ConstruCostos by Zamia Group ENES See pricing

Costa Rica · Updated 2026

Three builders quoted you.
The numbers are nowhere near each other.

That's normal here, and it's the most expensive problem foreigners face building in Costa Rica. Most quotes leave out the mandatory charges — CCSS social burden, INS insurance, CFIA professional fees, municipal permits — that add more than 22% on top of direct cost. They surface anyway. Just after you've signed.

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Free calculator. No card, no signup for the total.

Who's behind these numbers

This calculator is built by Zamia Group, a registered Costa Rican construction company (Grupo Zamia LTDA). We're not a directory, a lead broker, or a foreign blog repeating hearsay. The rates come from projects we've built and subcontractors we actually pay — most recently a full turn-key commercial fit-out at a marina on the Central Pacific.

Which also means we have an interest: if you like our numbers, you may hire us. We'd rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise. The calculator works either way.

What almost nobody puts in the number

These aren't optional line items. They're Costa Rican law.

26.83%
CCSS social charges
On all direct labour. The employer rate in force since January 2026.
4.66%
INS workers' insurance
Workplace risk policy at the construction sector rate.
10.5%
CFIA professional fees
Licensed technical direction, calculated on the value of the works.
1%
Municipal permit tax
On the declared construction value of the project.

Add the standard 10–15% contingency and you have the gap between a project that finishes and one that stops halfway with your money already spent.

Estimate your project

Two questions. The total is free and needs no signup.

1 What are you building?

The next step

Three ways to stop guessing

Start wherever you are. Each step credits toward the next.

Start here
$150 one-time

Quote Review

You have bids. You can't tell which one is honest.

Send us the quotes you've received. We read them line by line against what a Costa Rican project actually has to include, and we tell you what each one left out.

  • Side-by-side comparison of up to three bids, in plain English
  • Which mandatory charges are missing — CCSS, INS, CFIA, municipal permits
  • Where the scopes differ, so you're comparing the same house
  • The specific questions to send back to each contractor
  • Delivered in 3 business days. No call required.

Credited in full toward a Cost Analysis.

Most complete
$450 one-time

Project Cost Analysis

A written cost model for your project, not a per-square-metre average.

We build the budget from the ground up for your lot and your plans, then walk you through it.

  • Itemised model: structure, finishes, installations, water treatment
  • Every mandatory charge included and cited with its source
  • Site factors a calculator can't see — slope, access, soil, distance to utilities
  • A 60-minute working session to go through it
  • A written report you can hand to a bank, a partner, or a builder

Credited in full against your first invoice if you build with us.

Ongoing
Quoted per project

Owner's Representation

Someone on your side, on the ground, while you're not.

We act for you against the contractors for the length of the build.

  • Progress verified before every payment is released
  • Invoices and change orders checked against the contract
  • Scheduled written reports with photos
  • One point of contact for problems, in your language

Monthly retainer for homes and condos on a 6–10 month timeline. Percentage of construction value for developments and multi-structure projects. Quoted once we know the project.

Most owners start with a Quote Review because it's the cheapest way to find out whether the number they've been given is real. What you pay at each step comes off the next one — so nothing is wasted if you keep going.

Questions foreigners ask us

Can a foreigner own property in Costa Rica?

Yes — foreigners hold the same titled property rights as citizens. Maritime zone concession land within 200m of the high tide line is the main exception and has its own rules. Confirm your specific title with a Costa Rican attorney before you buy.

Why are the quotes I'm getting so different?

Usually because they're not quoting the same scope. Some include professional fees, permits and social charges; some quietly don't. Comparing them line by line is exactly what the analysis is for.

Do I need a treatment plant?

If there's no public sewer connection, you need on-site treatment. An aerobic plant costs more up front than a septic tank and is what actually complies with discharge regulations. It's a real line item people forget.

Can you manage the build if I'm not in the country?

Yes. That's owner's representation — we act for you against the contractors, verify progress before payments, and report on a schedule. It's quoted separately once we know the project.