A note on How Property Prices and Building Costs Are Measured

Sellers of land use four ways to state the size of their parcels. For smaller parcels, the size is expressed in terms of square meters; the size of larger parcels of land is expressed either in terms of hectares, manzanas (increasingly less common), and acres. So that you can better compare between multiple properties, it’s best to convert all prices into price per square meter:

1 hectare = 10,000 square meters

1 manzana = 7,000 square meters

1 acre = 4,047 square meters

If you are from the U.S., and would like to convert measurements into acres or yards or feet, see the conversion table in Chapter 18.

Somewhat confusingly, construction costs in Costa Rica are often cited in terms of cost per square foot; you can also use the conversion table to convert from square feet to the metric system.