You’re in the right place if you are in Costa Rica and curious about stepping into the world of cryptocurrency. This guide will provide you with all the information you need on how to buy Bitcoin in Costa Rica, as well as insights into the best Bitcoin wallet in Costa Rica to secure your investments.
From the most user-friendly exchanges to the ins and outs of transaction fees, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a local or an expat, this article will serve as your comprehensive guide to making informed decisions in the Costa Rican crypto market.
What you'll learn 👉
Easiest and cheapest ways to buy crypto in Costa Rica
No matter where they live, people always seek the easiest and cheapest way to buy bitcoin. Buying crypto in Costa Rica is a bit harder than in some other countries so we have compiled a list of exchanges where Costa Rica citizens can buy bitcoin.
👛 Ease of Use – Easy 👛 Fees – Low 👛 Verification – 1 Day 👛 Reputation – Trusted 👛 Supported fiat – USD, EUR, GBP + more
eToro is a versatile trading platform that provides users with access to various financial instruments, including stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and CFDs. The platform has a straightforward fee structure, charging a 1% fee for cryptocurrency transactions, with no fees for ETFs and stocks, although ETFs may have their own internal costs.
The platform supports more than 140 countries, with the US joining the list quite recently. However, there are still some restrictions for US citizens since they can currently only trade cryptos on eToro. Other users are allowed to trade Stock, Forex, Social Trading, CFDs, Index-Based Funds, Cryptos, Indices, and ETFs. As we mentioned, the most popular feature on the platform is copy trading. Users can “copy” trades from other investors and make the same trades in real-time.
⚡️ Deposit fees: Free ⚡️ Withdrawal fees: $5 ⚡️ Trading fees: 0.75 % – 4.9 % spread depending on the cryptocurrency ⚡️ Payment Methods: 15+ (MasterCard, Visa, EWallets, etc.) ⚡️ Supported fiat: USD, EUR, GBP, and 20+ more
Unique features such as Social Trading and “Virtual Hub” Simple interface Competitive fees The minimum trade amount is very low
There aren’t many supported cryptocurrencies American citizens can only trade cryptos on the platform
👛 Ease of Use – Medium 👛 Fees – Low 👛 Verification – 1 Day 👛 Reputation – Trusted 👛 Supported fiat – USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, RUB
Binance is widely considered the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. It was launched in July of 2017 and in a short period of time became the exchange with the largest trading volume with more than $10 billion on a daily basis.
How did Binance become so big so quickly? There are various reasons – low trading fees, professional attitude, the large number of cryptocurrencies supported by the platform, and friendly and transparent CEO. Some of the features available on Binance are Earn (locked and fixed savings, DeFi staking, and yield farming), Pool (join their mining and staking pools and earn rewards for keeping your chosen blockchains safe), Liquid swap, Liquidity pools, Automated trading bots, spot trading, futures and margin trading, and P2P trading.
⚡️ Deposit fees: Free ⚡️ Withdrawal fees: Vary from crypto to crypto ⚡️ Trading fees: 0.1% ⚡️ Payment Methods: Debit Card, Credit Card, SWIFT, Bank Transfer (SEPA), and more ⚡️ Supported fiat: USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, RUB, and 15+ more
High liquidity It supports a large number of crypto assets Widely considered the largest crypto platform Various advanced features and services One of the lowest fees among top exchanges
Not available in the US Not fully registered Hacked in 2019
👛 Ease of Use – Easy 👛 Fees – High 👛 Verification – 1 Day 👛 Reputation – Trusted 👛 Supported fiat – USD, EUR, GBP, RUB
Cex.io is cryptocurrency exchange platform that allows users to buy and sell various digital assets and store them in their account. It offers a range of trading tools and features for both beginner and experienced traders, including a margin trading platform called CEX.IO Broker where users can trade commission-free. The reputation of the exchange seems to be very high, mainly due to its longevity on the crypto market.
