Moving to Peru from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Peru — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Peru, you would find that Peru is 39.7% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly PEN140,835 in Peru to maintain the same lifestyle.
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 Peru.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → PEN140,835
To maintain the same standard of living in Peru
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 53.4% less
Groceries
pay 40.0% less
Transportation
pay 25.9% less
Housing
pay 49.4% less
Childcare
pay 58.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.7% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Costa Rica to Peru, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Peru stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Peru 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
Peru generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 Peru 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
Costa Rica performs better than Peru across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Peru 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 performs better than Peru across all family life metrics.
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 | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 66°/58°F (19°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 78°/66°F (25.8°/19.1°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.4°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 79°/67°F (26.0°/19.2°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 76°/64°F (24.3°/17.6°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 71°/61°F (21.7°/16.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 67°/60°F (19.7°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 66°/59°F (18.7°/15.0°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 65°/58°F (18.4°/14.6°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 66°/58°F (18.7°/14.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 68°/59°F (19.9°/15.2°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 71°/62°F (21.9°/16.4°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 75°/64°F (23.9°/17.7°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Peru. To live, work, or study long-term in Peru, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Peru's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Peru
Visa Free
Peru 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 Peru than Costa Rica?
Generally yes: Peru runs about 45% cheaper than Costa Rica on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Peru?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC33,997,640 comparable salary, that's around PEN35,209 in Peru for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Peru?
With 9.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Peru 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 Peru.
Is Peru safe for expats?
Peru performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Peru is 5.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Peru compared to Costa Rica?
Peru generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Peru, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Peru scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Peru compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Lima is 72°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Lima receives around 0.5 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Peru?
The official languages in Peru are Aymara, Quechua and Spanish. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
