Moving to Texas from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Texas — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Texas, you would find that Texas is 43.6% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,152,674 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly $81,393 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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 Texas.
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,152,674 → $81,393
To maintain the same standard of living in Texas
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 39.6% more
Groceries
pay 13.5% more
Transportation
pay 6.3% less
Housing
pay 93.3% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.4% 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Costa Rica to Texas, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Costa Rica to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
67.96,903
Costa Rica
Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Texas stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Costa Rica performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Texas 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
share of people below the poverty line
Texas performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Costa Rica performs better than Texas across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 Texas than Costa Rica?
Day-to-day costs in Texas run about 9% higher than Costa Rica on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Texas?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC34,152,674 comparable salary, that's around $20,348 in Texas for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Texas?
Working remotely from Texas's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Costa Rica and Texas.
How is healthcare in Texas compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Texas compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Texas?
The official language in Texas is English. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
