Moving to Costa Rica from Haiti

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Haiti to Costa Rica, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Haiti to Costa Rica, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
85 ↑ 20% vs 2015

people born in Haiti 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 Haiti 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

HT
40.9
CR
17.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HT
31.3
CR
15.5

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Haiti across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

HT
$105
CR
$1,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

HT
2.4
CR
26.4

Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Haiti 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

HT
50.0
CR
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HT
0.3t
CR
1.6t

Haiti 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

HT
0.3
CR
21.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HT
13.4%
CR
5.9%

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Haiti across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

HT
14.6%
CR
8.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

HT
$2,900
CR
$25,800

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Haiti across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

HT
66.0 yrs
CR
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HT
40.0
CR
8.4

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Haiti across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Haiti 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.

Haiti passport

Haiti passport holder visiting Costa Rica

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

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Haiti

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

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 Haiti and Costa Rica.

Is Costa Rica safe for expats?

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Haiti across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 40.9 in Haiti.

How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Haiti?

Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Haiti leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 2.4 in Haiti. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Haiti: 54).

What language do they speak in Costa Rica?

The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Haiti, the official languages are French and Haitian Creole.

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At a Glance

HT CR
Population 11,334,637 5,204,411
Currency Haitian Gourde (HTG) Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Languages French, Haitian Creole Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +509 +506
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 114 911