The Ultimate Guide to IVF in Costa Rica

Hola 👋

Welcome to a different type of post on Ultimate Pura Vida. This is the story of our fertility journey, and an inside look at what it’s been like navigating IVF, or in vitro fertilization treatment in Costa Rica.

This is something Anna and I went back and forth on before deciding to share here. Fertility is deeply personal, and IVF even more so. But after our struggles and talking with so many people quietly navigating similar paths, we realized how little honest, practical information exists. Especially when it comes to IVF treatment in Costa Rica.

This post sits somewhere between our personal story and a how-to guide. It is not medical advice. One more time… this is not medical advice. It is not a promise of outcomes. Instead, it is a real look at how we navigated the logistics, travel, costs, scheduling, decision making, and emotional side of pursuing IVF in another country.

This will be an ongoing post, updated over time, as we travel back and forth between California and San José for treatment.

Our Fertility Background

As of January 2026, Anna and I have been trying to start a family for about three years. One of the hardest parts of a fertility journey is the noise. Everyone has an opinion, usually shared with love and good intentions. Family, friends, and even strangers open up about their own experiences. Eat this, drink this, supplement this, stretch like this, get this massage, take this medicine. It’s all so comforting and overwhelming at the same time.

Before IVF, we spent the last few years focusing on foundational and lifestyle improvements. Diet, exercise, nutrition, and Eastern medicine like acupuncture became part of our lives. Those changes mattered, but not just for fertility. It’s really nice to feel more in tune with our bodies and mental place every day.

We still don’t have a clear answer on why this isn’t working. We’re both in our mid-30’s. Anna has a lower ovarian reserve for her age, and my boys have had some trouble swimming in the right direction. Even with those issues, we conceived twice. Both pregnancies ended in miscarriage.

Unless you have gone through it yourself, it is difficult to explain how that experience reshapes you. IVF felt like the next step toward improving the probability of things working and gaining more insight moving forward.

Our California IVF Experience

IVF in California is expensive. Period. For us, roughly USD $30,000 per cycle, with no guarantees, is out of our budget. Doctors also frame this as part of a larger roadmap, preparing you for multiple attempts. Financially and emotionally, that reality felt heavy. We want to start a family, not bankrupt ourselves before getting there.

We consulted with two fertility specialists in California and received very different recommendations. The first advised us that IVF was the wrong route and suggested a minor surgery, which we completed. Then we were pretty much ghosted by the doctor with no real follow-up, next steps, or general plan. Time for a second opinion.

The second doctor told us the initial surgery was unnecessary and might have delayed our progress. Great. That experience was not only frustrating and costly, but navigating the insurance system in the US is a joke, with a PhD needed to understand the billing codes and practices. We’re still getting bills a year later from the unnecessary procedure.

At one appointment, the doctor spent 15 minutes highlighting the importance of having a solid road map for our long-term plan, only to be followed by emotional pressure just minutes later to begin treatment immediately because it “might be our last chance.” That approach did not sit well with us. We completed some recommended genetic tests, paused, and decided to explore alternatives.

Let’s Try IVF in Costa Rica

The Idea

The idea of trying IVF in Costa Rica came and went early on, well before we scheduled visits with any doctors in California. The thought returned quickly once we looked realistically at cost, quality of care, and lifestyle. We love Costa Rica and plan to make it our full-time home in the near future, but waiting until we’re there full-time limits our timeframe more than we’d like with a low ovarian reserve. While traveling back and forth would require flexibility, the numbers fit our budget and schedule. Even more compelling was the level of care and communication we encountered, starting with the first email to the clinic.

Flights

A few round-trip flights were manageable thanks to accumulated credit card points from my recent obsession with optimizing our spending on new cards to earn introductory bonuses. It’s called “credit card churning,” and many of you may already be savvy to it. It’s not illegal, and actually quite fun if you’re fairly organized and can spend responsibly without carrying a balance and paying the interest charges.

Consultation Call

We were not committing immediately, but we simply wanted to understand if IVF treatment in Costa Rica was a realistic option given our resources and time constraints with work. We scheduled a 30 minute Zoom consultation with Azul Fertility Experts, widely regarded as one of the top fertility clinics in the country. The cost was $50, and our consultation was with Dr. Marcos Azulay, the clinic’s founder and lead physician.

