Moving to Louisiana from Costa Rica

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Costa Rica to Louisiana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Costa Rica to Louisiana, you would find that Louisiana is 31.2% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly $78,693 in Louisiana to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Costa Rica to Louisiana.

What does your salary buy?

CRC33,997,640 $78,693

To maintain the same standard of living in Louisiana

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 28.6% more

Groceries

pay 18.0% more

Transportation

pay 20.9% less

Housing

pay 70.8% more

Childcare

pay 92.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 44.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CRC = 0.0022 USD (July 2026)

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?

How many people actually move from Costa Rica to Louisiana, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
2,570 ↑ 18% vs 2022

people moved from Costa Rica to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Louisiana.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

CR
25.7%
LA
40.6%

Costa Rica performs better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

CR
83.0%
LA
84.9%

Louisiana performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CR
8.3%
LA
3.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CR
$25,800
LA
$55,662

Louisiana performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CR
79.6 yrs
LA
73.1 yrs

Costa Rica performs better than Louisiana across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

San Jose Rain: 73.5 in/yr (1866 mm)
77° / 61°F

Avg. annual high / low

Baton Rouge Rain: 60.6 in/yr (1540 mm)
79° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months San Jose Baton Rouge
Jan–Mar 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) 67°/45°F (19°/7°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) 85°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) 91°/72°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) 72°/50°F (22°/10°C)
View all months
Month San Jose Baton Rouge
Jan 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C)
Feb 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C)
Mar 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) 73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C)
Apr 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) 79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C)
May 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C)
Jun 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) 91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C)
Jul 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) 92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C)
Aug 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) 92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C)
Sep 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) 89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C)
Oct 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C)
Nov 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Dec 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) 64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C)

Data: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Instituto Meteorológico Nacional, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Costa Rica passport

Costa Rica passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Costa Rica passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Costa Rica

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Costa Rica without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Louisiana than Costa Rica?

No — Louisiana is on average about 5% more expensive than Costa Rica. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Louisiana?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,673 in Louisiana on a CRC33,997,640 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Louisiana?

Usually fine from major cities in Louisiana. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Louisiana compared to Costa Rica?

Costa Rica performs better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Louisiana compared to Costa Rica?

The average high temperature in Baton Rouge is 79°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Baton Rouge receives around 60.6 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.

What language do they speak in Louisiana?

The official language in Louisiana is English. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

CR
Population 5,204,411 4,533,372
Currency Costa Rican Colón (CRC) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Spanish English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +506 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 911 911