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Costa Rica car rental insurance, explained

One cover is compulsory and is the one most broker prices leave out. Everything else is optional, and the choice you make sets your deposit.

Figures read 3 Oct 2026

The short answer

Third-party liability, called TPL, SLI or PLI, is required in Costa Rica and the rental company will not let you decline it. Third-party liability is mandatory by law and is often not included in a broker headline. In the quotes we read, it ran from $13.56 to $20.00 a day.

Credit card cover can replace collision cover at many local companies, with written proof and a larger hold. It does not replace liability.

The four pieces

Liability (mandatory). Covers injury and damage to other people and their property.
Collision damage waiver, CDW. Covers damage to your rental car, usually with a deductible.
Theft protection. Often bundled with CDW.
Deposit. A hold on your card. It is not insurance, but the cover you buy sets it.

Check this at the counter

Ask for the total with liability and taxes before you sign.
Ask the hold amount for the cover you picked.
If you booked through a broker, ask whether the company accepts that broker's cover. Some do not.
Keep the receipt.

Liability in the quotes we read, USD
Company	Per day	Quote total	Days
AdobeLIR, 5-12 Dec 2026	$13.56	$94.92pay at counter	7
AdobeSJO, 5-12 Dec 2026	$13.56	$94.92pay at counter	7
VamosLIR, 5-12 Dec 2026	$15.95	$111.65pay at counter	7
VamosSJO, 5-12 Dec 2026	$15.95	$111.65pay at counter	7
EconomySJO, 5-12 Dec 2026	$15.00	$105.00pay at counter	7
EconomyLIR, 5-12 Dec 2026	$15.00	$105.00pay at counter	7

Only companies that list liability as its own line appear here. Companies that bundle it into the base price are left out, because the bundle has no separate figure.

This guide describes what companies publish. It is not legal or insurance advice. Policy limits differ by company.

Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport prices / Juan Santamaria International Airport prices