Spain vs Costa Rica
Tax Rate Comparison
Enter your income below for a personal tax estimate, then scroll down for full rate breakdowns.
๐ฐ Personal Income Tax Calculator
Enter your income to see your estimated annual tax liability in each country โ side by side.
๐ช๐ธ Spain โ Autonomous Community & Municipal Taxes
Spain's 17 autonomous communities set their own half of income tax. Madrid applies significant reductions while Catalonia has higher regional rates. The Basque Country and Navarre have special tax regimes (concierto econรณmico). Municipal taxes include IBI (property tax) and IAE (business activity tax). Effective top rates (national + regional) range from ~43% (Madrid) to ~54% in some communities.
๐จ๐ท Costa Rica โ Municipal Taxes
Costa Rica's 84 cantons (municipalities) levy the impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles (property tax at 0.25% of assessed value), business licences (patente municipal), and construction permits. The Municipalidad de San Josรฉ and other urban cantons have highest rates. National taxes are administered by the Ministry of Finance (Hacienda). Costa Rica underwent significant fiscal reform in 2018โ19 to address a fiscal deficit, converting the sales tax to a comprehensive VAT and modifying income tax.
Spain vs Costa Rica: Key Tax Differences (2026)
๐ฐ Income Tax: ๐ช๐ธ Spain has a higher top income tax rate (19โ47% vs 0โ25%). ๐จ๐ท Costa Rica is more favourable for high earners.
๐ VAT/Sales Tax: Spain has a higher consumption tax (4โ21% vs 13%).
๐ข Corporate Tax: ๐ช๐ธ Spain offers a lower corporate rate (25% vs 30%), which can influence business location decisions.
๐ Capital Gains: ๐จ๐ท Costa Rica taxes investment gains at a lower rate (15% vs 28%), benefiting investors.