Moving to Venezuela from Costa Rica

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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 37.5% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly VEF473,859 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.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Costa Rica to Venezuela.

What does your salary buy?

CRC33,997,640 VEF473,859

To maintain the same standard of living in Venezuela

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 22.4% less

Groceries

pay 17.6% less

Transportation

pay 24.5% less

Housing

pay 63.8% less

Childcare

pay 69.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 40.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CRC = 0.022 VEF (July 2026)

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.

Living there in 2020
1,061 ↓ 6% vs 2015

people born in Costa Rica live in Venezuela · UN DESA

Who's moving to Venezuela?

Top countries of origin for Venezuela's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Venezuela.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

CR
17.4
VE
12.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CR
15.5
VE
13.2

Venezuela performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

CR
$1,928
VE
$186
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

CR
26.4
VE
16.6

Venezuela generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

CR
15.0
VE
32.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CR
1.6t
VE
3.4t

Costa Rica performs better than Venezuela across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CR
21.3
VE
9.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CR
5.9%
VE
7.5%

Costa Rica performs better than Venezuela across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

CR
8.3%
VE
5.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

CR
$25,800
VE
$7,704

Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Venezuela leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CR
79.6 yrs
VE
73.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CR
8.4
VE
17.7

Costa Rica performs better than Venezuela 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.

San Jose Rain: 73.5 in/yr (1866 mm)
77° / 61°F

Avg. annual high / low

Caracas Rain: 35.9 in/yr (913 mm)
86° / 61°F

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 Meteorológico Nacional, Instituto Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (INAMEH) 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

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Venezuela

Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holders can enter Venezuela without a visa.
Venezuela passport

Venezuela passport holder visiting Costa Rica

Visa Required
Venezuela passport holders need a visa to enter Costa Rica.

Data: 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 37% 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 VEF118,465 in Venezuela on a CRC33,997,640 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 9.6 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 12.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.

How is healthcare in Venezuela compared to Costa Rica?

Venezuela generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 16.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Venezuela, compared to 26.4 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.

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At a Glance

CR VE
Population 5,204,411 29,789,730
Currency Costa Rican Colón (CRC) Venezuelan Bolívar Fuerte (VEF)
Languages Spanish Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +506 +58
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 171