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Payroll in Costa Rica
Payroll in Costa Rica runs in CRC on a usually monthly or biweekly cycle, with statutory employer contributions and mandatory aguinaldo based on remuneration earned during the statutory calculation period. Gracemark operates it end-to-end, humans, not tickets.
Currency
CRC, Costa Rican colón
Payroll cycle
Usually monthly or biweekly
Working week
Generally up to 48 hours for daytime work, with lower night and mixed limits
Minimum wage
Occupation- and qualification-based; use the current MTSS occupational wage list
13th-month
Mandatory aguinaldo based on remuneration earned during the statutory calculation period
Employer cost
Core employer social charges are commonly modeled around 26%–27%, before aguinaldo, leave, insurance and optional benefits
Probation
The first three months are commonly treated as the initial period for severance purposes
Notice period
Notice and severance depend on tenure and reason; accrued aguinaldo and leave must be settled
Two ways to run payroll in Costa Rica
Own-entity payroll
For long-term presence in Costa Rica. Gracemark manages statutory filings, pay runs, and year-end reporting under your entity, with a named operator on Central America time.
EOR-run payroll
No entity in Costa Rica? Employ and pay talent under Gracemark's local infrastructure via EOR, onboard in 2–3 weeks (eor), no local incorporation.
Compliance essentials in Costa Rica
- Aguinaldo (13th salary) is mandatory and paid in December
- Occupation-based minimum wages are set by decree, not a single floor
- Cesantía severance and preaviso (notice) accrue on most terminations
- High employer CCSS social charges (~26%) define the cost picture
- Premier, English-strong shared-services and engineering hub
Get a payroll quote for Costa Rica
Send your headcount and salary band. We reply with employer burden, net-to-gross, and setup timeline, no sales scripts.
Deeper guide
Hiring guide: Costa Rica →
Employ without entity
EOR services →
All countries
Global payroll overview →