Apartment rents in November: what rose and what fell

The median monthly rent for condos & apartments for rent in Costa Rica slipped 0.4% in November 2026, to US$1,196. Five provinces did not move, Puntarenas fell 6.7% and the new supply was concentrated in San José.

Did rents rise or fall in November?

The national median rent went from US$1,200 in October to US$1,196 in November, a change of -0.4% that amounts to stability in practice. Alajuela (US$900), Cartago (US$957), Guanacaste (US$815), Heredia (US$1,100) and San José (US$1,200) repeated the previous month's median. The only province with a clear move was Puntarenas, which dropped from US$1,225 to US$1,143, or 6.7%. These are asking prices in active listings, not closing prices: an identical median means current listings ask the same amount, not that anyone negotiated.

Our reading: the drop in Puntarenas should be taken with caution, because the province has only twenty listings and a single posting can move the median. If you are searching there, go through the condos & apartments for rent in Puntarenas one by one before concluding that renting is cheaper. For the rest of the country the message is calm: no adjustment justifies rushing a decision. The district-level detail is in the apartment prices in Costa Rica.

Where is the supply, and where did the new listings arrive?

Costa Rica has 1,870 apartment rental listings with a median of US$1,196. San José holds 1,449, with a median of US$1,200; Heredia adds 209 at US$1,100, Alajuela 117 at US$900, Cartago 36 at US$957, Guanacaste 34 at US$815 and Puntarenas 20 at US$1,143. In the last 30 days 120 new listings came in: 89 in San José, 18 in Heredia, 12 in Alajuela, one in Guanacaste and none in Cartago or Puntarenas.

Our reading: new supply follows existing supply. Whoever searches among the condos & apartments for rent in San José has more to choose from and will see fresh listings often; whoever searches in Cartago or Guanacaste should expect less turnover. Rent per built square meter runs from US$11 in Alajuela to US$18 in Puntarenas, and is US$17 in San José: the province with the lowest median is not always the cheapest per square meter.

How much of the supply is priced in US dollars?

In Costa Rica, 76% of apartments for rent are priced in US dollars. In San José the share reaches 81%, in Puntarenas 70%, in Alajuela 66%, in Heredia 59%, in Guanacaste 53% and in Cartago 42%. Nationwide, the median of those priced in dollars is US$1,200, against US$870 for those priced in colones. Colón prices are converted to dollars at the source's exchange rate.

Our reading: the listing currency splits one province into two markets. In Cartago, those priced in colones have a median of US$717 and those priced in dollars, US$1,200. In Heredia the figures are US$935 and US$1,150. If you earn in colones, it pays to filter by currency before comparing; if you are paid in dollars, you will find more variety in San José, where dollar-priced supply is the widest.

Where is there more interest per listing?

Cartago leads in interest: 3.3 views per listing and 33.3 inquiries per 100 listings. Heredia follows with 3.2 views and 27.8 inquiries; Guanacaste, with 2.4 and 20.6. San José, with the largest supply, records 1.2 views per listing and 10.9 inquiries; Alajuela, 1.7 and 8.5; Puntarenas, 1.6 and no inquiries. For the whole country the figure is 1.5 views per listing and 13.1 inquiries per 100.

Our reading: interest is higher where there are fewer listings. In Cartago each posting gets more attention, so whoever sees a good apartment among the condos & apartments for rent in Cartago should decide quickly. Heredia combines high interest with a supply of 209 listings; check the condos & apartments for rent in Heredia often. In San José the abundance allows for calm comparison.

Where does US$1,000 a month go furthest?

Nationwide, 655 of 1,877 listings ask US$1,000 a month or less: 35%. Alajuela is the province where it goes furthest, with 91 of 117 listings (78%). Next come Guanacaste with 22 of 34 (65%), Cartago with 19 of 36 (53%), Puntarenas with 10 of 21 (48%) and Heredia with 77 of 209 (37%). In San José it is 433 of 1,455 listings, 30%, the lowest share in the country.

Our reading: by share, Alajuela is the pick for a tight budget; by count, San José offers more options at that amount (433 listings), even if its percentage is the lowest. To widen the search, see the cheap condos & apartments for rent in Costa Rica. Keep in mind that a colón-priced listing is converted here to dollars, and the final amount will depend on what you agree.

What we would do with these numbers

• If your ceiling is US$1,000 a month, start with the cheap condos & apartments for rent in Costa Rica, but compare the share province by province before choosing an area.
• If you hesitate between the capital and a neighboring canton, read San José or Escazú: what an apartment costs and what it offers.
• Ask for the contract currency before comparing listings, because the median changes depending on whether it is posted in colones or dollars.
• In Cartago and Heredia, get in touch quickly: interest per listing is the highest in the country.
• Do not take the drop in Puntarenas as a sign of general price cuts: review listing by listing.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth negotiating the rent if the median did not change?

You can try, especially in San José, where supply is broad and interest per listing is low: 1.2 views per listing. In Cartago and Heredia the room is usually smaller, because each listing gets more attention. The median describes asking prices, not closing prices, so a landlord may accept less than what is posted. Propose a reasonable amount and back it with comparable listings in the same area.

Why did Puntarenas fall if the rest did not move?

Puntarenas has only twenty listings, and with so little data a change in two or three postings is enough to move the median from US$1,225 to US$1,143. In addition, no new listing came in over 30 days. That is why we do not read it as a general drop in rents in the province, but as a variation in a small sample that is worth confirming next month.

Is a dollar-priced listing always paid in dollars?

Not necessarily. The listing currency is a starting point, but the form of payment is agreed in the contract. Ask the landlord whether payment will be in dollars or colones, at what exchange rate and on what date, and put everything in writing. If the contract has clauses you do not understand, consult a lawyer before signing.

Methodology: the data come from active listings on Anuntico in November 2026, compared against October. An area needs at least 10 listings to appear. Prices listed in colones are converted to dollars at the source's exchange rate, ₡460 per US dollar. These are asking prices in listings, not closed rental prices.