Closing costs in Costa Rica are a stack of small official charges plus a notary’s fee that is larger than newcomers expect. For a straightforward purchase of titled land, published buyer budgets commonly land around 3.5 to 4.5 percent of the price. Some serious guides say 3 to 5 percent. Those are planning ranges, not a quote. The invoice from the notary, plus the escrow agreement, is the number you pay. See Closing costs guide.
Who writes the check is negotiable. Custom in Guanacaste is that the buyer pays most of the transfer side. Put that in the purchase agreement anyway. A custom is not a surprise you want on signing day.
The rates that are settled
Transfer tax is 1.5 percent of the higher of the price in the deed or the registered value. It is due within 15 business days of signing. In practice the notary pays it as part of closing. There is no first-home discount and no foreigner discount. A temporary reduction tied to an investment-incentive law is not available to applications filed after July 14, 2026.
Under-declaring the price to shrink that 1.5 percent is tax fraud, and it is also a bad trade. The understated figure becomes the buyer’s cost basis. You save a slice of transfer tax and you inflate the taxable gain on the day you sell. Declare the real price.
The National Registry fee is 0.5 percent. A municipal stamp of about 0.2 percent and an agrarian stamp of about 0.15 percent sit alongside, plus small fixed stamps. Those “abouts” are why a lawyer’s draft settlement is more useful than a screenshot.
The notary is not a tip
Notary fees follow a mandatory official sliding scale, plus 13 percent value-added tax. A 2022 decree that tried to turn the scale into a mere reference was annulled, and the notarial authority told notaries on September 25, 2026 to charge the official tariff and to invoice in their own name. Older articles that call the fee negotiable are out of date.
Published band breakpoints do not all match. This page therefore does not print a percentage ladder or a sample dollar fee for a $500,000 house. Ask the notary who will sign your deed for the current bands, in writing, before you rely on anyone’s spreadsheet. Diligence and a survey are extra professional fees on top of that scale.
Escrow is part of the budget
Escrow is how you avoid sending the purchase price to a stranger. A firm registered with SUGEF holds the funds and releases them when the written conditions are met. On purchases Chris handles, the minimum is about $900 and the fee scales up with the deal. Other companies publish other quotes. Take the written fee from the firm you will actually use, and do not waive the escrow because someone offers a discount for a direct wire.
Add the lawyer’s diligence, the survey if the plan needs checking, and any translation or apostille if you are signing from abroad. None of those are in the 1.5 percent. If you want a single sentence for a family office: budget the mid–single digits of the price for a clean titled purchase, then replace that sentence with the notary’s draft as soon as you have one.