5 Best VPNs for Costa Rica to Stay Safe and Anonymous in 2024
Reading time: 19 min
Updated on November 01, 2024
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![Sayb Saad]()
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![Justyn Newman]()
Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Lead Cybersecurity Editor
While Costa Rica is largely free of internet censorship, it doesn’t have extensive data privacy protection laws. You’ll have to use a reliable VPN to protect your data or access global content. However, finding one that doesn’t have any trade-offs is challenging.
My global team and I tested several industry-leading VPNs and found that many VPNs sacrifice speed for security. Some have limited or unreliable servers, while others don’t provide good security and privacy. After thorough testing, we narrowed it down to 5 VPNs.
ExpressVPN is my #1 recommendation for Costa Rica. It provides blazing-fast speeds, top-notch security and privacy, and has a reliable global network with servers in Costa Rica. You can test it out yourself. If you aren’t satisfied, you have 30 days to claim a refund. Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
Quick Guide: Best VPNs for Costa Rica in 2024
- ExpressVPN — Best all-around VPN for Costa Rica, offering reliable connections globally, ultra-fast speeds, and top-notch security and privacy.
- CyberGhost — Smart Rules auto-activate the VPN when you join a network so that you’re always protected, but it can be slow on distant servers.
- Private Internet Access — MACE makes browsing in Costa Rica safe by blocking ads and malware, but PIA’s interface isn’t beginner-friendly.
- NordVPN — Meshnet creates a virtual LAN network so you can remotely connect to your devices from Costa Rica, but it sometimes can’t access streaming platforms.
- Surfshark — Nexus technology prevents accidental exposure in Costa Rica, but initial server connections are slow.
Editor’s Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
The Best VPNs for Costa Rica — Updated in 2024
1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Costa Rica With Lightning-Fast Speeds
Key Features:
- 3,000+ servers in 105 countries, including Costa Rica
- Maintains near-baseline speeds to ensure buffer-free UHD streaming
- Protects you with military-grade encryption, data leak protection, a kill switch, and Threat Manager
- Supports 8 simultaneous connections and works on all popular platforms
- Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is the #1 VPN for Costa Rica due to its blazing-fast speeds. It’s one of the fastest VPNs on the market, offering low-latency connections even on distant servers. On a Costa Rican server, I got speed dips of just 8%, enough for UHD streaming on multiple devices.
You’ll find a server in nearly every country with ExpressVPN. If you’re vacationing in Costa Rica, you can connect to your home country’s server and access global content easily. Similarly, if you’re on public WiFi, you can use a server in Costa Rica to stay hidden from prying eyes.
With post-quantum protection, ExpressVPN protects you against future quantum-based attacks that could break current encryption standards. It also has:
- TrustedServer technology — uses RAM-only servers that are physically incapable of storing data on disks, ensuring your online activities are never visible to anyone.
- Military-grade encryption — turns your traffic into unreadable code using a 256-bit cipher to hide your online activities in Costa Rica from prying eyes.
- Data leak protection — ensures that your data doesn’t leak outside the VPN tunnel and expose you to malicious actors on public networks.
- Kill switch — disconnects your device from the internet if the VPN server gets unstable to prevent accidental exposure, though the 10 ExpressVPN servers I tested were stable.
- Split tunneling — lets you route some traffic through the VPN, so you can access global content while still being able to watch local Costa Rican news.
I found ExpressVPN’s intuitive and beginner-friendly with the same user interface across all apps. You can set up a VPN connection on your smart TV while lodging in Costa Rica. On VPN-incompatible devices like gaming consoles, its MediaStreamer feature lets you stream content through Smart DNS — though it won’t encrypt your traffic.
A small downside of ExpressVPN is that it’s slightly more expensive than its competitors. However, I’d rather pay a small extra amount to get the best all-around VPN than deal with the security or performance trade-offs of other VPNs.
