Expat & remote-worker guide

Spanish for Costa Rica

Learn tico Spanish and the pura vida rhythm before you land in San José.

Costa Rican Spanish — castellano tico — is famous for being gentle, slow and heavily 'usted'-ed. Even friends and couples use 'usted' in many contexts. The national phrase 'pura vida' isn't just a greeting; it's a philosophy that replaces 'hello', 'goodbye', 'you're welcome', 'cool' and 'I'm fine'.

Expat life clusters around San José (Escazú, Santa Ana, Rohrmoser), the surf towns of Tamarindo and Santa Teresa, and the mountain towns around Atenas and Grecia. These scenarios cover the essentials: renting with a gringo-friendly lease, ordering at a soda, navigating the CCSS healthcare system, and getting around by Uber or red taxi.

Ticos are famously patient with learners — but knowing the local slang (mae, tuanis, chunche) unlocks a warmer, more connected experience.

Real situations you'll hit

Each guide has dialogues, vocab, local tips and practice prompts.

Renting an apartment in Costa Rica

Navigate tico rentals: condominios, fianzas, and the pura vida lease.

Open guide

Ordering at a soda in Costa Rica

Casados, gallos and refrescos — the tico lunch ritual decoded.

Open guide

Going to the doctor in Costa Rica

Navigate the CCSS, private clinics, and farmacias with confidence.

Open guide

Taking Uber and taxis in Costa Rica

Navigate tico roads: Ubers in San José, red taxis at the beach, and the 'how do I get there?' conversation.

Open guide

Opening a bank account in Costa Rica

What to say at BAC, BCR or Banco Nacional in San José or Tamarindo.

Open guide

Visa and immigration appointments in Costa Rica

Handle your DGME appointment in Costa Rica without panic.

Open guide

Getting a SIM Card ("Chip") in Costa Rica

Chip, recarga, and a state phone company that owns the jungle.

Open guide

City guides

Neighborhoods, slang and pronunciation for the cities you'll actually live in.

Spanish in San José

Tico Spanish — pura vida, mae, and the warmest country in Central America.

Open city guide

Costa Rica Spanish: what's different

The dialect quirks that trip up expats in the first week.

Usted is friendly, not formal

In Costa Rica, 'usted' is the default between strangers, friends and even inside families. 'Vos' is growing among young people but 'usted' is still the safe, warm choice.

Pura vida = everything

Hello, goodbye, thanks, cool, I'm fine, no problem. Context tells you which one. Use it generously — it disarms every interaction.

Soft, melodic rhythm

Tico Spanish drops some final consonants and speaks slowly. Don't rush. Matching their pace makes you sound more natural.

'Diay' as filler

Similar to 'well…' or 'so…' — 'Diay, no sé' or 'Diay, pura vida'. Adds a distinctly tico flavor to your speech.

Starter slang

The ten words you'll hear in your first week.

Phrase	Meaning	Example / note
Pura vida	Hello / goodbye / cool / thanks / I'm fine	The all-purpose tico phrase. Use it constantly.
Mae	Dude / guy / friend	¿Todo bien, mae?
Tuanis	Cool / nice	Ese lugar es tuanis.
Chunche	Thing / stuff	¿Qué es ese chunche?
Bretear	To work	Estoy breteando hasta tarde.
Guachi	Watch out / careful	¡Guachi con el carro!
A cachete	Really good / excellent	La comida está a cachete.
Varas	Stuff / nonsense	¡Qué varas! = What nonsense!
Jupa	Head	Me duele la jupa. = My head hurts.
Palmar	To fail / to die / to forget	Palmar = also slang for 'to die' in humorous contexts.