Moving to Costa Rica from Iran
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iran to Costa Rica — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iran to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 3.8 times more expensive than Iran overall. A IRR103,106,250,000 salary in Iran would need to be roughly CRC46,061,483 in Costa Rica to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iran to Costa Rica.
What does your salary buy?
IRR103,106,250,000 → CRC46,061,483
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 2.3 times more
Groceries
pay 3.5 times more
Transportation
pay 3.4 times more
Housing
pay 3.7 times more
Childcare
pay 8.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.6 times 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Iran to Costa Rica, based on official data.
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
- · · ·
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42.119
Iran
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iran to Costa Rica.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iran 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
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iran leads in healthcare spending per person.
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 Iran 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 Iran leads in electricity per capita.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Iran leads in poverty 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 Iran across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tehran | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/35°F (11°/2°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 82°/61°F (28°/16°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 94°/72°F (35°/22°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tehran | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/30°F (7.2°/-1.1°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 50°/33°F (9.9°/0.7°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 60°/41°F (15.4°/5.2°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 71°/52°F (21.9°/10.9°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.1°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (34.1°/20.9°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 98°/75°F (36.8°/24.0°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 96°/73°F (35.4°/23.0°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.2°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.7°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.3°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Instituto Meteorológico NacionalVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iran 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.
Iran passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Required
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Iran
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Iran?
No — Costa Rica is on average about 35% more expensive than Iran. 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 CRC11,515,371 in Costa Rica on a IRR103,106,250,000 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 21.3 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?
Iran 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 2.4 in Iran.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Iran?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iran leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 15.1 in Iran. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iran: 74).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Iran?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 72°F in Tehran. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Tehran gets 9.1 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Iran, the official language is Persian (Farsi).