ExpressVPN’s 2-year + 6 months free plan offers the best value with a 82% discount. You can test ExpressVPN out completely risk-free as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee — if you don’t like it, you can easily get a full refund. The live chat support approved my refund request within minutes, and I got my money back in just 3 working days.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
ExpressVPN works with: Movistar Play, VIX, Rakuten TV, Pluto TV, Crackle, DirecTV Go, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Tigo Play, Claro Video, Canal 13, and more
ExpressVPN works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chromebook, Apple TV, Android TV, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, PlayStation, Xbox, and more
Get ExpressVPN's Black Friday Deal! You can subscribe to ExpressVPN for as low as $4.99 per month + get extra 6 months free with the 2-year plan (save up to 82%)! This is a limited offer so grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
2. CyberGhost — Smart Rules Auto-Protect Your Devices on Costa Rican Public Networks
Key Features:
- Has 11,670+ servers in 100 countries and 10+ in Costa Rica
- Offers optimized servers for streaming, torrenting, and gaming
- Includes secure protocols, military-grade encryption, Perfect Forward Secrecy, leak protection, a malware blocker, and more
- Works on up to 7 devices simultaneously
- Lets you try risk-free with its 45-day money-back guarantee
CyberGhost’s Smart Rules feature protects you 24/7 in Costa Rica. It auto-starts the VPN and connects to your pre-configured server upon system start-up. You can also set up WiFi rules and automatically encrypt your device whenever you join a network — this reassured me that I was protected on public networks at airports and cafes.
I ran several DNS, IP, and WebRTC leak tests, and CyberGhost passed them all. Unlike other VPNs, CyberGhost automatically disables IPv6 traffic when you connect to its servers. You can count on it to protect you in Costa Rica with:
- Perfect Forward Secrecy — provides a unique encryption key for every new connection so that even if one key is compromised, other sessions remain secure.
- Identity Guard — scans databases and dark web sources to alert you if your email address has been compromised so you can take immediate action.
- Private Browser — uses DuckDuckGo’s search engine that, unlike Google, doesn’t link searches to you so you can browse the web anonymously in Costa Rica.
- Block Content — prevents malicious pop-up ads to make browsing safer, especially on Costa Rican public networks that can expose you to phishing attacks.
You’ll find plenty of servers in Costa Rica and nearby countries with CyberGhost. While traveling there, you can use its streaming-optimized servers to watch Netflix US and other home content. It also has optimized servers for torrenting and gaming that provide high-speed, low-latency connections for those activities.
One drawback of CyberGhost is that it can reduce speeds on very distant servers. This could be a problem if you have slow internet and want to stream or play online games. However, its nearby connections are super fast — and if you have to connect to a distant location, use its optimized servers for streaming or gaming.
CyberGhost’s 2-year + 4 months plan just costs $2.03 a month. You can try it risk-free with its 45-day money-back guarantee. I tested this myself and requested my refund via live chat. The support agent didn’t ask why I was leaving, and I got my money back in 5 business days.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as CyberGhost VPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
CyberGhost works with: Teletica, ViX+, Star+, Claro Video, Pluto TV, Deezer, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, ESPN+, Paramount+, Crunchyroll, and more
CyberGhost works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, gaming consoles, routers, and more
Get Black Friday Deal and Cyber Monday Deal from CyberGhost! You can subscribe to CyberGhost for as low as $2.03 per month + get an extra 4 months free with the 2-year plan (save up to 84%)! This is a limited offer so grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
3. Private Internet Access — MACE Blocks Ads, Trackers, and Malware to Protect You in Costa Rica
Key Features:
- Has connections in Costa Rica and an extensive network of 35,000+ servers in 91 countries
- Keeps you safe in Costa Rica with MACE, military-grade encryption, data leak protection, a kill switch, and more
- Supports unlimited simultaneous connections so you can protect all your devices
- Offers fast customer support via 24/7 live chat and email
- Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee
PIA’s MACE helps you browse in Costa Rica securely, and is one of the best VPNs with ad blockers. MACE blocks ads, trackers, and malware at the DNS level before they can load on web pages. This speeds up browsing and protects you from malicious sites without needing additional software. In addition, it secures you with:
- Flexible encryption — lets you reduce encryption to boost speeds, which is useful if you need the extra performance for high-bandwidth activities like streaming or gaming.
- InBrowser — a private browser that automatically erases your history and cookies after each session and lets you route your traffic through the Tor network if required.
- Multihop connections — uses obfuscation via Shadowsocks proxy so you can access blocked web services on restricted networks at school or work in Costa Rica.
With PIA, you get one of the largest networks of 35,000+ servers, including many in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries. All servers use 10Gbps ports to handle heavy traffic and offer ample bandwidth. To watch global content, you can use its streaming-optimized servers that work with all global platforms, such as Disney+, Netflix, Max, and more.
