Moving to India from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to India — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to India, you would find that India is 77.6% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly ₹1,590,000 in India to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Hindi and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Delhi averages 88°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is India cheaper than Costa Rica?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 78.8% less
Groceries
pay 76.4% less
Transportation
pay 62.5% less
Housing
pay 83.5% less
Childcare
pay 91.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 60.8% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in India?
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → ₹1,590,000
To maintain the same standard of living in India
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and India stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
India 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
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India 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 India 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 India 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 India 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 India across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2011–2021), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in India vs Costa Rica
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
India Meteorological Department
Can you move from Costa Rica to India?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and India. To live, work, or study long-term in India, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check India's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting India
Visa Online (e-Visa)
India 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
Is it cheaper to live in India than Costa Rica?
Generally yes: India runs about 78% cheaper than Costa Rica on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to India?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC34,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ₹397,500 in India for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from India?
With 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, India 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 India.
Is India safe for expats?
India performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in India is 2.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in India compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people in India, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. India scores 63 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in India compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Delhi is 88°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Delhi receives around 28.2 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in India?
The official languages in India are English, Hindi and Tamil. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
