How to Watch US TV in Costa Rica in 2026

Disney+ in Costa Rica already includes Hulu series, and its Premium plan adds ESPN channels. US network sites, Peacock, and YouTube TV are still limited to US IP addresses. On Seattle servers, NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN unblocked every free US network we tried. CBS News 24/7 was the exception on New York servers, where it detected every VPN except NordVPN.

Unblocking US Channels From Costa Rica

Connect the VPN to a US server, open the network’s site in a private window, and start the live stream. A virtual private network (VPN) swaps the Costa Rican IP address for a US one, and the site then loads its player instead of a region message. We tested from Europe. US sites decide by IP address, so the results apply in Costa Rica too.

Costa Rica is also closer to US servers, so ping there should be lower. Requirements differ by streaming service:

• No account: PBS, NBC, ABC News Live, and CBS News 24/7.
• US TV provider login: ABC’s full live channel.
• Three-day trial: Fox.
• US payment card: new Hulu, YouTube TV, and Peacock subscriptions. Their sign-up pages loaded on the three VPNs.

A subscription started in the US keeps working over a US server. Costa Rica doesn’t change its clocks, so an 8 p.m. Eastern broadcast airs at 6 p.m. local time from March to November and at 7 p.m. in winter.

US Streaming Services Already in Costa Rica

• Disney+: includes a Hulu section. The Premium plan, at about $19 a month, adds ESPN’s channels and live events.
• Netflix: the Costa Rican catalog has fewer US titles. Connecting to a US server brings up the American catalog on the same subscription, as it does when users switch Netflix regions from other countries.
• HBO Max: on sale in Costa Rica since February 2024, when it launched as Max.
• Paramount+: offers a regional catalog. The US version adds the live CBS feed on its Premium plan, and our guide to watching Paramount+ abroad covers it.
• Pluto TV and Tubi: regional versions stream free in Costa Rica. NordVPN and ExpressVPN unblocked Pluto TV‘s US channel lineup, and Proton VPN was blocked.
• US-only: Peacock, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu’s own app, and the NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox websites block Costa Rican IP addresses.

Test Figures From New York and Seattle

Speedtest figures come from our September round in Europe, and the Windows 11 test PC measures 190.36 Mbps without a VPN.

Best VPNs for US TV in Costa Rica

1. NordVPN: Best for Speed on Both US Coasts, with CBS News 24/7 unblocked on either server.
2. Proton VPN: Best for Travelers on Hotel Wi-Fi, with a kill switch that stopped every packet when we cut the connection.
3. ExpressVPN: Best for Whole-Home Router Setups, including its own Aircove router.

1. NordVPN: Best for Speed on Both US Coasts

NordVPN’s Seattle server recorded 167.17 Mbps, the top Seattle result in our tests, and it unblocked Hulu and Peacock. On a Fire TV Stick 4K Plus wired to the router, its Fire TV app measured 187.92 Mbps on a US server. Expats who stream every day can add a dedicated US IP address in 12 cities for about $4 a month, so a network always sees one fixed IP address.

Our Windows PC showed one fault. With ExpressVPN installed but disconnected, NordVPN failed to connect on some days, and running NordVPN’s diagnostics, then signing in again, resolved it. NordVPN’s Basic plan costs about $94 for 27 months, or about $66 for a single year.

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2. Proton VPN: Best for Travelers on Hotel Wi-Fi

Proton VPN’s kill switch passed two failure tests: a pulled Ethernet cable and a force-closed app, with no traffic leaving the PC. On hotel or Airbnb Wi-Fi, a dropped connection won’t leak the traveler’s own IP address. For more protection on shared networks, one of the main benefits of using a VPN, Secure Core adds a Swiss server in front of the US one. A US connection through it recorded 152.71 Mbps.

The Seattle server recorded 140.02 Mbps, slightly faster than ExpressVPN’s 137.99 Mbps. Peacock worked, as did the American catalogs of Netflix and HBO Max. Hulu and the US version of Pluto TV blocked it, which rules Proton VPN out for a Hulu subscription. Two years of the VPN Plus plan cost about $72, and a single month is about $10.

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3. ExpressVPN: Best for Whole-Home Router Setups

ExpressVPN installs on compatible routers, and it sells its own Aircove router with the VPN built in. One router connection covers a Roku, a smart TV, and every phone in the house. It ranks among our best VPNs for routers. In testing, it unblocked Hulu and US Pluto TV, and its New York server came in at 163.66 Mbps.

Split tunneling is grayed out while Lightway Turbo is enabled, so a Costa Rican banking app can stay on the local connection only after switching to standard Lightway. ExpressVPN’s Basic plan starts below $3 a month, and the Advanced plan, which adds a password manager, is under $4.50 on the same 28-month term.

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When a US Channel Still Won’t Work

Try a server in a second US city. Networks flag individual IP addresses, and in our tests a Seattle server worked where a New York one had been detected.

• Clear the site’s cookies: a stored Costa Rican location can bring the region message back after connecting. A private window starts clean.
• Use the browser extension’s spoofing setting: NordVPN’s and ExpressVPN’s extensions report the US server’s position to sites that read the browser’s location.
• Move the VPN to the router: Roku players and most Samsung and LG TVs don’t support VPN apps. ExpressVPN’s router firmware or NordVPN’s Smart DNS covers them.

Verdict

An expat household watching US networks daily should start with NordVPN. Its New York and Seattle servers were quicker than Proton VPN’s and ExpressVPN’s, and it offers a dedicated US IP address. Travelers on shared hotel networks are well served by Proton VPN and its kill switch, provided Hulu isn’t on their list.

ExpressVPN fits homes with a Roku or an older smart TV. Installed on the router, it provides every screen with a US IP address. The same setup works for watching American TV from other countries. For privacy and local sites, see our list of the best VPNs to use in Costa Rica.

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