Moving to Arkansas from Costa Rica

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Costa Rica to Arkansas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Costa Rica to Arkansas, you would find that Arkansas is 31.5% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,152,674 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly $74,256 in Arkansas to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Costa Rica and Arkansas.

What does your salary buy?

CRC34,152,674 $74,256

To maintain the same standard of living in Arkansas

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 35.8% more

Groceries

pay 4.6% more

Transportation

pay 28.7% less

Housing

pay 76.2% more

Childcare

pay 2.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 42.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CRC = 0.0022 USD (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?

What the data shows about people moving from Costa Rica to Arkansas.

Moved in 2023
2,570 ↑ 18% vs 2022

people moved from Costa Rica to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Arkansas compared to Costa Rica.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

CR
25.7%
AR
38.3%

Costa Rica performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

CR
83.0%
AR
84.9%

Arkansas performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CR
8.3%
AR
4.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CR
$25,800
AR
$47,319

Arkansas performs significantly 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

CR
79.6 yrs
AR
73.8 yrs

Costa Rica performs better than Arkansas across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Little Rock Rain: 50.0 in/yr (1271 mm)
72° / 53°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months San Jose Little Rock
Jan–Mar 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) 56°/38°F (13°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) 80°/61°F (27°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) 89°/70°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) 62°/44°F (17°/7°C)
View all months
Month San Jose Little Rock
Jan 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C)
Feb 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C)
Mar 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C)
Apr 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C)
May 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C)
Jun 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C)
Jul 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C)
Sep 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C)
Oct 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C)
Nov 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C)
Dec 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C)

Data: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Instituto Meteorológico Nacional, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Costa Rica passport

Costa Rica passport holder visiting United States

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

United States passport holder visiting Costa Rica

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Costa Rica without a visa.

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 Arkansas than Costa Rica?

Arkansas and Costa Rica are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.

How much money do I need to move to Arkansas?

Budget about $18,564 for 3 months in Arkansas (based on a CRC34,152,674 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Arkansas?

From major Arkansas cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Costa Rica and Arkansas are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in Arkansas compared to Costa Rica?

Costa Rica performs better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Little Rock is 72°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Little Rock receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.

What language do they speak in Arkansas?

The official language in Arkansas is English. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

CR
Population 5,204,411 2,915,918
Currency Costa Rican Colón (CRC) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Spanish English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +506 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 911 911