Moving to Costa Rica from Belarus

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belarus to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Belarus to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 2.4 times more expensive than Belarus overall. A BYN214,615 salary in Belarus would need to be roughly CRC67,569,926 in Costa Rica to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — San Jose averages 77°F vs 50°F in Minsk, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Belarus to Costa Rica.

What does your salary buy?

BYN214,615 CRC67,569,926

To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.6 times more

Groceries

pay 2.8 times more

Transportation

pay 3.0 times more

Housing

pay 2.9 times more

Childcare

pay 52.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.5 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BYN = 159.13 CRC (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Belarus to Costa Rica, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
6 ↑ 20% vs 2015

people born in Belarus live in Costa Rica · UN DESA

Who's moving to Costa Rica?

Top countries of origin for Costa Rica's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Belarus and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BY
2.3
CR
17.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BY
7.4
CR
15.5

Belarus performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BY
$2,194
CR
$1,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BY
44.7
CR
26.4

Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belarus leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BY
68.0
CR
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BY
5.9t
CR
1.6t

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Belarus across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BY
32.8
CR
21.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BY
4.7%
CR
5.9%

Belarus performs better than Costa Rica across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

BY
3.6%
CR
8.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

BY
$27,700
CR
$25,800

Belarus performs better than Costa Rica across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

BY
74.3 yrs
CR
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BY
3.3
CR
8.4

Belarus generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in life expectancy.

Data: Ministry for Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Minsk Rain: 26.7 in/yr (677 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

San Jose Rain: 73.5 in/yr (1866 mm)
77° / 61°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Minsk San Jose
Jan–Mar 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) 75°/60°F (24°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) 78°/62°F (26°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 68°/51°F (20°/11°C) 77°/62°F (25°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) 76°/61°F (24°/16°C)
View all months
Month Minsk San Jose
Jan 24°/14°F (-4.2°/-9.8°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C)
Feb 28°/16°F (-2.5°/-8.9°C) 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C)
Mar 36°/23°F (2.4°/-4.8°C) 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C)
Apr 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.8°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C)
May 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C)
Jun 70°/52°F (21.3°/11.1°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C)
Jul 72°/55°F (22.3°/12.6°C) 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.7°C) 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C)
Sep 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.8°C) 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C)
Oct 50°/38°F (9.9°/3.3°C) 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.1°/-1.3°C) 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C)
Dec 29°/21°F (-1.5°/-6.2°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C)

Data: Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and enviromental monitoring, Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Instituto Meteorológico Nacional

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belarus 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.

Belarus passport

Belarus passport holder visiting Costa Rica

Visa Required
Belarus passport holders need a visa to enter Costa Rica.
Costa Rica passport

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Belarus

Visa Required
Costa Rica passport holders need a visa to enter Belarus.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Costa Rica than Belarus?

Day-to-day costs in Costa Rica run about 98% higher than Belarus on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Costa Rica?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BYN214,615 comparable salary, that's around CRC16,892,482 in Costa Rica for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

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 Belarus and Costa Rica.

Is Costa Rica safe for expats?

Belarus performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Belarus.

How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Belarus?

Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belarus leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 44.7 in Belarus. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belarus: 79).

What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Belarus?

The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 50°F in Minsk. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Minsk gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Costa Rica?

The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Belarus, the official languages are Belarusian and Russian.

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At a Glance

BY CR
Population 9,413,505 5,204,411
Currency New Belarusian Ruble (BYN) Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Languages Belarusian, Russian Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +375 +506
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 911