This Week’s Top Costa Rica News Story
This week in Costa Rica, the cost of living debate flared up again, the country settled in to watch a World Cup it didn't qualify for, and a beloved Corcovado access point got new limits. Here's what actually matters if you live in, invest in, or travel to Costa Rica.
Is the cheap dollar finally turning? Costa Rica's currency claws background
After spending most of 2026 near record lows, the U.S. dollar has recovered a little against the colón over the past two weeks — its biggest move in months, and a real question for the thousands of expats, retirees, and remote workers who earn, save, or spend in dollars. The wholesale Monex rate climbed from about ₡457.55 in late May to a peak near ₡461.30 in early June before easing to ₡458.70. Economists' verdict so far: don't read too much into one swing.
More News From Costa Rica This Week
The 2026 World Cup kicks off — without Costa Rica
The biggest World Cup in history opened June 11, with 48 teams across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Co-host Mexico started the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa at a packed Estadio Azteca. At home, Teletica (Canal 7) carries matches on open TV, with all 104 games available via streaming and Tigo Sports.
Costa Rica cuts Corcovado visitor capacity over wastewater problems
The Sirena Biological Station will see reduced visitor numbers after inspections found serious treatment-system issues. Through July, Sirena is capped at 150 people a day, with tighter limits in August and September and the usual October closure. MINAE aims to restore full operations by December 1.
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Costa Rica Sets National Parks Set Record But One Park Draws Just 26 People
Costa Rica’s protected areas drew a record 2,970,516 total visits in 2025, a 13.7% increase over the prior year, according to figures attributed to the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) even as several national parks logged only dozens of visitors over the same 12 months, a gap that points travelers toward some of our country’s quietest wild places.
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England overpowers Costa Rica 3-0 in Orlando friendly
A storm pushed kickoff back an hour before England took early control through Declan Rice. Patrick Sequeira's saves kept the margin down. It's a fourth straight winless friendly under Fernando Batista as La Sele's rebuild continues.
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Costa Rica Camera Traps Capture Wild Fish Hunt in Guanacaste
I’ve been interested in wildlife my entire life. If younger me knew what I was up to these days, playing with camera traps in Costa Rica, he’d be quite pleased. Something I had to wrap my head around as a young guy interested in wild creatures was that many of the species I was quite fond of were killing and eating many of the other species I was quite fond of. Predation is a fact of life in the animal kingdom.
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Travel, Local Life and More
Spotlight
What it really costs to live in Costa Rica as an expat in 2026
The old idea that Costa Rica is automatically cheap no longer tells the whole story. Costs now swing widely by location and lifestyle: a single person living carefully in an inland Central Valley town can still manage on roughly $1,600 a month, while a couple renting near Tamarindo, Nosara, or Santa Teresa can spend several times that. The deciding factor is local life versus imported comfort.
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