Moving to Venezuela from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Costa Rica to Venezuela — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Venezuela, you would find that Venezuela is 53.5% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly VEF346,000 in Venezuela to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Caracas averages 86°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Costa Rica to Venezuela.
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → VEF346,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Venezuela
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 21.0% less
Groceries
pay 28.9% less
Transportation
pay 34.9% less
Housing
pay 72.8% less
Childcare
pay 81.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.3% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Costa Rica to Venezuela, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Venezuela.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Venezuela 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
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Venezuela 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 Venezuela 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 performs better than Venezuela 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
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Venezuela leads in unemployment 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 Venezuela across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), Ministerio del Poder Popular de Finanzas, SENIAT (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Caracas |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 87°/58°F (31°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 88°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 86°/62°F (30°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 84°/60°F (29°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Caracas |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 84°/56°F (29.0°/13.1°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 88°/58°F (31.0°/14.5°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 89°/60°F (31.7°/15.3°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 88°/61°F (31.1°/16.2°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 89°/65°F (31.8°/18.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 88°/62°F (31.0°/16.9°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 85°/62°F (29.3°/16.6°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 86°/62°F (30.1°/16.8°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 85°/62°F (29.7°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.7°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 83°/58°F (28.4°/14.2°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMEH)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Venezuela. To live, work, or study long-term in Venezuela, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Venezuela's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Venezuela
Visa Free
Venezuela passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Venezuela than Costa Rica?
Yes — Venezuela is on average about 53% cheaper than Costa Rica. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Venezuela?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly VEF86,500 in Venezuela on a CRC34,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Venezuela?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Venezuela has 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Venezuela safe for expats?
Venezuela performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Venezuela is 12.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Venezuela compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Venezuela leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 16.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Venezuela, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. Venezuela scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Venezuela compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Caracas is 86°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Caracas receives around 35.9 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Venezuela?
Both Costa Rica and Venezuela share the same official language: Spanish.
