Moving to Costa Rica from Cuba
What to Expect
Considering a move from Cuba to Costa Rica? Here's how the two countries compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Cuba to Costa Rica.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Cuba to Costa Rica.
Who's moving to Costa Rica?
Top countries of origin for Costa Rica's foreign-born residents.
- 350,854
- 28,214
- 25,530
- 16,682
- 15,209
- 13,711
- · · ·
-
7.6,908
Cuba
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Costa Rica compared to Cuba.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Cuba performs 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Cuba 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 significantly better than Cuba 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
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Cuba across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Cuba generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in gdp per capita.
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
Cuba performs better than Costa Rica across all family life metrics.
Data: 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 | Havana | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/66°F (26°/19°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Havana | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/65°F (25.8°/18.6°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.6°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 82°/67°F (27.6°/19.7°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 83°/70°F (28.6°/20.9°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 86°/72°F (29.8°/22.4°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.4°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 88°/75°F (31.3°/23.8°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/75°F (31.6°/24.1°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 85°/73°F (29.2°/23.0°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.5°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Instituto de Meteorología,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cuba and Costa Rica. To live, work, or study long-term in Costa Rica, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Costa Rica's immigration authority.
Cuba passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Required
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Cuba
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Costa Rica?
Connectivity is usually fine (Costa Rica: 21.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Costa Rica offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Cuba performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.4 in Cuba.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Cuba?
Cuba generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 94.3 in Cuba. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Cuba: 83).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Cuba?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 84°F in Havana. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Havana gets 46.8 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
Both Cuba and Costa Rica share the same official language: Spanish.
