Moving to Cuba from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Cuba — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Cuba.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Cuba stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Cuba performs significantly better than Costa Rica 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Cuba generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica 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 Cuba 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 performs better than Cuba across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Cuba 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Cuba generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in life expectancy.
Data: 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 | San Jose | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 80°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 78°/65°F (25.8°/18.6°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.6°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 82°/67°F (27.6°/19.7°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 83°/70°F (28.6°/20.9°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 86°/72°F (29.8°/22.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 88°/75°F (31.3°/23.8°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 89°/75°F (31.6°/24.1°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 85°/73°F (29.2°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.5°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Instituto de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Cuba. To live, work, or study long-term in Cuba, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cuba's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Cuba
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Cuba 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 Cuba?
With 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cuba 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 Cuba.
Is Cuba safe for expats?
Cuba performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Cuba is 4.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Cuba compared to Costa Rica?
Cuba generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 94.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Cuba, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Cuba scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Cuba compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Havana is 84°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Havana receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Cuba?
Both Costa Rica and Cuba share the same official language: Spanish.
