Moving to El Salvador from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to El Salvador — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to El Salvador. Expect a noticeable climate shift — San Salvador averages 87°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Costa Rica to El Salvador, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and El Salvador 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 El Salvador 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
El Salvador 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 generally does better on environment, though El Salvador leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 El Salvador across all infrastructure metrics.
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 El Salvador 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
Costa Rica performs better than El Salvador across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica, 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 | San Salvador |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 88°/68°F (31°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 86°/67°F (30°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | San Salvador |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.9°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 90°/64°F (32.0°/17.6°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 91°/65°F (32.7°/18.4°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 91°/68°F (32.7°/19.8°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 88°/69°F (31.1°/20.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 86°/68°F (30.1°/20.1°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 87°/67°F (30.3°/19.5°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 87°/67°F (30.4°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 86°/65°F (29.9°/18.4°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 86°/63°F (30.1°/17.4°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Gerencia de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and El Salvador. To live, work, or study long-term in El Salvador, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check El Salvador's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting El Salvador
Visa Free
El Salvador passport holder visiting Costa Rica
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 El Salvador?
With 10.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, El Salvador 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 El Salvador.
Is El Salvador safe for expats?
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though El Salvador leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in El Salvador is 7.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in El Salvador compared to Costa Rica?
El Salvador generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 15.5 doctors per 10,000 people in El Salvador, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. El Salvador scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in El Salvador compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in San Salvador is 87°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. San Salvador receives around 70.0 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in El Salvador?
Both Costa Rica and El Salvador share the same official language: Spanish.
