Costa Rica: Where Business Meets the Good Life
Costa Rica is where serious business meets the good life. You can surf Witch’s Rock at sunrise, tour marimba workshops and galleries by afternoon, watch scarlet macaws flash over rainforest at dusk, then close a deal from a modern office park before dinner—papaya from the feria, ceviche, and a farm-to-table casado. For property hunters, stable rules and nature-first design make real estate compelling; for executives, world-class medical devices, tech and services clusters make expansion simple; for travellers, adventures are minutes away. That blend of adventure, culture, entertainment, wildlife, real estate, business and food is exactly why global brands plant a flag here.
Strategic Gateway Between North and South America
What Makes Costa Rica’s Location So Valuable?
It’s location, time zone and multimodal logistics that connect both continents efficiently. On the Caribbean, APM Terminals’ Moín Container Terminal handles up to 1.2m TEU a year and moved around 1.32m TEU in 2024, streamlining exports and imports; on the Pacific, Caldera serves the rest of the world. Two international airports—San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR)—provide dense passenger and cargo connectivity, with specialist handlers like Menzies at SJO. (apmterminals.com)
How Easy Is Market Access for Exporters?
Costa Rica’s web of trade agreements and its Free Trade Zone (FTZ) regime reduce friction and cost. The country participates in major agreements (including CAFTA-DR) catalogued by the OAS/SICE and WTO, while PROCOMER and COMEX administer FTZ, inward processing and drawback regimes that offer tax incentives and streamlined procedures. The U.S. State Department’s 2024 Investment Climate Statement also highlights predictable investor protections. (sice.oas.org)
Thriving Industries in Costa Rica
Which Sectors Lead the Way?
Life sciences, advanced manufacturing and knowledge-intensive services lead, with semiconductors rising fast. Medical devices are Costa Rica’s #1 export product (PROCOMER, 2023), while PROCOMER and CINDE report continuous FDI momentum—73 new projects supported in 2024 alone. Semiconductor players, including Applied Materials, have announced local operations. (cinde.org)
- Life sciences and med-tech: Class I–III devices, cleanrooms, validation, sterilisation and regional distribution supported by mature supplier ecosystems. (Exportar desde Costa Rica)
- Advanced manufacturing: Precision components, electronics and mechatronics clustered near ports and airports.
- Corporate services & tech: Finance, analytics, RPA, CX, cloud and multilingual support delivered at scale for the Americas. (cinde.org)
- Semiconductors: Supplier and service firms joining the value chain, with national delegations at SEMICON West to build relationships. (Exportar desde Costa Rica)
Competitive Advantages: Logistics and Talent
Are Costa Rica’s Resources Genuinely Competitive?
Yes—Costa Rica combines modern infrastructure with bilingual talent. Moín’s deep-water terminal offers ship-to-shore cranes, 650m quay and 14.5m draft; SJO continues to expand connectivity; and employers benefit from an educated, English-proficient workforce shaped by decades of high-value investment. (apmterminals.com)
- Port power: Faster vessel turnaround and cold-chain capability for perishables and med-tech. (apmterminals.com)
- Air advantage: Full ground, cargo and security services at SJO from a global handler, easing time-critical shipments. (Menzies)
- People: Continual upskilling through public–private partnerships keeps service centres and labs staffed with specialised talent. (cinde.org)
Real-World Success Stories
What Proves Costa Rica Works for Global Companies?
Multinationals have scaled for decades here with resilient operations. Boston Scientific employs thousands across three sites; P&G runs a regional shared-services hub with thousands of roles; Amazon has built one of Latin America’s largest CX and corporate talent bases. (Investment by PROCOMER)
- Boston Scientific: Manufacturing campuses in Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago—deep local supply chains and sustained hiring. (Investment by PROCOMER)
- P&G: Regional planning and finance centre serving the Americas from San José. (prnewswire.com)
- Amazon: Large multilingual teams supporting customers and cloud clients across the hemisphere. (Nearshore Americas)
Sustainability as a Business Advantage
Is Costa Rica’s Green Energy Profile Real?
Yes—companies can advance ESG goals with a largely renewable grid, even if the 2024 drought temporarily strained hydro and triggered rationing. The long-term energy mix remains heavily clean, anchored by hydro, wind and geothermal—valuable for med-tech and data-heavy operations with decarbonisation targets. (Reuters)
Getting Started in Costa Rica
How Do You Launch Operations?
Begin with sector fit, choose an FTZ park, then line up partners.
- Map your value chain: Identify which inputs, certifications and cold-chain steps must be local.
- Select your regime: FTZ often suits export manufacturing and shared services; inward processing and drawback can fit niche models. PROCOMER can guide options. (Exportar desde Costa Rica)
- Site selection: Balance access to SJO/LIR and Moín with talent pools (Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste). (apmterminals.com)
- Talent plan: Engage CINDE’s team for recruitment pipelines and training links with universities and technical institutes. (cinde.org)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a free-trade-zone location to get started?
No, but FTZ incentives are often decisive for exporters and service hubs; PROCOMER administers the regimes and processes. (Exportar desde Costa Rica)
Is English widely spoken in business?
Yes—bilingual talent is a key reason corporate service centres and med-tech labs scale in Costa Rica. (cinde.org)
How fast can we be operational?
With an experienced park developer and FTZ application support, many firms move from decision to operations in months; timelines vary by sector. (cinde.org)
What about nearshoring for the U.S. market?
Same-day time zones and short flights make management and compliance simpler than far-shore options; port and air freight support just-in-time models. (apmterminals.com)
