In Costa Rica, internet freedom is a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution, which is excellent. However, that doesn’t eliminate the need for a rock-solid VPN. After all, cybercrime rates in the country are rising at an alarming rate, leaving your data vulnerable—especially when using unprotected public networks.
But security isn’t the only concern. Despite the relatively open internet, many foreign websites and content remain restricted. A VPN solves these problems by encrypting your traffic and masking your IP address. Simply put, it protects your data from interception and theft while also granting access to region-locked content.
That said, not all VPNs are created equal—some are far more effective and secure than others. This guide cuts through the noise to present the best VPN services for Costa Rica. We’ll break down their strengths and weaknesses, helping you choose the right one for your needs.
The Best VPN for Costa Rica: Our Detailed List
Check out how our top VPN picks for Costa Rica compare in the analysis below. Each review reveals what we like about each provider and how it compares to the competition. We had experts on the ground to conduct the tests, so you can be sure you’re getting insights based on real-world performance, not just marketing claims.
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is our favorite VPN service overall and the best VPN you can get for Costa Rica for many reasons, including its top-of-the-line security and unblocking capabilities.
There’s also that massive network of 7,200+ in 118 countries, with some located in San Jose. That means you can easily get a Costa Rican IP address on your trips abroad to access local geo-blocked websites and online services.
NordVPN’s industry-leading unblocking prowess is a great asset if you live locally but love foreign movies and shows. Using the VPN, you can easily enjoy content on popular platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and even Hulu, which isn’t locally available in Costa Rica. Combine that with its lightning-fast speeds, and you can be sure of stable, seamless browsing and streaming sessions.
The highly secure VPN keeps online nasties from grabbing your private information with bank-level AES-256 encryption alongside a double kill switch, DNS leak protection, and plenty of advanced tools. For instance, Double VPN encrypts your traffic not once but twice. It’s handy for those dicey situations where you require even more security.
You’re not leaving any digital breadcrumbs after logging off either, as the VPN has a strict, audited, no-logs policy bolstered by RAM-only servers.
You can install NordVPN’s native apps across all popular operating systems on up to ten devices simultaneously. A responsive, always-on customer support team and a 30-day money-back guarantee ensure you’ll enjoy a stress-free experience.
Pros
- Costa Rican servers
- Fast connection speeds
- Many security features
- Audited no-logs policy
- Massive network
- Best VPN for unblocking streaming platforms
Cons
- Steep renewal pricing
- Map-based UI may be confusing
2. ExpressVPN
We highly recommend ExpressVPN for beginners. It’s one of the simplest and most user-friendly VPNs and one you should consider if you want a frills-free experience.
Simple doesn’t mean lacking, though. ExpressVPN is actually one of the most capable providers on the block, as can be seen in its outstanding ability to bypass geo-restrictions. During our test, it unblocked every website and streaming service we threw at it, from Costa Rican services to foreign platforms with pretty formidable blocks.
It’s also among the fastest VPN services on the market, thanks, in part, to its proprietary Lightway protocol. The extensive collection of servers in 105 countries also helps. Costa Rica makes the count, so you can get a local IP from anywhere.
You’ll find ExpressVPN attractive if you’re big on transparency. Not expecting you to simply accept its claims of a no-logs service, the service has audited the policy more times than any other VPN. As for security, it covers all the basics and then some. There’s military-grade encryption, a failproof kill switch, protection against DNS leaks, RAM-based servers, and a pretty effective VPN ad blocker.
ExpressVPN is a broadly compatible VPN with native apps for common platforms. One account lets you connect and protect up to eight devices at once, so you won’t have to log in and out constantly. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee upon purchase in order to try risk-free one of the best VPNs in Costa Rica.
Pros
- User-friendly design
- Blazing-fast speeds
- Excellent unblocking
- Multiple independent audits
- Servers in Costa Rica
Cons
- Expensive subscription prices
- “Only” 8 simultaneous connections
3. Private Internet Access
You may be drawn to Private Internet Access because of its low subscription prices, but you’ll likely stay for the outstanding bang for your buck.
