Moving to Costa Rica from Dominican Republic
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Dominican Republic to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Dominican Republic to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 59.8% more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,410,680 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly CRC50,622,566 in Costa Rica to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — San Jose averages 77°F vs 87°F in Santo Domingo, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Dominican Republic to Costa Rica. What does your salary buy? DOP4,410,680 → CRC50,622,566 To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 90.3% more Groceries pay 61.1% more Transportation pay 25.3% more Housing pay 50.6% more Childcare pay 2.2 times more Entertainment and Sports pay 52.8% 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. We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. Real numbers on people moving from Dominican Republic to Costa Rica, and how the trend has changed. people born in Dominican Republic live in Costa Rica · UN DESA Top countries of origin for Costa Rica's foreign-born residents. How Dominican Republic and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. per 100,000 people per year per 100,000 people per year Dominican Republic generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in road traffic deaths. 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 Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person. deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year Costa Rica performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all environment metrics. 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Dominican Republic leads in internet access. 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 Dominican Republic generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in gdp per capita. 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 significantly better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics. Data: Direccion General de Impuestos Internos, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Short-stay tourist visa rules between Dominican Republic 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. Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Costa Rica Costa Rica passport holder visiting Dominican Republic Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Day-to-day costs in Costa Rica run about 49% higher than Dominican Republic on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a DOP4,410,680 comparable salary, that's around CRC12,655,642 in Costa Rica for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees. 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 Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Dominican Republic generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.4 in Dominican Republic. Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 22.3 in Dominican Republic. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Dominican Republic: 77). The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in. 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What's the Climate Like?
Months Santo Domingo San Jose Jan–Mar 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) Apr–Jun 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) Jul–Sep 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) Oct–Dec 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) View all months
Month Santo Domingo San Jose Jan 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) Feb 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) Mar 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) Apr 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) May 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) Jun 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) Jul 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) Aug 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) Sep 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) Oct 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) Nov 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) Dec 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) 
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá, 
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Visitor Visa Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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