Why Are Cars So Expensive in Costa Rica? (2026)

Short answer: cars cost more in Costa Rica mainly because of a steep import tax that scales with the car's age (roughly 50–80% of fiscal value), stacked on a small market with limited local supply. A used car that would be cheap in the US carries years of that embedded tax here — which is also why used cars hold their value unusually well.

We run a registry-verification service. We can't change the prices, but we can tell you whether a given car is clean and what its fiscal value is — so you don't overpay on top of an already-expensive market.

The import tax is the main reason

Costa Rica levies a heavy tax on imported vehicles, calculated on the fiscal value Hacienda assigns and rising with age — historically about 52% (0–3 yr), 63% (4–5 yr), and 79% (6+ yr). Since nearly every car arrives imported, that tax is baked into the price of basically every vehicle on the road, new or used. (Confirm current rates with Hacienda — they change.)

For the full breakdown and whether bringing your own car makes sense, see importing a car to Costa Rica.

Why used cars stay expensive too

In the US, a car loses value fast the moment it's driven off the lot. In Costa Rica the opposite pressure exists: because a replacement car carries that same heavy import tax, a used car in good shape holds its value. A ten-year-old 4x4 that would be cheap elsewhere can still command a strong price here, because the alternative — importing or buying new — is more expensive still.

This is why the two questions that matter most for a buyer here are:

1. Is this price fair for the fiscal value and condition?
2. Is the car actually clean — no hidden lien, no unpaid marchamo, inspection current?

How this changes how you should buy

Because every car is expensive, a mistake is expensive. The fiscal value sets both the marchamo you'll pay every year and the car's resale floor, so you want it in front of you before you negotiate. And a hidden gravamen on a car this pricey is a very costly surprise.

1. Run the free plate check — confirm the car is real and registered.
2. Pull the $25 Title Card for the verdict — liens, marchamo, inspection, fines, and the fiscal value that tells you whether the asking price makes sense.

Start here: Run a free plate check →

See also: importing a car to Costa Rica and the cost of owning a car here.