For starters, it comes with the most extensive collection of servers on the market. PIA’s network in 91 countries is massive and includes Costa Rica and many nearby locations. Plus, congestion and slowdowns aren’t common issues because there are so many connection points.
Private Internet Access comes with specially optimized servers for streaming in several countries. Connecting to them all but guarantees you’ll enjoy access to foreign TV channels and international streaming services. None of those are located in Costa Rica, but the regular servers work well enough to catch up with local content from abroad.
Privacy buffs may raise a few eyebrows at PIA’s US headquarters since that’s a 5 Eyes member country. However, if anything, the VPN’s track record proves it has nothing to hide. Despite multiple demands for user data (in court, no less), it has demonstrated that it doesn’t collect or store any identifying logs.
On top of that, the highly customizable VPN comes with several high-level security tools, including AES-128 encryption (upgradeable to AES-256), a double-layer kill switch, and MultiHop.
You get unlimited device use with your PIA subscription that works with a wide range of gadgets, from computers to smartphones and smart TVs.
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Expensive server network
- Audited no-logs policy
Cons
- UI could be better designed
- Operates from a 5 Eyes member country
4. Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a certainty when it comes to privacy-focused VPN services, but there’s no doubt it’s an all-rounder. Its ever-widening collection in 117 countries includes eight servers in the Costa Rican capital, San Jose. They’re optimized to get you an IP address in Costa Rica without experiencing pesky lags or slow connections.
And performance is an area in which the VPN truly excels. During our test, our expert in Costa Rica never encountered frustrating slowdowns while putting the VPN through gaming, UHD streaming, and downloads. In fact, it has a unique built-in feature for spotty network situations. It’s called VPN Accelerator and can help maintain decent speeds when you’re dealing with fluctuating network conditions.
Proton VPN also does an impressive job of bypassing geo-restrictions and network blocks. It’s undoubtedly one of the best VPNs for streaming and consistently unlocks platforms like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video in other regions.When we tried watching American TV channels in Costa Rica, the VPN provided access to live programming on every channel we tried.
Privacy and security are Proton VPN’s bread and butter. Based in Switzerland, it benefits from some of the world’s strongest privacy laws. The VPN backs this up with a strict no-logs policy, so you can rest assured your online activities remain private.
Like the best VPN in Costa Rica, NordVPN, the service supports a wide array of operating systems and permits up to ten simultaneous connections on one account.
Pros
- Loads of security features
- Fast connection speeds
- Based in Switzerland
- Excellent unblocking
Cons
- Cluttered apps may confuse newbies
- Not the cheapest
5. Surfshark
Surfshark wraps up our list of the best VPNs for Costa Rica in 2026. It is a technically great provider with a well-designed skin and loads of features.
Many of those features are unique to the VPN, too. Alternative ID is one of our favorites. It generates a completely new digital identity, including an alias email address that you can use to fill out forms and create new accounts. As you can imagine, it can be particularly useful if you want to sign up for services without exposing your personal details.
Surfshark’s network comprises over 3,200 servers across 100 countries, including Costa Rica. Connecting to any of those servers will help you unlock geo-blocked overseas websites and apps. Also, with features like NoBorders, Surfshark is an incredibly efficient anti-censorship VPN.
You can be sure that Surfshark doesn’t retain any data about your browsing sessions thanks to an independent audit it passed with flying colors. Plus, prying eyes can’t snoop in while you’re online, what with the VPN’s AES-256 encryption, kill switch, and effective plugging of DNS leaks.
Just like Private Internet Access, there’s no cap on the number of devices one subscription covers at once. That’s what makes the VPN such a premium option for large Costa Rican households and users with many gadgets. A 30-day money-back guarantee comes with your purchase for risk-free testing.