The conversation covered familiar ground. Medical history, prior testing, and next steps. But the tone was noticeably different. Big positive energy. Optimistic. Collaborative. It felt focused on possibility rather than urgency or fear, while setting realistic expectations at the same time. That conversation gave us enough confidence to book an in-person visit and plan our first trip to Costa Rica for medical tourism.

First Trip: IVF Consultations

In early January 2026, we made a four day trip to San José. The goal was simple. In-person consultation and updated testing. One of our biggest motivations for pursuing IVF treatment in Costa Rica was changing our surroundings. Instead of racing from work to home to doctor appointments and back again, we traded that rotation for waterfalls, volcanoes, sloths, monkeys, and fresh air.

Explore a little

During our first trip, we visited Poás Volcano, explored La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and spent time walking through museums and gardens around the city. Being in nature right before the consultation had a grounding effect we did not fully anticipate. IVF is emotionally demanding. We hadn’t done the hard stuff yet, but even the consultations can be stressful. Costa Rica offered space to slow down, breathe, and approach treatment with a different mindset.

For us, that shift alone made the initial experience worthwhile. We arrived on a redeye from LAX and pre-booked an Airbnb that offered luggage storage so we could drop our bags and ease into the day. We took an Uber to the Adobe Rent A Car office and started exploring the surrounding areas.

Azul Fertility Experts

We arrived at the clinic and were greeted by a friendly team at the front desk. There were several other couples in the waiting room, and we were clearly the only foreigners there. After completing the standard check-in paperwork, we were brought back for our first in-person meeting with Dr. Marcos Azulay. His energy and personality came through even more in person than during our earlier Zoom consultation. Anna had an ultrasound, and I provided a sample so they could evaluate my side of the equation as well. We talked through the options based on what was available at that point, knowing that many decisions would depend on bloodwork and additional testing.

Dr. Azulay was honest and encouraging without overpromising. The takeaway was simple. Let’s move forward and see what we can do. Having bloodwork, urine tests, and semen analysis available on site made the process efficient and straightforward. While it may seem like a long way to travel for baseline testing, the clinic relies on current tests performed in-house rather than older results from elsewhere. Overall, the experience felt professional, clear, and reassuring, and we were happy with how everything was handled up to that point.

IVF In Costa Rica: What’s Next?

About a week after returning home, we reconnected with the clinic to review results and outline next steps. Anna began a cycle of birth control to suppress the hormone production until we’re ready for the upcoming ovarian stimulation before the egg retrieval procedure. Flights were booked. Work schedules adjusted. And now we wait for the next phase to begin.

This was not a journey we expected to be on, but it is ours. We’re owning it and choose to approach it with curiosity and positivity.

I’m so grateful to be able to go through this with my wife and best friend, Anna, aka “Anita” in Costa Rica. We will continue updating this post with future trips, logistics, costs, and lessons learned along the way. If you are considering IVF treatment in Costa Rica and have questions, feel free to reach out.

You are not alone in this. Pura vida 🤙

Costs Of IVF in Costa Rica

The base cost for IVF treatment in Costa Rica is around USD $5,000 for the core procedure. This typically does not include medications, which can add another $1,500 to $2,000. Ultrasounds and bloodwork are sometimes billed separately as well.

All in, we are budgeting roughly $7,500 for the medical side once everything is included.

Estimated Medical Costs

• IVF procedure: $5,000

• Medications: $1,500 to $2,000

• Ultrasounds and bloodwork: varies

• Estimated medical total: ~$7,500

Estimated Lodging Costs

Accommodation in San José can range quite a bit, but for an updated and simple apartment in one of the newer residential buildings, expect $50 to $100 per night. On one trip, expect about three weeks in the country.

• Apartment-style stay: $50 to $100 per night

• Estimated lodging total: ~$1,500

Estimated Food Costs

There are plenty of small cafes and casual restaurants throughout the city. Like lodging, food costs can be kept low or scaled up depending on preference.

We budgeted about $60 to $80 per day for food, roughly $20 per meal. Over the course of the trip, that came out to about $1,500.

• Daily food budget: ~$70

• Estimated food total: ~$1,500

Flights and Number of Trips

Flights from the US to Costa Rica vary widely based on season and departure city. We chose to split the process into three separate trips, which worked best for our schedules and energy levels. It is also possible to complete IVF in one or two trips if you can spend a few uninterrupted weeks in San José. This is where having a rental car becomes especially useful.

