Moving to Sweden from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Considering a move from Costa Rica to Sweden? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 19.1% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly SEK794,502 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Stockholm averages 52°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Costa Rica and Sweden.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → SEK794,502
To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 33.3% more
Groceries
pay 16.7% more
Transportation
pay 32.0% more
Housing
pay 19.0% more
Childcare
pay 63.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 67.3% more
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?
What the data shows about people moving from Costa Rica to Sweden.
people moved from Costa Rica to Sweden · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Sweden compared to Costa Rica.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden 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
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica 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 generally does better on environment, though Sweden leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Sweden performs significantly better than Costa Rica 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
Sweden generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in top income tax 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
Sweden performs significantly better than Costa Rica 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 | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Sweden. To live, work, or study long-term in Sweden, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sweden's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa Free
Sweden 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 Sweden than Costa Rica?
On average Sweden is around 10% pricier than Costa Rica, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Sweden?
Budget about SEK198,626 for 3 months in Sweden (based on a CRC33,997,640 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Sweden?
Connectivity is usually fine (Sweden: 40.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Sweden offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Sweden safe for expats?
Sweden performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Costa Rica?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 71.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Sweden?
The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
