Moving to Paraguay from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Paraguay — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Paraguay, you would find that Paraguay is 51.6% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly PYG222,082,467 in Paraguay to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Costa Rica to Paraguay.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → PYG222,082,467
To maintain the same standard of living in Paraguay
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 58.1% less
Groceries
pay 50.5% less
Transportation
pay 48.0% less
Housing
pay 55.0% less
Childcare
pay 72.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.7% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Paraguay stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Paraguay leads in homicide rate.
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
Paraguay 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 generally does better on environment, though Paraguay leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 Paraguay 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
share of people below the poverty line
Paraguay generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in gdp per capita.
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 Paraguay across all family life metrics.
Data: 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 | Asuncion |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 91°/72°F (33°/22°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 78°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 77°/58°F (25°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 87°/68°F (31°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Asuncion |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 92°/73°F (33.5°/22.8°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 91°/72°F (32.6°/22.3°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 89°/70°F (31.6°/21.3°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.6°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 74°/56°F (23.2°/13.1°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 77°/58°F (24.8°/14.3°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 80°/61°F (26.4°/15.9°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.6°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 87°/68°F (30.7°/20.1°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 90°/71°F (32.3°/21.8°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Dirección de Meteorología e Hidrología (DMH)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Paraguay. To live, work, or study long-term in Paraguay, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Paraguay's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Paraguay
Visa Free
Paraguay 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 Paraguay than Costa Rica?
Generally yes: Paraguay runs about 51% cheaper than Costa Rica on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Paraguay?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC33,997,640 comparable salary, that's around PYG55,520,617 in Paraguay for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Paraguay?
With 10.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Paraguay 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 Paraguay.
Is Paraguay safe for expats?
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Paraguay leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Paraguay is 7.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Paraguay compared to Costa Rica?
Paraguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in health coverage index. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Paraguay, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Paraguay scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Paraguay compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Asuncion is 83°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Asuncion receives around 55.2 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Paraguay?
The official languages in Paraguay are Guaraní and Spanish. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
