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 34.0% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly ZAR816,000 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.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Africa cheaper than Costa Rica?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 33.6% less
Groceries
pay 45.0% less
Transportation
pay 0.6% more
Housing
pay 34.0% less
Childcare
pay 68.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.7% 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.
What salary do you need in South Africa?
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → ZAR816,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to South Africa
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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 performs better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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 South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Costa Rica
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Costa Rica to South Africa?
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 34% 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 CRC34,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ZAR204,000 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
With 5.3 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 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 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 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 26.9 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 Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 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 | 5,152,950 | 64,747,319 |
| 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 |