Moving to United Arab Emirates from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Considering a move from Costa Rica to United Arab Emirates? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Costa Rica to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 14.7% more expensive than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly AED326,628 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Abu Dhabi averages 93°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Costa Rica and United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → AED326,628
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 36.0% less
Groceries
pay 25.5% less
Transportation
pay 20.9% less
Housing
pay 89.0% more
Childcare
pay 9.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 87.9% 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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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in United Arab Emirates compared to Costa Rica.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates 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 performs better than United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica leads in water stress level.
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
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Costa Rica 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 United Arab Emirates leads in infant mortality.
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 | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Instituto Meteorológico NacionalVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and United Arab Emirates. To live, work, or study long-term in United Arab Emirates, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Arab Emirates's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Free
United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates than Costa Rica?
On average United Arab Emirates is around 19% pricier than Costa Rica, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
Budget about AED81,657 for 3 months in United Arab Emirates (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 United Arab Emirates?
Connectivity is usually fine (United Arab Emirates: 40.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does United Arab Emirates offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Costa Rica?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
