Moving to Costa Rica from Bolivia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bolivia to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Bolivia to Costa Rica.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Bolivia 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
- · · ·
-
27.442
Bolivia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Bolivia 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
Bolivia generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in road traffic deaths.
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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Bolivia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Costa Rica generally does better on infrastructure, though Bolivia leads in water stress level.
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
share of people below the poverty line
Bolivia generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in gdp per capita.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Costa Rica generally does better on family life, though Bolivia leads in education spending.
Data: Autoridad de Impugnación Tributaria (AIT), Bolivia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bolivia 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.
Bolivia passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Bolivia
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 Bolivia and Costa Rica.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Bolivia generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Bolivia.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Bolivia?
Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 12.7 in Bolivia. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bolivia: 65).
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Bolivia, the official languages are Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua and Spanish.
