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 49.9% more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,600,000 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly CRC51,100,000 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.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Costa Rica cheaper than Dominican Republic?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 64.3% more
Groceries
pay 58.6% more
Transportation
pay 37.4% more
Housing
pay 34.7% more
Childcare
pay 3.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.4% 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.
What salary do you need in Costa Rica?
What does your salary buy?
DOP4,600,000 → CRC51,100,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Costa Rica
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
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
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
- · · ·
-
20.1,317
Dominican Republic
Key Indicator Comparison
How Dominican Republic 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
Dominican Republic generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 Dominican Republic 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Dominican Republic leads in internet access.
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 Dominican Republic 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 significantly better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Direccion General de Impuestos Internos (2016), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| 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) |
Data:
Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Can you move from Dominican Republic to Costa Rica?
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
Visa Required
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Dominican Republic
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Costa Rica than Dominican Republic?
Day-to-day costs in Costa Rica run about 50% higher than Dominican Republic on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Costa Rica?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a DOP4,600,000 comparable salary, that's around CRC12,775,000 in Costa Rica for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Costa Rica?
With 23.3 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.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Dominican Republic generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 10.9 in Dominican Republic.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Dominican Republic?
Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 24.3 in Dominican Republic. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Dominican Republic: 77).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Dominican Republic?
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.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
Both Dominican Republic and Costa Rica share the same official language: Spanish.