CEX.IO is a cryptocurrency exchange platform that allows users to buy and sell various digital assets and store them in their account. It offers a range of trading tools and features for both beginner and experienced traders, including a margin trading platform called CEX.IO Broker where users can trade commission-free. The platform has a simple and easy-to-use interface and is available on desktop and mobile devices through the CEX.IO app. CEX.IO prioritizes security and is compliant with various regulations and standards such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DDS) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDP). It also offers two-factor authentication and full data encryption. CEX.IO charges transaction fees based on users’ 30-day trade volume and has deposit and withdrawal fees that vary depending on the payment method used. The platform also has a customer support team available 24/7.
Well-established and highly appreciated It has been around for a very long time Over 4 million users Advanced trading features
Extensive Verification Process Lower liquidity when compared to main competitors
Best Bitcoin Wallets in Costa Rica
It is never a good idea to keep your coins on an exchange as that exposes you to numerous risks (exchange hacks, fund freezes by the exchange or some government regulatory body, etc). That is why you should use one of the wallets we list below to store your digital assets.
But, which bitcoin wallet is available in this country?
The safest option is a hardware wallet like Nano X but ZenGo is also a good choice, especially for newcomers.
👛 Ease of Use – Easy 👛 Fees – Average 👛 Verification – 2-3 Days 👛 Reputation – Trusted 👛 Supported fiat – USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD
As a pioneering cryptocurrency exchange, Kraken has been at the forefront of the crypto revolution since 2011. Its platform is a gateway to a vast array of over 220 digital assets, including market leaders like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and emerging players like Cardano. Security is a hallmark of Kraken, making it a trusted choice for traders worldwide.
Its global presence is commendable, serving users in a multitude of countries, with a few exceptions like Cuba and North Korea. In terms of flexibility, Kraken shines, offering users a wide spectrum of payment options and facilitating transactions in a variety of fiat currencies. Moreover, advanced traders can tap into specialized features to enhance their trading experience.
⚡️ Deposit fees: EUR SEPA Deposit (Free) – EEA countries only USD Bank Wire Deposit ($5 USD) – US onlyEUR Bank Wire Deposit (€10) – outside the US only USD Bank Wire Deposit ($10 USD) – outside US onlyJPY Bank deposit (Free, ¥5,000 deposit minimum) – Japan-only USD, Wire Deposit (Free) ⚡️ Withdrawal fees: Cryptocurrency: Fees vary, SEPA Withdrawal (€0.09) – EEA countries only USD Bank Wire Withdrawal ($5 USD) – US only USD Bank Wire Withdrawal ($60 USD) – outside US onlyEUR Bank Wire Withdrawal (€60) – outside US onlyJPY Bank withdrawal (¥20) – Japan onlyCAD EFT Withdrawal ($10 CAD) ⚡️ Trading fees: Maker: 0.16% Taker: 0.28% ⚡️ Payment Methods: Fedwire, Bank Transfer (SEPA), SWIFT, Wire Transfer, Etana Custody, Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN), FPS, CHAPS, and BACS, PayID, Osko ⚡️ Supported fiat: USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD
Advanced trading and staking features It has been active on the crypto market for a very long time It has a good reputation Advanced trading and staking services
Fees are fairly high No derivates or futures trading
👛 Ease of Use – Easy 👛 TradingFees – Average 👛 Verification – 1 day 👛 Reputation – Trusted 👛 Supported fiat – USD, EUR, GBP, and more
Paybis is a cryptocurrency exchange based in Scotland and in the UK. It was launched back in 2014 so it has longevity on the crypto market. The exchange has offices in Glasgow, as well as in Riga, Latvia.
Paybis is suitable for users who want long-term investments and has a larger user base. It is available in more than 180 countries in the world, including the US. Paybis supports around 40 crypto assets. The main focus of the exchange is on Round-the-clock support, Worldwide access, Fast security checks, high-level security, and Instant payouts. The exchange is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under (FCA), UK’s tier-1 regulatory body.
