic appliances) – about US$8.75 billion – 44.0%
  2. Edible fruits and nuts, citrus peel and melons (bananas, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, guavas and more) – US$2.78 billion – 14.0%
  3. Miscellaneous edible preparations (sauces, mixes, nutritional products, ready-to-use foods) – US$1.12 billion – 5.6%
  4. Electrical and electronic equipment (wiring, components, parts for devices) – US$839.1 million – 4.2%
  5. Plastics and plastic articles – US$544.0 million – 2.7%
  6. Vegetable, fruit and nut preparations (canned fruit, purées, frozen produce) – US$486.4 million – 2.4%
  7. Pharmaceutical products – US$452.5 million – 2.3%
  8. Coffee, tea, maté and spices – US$356.4 million – 1.8%
  9. Rubber and rubber articles (including tyres) – US$330.1 million – 1.7%
  10. Animal and vegetable fats and oils, and related products (including palm oil) – US$289.3 million – 1.5%
  11. Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers – US$276.1 million – 1.4%
  12. Iron and steel – US$228.6 million – 1.1%
  13. Cereal, flour, starch and milk preparations and products – US$218.5 million – 1.1%
  14. Articles of iron or steel – US$213.3 million – 1.1%
  15. Machinery, nuclear reactors and boilers (industrial machinery and parts) – US$174.9 million – 0.9%
  16. Meat and edible meat offal – US$164.2 million – 0.8%
  17. Dairy products, eggs, honey and other edible animal products – US$161.4 million – 0.8%
  18. Miscellaneous chemical products – US$161.3 million – 0.8%
  19. Miscellaneous manufactured articles – US$160.3 million – 0.8%
  20. Tanning and dyeing extracts, tannins, derivatives and pigments – US$144.9 million – 0.7%
  21. Live trees, plants, bulbs, roots and cut flowers – US$144.2 million – 0.7%
  22. Sugars and sugar confectionery – US$143.6 million – 0.7%
  23. Pearls, precious stones, metals and coins – US$139.3 million – 0.7%
  24. Beverages, spirits and vinegar – US$116.6 million – 0.6%
  25. Paper and paperboard, and articles of pulp, paper and board – US$114.5 million – 0.6%(tradingeconomics.com)
  26. Cotton (mainly yarns and fabrics) – roughly US$99.3 million – 0.5%
  27. Glass and glassware (containers, specialised industrial glass) – roughly US$98.4 million – 0.5%
  28. Aluminium and articles thereof – roughly US$91.9 million – 0.5%
  29. Residues and wastes of the food industry, animal fodder – roughly US$87.6 million – 0.4%
  30. Prepared meat, fish and seafood products (processed meats, canned fish, etc.) – roughly US$72.7 million – 0.4%(tradecompetitivenessmap.intracen.org)

Together, these 30 categories cover almost all of Costa Rica’s merchandise export earnings, with the first ten alone accounting for about four-fifths of total goods exports.(worldstopexports.com)

Why do medical devices and technical apparatus dominate Costa Rica’s exports?

Medical and technical devices dominate Costa Rica’s exports because multinationals have turned the country into a specialised manufacturing hub for high-value health technologies.

From the late 1990s onwards, Costa Rica attracted a cluster of global medical device firms, drawn by political stability, skilled labour, free-trade zones and preferential access to the US and European markets. Many of the products now leading export statistics – electro-medical equipment, catheters, prosthetics and related components – are made in sophisticated clean-room facilities just outside San José and in other industrial parks.(The Central American Group)

These high-tech exports bring in far more value per kilogramme than traditional bulk commodities. That is why one product group, “optical, technical and medical apparatus”, now represents around 44% of Costa Rica’s goods exports on its own.(worldstopexports.com)

How important are fruits, coffee and other food exports today?

Fruits, coffee and food products remain essential because they anchor rural employment, brand the country internationally and still account for a large share of export earnings.

Tropical fruits and nuts – notably bananas, pineapples, melons, mangoes, avocados and guavas – make up about 14% of exports, while processed foods, fruit preparations, coffee and sugar add several more percentage points.(worldstopexports.com)

These exports matter for more than just revenue:

  • They sustain farming communities in Guanacaste, the Caribbean lowlands and the Central Valley.
  • They reinforce Costa Rica’s image as a green, fertile, food-producing nation.
  • They create upstream demand for packaging, logistics, port services and cold-chain infrastructure.

So while medical devices lead in value, the “field to container” economy of fruit, coffee and processed foods still shapes much of daily life.

How big is Costa Rica’s export economy overall?

Costa Rica’s export economy is large for a country of five million people, with different data sources measuring different things.

For 2024:

  • Goods exports alone (physical merchandise) are around US$19.9 billion.(es.tradingeconomics.com)
  • Exports of goods and services combined – including tourism, business services and transport – reach about US$36.7 billion.(TheGlobalEconomy.com)

The difference reflects the importance of services such as tourism, shared-services centres and digital businesses, which are not captured in the goods-only list of 30 export categories.

Which countries buy most of Costa Rica’s exports?

Most of Costa Rica’s exports go to a small group of partners, led very clearly by the United States.

Recent trade data show that:

  • The United States absorbs just over 40% of Costa Rican exports.
  • European markets, especially the Netherlands and Belgium, are key entry points for fruit and medical devices into the EU.
  • Regional neighbours including Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama also rank among the main destinations.(es.tradingeconomics.com)

For businesses and investors, this concentration means that US and EU regulatory standards, logistics links and trade agreements have an outsized influence on Costa Rica’s export model.

What do these exports mean for investors, exporters and policy-makers?

Costa Rica’s top 30 exports highlight a mixed economy that is both high-tech and agricultural, open to trade and heavily integrated into global value chains.

For different audiences, the message looks slightly different:

  • Investors see a proven platform for medical devices, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing, with established free-trade zones and a strong services backbone.(lloydsbanktrade.com)
  • Exporters and logistics firms see steady flows of refrigerated fruit, coffee and processed foods that need shipping, storage and compliance support.
  • Policy-makers face the task of maintaining Costa Rica’s environmental credentials and social services while staying competitive against other export hubs.

Put simply, anyone looking at Costa Rica’s economy today has to understand both the state-of-the-art factory floor and the banana plantation gate.

FAQ

What is Costa Rica’s single biggest export category?
 The single biggest export category is optical, technical and medical apparatus, including medical devices and related equipment, accounting for about 44% of goods exports.(worldstopexports.com)

Do agricultural products still matter if medical devices dominate the numbers?
 Yes, agricultural products remain vital, particularly tropical fruits, coffee and sugar, because they support rural jobs, small producers and Costa Rica’s food reputation abroad.(seair.co.in)

Are these export figures only for goods, or do they include tourism?
 The top-30 list covers only merchandise exports; broader figures that include tourism and other services push total exports above US$30 billion.(es.tradingeconomics.com)

Who is Costa Rica’s main trading partner?
 The United States is the largest trading partner by a wide margin, both for goods exports and for many service flows.(Tradeimex)Is Costa Rica trying to diversify its exports further?
 Yes, government and private-sector strategies aim to deepen high-tech manufacturing, expand specialised food products and grow knowledge-based services, while preserving the country’s environmental brand.(lloydsbanktrade.com)

THANK YOU!

Howlers Staff

Howler Staff are John, Terry and whomever else we can get to write great articles.