Country profile · Rank 82 of 108 · Primed
Costa Rica compute capacity
Costa Rica runs about 50 MW of live datacenter capacity as of 7 September 2026, a Gross Domestic Compute of $2.5B (an estimate). Its identified energy resource could host about 15 GW of AI compute, a ceiling worth $900B to $1.2T at today's price of a gigawatt, about 12 times its $103B GDP. The bankable slice today, discounted mainly for capital markets and governance, is $148B, or $28,536 per person. Costa Rica is primed, ranked 82 of 108 countries by unlockable value.
Key numbers
| Live datacenter capacity | 50 MW | IT capacity, mid-2026. Estimate: below the top 35 markets. |
|---|---|---|
| Live compute (GDC) | $2.5B | Live GW × $50B, the central price of an AI factory. |
| Resource ceiling | 15 GW | Identified hydro, geothermal, solar, wind and surplus fossil resource. |
| Ceiling value | $900B to $1.2T | Ceiling GW × $60 to 80B per GW, NVIDIA's all-in figure. |
| Ceiling as a multiple of GDP | 12× | High end over nominal GDP of $103B (IMF). |
| Unlockable value | $148B | Firm untapped GW × $50B × readiness. The bankable slice. |
| Unlockable per person | $28,536 | IMF population, 2026. |
| Built | 17.7% | Hydro and geothermal already installed, over the ceiling. |
| Readiness | 70% | Eight-part discount. Binding: capital markets and governance. |
| Conversion score | 15 | 0 to 100. Unchanged since 19 Aug. |
| Tier | Primed | Readiness 65% or better with a ceiling at least 3× GDP. Ready, with real headroom left to build. |
| Rank | 82 of 108 | By unlockable value. 15 of 18 in Americas. |
Three numbers, one scale
Ceiling is what the endowment could host; unlockable is the slice underwriters would sign today; live compute is what runs. Drawn on one linear scale on purpose: the gap is the point.
Projects on the ground
No sovereign AI factory for Costa Rica is on the register yet. Announcements, contracts and stalls are tracked as reported; send one to the desk.
Americas: how Costa Rica compares
| # | Country | Unlockable | Live compute | Readiness | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | $6.4T | $2.0T | 83% | Incumbent |
| 3 |  Canada | $4.5T | $70B | 95% | Primed |
| 4 |  Brazil | $3.8T | $45B | 74% | Primed |
| 7 |  Argentina | $1.9T | $3.5B | 61% | Sleeping Giant |
| 11 |  Mexico | $1.4T | $20B | 64% | Emerging Upside |
| 13 |  Peru | $1.1T | $2.5B | 54% | Sleeping Giant |
| 19 |  Chile | $711B | $15B | 77% | Primed |
| 23 |  Bolivia | $636B | under $1B | 47% | Sleeping Giant |
| 24 |  Colombia | $618B | $7.5B | 63% | Sleeping Giant |
| 40 |  Ecuador | $363B | $1.0B | 45% | Sleeping Giant |
| 57 |  Guyana | $261B | under $1B | 45% | Sleeping Giant |
| 60 |  Venezuela | $238B | $1.0B | 23% | Sleeping Giant |
| 63 |  Uruguay | $214B | $2.5B | 77% | Primed |
| 72 |  Paraguay | $183B | under $1B | 54% | Sleeping Giant |
| 82 | Costa Rica | $148B | $2.5B | 70% | Primed |
| 94 |  Guatemala | $60B | $1.0B | 52% | Emerging Upside |
| 96 |  Suriname | $37B | under $1B | 47% | Emerging Upside |
| 102 |  Panama | $21B | $3.0B | 61% | Emerging Upside |
What compute costs right now
The price of the silicon a country would host, from the tape. Labeled buy-now prints from named venues.
Questions people ask
How much data center capacity does Costa Rica have?
Costa Rica runs about 50 MW of live datacenter IT capacity as of 7 Sep 2026, an estimate: country totals below the top 35 markets are estimated. Valued at $50B per gigawatt, that is a Gross Domestic Compute of $2.5B.
What is Costa Rica's compute net worth?
The ceiling is $900B to $1.2T: 15 GW of identified hydro, geothermal, solar, wind and surplus fossil resource valued at $60 to 80B per gigawatt, NVIDIA's all-in figure for an AI factory. That is 12 times Costa Rica's $103B GDP. The bankable slice today, after a readiness discount of 70%, is $148B.
What holds Costa Rica back from converting its energy into compute?
Readiness scores 70% on an eight-part discount stack (governance, stability, GPU access, grid, fiber, momentum, physical conditions and capital access). For Costa Rica the binding discounts are capital markets and governance. It has built 17.7% of its ceiling as generating capacity, and its conversion score is 15 of 100.
How does Costa Rica compare with its neighbours?
Costa Rica ranks 82 of 108 countries by unlockable value, and 15 of 18 in Americas. The regional leader is United States at $6.4T unlockable and $2.0T of live compute.
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