Moving to Costa Rica from Madagascar
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Madagascar to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Madagascar 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 Madagascar to Costa Rica, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
123.3
Madagascar
Key Indicator Comparison
How Madagascar and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Madagascar across all safety metrics.
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
Madagascar generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Madagascar generally does better on environment, though Costa Rica leads in air pollution deaths.
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 performs significantly better than Madagascar across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Madagascar leads in unemployment 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 Madagascar across all family life metrics.
Data: General Direction of Taxes, 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 | Antananarivo | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/63°F (26°/17°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Antananarivo | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.3°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 79°/63°F (26.3°/17.4°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 79°/63°F (26.2°/17.0°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.8°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 75°/57°F (23.7°/13.8°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.4°/11.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 71°/52°F (21.4°/10.9°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.9°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Direction Générale de la Météorologie,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Madagascar 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.
Madagascar passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Required
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Madagascar
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Madagascar and Costa Rica.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Madagascar across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Madagascar?
Madagascar generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 1.8 in Madagascar. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Madagascar: 35).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Madagascar?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 76°F in Antananarivo. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Antananarivo gets 47.2 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Madagascar, the official languages are French and Malagasy.
