Most people, when trying out Costa Rica for livability, don’t enter into long-term rentals or sign leases until they are sure about their situation. An ideal way to savor living in one part of the country or another is to rent an apartment for one month or even one week. Short-term rentals are particularly useful when determining which area you’d like to settle in.
San José has several “apartotels,” small apartments complete with cable TV, telephone, cooking utensils—in short, everything you need for a trial of Costa Rica living. Several apartment complexes regularly advertise rates of $50 a day or $900 a month for a three-bedroom apartment, others from $225 to $500 a month for a one-bedroom place, with telephone, TV and washing machines available. You can pay a lot more, but these apartments seem okay.

in the cost line and vacation areas the aprtment are rented mostly on a weekly rate and are more costly, however you can allways find long terms rentals and monthly deals due to the over flow in avialbilty after the massive boom of construction. in Jaco for instance there are 1500 aprtments built for sale, most of them will rent for a shor and long term- jaco rentals
Another excellent way of discovering whether you like a neighborhood or a city is to rent a room in a Costa Rican home. Because of pressure on hotels for tourist rooms, many private families are converting spare bedrooms into rentals. They’re delighted to host North Americans on their visits, to take them into their homes and treat them as part of the family. A bonus to living with a family is the opportunity to perfect your Spanish by total immersion in the language. Most language schools encourage students to stay in private homes and make arrangements for the students. Typically, a family will charge from $80 to $150 a week for a room, which includes two meals a day (breakfast and supper) and your laundry.
Don’t confuse the private home setup with traditional bed and breakfasts. Many B&B’s around the country are similar to small hotels, but with a tasty breakfast thrown in. Bed and breakfasts range from cheap, near downtown San José, to expensive, in the suburbs, depending on the luxury of the accommodations. The Tico Times lists many renting for far less than an ordinary hotel. The Costa Rica Bed and Breakfast Group can help you locate a room in any of 160 bed and breakfast establishments around the country. Call Pat Bliss at 2228- 9200 for help in finding one.

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