Moving to Botswana from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Botswana — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Botswana, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Tswana. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Botswana 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 generally does better on safety, though Botswana leads in homicide rate.
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
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Botswana leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Costa Rica performs better than Botswana 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 Botswana 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
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Botswana leads in poverty 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Costa Rica generally does better on family life, though Botswana leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2015–2021), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), Botswana Unified Revenue Service (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Gaborone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 88°/66°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 77°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 79°/47°F (26°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Gaborone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 90°/67°F (32.5°/19.4°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.3°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 86°/63°F (30.2°/17.4°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.4°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 78°/47°F (25.4°/8.3°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 72°/40°F (22.5°/4.6°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 73°/40°F (22.8°/4.6°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 78°/46°F (25.7°/7.6°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 85°/54°F (29.6°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 88°/61°F (31.0°/16.2°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 89°/64°F (31.5°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 90°/66°F (32.3°/18.8°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Botswana Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Botswana. To live, work, or study long-term in Botswana, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Botswana's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Botswana
Visa Free
Botswana passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Botswana?
With 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Botswana can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Costa Rica and Botswana.
Is Botswana safe for expats?
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Botswana leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Botswana is 11.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Botswana compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Botswana leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Botswana, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. Botswana scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Botswana compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Gaborone is 83°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Gaborone receives around 21.7 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Botswana?
The official languages in Botswana are English and Tswana. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
