Costa Rica sees investment grow Outside Metropolitan Areas

There are many positive things to note from Costa Rica’s recent investments. The country saw $2.73 billion in foreign direct investment flowing into the nation in the first half of 2026. This was 23.4% higher than what it experienced in 2025, during the same time period.

Many of these investments came from companies located within Free Trade Zones. There was also a large amount of money going into the manufacturing sector. On top of that, investments were growing outside of the Greater Metropolitan Area. As Costa Rica sees investment grow, these numbers show that more companies are choosing to invest outside of greater metro area.

Don’t Forget About That Huge Purchase

The purchase of Florida Ice and Farm Company by Heineken also added to this number. The Fifco brand is worth about $3.25 billion, so when considering all of Costa Rica’s foreign investment, this is something to take into account.

Although the purchase of Fifco is great news for Costa Rica, it should not be compared to investment from other companies. A company can be purchased for billions of dollars but not necessarily spend heavily on building new facilities.

The above being the case, we will look at the 23.4% increase in foreign investment minus the purchase of Fifco.

There was also an increase in reinvestment and new capital, which shows that there are more companies investing in Costa Rica. Not only from new companies but also from those that already operate in the country.

Free Trade Zones Continue to Attract Investment

During the first half of 2026, $1.73 billion was invested in Free Trade Zones. That is a 35% increase from last year, making Free Trade Zones a key driver of foreign investment.

“Costa Rica continues to be an attractive investment destination,” Indiana Trejos Minister of Foreign Trade stated when talking about companies reinvesting and opening new locations in the country.

If a company decides to reinvest, it could be a good sign for the business. It knows what it takes to hire and fulfill orders within the area. Although we don’t know why companies are reinvesting, we can assume that it has something to do with the benefits of doing business in Costa Rica.

Companies that fall under the definitive regime also saw an increase in investments. Excluding the purchase of Fifco, they gained $569.7 million, a 46.9% or $182 million increase from 2025.

So not only did Free Trade Zones see an increase in investments, but companies under other regimes did as well.

Companies Investing in Costa Rica Outside of Metro Areas

As mentioned earlier, investments grew outside of the Greater Metropolitan Area. Companies operating in Free Trade Zones invested $150 million in these areas, a 37% increase.

Residents living outside of Costa Rica’s Greater Metropolitan Area want to see more investments come into their town; this is important. When companies start building and creating jobs, there are more benefits that can happen in the area. From trucking to maintenance companies, residents and government officials can see growth within the community.

Procomer has been working to get investment to a variety of areas of the country. “These figures encourage us to continue bringing investment to the country’s different regions.” Laura López, General Manager of Procomer, observed.

“As Costa Rica sees investment grow, we will have to see if companies continue investing outside of the metro area,” she added.

More Companies Investing in Manufacturing Sector

There was $1.95 billion invested in manufacturing in the first half of 2026. If we exclude the extraordinary transaction, there was a 9.8% increase from 2025.

Not only is manufacturing seeing an increase, but below are some other interesting figures representing new investment.

• Services- From $9.4 million to $212.5 million, or a 2,161% increase.
• Agriculture- Went from -2.1 million to 48.8 million dollars.
• Agribusiness- Went from -8.7 million to 41.5 million dollars.
• Tourism- Dropped from 215 million to 157.9 million, which is about a 27% decrease.

Although there was a large percentage increase in services, it all depends on what the starting number is. The same goes for agriculture and agribusiness; they started from a negative number. So, while it’s great to see them on the positive side, we can’t say that they will continue to grow.

Tourism, unfortunately, has taken a dip this year.

How Can Industrial Parks Benefit From These Investments?

As Costa Rica sees investment grow, industrial parks have an opportunity to understand what is attracting companies. We know more firms are investing in Costa Rica, and that is exciting. The United States made up 68.9% of investments, with Switzerland at 5.7% and Spain at 5.1%.

Knowing that most of the companies that are investing in Costa Rica are from the United States, it’s important to learn what they need when investing. Maybe they are looking for nearshoring opportunities, or maybe they want to build a facility that can house their current employees.

Once we dig deeper into these companies and see why they chose to invest in Costa Rica, we can start to piece together how to sell the nation to potential customers.

Conclusion

Costa Rica attracted $2.73 billion in foreign direct investment during the first half of 2026, a 23.4% increase over the same period in 2025, excluding Heineken’s extraordinary acquisition of Fifco. Free trade zones drove much of this growth, while manufacturing remained the largest recipient of investment and projects outside the Greater Metropolitan Area gained momentum. Services, agriculture, and agribusiness also recorded increases, although tourism investment declined. With the United States accounting for 68.9% of investment, industrial parks have an opportunity to attract more companies by understanding their operational needs and highlighting Costa Rica’s manufacturing capabilities, regional locations, and nearshoring advantages.