Moving to Costa Rica from Montenegro
What to Expect
Considering a move from Montenegro to Costa Rica? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Montenegro to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 31.1% more expensive than Montenegro overall. A €67,000 salary in Montenegro would need to be roughly CRC44,900,000 in Costa Rica to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Montenegro and Costa Rica.
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → CRC44,900,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.4% more
Groceries
pay 84.5% more
Transportation
pay 8.0% more
Housing
pay 21.0% more
Childcare
pay 98.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.1% 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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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Costa Rica compared to Montenegro.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Montenegro performs better than Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montenegro leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Montenegro across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Montenegro performs better than Costa Rica 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 Montenegro leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
Montenegro generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), Department of Public Revenues, Montenegro (2016), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Podgorica | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/38°F (12°/3°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/56°F (24°/13°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/66°F (30°/19°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Podgorica | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.4°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 52°/38°F (11.3°/3.1°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.8°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 66°/48°F (19.1°/9.1°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.5°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.3°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.3°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.6°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 60°/44°F (15.4°/6.8°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 52°/37°F (11.1°/2.9°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Montenegro 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.
Montenegro passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Montenegro
Visa FreeData: 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 Montenegro?
On average Costa Rica is around 31% pricier than Montenegro, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Costa Rica?
Budget about CRC11,225,000 for 3 months in Costa Rica (based on a €67,000 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: 23.3 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?
Montenegro performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Montenegro.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Montenegro?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Montenegro leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 27.8 in Montenegro. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Montenegro: 72).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Montenegro?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 69°F in Podgorica. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Podgorica gets 65.4 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Montenegro, the official language is Montenegrin.
