Moving to South Africa from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 32.7% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly ZAR766,303 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Costa Rica to South Africa.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → ZAR766,303
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 37.1% less
Groceries
pay 39.2% less
Transportation
pay 22.2% less
Housing
pay 16.5% less
Childcare
pay 62.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.5% 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 South Africa 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 performs better than South Africa 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 South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
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 South Africa 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa leads in electricity per capita.
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 South Africa leads in poverty 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 South Africa 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 | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Pretoria |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
South African Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa 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 South Africa than Costa Rica?
Generally yes: South Africa runs about 38% cheaper than Costa Rica on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC33,997,640 comparable salary, that's around ZAR191,576 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
With 3.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Africa 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 South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Costa Rica performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 45.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 8.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Pretoria is 77°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Pretoria receives around 27.0 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
Compare further: Costa Rica vs. South Africa
At a Glance
CR
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,204,411 | 57,516,665 |
| Currency | Costa Rican Colón (CRC) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Spanish | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +506 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 911 | 10111 |