I got speeds of 77Mbps using PIA’s servers in Costa Rica, enough for UHD streaming on multiple devices. Despite the 9,000-mile distance, a 93ms ping was pretty impressive. I didn’t experience network lag while playing Counter-Strike with my friends and got clean headshots.
Beginner users might get overwhelmed by PIA’s interface due to a lot of settings. However, you’ll like this customizability once you get familiar. Similarly, its browser extensions are feature-rich, with settings like WebRTC leak protection and blocking unauthorized camera or microphone access.
Starting at $2.19 a month, PIA is an affordable long-term option. But it’s also one of the best month-to-month VPNs if you want a VPN temporarily. You can try it risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. I had to provide my invoice number to get my refund request approved. The money was credited to my account within 5 days.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as Private Internet Access. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
PIA works with: BBC iPlayer, Sling TV, DAZN, ESPN+, Plex TV, Discovery+, Rakuten TV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, Tubo, Star+, Tigo Play, Claro Video, and more
PIA works on: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Nvidia Shield, routers, and more
2024 Update! You can subscribe to PIA for as low as $2.19 per month + get an extra 2 months free with the 2-year plan (save up to 82%)! This is a limited offer, so grab it now before it's gone! See more information on this offer here!
4. NordVPN — Specialized Security Servers Make You Untraceable in Costa Rica
Key Features:
- Wide network comprising 6,300+ servers in 111 countries
- Multiple security-enhancing specialized servers to keep you anonymous in Costa Rica
- Has dark web monitoring, Threat Protection, data leak protection, and LAN invisibility
- Works with all popular platforms and supports up to 10 simultaneous devices
- Lets you try risk-free for 30 days with its refund guarantee
NordVPN’s security-enhancing servers keep you anonymous in Costa Rica. The Double VPN servers encrypt your data twice, making it nearly impossible to penetrate. Similarly, its Onion over VPN servers route your traffic through the Tor network for better privacy. In addition, you get:
- Obfuscated servers — disguise your VPN data as regular traffic so that you can access blocked services like streaming platforms on restricted networks at work or school.
- LAN Invisibility — hides you from others sharing the same local network, so you can browse the web using hotel WiFi in Costa Rica without the fear of snoopers.
- Dark web monitoring — constantly scans the dark web and alerts you if your personal information is exposed, so you can take immediate action and prevent further damage.
In terms of speed, NordVPN’s speeds came quite close to ExpressVPN. My speeds only dipped 12% on distant servers in Costa Rica using NordLynx, its proprietary WireGuard-based protocol. Switching to OpenVPN reduced them additionally by 7%, so I’d suggest sticking to NordLynx because it uses a lean codebase that ensures fast data transfers.
My only reservation with NordVPN is that it’s not the best at accessing streaming sites that use anti-VPN technology. However, you can get it to work with a few reconnections. My US colleague could access his Netflix US library after trying out different local servers — it took no more than 3 or 4 tries.
As one of the top VPNs in 2024, NordVPN is a steal starting at just $2.99 a month. It offers a 30-day refund policy, so you can try it risk-free during your stay in Costa Rica. I tested this policy firsthand and got my money back in 4 business days.
NordVPN works with: AtresPlayer, Vix, C More, Tigo Play, Claro Video, Kolbi, Canal 7, Canal 13, Netflix, Max, Hulu, and more
NordVPN works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and more
5. Surfshark — Nexus Technology Provides Reliable Connections and Privacy in Costa Rica
Key Features:
- Global network of 3,200+ servers in 100 countries and offers IP addresses in Costa Rica
- Has Camouflage and NoBorders modes, IP rotator, Multihop servers, LAN invisibility, and GPS Override
- Compatible with all major platforms and supports unlimited simultaneous connections
- Offers reliable customer support through live chat and email
- Provides a 30-day refund window to try it risk-free
Surfshark’s Nexus technology makes you untraceable in Costa Rica. Its IP Rotator changes your IP address periodically by connecting you to a pool of servers and switching between them without dropping your connection. Nexus also includes Dynamic MultiHop, which lets you choose your VPN entry and exit points for added security.
With NoBorders, you can access blocked apps and services on restricted networks in Costa Rica. It auto-detects network-based firewalls and selects the best servers to bypass them. It also includes:
- CleanWeb — blocks pop-up, video, and banner ads so that you don’t accidentally click on malicious links while browsing the web in Costa Rica.
