Moving to Costa Rica from Nicaragua
What to Expect
Considering a move from Nicaragua to Costa Rica? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Nicaragua to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 81.0% more expensive than Nicaragua overall. A NIO2,800,000 salary in Nicaragua would need to be roughly CRC62,800,000 in Costa Rica to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
What does your salary buy?
NIO2,800,000 → CRC62,800,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 76.9% more
Groceries
pay 51.8% more
Transportation
pay 94.0% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.5% 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?
What the data shows about people moving from Nicaragua to Costa Rica.
Who's moving to Costa Rica?
Top countries of origin for Costa Rica's foreign-born residents.
-
1.350,854
Nicaragua
- 28,214
- 25,530
- 16,682
- 15,209
- 13,711
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Costa Rica compared to Nicaragua.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua 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
Nicaragua 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Nicaragua leads in water stress level.
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 Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2015–2021), General Directorate of Revenues (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 | Managua | 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 | Managua | 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) |
Instituto Meteorológico NacionalVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nicaragua 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.
Nicaragua passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Required
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Nicaragua
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 Nicaragua?
On average Costa Rica is around 81% pricier than Nicaragua, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Costa Rica?
Budget about CRC15,700,000 for 3 months in Costa Rica (based on a NIO2,800,000 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?
Nicaragua performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.3 in Nicaragua.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Nicaragua?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nicaragua leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 6.8 in Nicaragua. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nicaragua: 70).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Nicaragua?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to None°F in Managua. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Managua gets 78.3 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
Both Nicaragua and Costa Rica share the same official language: Spanish.
