Moving to Japan from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Costa Rica to Japan — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Japan, you would find that Japan is 24.6% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly ¥8,900,000 in Japan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Japanese. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Japan cheaper than Costa Rica?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 47.9% less
Groceries
pay 14.9% less
Transportation
pay 10.7% less
Housing
pay 27.2% less
Childcare
pay 31.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.8% 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 Japan?
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → ¥8,900,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Japan
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Costa Rica to Japan, based on official data.
Who's moving to Japan?
Top countries of origin for Japan's foreign-born residents.
- 775,893
- 456,203
- 335,668
- 275,252
- 204,814
- 58,340
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Japan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan 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 Japan leads in health coverage index.
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 Japan leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Japan 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
Japan 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
Japan generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
Weather in Japan vs Costa Rica
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Japan Meteorological Agency
Can you move from Costa Rica to Japan?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Japan. To live, work, or study long-term in Japan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Japan's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Free
Japan 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 Japan than Costa Rica?
Yes — Japan is on average about 25% cheaper than Costa Rica. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Japan?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ¥2,225,000 in Japan on a CRC34,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Japan?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Japan safe for expats?
Japan performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Japan is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Japan compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
