Moving to Costa Rica from Bahamas
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bahamas to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Bahamas to Costa Rica, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Bahamas to Costa Rica, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Costa Rica?
Top countries of origin for Costa Rica's foreign-born residents.
- 350,854
- 28,214
- 25,530
- 16,682
- 15,209
- 13,711
- · · ·
-
73.14
Bahamas
Key Indicator Comparison
How Bahamas and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Bahamas across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bahamas leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Bahamas generally does better on environment, though Costa Rica leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Bahamas across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Bahamas generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Bahamas across all family life metrics.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Bahamas, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Nassau | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/63°F (26°/17°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/75°F (32°/24°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 83°/69°F (28°/20°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nassau | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/63°F (25.6°/17.1°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 78°/63°F (25.7°/17.3°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 80°/64°F (26.7°/17.9°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 82°/67°F (27.9°/19.3°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 85°/70°F (29.6°/21.1°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 88°/73°F (31.1°/23.0°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 90°/75°F (32.0°/23.7°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.8°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 89°/74°F (31.5°/23.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 86°/72°F (30.0°/22.3°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 82°/69°F (28.0°/20.5°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.4°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Instituto Meteorológico NacionalVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bahamas and Costa Rica. To live, work, or study long-term in Costa Rica, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Costa Rica's immigration authority.
Bahamas passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Bahamas
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Costa Rica?
With 21.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Costa Rica can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Bahamas and Costa Rica.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Bahamas across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 31.2 in Bahamas.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Bahamas?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bahamas leads in suicide rate. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 18.5 in Bahamas. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bahamas: 77).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Bahamas?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 84°F in Nassau. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Nassau gets 55.0 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Bahamas, the official language is English.