- GPS Override — changes your Android device’s location to match with the server, so you can access GPS-dependent services like Tinder while traveling in Costa Rica.
With its static IP servers that provide a consistent IP address, you can access your home country’s online banking while in Costa Rica without repeated verifications or annoying CAPTCHAs. It also prevents issues with services that flag frequent IP changes as suspicious.
My only reservation is that it can sometimes take up to 40 seconds to connect to a server. I’m willing to look past that because Surfshark is super user-friendly and has an intuitive interface. I could easily connect to a suggested server or find a Static IP or MultiHop connection.
While its monthly plan is expensive, Surfshark offers a 87% discount with its 2-year + 4 months plan. It also comes with a 30-day refund policy, so you can try it risk-free in Costa Rica. I requested my money back via live chat and got reimbursed within a week.
Surfshark works with: Canal 7, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Repretel, Canal 13, Disney+, and more
Surfshark works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, smart TVs, routers, and more
Comparison Table: Best VPNs for Costa Rica in 2024
| Server Network | Average Speeds | Privacy-Friendly Location | Lowest Price | Money-Back Guarantee | |
| ExpressVPN | 3,000+ servers in 105 countries | Very fast | British Virgin Islands | $4.99/month | 30 days |
| CyberGhost | 11,670+ servers in 100 countries | Fast | Romania | $2.03/month | 45 days |
| PIA | 35,000+ servers in 91 countries | Fast | US — 5 Eyes | $2.19/month | 30 days |
| NordVPN | 6,300+ servers in 111 countries | Very fast | Panama | $2.99/month | 30 days |
| Surfshark | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries | Fast | Netherlands — 9 Eyes | $1.99/month | 30 days |
Editor’s Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
How to Choose the Best VPN for Costa Rica
Besides our standard testing methodology, I considered the following factors in my tests to find the best VPNs for Costa Rica:
- Global server network — A large network ensures that you have both local and global servers to connect to during your stay in Costa Rica.
- Fast speeds — I ran extensive speed tests and picked VPNs that didn’t cut my speeds by over 25% even on servers thousands of miles away.
- Security and privacy — To help you stay safe in Costa Rica, my top picks include military-grade encryption, data leak protection, a kill switch, and RAM-only servers.
- Multi-platform support — A VPN that works with major platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, can protect more devices.
- 24/7 customer support — All my top picks include fast live chat and email support channels so you can quickly solve VPN-related issues.
- Value for money — I compared each VPN’s features to its price and picked options that offer the best value for money.
3 Easy Steps to Get a VPN in Costa Rica
- Download a VPN. With fast speeds and top-of-the-line security and privacy features, ExpressVPN is the best all-around VPN for Costa Rica.
- Connect to a server. Pick a server from the list or let the VPN find one for you automatically. Note that nearby servers are faster than distant ones.
- That’s it! You can now browse the web anonymously in Costa Rica.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
FAQs on VPNs in Costa Rica
Is using a VPN legal in Costa Rica?
Why do I need a VPN in Costa Rica?
Can I use a proxy in Costa Rica instead of a VPN?
How do I check if my VPN works?
Is it safe to use a free VPN in Costa Rica?
It’s generally not a good idea to use a free VPN. Instead, you can use a premium VPN like CyberGhost free for 45 days with its money-back guarantee. Just make sure to claim a refund before the period expires.
Many free VPNs log your data and some can even infect your device with malware. Others have constraints like limited servers, congested networks, and data caps. There are a few safe free VPNs you can try, but I’d stick to a paid one to not have any trade-offs like slow speeds or data caps.
Get a VPN (That Works) for Costa Rica Today!
Tourist hotspots like Costa Rica pose considerable privacy risks. If you’re traveling there for work or leisure and aren’t careful, you might get hacked on public networks. That’s why you need a reliable VPN to protect your privacy in Costa Rica, but finding one isn’t straightforward. After rigorous testing, I picked the best VPNs for Costa Rica.
ExpressVPN is my #1 recommendation for Costa Rica. It protects you even from future quantum attacks that might be able to break standard encryption. Plus, it has the largest server spread and offers the fastest speeds. You can test ExpressVPN yourself as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee — if you don’t like it, you can claim a full refund.
Summary: These Are the Best VPNs for Costa Rica
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
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