North Americans Are Moving to Costa Rica Faster in 2026: What the Data Shows
Something changed this year.
People used to message me about a move that was a year away. Now a lot of them want to be here in about six months.
It's not just my inbox. A study from Savage Marketing Costa Rica, How Expats Actually Buy in Costa Rica, read and coded more than 45,000 conversations over 31 months with people considering a move here. From April to June 2026, the typical person said their move was 12 months away. From July on, it was 7 months. It has stayed there since.
That is a big shift in a short time.
What the study found
Timelines got shorter. The typical stated time to move went from 12 months to 7 months in the second half of 2026.
Most people still plan ahead. Across the whole 31 months, the median was 12 months, and seven in ten said six months or more.
It's mostly couples. 54% were couples, 26% were families with children and 18% were moving alone.
Cost and safety are the big worries. Of the buyers who named a fear, 33% said cost of living and 25% said safety.
Why are people in more of a hurry?
The study is honest about this. The data can't say why. It lists the cost of living back home, politics and remote work becoming permanent as possible reasons, or some mix of the three.
What it can say is that the shift is large and it has held for three months running.
What a 7-month timeline means if you're buying
Seven months is enough time. It is not enough time to wing it. Here is the order I'd do it in.
Pick your area first. Beach or mountains, town or quiet, hot or cool. Start with my honest map of Costa Rica expat communities.
Get your real numbers. Cost is the number one worry for a reason. See the Costa Rica cost of living in 2026.
Sort out how you'll stay. You don't need residency to buy property, but you do need a plan. Read the residency guide.
Start the property search early. A shortlist and video walkthroughs can happen before you ever fly down. That is what a buyer's agent in Costa Rica is for.
Leave room for due diligence. It usually runs 30 days. For foreign buyers I push for 55 to 60.
Faster doesn't mean rushed
A shorter timeline is fine. Skipping steps is not.
If you're not sure about an area, rent there first. That is step one for a lot of the people I work with.
And remember who is on your side. If the selling agent is protecting the seller's equity, who's protecting the buyer's capital?
If you're planning a move in the next year, talk to me about your timeline. If you're looking in the Southern Zone, start with Uvita real estate.
Pura vida,
Mark
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