Moving to Greece from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Greece — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Greece, you would find that Greece is 3.8% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,152,674 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly €60,774 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Costa Rica to Greece.
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,152,674 → €60,774
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.1% more
Groceries
pay 10.2% less
Transportation
pay 2.2% more
Housing
pay 21.6% more
Childcare
pay 22.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.4% more
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?
Real numbers on people moving from Costa Rica to Greece, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Greece stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Greece 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
Greece 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 Greece 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 Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Greece 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 Greece leads in life expectancy.
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 | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Free
Greece 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
Is it cheaper to live in Greece than Costa Rica?
Generally yes: Greece runs about 7% cheaper than Costa Rica on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC34,152,674 comparable salary, that's around €15,194 in Greece for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
With 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 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 Greece.
Is Greece safe for expats?
Greece performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to Costa Rica?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
