Hiring a Car in Costa Rica: Everything you NEED to Know!
Everything you need to know about hiring a car in Costa Rica! FYI fellow United States residents: most people in the world say “hiring a car” instead of “renting.” Hiring, renting, borrowing, whatever you prefer. This is what you need to know!
Having your own car to drive around Costa Rica is BY FAR the most practical way to explore Costa Rica if you plan to do more than stay at a resort or one town on your trip.
If you want to see a few towns, visit waterfalls and EXPLORE, hiring a car is what you need to do!
Here is everything you need to know including who to rent with, INSURANCE requirements, price to rent a car, driving in Costa Rica and more!
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Hiring a Car in Costa Rica Overview: Lessons Learned the Hard way
We are no strangers to hiring (or renting) a car in other countries. We love a good road trip! However, renting in Costa Rica was a bit of a learning curve for us.
In the past, we had booked rental cars through Expedia. It was user-friendly and we just got in the habit of doing it.
HOWEVER. I will warn you that hiring a car in Costa Rica was like nothing we had ever experienced so far. When booking the car, the total was about $53 for the week online.
Obviously we felt like something was up; it was too cheap, right? But we didn’t know what it was until we went to go pick the car up.
Insurance Requirements for Hiring a Car in Costa Rica
Long story short, the “price of the car” was about $53 for the week (for a 2 wheel drive vehicle) but they wanted to charge us $635 USD for the car insurance when we went to go pick up the rental car.
I still don’t have a GREAT grasp on the concept of insurance in Costa Rica. However, this is what I DO know.
Liability Insurance
There is a liability insurance required by the government when renting a car. This is the Third Party Liability (TPL) insurance or Liability Protection Insurance (LPI) and will cover damage to others property.
Cost: Should be around $20 a day (probably not more than $30 a day)
There is also an ADDITIONAL liability, Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI,) that will coverage beyond the TPL. This is NOT required; only covers an increased dollar amount of damages.
Collision Damage Waiver
The rental agency wanted us to purchase Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which is not required by law. However, it IS required by the car rental agency most of the time. This insurance covers theft or damage to YOUR car (not someone else’s.)
However, If you have a travel credit card, there is a good chance it covers your rental car! But, CHECK BEFORE going to pick up your car, because some credit cards don’t cover rental cars in Latin America.
If you go this route, I would recommend talking to your credit card company to verify. You then want to have written documentation showing you have the insurance and be ready to show this to the rental company.
Other Insurances
After letting us know we had to add the liability insurance and trying to encourage us to get the damage waiver, they let us know that these insurances wouldn’t cover bodily damage or our medical expenses if we were injured.
So, we would need additional coverage, Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), for this as well.
Additionally, many rental car agencies offer an Extended Protection Service (SSP) which provides roadside assistance and a higher dollar amount coverage for damages and vandalism (if someone breaks your window to steal your purse, etc.) This is definitely an optional insurance.
Honestly, its a lot, I know.
Insurance Takeaways for Hiring a Car in Costa Rica
First, expect to have to add the liability insurance to the cost of your rental car. This should be around $20-30 a day on top of your rental car price.
Second, you need to have the damage waiver insurance. This can either be purchased through your rental company OR you can decline the rental companies if you have coverage with your credit card.
IF you have coverage with your credit card, be prepared to show proof of this AND proof it covers Costa Rica.
Also know, your auto insurance from home will NOT cover a rental car in Costa Rica. While some of your credit cards WILL cover, your normal car insurance from home will not suffice for your rental car in Costa Rica.
Which Company to Use: Make it Easier on Yourself!
Ok, all the boring but important stuff has been said.
But, what you probably want to know is how to make this an easier process.
There are a lot of car rental companies (like the one we tried to use) that will list a ridiculously LOW price for the rental car. If it looks too good to be true, it is.
After experiencing the nightmare we experienced, here is what I recommend!
Use Adobe Car Rentals when you choose your car!
Adobe is a local, Costa Rican company and they provide the FULL price upfront. So, though it may look more expensive compared to some of the others, there won’t be hidden fees at the end. You will know exactly how much you are going to pay beforehand!
Where to Rent a Car!
Use Adobe rental cars, a LOCAL Costa Rican company!
You will get a TOTAL, upfront price and know exactly what you will be paying without hidden fees!
Expected Price of Hiring a Car in Costa Rica
So how much should you be paying so you know if you are getting the right price or not?
First of all, I should note that you are going to want to get an SUV. A car on the roads of Costa Rica won’t be ideal.
If you are going to Costa Rica during rainy season, I also recommend getting a four wheel drive (4×4) SUV.
Approximate Price Expectation
Here is an APPROXIMATE price for hiring a car in Costa Rica for a week:
For a 2WD SUV: Base price should be around $220 + around $81 for liability for a total of $304
For a 4WD SUV: Base price should be around $343 + around $81 for liability for a total of $424
If you want to add the car protection (CWD) coverage, it will be around $16 or an additional $101 for one week. This would make it closer to $410 for a 2WD for the week and closer to $525 for a 4WD for the week.
And, I always opt for an automatic; if you go with a manual you can save probably save between $30-$70 for the week.
And, of course, this is an approximate price as I look up the price of a car in August. Prices will likely fluctuate depending on demand and time of year. But, this should at least give you an idea of what you should be paying for a rental car in Costa Rica!
Deposits
Be aware, many of the car rental agencies require a LARGE deposit (like $1,300 for a week) before you can take a car. As long as there is no damage to the car and you return it, you are likely going to get this back.
Even with the issues we had, we got our full deposit back without any issues.
However, it is HIGHLY recommended to take photos and videos of the car BEFORE you leave so that you will have proof if you are blamed for something that was already there.
And, of course, be mentally prepared to have an additional charge on your credit card for a bit 😅
Logistics of Getting Your Car
Okay, you know which company to use and how much you should be paying. Here are some tips on actually picking up your rental car when you land in Costa Rica!
Once you clear customs and grab your luggage you will head to the airport exit.
When you begin to exit the airport you are going to see LOADS of car rental agency booths. You will likely be approached by more than one of them.
Whereas at most airports you visit, the rental cars are at the airport or nearby, many of the rental car offices in Costa Rica are located OFF the San Jose airport grounds.
So if someone tells you you have to shuttle to get your car, don’t be alarmed. It is very common!
Adobe Car Rental has an “airport office” as well as a location in downtown San Jose. Even the airport office is about a 5 minute drive from the airport exit. However, they provide a free shuttle to the office, so no worries!
Driving in Costa Rica: What You Should Expect
How is it to drive in Costa Rica?
While it wasn’t the EASIEST country we’ve ever driven in, it was definitely manageable!
A few things to note, though:
The infrastructure and road conditions are often less than ideal. Roads are narrow. Potholes are common. Not all roads are going to be paved.
Due to this, drive time between destinations in Costa Rica are longer than they may appear on the map. You should expect to have slow travel time and account for that when creating your itinerary!
Street lighting is poor. If you are driving at night, be prepared for it to be pretty dark in spots. If you don’t drive well at night, you probably want to ensure you leave in time to be at your destination before sunset!
But, overall, driving in Costa Rica felt very safe and is still how I HIGHLY recommend people explore the country!
Final Thoughts on Hiring a Car in Costa Rica
If you are nervous about hiring a car in Costa Rica, don’t be. If you are prepared for the insurance costs and know that the roads may be a little bumpy in areas, you will be fine!
Here is how to spend 8 days in Costa Rica hiking a volcano, zip lining, white water rafting, animal watching and more!
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