Moving to Mongolia from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Mongolia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Mongolia, and you’d need to navigate life in Mongolian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ulaanbaatar averages 44°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly cooler.
Get free moving quotes to Mongolia
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Mongolia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Mongolia 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
Mongolia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica 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 performs better than Mongolia 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
Mongolia generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica 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 Mongolia 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 generally does better on family life, though Mongolia 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 | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 17°/-5°F (-9°/-21°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 62°/37°F (17°/3°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 26°/6°F (-4°/-15°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 4°/-15°F (-15.5°/-26.1°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 15°/-8°F (-9.6°/-22.3°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 31°/8°F (-0.6°/-13.6°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 49°/24°F (9.7°/-4.4°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 73°/49°F (22.7°/9.5°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 72°/51°F (22.4°/10.5°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 62°/38°F (16.8°/3.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 46°/23°F (7.7°/-4.8°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 23°/4°F (-4.8°/-15.7°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 8°/-10°F (-13.5°/-23.1°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Mongolia. To live, work, or study long-term in Mongolia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Mongolia's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Mongolia
Visa Required
Mongolia 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
Can I work remotely from Mongolia?
With 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mongolia 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 Mongolia.
Is Mongolia safe for expats?
Mongolia performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Mongolia is 5.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Mongolia compared to Costa Rica?
Mongolia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in health coverage index. There are 38.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Mongolia, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Mongolia scores 65 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Mongolia compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Ulaanbaatar is 44°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Ulaanbaatar receives around 10.6 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Mongolia?
The official language in Mongolia is Mongolian. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