⚡️ Deposit fees: Free (there is a transaction fee – 2.49%) ⚡️ Withdrawal fees: Free ⚡️ Trading fees: 0.99 – 2.49 % ⚡️ Payment Methods: Bank Transfer, Credit/Debit Card, Skrill, and Neteller. ⚡️ Supported fiat: USD, EUR, GBP, and 40+ more
A lot of payment methods and fiat currencies supported It is regulated The longevity of the crypto market Easy-to-use interface
The number of supported cryptocurrencies could be higher No advanced trading features
👛 Ease of Use – Easy 👛 Fees – Low 👛 Verification – 1 Day 👛 Reputation – Trusted 👛 Supported fiat – CAD
CoinSmart is a strong crypto exchange that is around since 2018. It was founded by Justin Hartzman and Jeremy Koven. The main focus of the platform is to make crypto assets easily accessible to a “regular” person around the world.
There are two types of trades for CoinSmart’s users – a single trade and a double trade. Single trade includes trading crypto against fiat or BTC and the fee for this type of trade is 0.2%. Double trade includes trading of two crypto assets, other than Bitcoin. The headquarters of the company is in Toronto, Canada. There are no advanced services such as lending, borrowing, staking, or margin trading. The exchange is regulated.
⚡️ Deposit fees: 0 – 6 % ⚡️ Withdrawal fees: 1% ($15 Minimum) ⚡️ Trading fees: 0.20% for a single trade and 0.40% for double trade ⚡️ Payment Methods: Interac E-transfer, Bank draft, SEPA, Wire transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Simplex, and Crypto assets ⚡️ Supported fiat: CAD
The deposit and withdrawal process is easy and fast Customer support is good It is a regulated exchange Easy to use
No advanced services (staking, lending, borrowing, or margin trading) The number of cryptocurrencies is limited Not available in some countries (the US for example)
👛 Ease of Use – Easy 👛 Fees – Low 👛 Verification – 1 Day 👛 Reputation – Trusted 👛 Supported fiat – USD, EUR, GBP, and more
Founded in 2012 in Finland by Nikolaus Kangas, LocalBitcoins represents one of the largest P2P (peer-to-peer) marketplaces online. Nicknamed as the “Craigslist” of Bitcoin, users can communicate and trade directly on the platform with one another. Bitcoin is the only currency supported by LocalBitcoins.
The numerous security measures (Escrow, Reputation System, etc.) make the platform a safe and reliable Bitcoin trading place. LocalBitcoins doesn’t use the usual brokerage business model. Instead, as a P2P network, it works by connecting sellers and buyers that are located in the same area. You post an ad on the website and state the exchange rate and the desired payment method. Users in the local area can reply to the advertisement and arrange a meet-up either online or in person. The whole process is pretty straightforward.
Various payment options One of the oldest P2P crypto exchanges Accessible worldwide High liquidity
Many scammers join the platform Fees are higher than usual
Frequently asked questions about buying Bitcoin in Costa Rica
Which Bitcoin wallet is used in Costa Rica❓
Coinbase Wallet, Exodus, and Ledger.
Does Costa Rica have Bitcoin ATM❓
Costa Rica offers only two ATMs and both are located in the capital, San Jose.
Is Bitcoin accepted in Costa Rica❓
In October 2017, the Central Bank of Costa Rica issued a statement that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are not considered currencies, are not backed by law, and cannot be traded on Costa Rica’s national payment system.
Can I buy Bitcoin with Coinbase in Costa Rica❓
Yes, Coinbase is available in Costa Rica.
How are regular people making returns of as much as 70% in a year with no risk? By properly setting up a FREE Pionex grid bot - click the button to learn more.
Crypto arbitrage still works like a charm, if you do it right! Check out Alphador, leading crypto arbitrage bot to learn the best way of doing it.
As the Head of Content at Captainaltcoin, I bring years of experience in the crypto industry. With a strong belief in the potential of the web3 market since 2017, I'm passionate about sharing valuable insights and knowledge.
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and let's discuss the exciting world of cryptocurrencies and decentralized technologies!
