Moving to Costa Rica from Romania
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Romania to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Romania to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 51.1% more expensive than Romania overall. A RON344,033 salary in Romania would need to be roughly CRC47,683,052 in Costa Rica to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — San Jose averages 77°F vs 63°F in Bucharest, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Romania to Costa Rica.
What does your salary buy?
RON344,033 → CRC47,683,052
To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 6.3% more
Groceries
pay 89.3% more
Transportation
pay 69.4% more
Housing
pay 2.5 times more
Childcare
pay 9.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.9% 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.
Get free moving quotes to Costa Rica
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Romania 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
- · · ·
-
43.118
Romania
Key Indicator Comparison
How Romania and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Romania 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 Romania 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
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Romania across all environment metrics.
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
Romania generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica 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
Romania generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica 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
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Romania generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in life expectancy.
Data: National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), 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 | Bucharest | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/57°F (28°/14°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bucharest | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/23°F (2.8°/-4.8°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 42°/25°F (5.5°/-4.0°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 53°/32°F (11.4°/0.1°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 64°/41°F (18.0°/4.9°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (24.0°/9.6°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.6°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/60°F (29.8°/15.4°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.9°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 64°/42°F (17.9°/5.4°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.6°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 39°/26°F (3.8°/-3.4°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Administration,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Romania 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.
Romania passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Romania
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 Romania?
Day-to-day costs in Costa Rica run about 40% higher than Romania on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Costa Rica?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a RON344,033 comparable salary, that's around CRC11,920,763 in Costa Rica for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
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 Romania and Costa Rica.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Romania performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Romania.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Romania?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Romania leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 34.7 in Romania. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Romania: 78).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Romania?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 63°F in Bucharest. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Bucharest gets 23.4 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Romania, the official language is Romanian.
