Many argue there is no need to have a car in Costa Rica.  Valid points to support this view are:  automobiles in Costa Rica are substantially more expensive than in the U.S. mainly due to high import fees, gas is more expensive (currently at $4.50/gallon), driving in Costa Rica makes NASCAR look like a gentleman's sport and public transportation such as buses and taxis are widely available and inexpensive.

When I first made my decision to move to Costa Rica, I thought I could live without a car - even though I have had my own transportation since I was 16 years old.  For my first two months in Costa Rica I relied on buses and taxis and did enjoy the cheap transportation. 

• Bus rides up and down the mountain between my home and the nearest town of Coronado are ¢155,00 colónes ($00.31) and taxi rides for the same trip are ¢1.700,00 colónes ($3.43).

• A bus from Coronado to and from downtown San José is ¢210,00 colónes ($00.42) but a taxi ride between downtown San Jose to my Las Nubes home could run as much as ¢6.000,00 colónes ($12.12) due to the distance and time in traffic. 

Although buses are the least expensive way to get around, they have their limits when shopping for groceries and other larger items.  To save money, I would try to take a bus to the store ... then if my purchases were too cumbersome for the bus, I would take a taxi back home.  Costa Rica taxi drivers are generally very accommodating when it comes to riders and their multiple packages.

But being "green" was not in my future due in-part to my location up in the mountains of Las Nubes de Coronado.   If time is money, I did spend allot of it waiting for the buses - and taxis do not sit and wait on the mountainsides for the occasional rider.  So Costa Rica car shopping was now a priority.

Two options to having a vehicle in Costa Rica are Importing and Buying - each having its own advantages and disadvantages.

1. Importing an Automobile into Costa Rica

   • If you want to bring your own vehicle into Costa Rica because you are comfortable with its history, mechanical condition, etc. ... you can drive or ship an automobile into Costa Rica.  But be advised, the vehicle should be without any liens, and;

   • By law, you must register the vehicle prior to it being in Costa Rica 90 days, and;

   • Registering a vehicle previously registered in another country will require emissions testing, legal documents, and;

   • Import taxes on cars, trucks, SUVs or any type of automobile range from 45%-85% of the vehicles Blue Book value based on an equation that takes into account the vehicles age (ie: vehicles 4 years or less = less tax percentage vs. higher value, older vehicles = higher tax percentage vs. lower value).

     • Example:  a two year old $15,000 Blue Book value vehicle could cost about $6,750.00 in import taxes!

2. Buying an Automobile in Costa Rica

   • The automobile you buy in Costa Rica can be 30%-70% higher in cost than the same vehicle purchased in the U.S. ...

   • However, generally speaking you save money vs. the cost of importing when you factor in the expenses of driving/shipping, legal fees/documents, import taxes, etc.

Full disclosure:  I have never owned a new car in my life ... so I am certainly biased toward buying used vehicles.  As a mortgage professional, too often I would deal with clients driving very expensive automobiles with huge payments while owing more than the car was worth (aka: being upside-down on their loans).  When it comes to automobiles, I prefer to let others take the hit - let them have the new car smell and the instant depreciation that goes with it.  I buy my vehicles at a fair price, in good condition and keep them running for many, many more years of service.  It just makes good financial sense. Especially in the Costa Rica driving environment where the last thing I want to worry about is somebody scratching my brand new car as they weave by me in traffic!

Se Vende
Every vehicle is 'For Sale' or "Se Vende" (pronounced: say-ben-day) in Costa Rica - or at least it seems that way with so many cars having some type of signage denoting their availability.  A great Costa Rica web site for researching popular automobile models, market prices and buying or selling vehicles is www.CRAutos.com. There are also many, many new and used car dealerships in Costa Rica with a large number of the used automobiles coming directly from the United States.  In fact, some used car dealers even try to sell the vehicles before they are out of customs at an advertised price much lower than fully imported vehicles - meaning you pay the dealer a certain price and then to get your car you must additionally pay the vehicle's owed import taxes and title fees (ie: Mitsubishi Montero, $11,000 to dealer + $4,800 to customs).  So be sure you understand how the advertised price is being figured before getting too excited!

With no shortage of available cars in Costa Rica, the trick is finding a good car at a fair price.  This can be a difficult proposal when you are in a new country.  Not only do you not speak the language, but you don't have many of the resources you may have been used to such as; a trusted mechanic, a working knowledge of the motor vehicle laws, etc., etc..

For these reasons, I personally did not feel comfortable in