We may receive advertising compensation when you click certain products. Before jumping into this page, an important disclosure.
You'll need a Bitcoin wallet before you buy since some exchanges require one.
Don't have a wallet? Read our guide on the best Bitcoin & cryptocurrency wallets.
This ad promotes virtual cryptocurrency investing within the EU (by eToro Europe Ltd. and eToro UK Ltd.) & USA (by eToro USA LLC); which is highly volatile, unregulated in most EU countries, no EU protections & not supervised by the EU regulatory framework. Investments are subject to market risk, including the loss of principal.
Paybis Buy Now Paybis is a popular & cryptocurrency exchange. They serve 180 countries and 48 US states and are registered with FinCEN, making them a more trusted, regulated exchange. Paybis offers incredibly high limits and super fast payouts, not to mention 5 minute ID verification and nearly perfect review scores on Trustpilot.
LocalBitcoins Buy Now Read Review LocalBitcoins is an escrow service which also helps to match bitcoin buyers and sellers. Users may advertise trades for whichever payment method they prefer.
Buying bitcoins via an in-person meeting, secured and facilitated by LocalBitcoins, may be one of the fastest and most private ways to buy bitcoins in any country, including the United States, Europe (besides Germany), UK, Singapore, Canada, Australia and many more.
SatoshiTango Buy Now SatoshiTango is a South American Bitcoin exchange. Users in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Nicaragua can use SatoshiTango to buy bitcoin.
Payment methods include bank transfer, bank wire, cash deposit in Buenos Aires or through a coupons from PagoFacil, RapiPago, BaproPagos, CobroExpress or ProvinciaPagos.
Bitcoin ATMs Buy Now You can use our Bitcoin ATM map to buy bitcoins with cash. Bitcoin ATMs can be a quick and easy way to buy bitcoins and they're also private. That convenience and privacy, however, comes with a price; most ATMs have fees of 5-10%.
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Costa Rica's economy is based on tourism, exports of electronical and medical components, and IT services. In the late 2010’s, Costa Rica faced problems in paying its debt obligations and in attracting foreign investments. This resulted in many Costa Ricans becoming interested in digital assets.
These days, Costa Rica is one of the more attractive countries regarding cryptocurrencies. Part of that is due to the favorable legal environment. For instance, if you are interested in paying your employees in Bitcoin, Article 166 of Costa Rica’s Labor Code provides for the possibility of paying employees with other forms of compensations, like cryptocurrencies.
If you aren't getting paid in crypto (most of you) but you want to have some exposure to Bitcoin, one of the easiest ways to buy in Costa Rica is through the cryptocurrency exchanges outlined above. There are several exchanges offering Bitcoin in Costa Rica, and you can easily select one based on your requirements and preferences using our guide. Different exchanges have different transaction fees, withdrawal limits, payment modes, and verification processes that need to be kept in mind before users select one.
Additionally, Bitcoin buyers need to keep in mind the fact that certain exchanges might require them to get a wallet of their own before they are able to buy the digital currency. Also, it is recommended to have a wallet of your own for security reasons, preferably a hardware wallet. If you don’t have a wallet, refer to our guide on the Best Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Wallets to choose one.
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Another way to buy Bitcoins in Costa Rica is through automated teller machines (ATMs). These ATMs allow users to instantly purchase the cryptocurrency using cash, and most of them only require a telephone number for verification, so long as you aren’t buying a lot of Bitcoin. You can locate Bitcoin ATMs in Costa Rica using our Bitcoin ATM Map.
LocalBitcoins is another popular, semi-private way to buy Bitcoin. The platform matches you with other buyers and sellers – both in Costa Rica and abroad – facilitating peer to peer transactions on the blockchain without identity verification.
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Costa Rica has access to many large Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Have a look at our favorites below:
This ad promotes virtual cryptocurrency investing within the EU (by eToro Europe Ltd. and eToro UK Ltd.) & USA (by eToro USA LLC); which is highly volatile, unregulated in most EU countries, no EU protections & not supervised by the EU regulatory framework. Investments are subject to market risk, including the loss of principal.
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There are three main types of Bitcoin wallet and all of them are supported in Costa Rica:
The Ledger Nano X is the newest crypto hardware wallet, and is very easy to use. It connects to iOS, Android & desktop computers.
ZenGo is an easy-to-use iOS and Android Bitcoin & crypto wallet. Start within 20 seconds.
Electrum is a Bitcoin-only wallet that has been around since 2011. It's easy to use, but has advanced features.
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As of January of 2021, we could find no exchange hacks or significant scams affecting Costa Rica or its citizens. We will update this page if/when any news of scams or exchange hacks occur in Costa Rica.
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Being one of the leading factors in Bitcoin mining profitability, it's important to keep electricity costs as low as possible.
Central America has modest electricity prices, on average totaling $0.13 per kWh. For comparison, the United States' average electricity price is $0.12.
However, Costa Rica's average electricity cost is well above the average, coming in at $0.18 per kWh. The ordinary mining operation pays less than $0.05 per kWh to remain profitable, a price only found in some regions of the world.
Costa Rica's electricity cost isn't high compared to other nations around the world, especially in Europe and the Caribbean. But, it's still far too high for profitable Bitcoin mining.
In fact, according to our Bitcoin mining profitability calculator, you'd probably lose several thousand dollars per year, per miner, on top of your initial investment (a few thousand dollars minimum).
If you want to acquire Bitcoin, buying it directly from an exchange, Bitcoin ATM or another peer on the network via LocalBitcoins is the best and fastest way. Mining is hard, usually not profitable, and time-consuming.
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Coinbase does NOT support customers in Costa Rica as of September of 2020.
Costa Rica offers only two ATMs and both are located in the capital, San Jose.
The current price of Bitcoin in Costa Rica is CRC153,065,565.71, however this amount changes every minute, so always check the value on your local exchange.
Any exchange with a Costa Rican colón trading pair will allow you to sell your Bitcoin for fiat currency. Bitpanda has CRC trading pairs for many popular coins.
Another way to sell Bitcoins in Costa Rica is through automated teller machines (ATMs). These ATMs allow users to instantly purchase and sell cryptocurrency using cash, however most of them require at least a phone number, so they aren't totally private. You can locate Bitcoin ATMs in Costa Rica using our Bitcoin ATM Map.
LocalBitcoins is another option. Here, you can buy and sell Bitcoin for a wide range of payment methods, from gift cards to bank transfers. LocalBitcoins is a peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange, where you buy and sell with another individual. This does introduce a degree of risk, though by ensuring that you conduct all business on the platform, make use of its escrow services, and only trade with users who have a good reputation, you'll minimize any potential problems.
You could also use a service like eGifter to sell your Bitcoin for gift cards.
Jordan Tuwiner is the founder of BuyBitcoinWorldwide.com. His work has been featured in The Guardian, International Business Times, Forbes, VentureBeat, CoinDesk and many other top Bitcoin media outlets. His articles are read by millions of people each year looking for the best way to buy Bitcoin and crypto in their country.
He has also written extensively about the history, technology, and business of the crypto world. Jordan is also the creator of some of the internet's most famous Bitcoin pages, including The Quotable Satoshi and Bitcoin Obituaries.
To learn more about Jordan, see his full bio.
