Moving to Costa Rica from Mongolia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Mongolia to Costa Rica, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — San Jose averages 77°F vs 44°F in Ulaanbaatar, making it significantly warmer.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
18 ↑ 20% vs 2015

people born in Mongolia 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 Mongolia to Costa Rica.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

MN
5.9
CR
17.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MN
12.4
CR
15.5

Mongolia 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

MN
$1,109
CR
$1,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

MN
38.7
CR
26.4

Mongolia 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

MN
120.0
CR
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MN
7.8t
CR
1.6t

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Mongolia 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

MN
12.9
CR
21.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MN
3.4%
CR
5.9%

Mongolia generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

MN
6.1%
CR
8.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

MN
$16,300
CR
$25,800

Mongolia generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MN
71.4 yrs
CR
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MN
20.2
CR
8.4

Costa Rica generally does better on family life, though Mongolia leads in literacy rate.

Data: General Department of National Taxation, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Ulaanbaatar Rain: 10.6 in/yr (270 mm)
44° / 21°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ulaanbaatar San Jose
Jan–Mar 17°/-5°F (-9°/-21°C) 75°/60°F (24°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/37°F (17°/3°C) 78°/62°F (26°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) 77°/62°F (25°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 26°/6°F (-4°/-15°C) 76°/61°F (24°/16°C)
View all months
Month Ulaanbaatar San Jose
Jan /-15°F (-15.5°/-26.1°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C)
Feb 15°/-8°F (-9.6°/-22.3°C) 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C)
Mar 31°/8°F (-0.6°/-13.6°C) 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C)
Apr 49°/24°F (9.7°/-4.4°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C)
May 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C)
Jun 73°/49°F (22.7°/9.5°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C)
Jul 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 72°/51°F (22.4°/10.5°C) 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C)
Sep 62°/38°F (16.8°/3.5°C) 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C)
Oct 46°/23°F (7.7°/-4.8°C) 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C)
Nov 23°/4°F (-4.8°/-15.7°C) 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C)
Dec /-10°F (-13.5°/-23.1°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C)

Data: National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia, Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Instituto Meteorológico Nacional

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mongolia 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.

Mongolia passport

Mongolia passport holder visiting Costa Rica

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

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Mongolia

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

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?

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?

Mongolia performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.9 in Mongolia.

How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Mongolia?

Mongolia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in health coverage index. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 38.7 in Mongolia. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mongolia: 65).

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

The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 44°F in Ulaanbaatar. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Ulaanbaatar gets 10.6 in.

What language do they speak in Costa Rica?

The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Mongolia, the official language is Mongolian.

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At a Glance

MN CR
Population 3,227,863 5,204,411
Currency Mongolian Tugrik (MNT) Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Languages Mongolian Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +976 +506
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 105 911