Hire and pay employees in Costa Rica, hassle-free
With Deel, your business can easily hire employees in Costa Rica. No more worrying about local laws, complex tax systems, or managing international payroll. Deel takes care of everything in 150+ countries. The average onboarding time frame in the Costa Rica is 3 days with Deel.
Onboard, pay and manage employees in Costa Rica with Deel
Usually, to hire in Costa Rica, your business needs an entity. That means a local office, an address registered as a subsidiary, and an account with a local bank. All of this, plus navigating regional benefits, payroll, tax, and HR laws, can take months.
Now you can hire employees in Costa Rica quickly, easily, and compliantly. Automate tax document collection, payroll, benefits, and more. For your existing direct employees, we can manage your entire payroll operation from end-to-end.
Currency CRC
Capital San José
Official language Spanish
Payroll cycle Semimonthly
All the necessary benefits for Costa Rica built right in
Deel allows you to provide localized benefits for employees in Costa Rica within minutes. All in one manageable online dashboard in a single HR platform.
- Social Security (CCSS)
- Work Accident Compensation Insurance
- Private Healthcare - Unisure (optional)
- Private Healthcare - Allianz (optional)
Our quickstart guide to hiring in Costa Rica
Navigate the tabs below to learn everything you need to know about hiring an employee in Costa Rica
Minimum Wage Requirements
In Costa Rica, the minimum wage varies depending on the employee’s skill level and education and ranges from CRC 367,108.56 to CRC 653,427.21 per month.
Individual Income Tax
The individual income tax ranges from 0% to 25%. Income tax is calculated according to progressive rates.
| Monthly Income (CRC) | Tax Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| 0 - 929,000 | 0% |
| 929,000 - 1,363,000 | 10% |
| 1,363,000 - 2,392,000 | 15% |
| 2,392,000 - 4,783,000 | 20% |
| Above 4,783,000 | 25% |
Payroll Cost
The employer cost is generally estimated at 27.04% of the employee salary.
- Social Security (CCSS) - 26.67%
- Workman Compensation - 0.37%
One-time costs:
- Vacation Pay - 4.17%
- Preaviso - 8.33%
- Cessentia - 5.33%
- 13th Month Salary Accrual (Aguinaldo) - 8.33%
All salaried employees are entitled to a 13th month salary which is due once per year in December. This cost will be accrued monthly at the rate of 8.33% of one month's salary and paid in December.
Holidays are accrued each month at the rate of 4.17% of one month's salary and must be paid when the employee takes vacation days.
Compensation for Time of Service (Preaviso and Cesantia) is accrued each month at the rate of 0.14 of one month's salary and must be paid at end of working relationship.
These costs are provided as estimates and are intended solely for general informational purposes. To fully comprehend all associated costs and fees related to the terms of any employment agreement for this country, please contact our Sales team for a quote.
Overtime Pay & Maximum Hours
Standard working hours are 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. The standard workweek is from Monday to Friday.
Download the complete guide to hiring in Costa Rica
Hiring in Costa Rica, hassle-free
With Deel, your business can easily hire employees in Costa Rica with our EOR solution. If you have an entity, our Global Payroll solution takes care of payroll and compliance for your direct employees. Our 250+ in-house experts handle everything from managing local laws, complex tax systems, or your payroll in Costa Rica and 150+ countries.
Management fee
Starting at
$599
/month
Estimated Employer Cost
27.04%
of employee salary