Moving to Israel from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Israel — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Israel, you would find that Israel is 53.0% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly ₪317,953 in Israel to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Hebrew.
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 Israel.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → ₪317,953
To maintain the same standard of living in Israel
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 72.2% more
Groceries
pay 10.6% more
Transportation
pay 19.9% more
Housing
pay 71.6% more
Childcare
pay 63.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 91.3% 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 Israel, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Israel stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Israel 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
Israel 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 Israel 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
Israel generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica 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
Israel generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in top income tax 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
Israel generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in literacy rate.
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 | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 58°/46°F (15°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 78°/60°F (25°/15°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 68°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 55°/44°F (12.8°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 57°/45°F (13.8°/7.1°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 63°/49°F (17.0°/9.2°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.1°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.0°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 86°/68°F (30.0°/20.2°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 86°/68°F (29.9°/20.0°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 83°/66°F (28.4°/18.7°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 78°/62°F (25.3°/16.8°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 68°/55°F (19.9°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 59°/48°F (15.2°/9.0°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Israel Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Israel. To live, work, or study long-term in Israel, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Israel's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Israel
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Israel 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 Israel than Costa Rica?
Day-to-day costs in Israel run about 40% higher than Costa Rica on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Israel?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC33,997,640 comparable salary, that's around ₪79,488 in Israel for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Israel?
With 29.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Israel 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 Israel.
Is Israel safe for expats?
Israel performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Israel is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Israel compared to Costa Rica?
Israel generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 37.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Israel, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Israel scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Israel compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Jerusalem is 72°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Jerusalem receives around 21.1 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Israel?
The official languages in Israel are Arabic and Hebrew. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
