Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, sharing a maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island.
Wikipedia excerpt
Out of 100 on default weights.
Data Sources
4/6 live · 1 estimated · Data updated: Feb 2026Quick Decision Summary
Verdict
Consider alternatives
Score 43/100 · #53 globally
Biggest Strength
Affordability
Score: 79/100
Key Risk
career
Score: 49/100
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Why Costa Rica Matches You
Based on your default priorities, Costa Rica emerges as a highly competitive option. It is pushed to the top of your list primarily by its highly favorable Affordability, Healthcare, and Safety.
What you might give up:You should be aware of significant tradeoffs in Career, Infrastructure, and Education. This assumes a standard global baseline, but personal tolerance may vary.
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Baseline Score
43
Rank
#51
Your Match Score
46
Key Statistics
$18,587
GDP per Capita
PPP: $31,107
5.1M
Population
80.8 years
Life Expectancy
6.9%
Unemployment
17.7/100K
Homicide Rate
Stable
Political Stability
Index: 0.98
85%
Internet Access
Broadband: 22.5/100
Strong
Purchasing Power
PPP ratio: 1.67x
Score Overview
Strengths
79 Affordability
77 healthcare
Watch Out
49 career
51 infrastructure
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Data vintage: 2024Affordability
Derived from normalized relative GDP, PPP ratio, and real-estate proxy anchors.
Safety
Derived from homicide rate, political stability, and life expectancy.
Healthcare
UHC coverage, physician density, and life expectancy.
Career Opportunity
Driven by economic velocity and local workforce participation rates.
Why Costa Rica Excels
- • Territorial tax system benefits remote workers
- • Incredible biodiversity and natural beauty
- • Stable democracy with no military
- • Affordable, accessible healthcare
The Trade-offs
- • Poor road infrastructure outside the Central Valley
- • High cost of living relative to neighboring countries
- • Rainy season (May-November) is intense
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Financial Reality
Budget calculator, cost breakdown, tax overview & more
Your money goes roughly 145% further in Costa Rica compared to the US — significant purchasing power advantage.
Monthly Reality
Est. monthly costs based on your lifestyle in Costa Rica.
Cost Breakdown
Avg: 49/100 — ModerateHigher values = more affordable. Indices normalized 0-100 for Costa Rica. Source: Numbeo cost-of-living surveys, 2025-2026.
Monthly Budget Calculator
Estimates are approximations based on cost indices and PPP data. Actual costs vary by city, lifestyle, and personal choices.
Lifestyle Cost Planner
InteractiveHow much would your lifestyle cost in Costa Rica?
Remote worker, shared or studio apartment, eating out often
- Coworking membership included
- Mix of eating out & cooking
- Basic health insurance
Purchasing Power Calculator
InteractiveWhat does your money actually buy in Costa Rica?
Based on typical spending basket compared to US equivalent prices
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Healthcare, safety, culture, climate, transport & daily living
Quality of Life
Healthcare, safety, culture, climate, transport & daily living
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Costa Rica
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Match Score
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QoL
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data & Methodology
Live Sourcing: Data is actively fetched and cached daily from official institutional APIs. This ensures metrics like Cost of Living and Climate reflect objective trends, not outdated anecdotes.
Normalization (0-100): Disparate metrics (like GDP, Temperature, and PM2.5 levels) are harmonized to a standard 0 to 100 benchmark. We normalize directionally so that a score closer to 100 always indicates a "better" outcome according to standard quality-of-life frameworks.
User-Weighted Determinism: The final ranking dynamically shifts using the math of weighted averages based on the priorities you assign via the Find page.
Limitations: Local variations within Costa Rica can be severe. This report serves as a macro-level prioritization indicator, not financial or immigration advice.