These are ants of scrubby vegetation and synanthropic habitats that can be expected in any low to midelevation area of human habitation in Costa Rica. Cardiocondyla obscurior tends to be arboreal, nesting in plant cavities in low vegetation. Most other Cardiocondyla nest in the ground (Seifert 2003).

I collected this species from a treetrunk in front of the Juan Santa Maria International Airport, in a landscaped area. Joel Dunn collected a nest from the domatium of a Cordia alliodora tree at La Selva Biological Station. John Noyes collected workers in sweep samples from La Selva.