If you have downtime between appointments, being able to leave the city and explore other parts of the country adds flexibility and helps break up the routine. We also explored using travel credit card bonuses to cover flights, which is a common strategy and a great way to reduce or even eliminate airfare costs.

Nearby destinations like Manuel Antonio, Puerto Viejo, or Playa Flamingo are all realistic add-ons depending on your timeline.

Total Estimated Cost (Not Including Flights)

• Medical costs: ~$7,500

• Lodging: ~$1,500

• Food: ~$1,500

👉 Estimated total: ~$10,500

This does not include flights, activities, or side trips. Optional excursions and short getaways will increase the total, but we strongly recommend them if your schedule allows. Stepping away from appointments and enjoying Costa Rica helped us manage stress and stay present during the process.

For us, $10,000 felt far more manageable than $30,000 back home, especially considering the quality of care and the experience itself. Being able to change our environment and approach IVF differently has been meaningful, and we hope sharing this helps others see that there are real alternatives worth exploring.

Travel Tip: Transportation

So, how do you get around for IVF Treatment in Costa Rica? For clinic appointments, Uber is incredibly easy. Most rides around the city cost between $5 and $10. In addition to the standard ultrasounds and blood work, Anna also needed a breast ultrasound at a facility on the other side of San José, which ended up being about a 20-minute Uber ride. Even for longer trips within the city, Uber remained affordable and stress free.

We met several amazing Uber drivers, including one we connected with enough to exchange information. We plan to use him as a private driver on future trips and are happy to share his contact information with others pursuing IVF in Costa Rica.

That said, we still strongly recommend renting a car for part of your trip. We usually rent from Adobe Rent a Car, a company we have used many times and trust. If you are traveling to Costa Rica for IVF, our recommendation is this:

• Use Uber for clinic days to reduce stress
• Rent a car to explore outside San José

Being able to step away from the city and immerse yourself in nature is a huge part of why Costa Rica works so well for treatment.

Travel Tip: Where To Stay?

Where to Stay for IVF Treatment in Costa Rica? Azul Fertility Experts is located in the Sabana neighborhood of San José. We’ve stayed at a few different places now, trying to balance convenience with affordability. Luckily, Sebana is home to a few larger apartment-home towers, with many options. The unit footprints aren’t big, but they provide a comfortable space that will fit most needs. We prefer Airbnb-style stays because:

• More space for longer visits
• Access to a kitchen
• A quieter, more residential feel
• Affordable (around USD $50-100 per night)

Where We’ve Stayed

Our first experience was at Nucleo Sabana, a modern residential complex with many Airbnb units. It was slightly farther than we initially expected, but Uber access made that a non-issue.

Next, we stayed at SECRT Sabana, a trendy, modern apartment building with a quirky Alice in Wonderland theme that runs throughout the building. We recommend this location, which is a 10-15 minute walk to the Azul Fertility clinic.

Sabana itself is very walkable, centered around a large park with restaurants and cafes. We felt safe walking at night, though Uber was still our go-to for convenience. For those who prefer hotels, there is a Crowne Plaza San José and Hilton San José near the park, both within walking distance of the clinic.

Common Questions

What clothing should I pack?

Everywhere in Costa Rica is scorching hot, right? Not even close. San Jose is a mountainous region in central Costa Rica, and it’s very moderate year-round. It’s also more formal than popular beach areas like Manuel Antonio and Playa Flamingo, so plan to wear pants and layer clothing to accommodate changing temperatures throughout the day.

Is Uber a thing there?

Using Uber as primary transportation in San Jose is the way to go. From our experience, it’s easy, affordable, and safe. Download and set up the Uber App before you arrive. Don’t forget to add a travel credit card with no international fees to avoid unnecessary charges. After booking an Uber, you’ll receive a PIN to give the driver to confirm it’s the vehicle you’re looking for.

Should I stay close to the clinic?

Yes! Azul Fertility Experts is located in the Sabana neighborhood. This area is very nice and home to the National Stadium, Sabana Public Park, and some very walkable surroundings. We recommend staying in Sabana to get a great balance of convenience and affordability.