Moving to Costa Rica from Lebanon

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Lebanon to Costa Rica? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Lebanon to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 53.5% more expensive than Lebanon overall. A LBP6,708,291,404 salary in Lebanon would need to be roughly CRC46,364,621 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?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Lebanon and Costa Rica.

What does your salary buy?

LBP6,708,291,404 CRC46,364,621

To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 44.0% more

Groceries

pay 2.4 times more

Transportation

pay 14.8% more

Housing

pay 29.1% more

Childcare

pay 2.2 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 26.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 LBP = 0.0051 CRC (July 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?

What the data shows about people moving from Lebanon to Costa Rica.

Living there in 2020
105 ↑ 19% vs 2015

people born in Lebanon 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

The numbers behind daily life in Costa Rica compared to Lebanon.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

LB
2.3
CR
17.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

LB
9.7
CR
15.5

Lebanon 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

LB
$644
CR
$1,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

LB
26.2
CR
26.4

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

LB
59.0
CR
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LB
1.9t
CR
1.6t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LB
7.6
CR
21.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LB
58.8%
CR
5.9%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

LB
11.6%
CR
8.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

LB
$12,300
CR
$25,800

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

LB
78.8 yrs
CR
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LB
7.0
CR
8.4

Costa Rica generally does better on family life, though Lebanon leads in infant mortality.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Lebanon, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Beirut Rain: 32.5 in/yr (826 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 Beirut 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 Beirut 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 Lebanon 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.

Lebanon passport

Lebanon passport holder visiting Costa Rica

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

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Lebanon

Visa on Arrival
Costa Rica passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Lebanon.

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 Lebanon?

On average Costa Rica is around 36% pricier than Lebanon, with notable variation by city.

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

Budget about CRC11,591,155 for 3 months in Costa Rica (based on a LBP6,708,291,404 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Costa Rica?

Connectivity is usually fine (Costa Rica: 21.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Costa Rica offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Costa Rica safe for expats?

Lebanon performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Lebanon.

How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Lebanon?

Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Lebanon leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 26.2 in Lebanon. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Lebanon: 73).

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

The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to None°F in Beirut. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Beirut gets 32.5 in.

What language do they speak in Costa Rica?

The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Lebanon, the official languages are Arabic and French.

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At a Glance

LB CR
Population 5,296,814 5,204,411
Currency Lebanese Pound (LBP) Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Languages Arabic, French Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +961 +506
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 911