Moving to Costa Rica from Georgia

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Georgia to Costa Rica — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Georgia to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 70.3% more expensive than Georgia overall. A GEL200,000 salary in Georgia would need to be roughly CRC59,800,000 in Costa Rica to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Georgia to Costa Rica.

What does your salary buy?

GEL200,000 → CRC59,800,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 23.5% more

Groceries

pay 2.0 times more

Transportation

pay 80.6% more

Housing

pay 76.4% more

Childcare

pay 3.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 34.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 GEL = 175.5 CRC (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Georgia to Costa Rica, based on official data.

Living there in 2020
14 ↑ 17% vs 2015

people born in Georgia 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Georgia to Costa Rica.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

GE
2.0
CR
17.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GE
12.7
CR
15.5

Georgia 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

GE
$1,679
CR
$1,928
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

GE
56.4
CR
26.9

Georgia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

GE
69.0
CR
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GE
3.5t
CR
1.6t

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Georgia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GE
30.4
CR
23.3
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GE
4.2%
CR
5.9%

Georgia generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GE
12.1%
CR
6.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

GE
$9,692
CR
$19,970

Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Georgia leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

GE
74.7 yrs
CR
81.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GE
7.5
CR
9.1

Georgia generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Georgia Department of Revenue (2016), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tbilisi Rain: 19.5 in/yr (496 mm)
None° / None°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tbilisi San Jose
Jan–Mar — 75°/60°F (24°/16°C)
Apr–Jun — 78°/62°F (26°/17°C)
Jul–Sep — 77°/62°F (25°/16°C)
Oct–Dec — 76°/61°F (24°/16°C)
View all months
Month Tbilisi San Jose
Jan — 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C)
Feb — 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C)
Mar — 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C)
Apr — 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C)
May — 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C)
Jun — 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C)
Jul — 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C)
Aug — 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C)
Sep — 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C)
Oct — 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C)
Nov — 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C)
Dec — 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C)

Data: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Instituto Meteorológico Nacional

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Georgia 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.

Georgia passport

Georgia passport holder visiting Costa Rica

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

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Georgia

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

Data: 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 Georgia?

No — Costa Rica is on average about 70% more expensive than Georgia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Costa Rica?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CRC14,950,000 in Costa Rica on a GEL200,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Costa Rica?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Costa Rica has 23.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Costa Rica safe for expats?

Georgia performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.0 in Georgia.

How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Georgia?

Georgia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in health coverage index. There are 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 56.4 in Georgia. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Georgia: 68).

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

The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to None°F in Tbilisi. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Tbilisi gets 19.5 in.

What language do they speak in Costa Rica?

The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Georgia, the official language is Georgian.

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At a Glance

GE CR
Population 3,935,766 5,152,950
Currency Georgian Lari (GEL) Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Languages Georgian Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +995 +506
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number — 911