Moving to Costa Rica from Fiji

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Fiji to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Fiji 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 Fiji to Costa Rica, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
1

people born in Fiji live in Costa Rica · UN DESA

Who's moving to Costa Rica?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Fiji and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

FJ
2.2
CR
17.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

FJ
5.3
CR
15.5

Fiji performs 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

FJ
$548
CR
$1,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

FJ
8.1
CR
26.4

Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Fiji leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

FJ
37.0
CR
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

FJ
1.6t
CR
1.6t

Fiji generally does better on environment, though Costa Rica leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

FJ
2.5
CR
21.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

FJ
0.3%
CR
5.9%

Fiji generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

FJ
4.3%
CR
8.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

FJ
$13,600
CR
$25,800

Fiji generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

FJ
74.3 yrs
CR
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

FJ
10.1
CR
8.4

Costa Rica generally does better on family life, though Fiji leads in literacy rate.

Data: Fiji Revenue & Customs Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Suva Rain: 119.7 in/yr (3040 mm)
84° / 72°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Suva San Jose
Jan–Mar 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) 75°/60°F (24°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 83°/72°F (29°/22°C) 78°/62°F (26°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 80°/69°F (27°/21°C) 77°/62°F (25°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/72°F (29°/22°C) 76°/61°F (24°/16°C)
View all months
Month Suva San Jose
Jan 87°/75°F (30.6°/23.7°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C)
Feb 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C) 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C)
Mar 87°/74°F (30.6°/23.5°C) 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C)
Apr 85°/73°F (29.7°/23.0°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C)
May 83°/72°F (28.3°/22.0°C) 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C)
Jun 82°/71°F (27.6°/21.4°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C)
Jul 80°/69°F (26.5°/20.4°C) 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 80°/69°F (26.6°/20.5°C) 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C)
Sep 81°/70°F (27.0°/20.9°C) 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C)
Oct 82°/71°F (27.8°/21.7°C) 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C)
Nov 84°/72°F (28.9°/22.5°C) 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C)
Dec 86°/74°F (29.8°/23.2°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C)

Data: Fiji Meteorological Service Fiji Meteorological Service, Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Instituto Meteorológico Nacional

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Fiji 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.

Fiji passport

Fiji passport holder visiting Costa Rica

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

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Fiji

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

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?

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 Fiji and Costa Rica.

Is Costa Rica safe for expats?

Fiji performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.2 in Fiji.

How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Fiji?

Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Fiji leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 8.1 in Fiji. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Fiji: 58).

What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Fiji?

The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 84°F in Suva. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Suva gets 119.7 in.

What language do they speak in Costa Rica?

The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Fiji, the official languages are English, Fiji Hindi and Fijian.

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At a Glance

FJ CR
Population 943,737 5,204,411
Currency Fijian Dollar (FJD) Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Languages English, Fiji Hindi, Fijian Spanish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +679 +506
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 911