If you want to get the best price, read our article listing Surfshark promo codes and deals.
Pros
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Cheap long-term pricing
- Searing speeds
- Exceptional unblocking
Cons
- Expensive monthly plan
- Occasional launch issues on Windows
- Operates from a 9 Eyes country
How We Picked the Best VPNs for Costa Rica
Wondering what qualified the VPN services that made the list above? At Gizmodo, our experts have years of quality experience researching and reviewing VPN services, putting them through real-world scenarios to see how they truly perform.
Weighing the factors below allowed us to narrow down the best VPNs for Costa Rica:
- Strong Privacy & Security: With cybercrime on the up in Costa Rica, your preferred VPN needs to have rock-solid encryption, a no-logs policy, and protection against data leaks to keep your information safe. But those are just the basics. The VPNs on this list have several advanced features to shield your data from hackers and other malicious actors.
- Fast, Reliable Speeds: Costa Rica doesn’t have the fastest internet speeds in the world, so a slow VPN would be pretty frustrating. To prevent that from happening, we prioritized VPNs with high bandwidth capacity that deliver fast connection speeds.
- Unblocking Capabilities: A solid VPN should let you access your desired content. That could be Costa Rican sites while you’re traveling or international streaming platforms from within the country. The VPNs we selected check both boxes and are great for streaming.
- Server Options: We took two requirements into account here. The first is servers in Costa Rica for when you need a local IP address from abroad. Secondly, we chose Costa Rican VPNs with massive global coverage so you can access content anywhere.
- Device Compatibility: A good VPN should work across all your devices, from phones and laptops to smart TVs and gaming consoles. It should also allow simultaneous connections across multiple devices.
- Value for Money: Price matters, but so does what you get for it. Rather than just cheap pricing, we focused on VPNs that offer strong security, fast speeds, and great features at reasonable costs. They also have risk-free trials or money-back guarantees.
Should You Use a Free VPN for Costa Rica?
You can, but you probably shouldn’t. We only recommend a few decent free VPN services because while zero-cost offers seem like a great deal at face value, they’re rarely worth the risks and trade-offs. And there are many of those.
For example, most free VPNs only offer a handful of servers to non-paying customers. Apart from limiting your connection options, that usually translates to server congestion and slow connection speeds. Many also have bandwidth limits, which severely restrict your experience with data-intensive activities like streaming.
But the biggest red flag with many free VPNs has to do with privacy. Many of them are happy to log your browsing activity to sell to third parties for profit. Plus, they typically don’t offer the industry-standard and advanced security features of premium VPNs, making you more vulnerable to hackers and other cyber threats.
Final Thoughts
A VPN can prove quite valuable for Costa Rica, especially in safeguarding your data and privacy against cyber threats. You can also use one to gain access to content in other countries — or back home when you travel abroad.
Understanding they’re not all on the same level, this guide highlighted and reviewed the five best Costa Rican VPN services. Per our research results, NordVPN is the best VPN for Costa Rica. It offers rock-solid security, searing speeds, an extensive network, and exceptional unblocking. Get on a plan by taking advantage of a generous discount below, and you’ll receive a 30-day money-back guarantee.
FAQs
Let’s finish with a few relevant questions about using a VPN in Costa Rica.
Are VPNs legal in Costa Rica?
Yes, VPNs are legal in Costa Rica, like in most other countries. You wouldn’t be breaking any laws by connecting to any of the services we recommended.
What is the best VPN for Costa Rica?
NordVPN is the best VPN for Costa Rica, thanks to its superior blend of functionality and performance. It has a massive network, delivers blazing-fast connection speeds, and is capable of safeguarding your network traffic from malicious actors.
How can I change my IP address to Costa Rica?
Here’s how to mask your IP with one from Costa Rica using a VPN:
- Sign up for a reliable VPN service like NordVPN
- Download and install the VPN application
- Sign in and connect to Costa Rica in the server menu