Moving to Costa Rica from Dominica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Dominica to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Dominica to Costa Rica, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Dominica to Costa Rica, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
99.6
Dominica
Key Indicator Comparison
How Dominica and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Dominica 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
share of adults with obesity
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominica leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Dominica performs better than Costa Rica across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Dominica 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
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Dominica 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
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Dominica 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 | Roseau | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 82°/71°F (28°/22°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/74°F (30°/24°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/76°F (30°/24°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/73°F (29°/23°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Roseau | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/71°F (28.0°/21.8°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 82°/71°F (28.0°/21.6°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 83°/71°F (28.4°/21.8°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 84°/72°F (29.1°/22.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 85°/75°F (29.6°/23.7°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 86°/76°F (30.1°/24.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.6°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.8°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 84°/74°F (29.0°/23.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 83°/72°F (28.6°/22.2°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Instituto Meteorológico NacionalVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Dominica 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.
Dominica passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Dominica
Visa FreeData: 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?
With 21.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Costa Rica can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Dominica and Costa Rica.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Dominica performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 13.8 in Dominica.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Dominica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 11.2 in Dominica. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Dominica: 49).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Dominica?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 85°F in Roseau. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Roseau gets 101.4 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Dominica, the official language is English.
