Moving to Costa Rica from Saint Lucia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saint Lucia to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saint Lucia to Costa Rica, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Saint Lucia 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
- · · ·
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141.1
Saint Lucia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saint Lucia 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
Saint Lucia generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in homicide rate.
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
Saint Lucia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in health coverage index.
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 Saint Lucia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Saint Lucia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Saint Lucia across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Saint Lucia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (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 | Castries | 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 | Castries | 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) |
Data:
Saint Lucia Meteorological Services,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saint Lucia 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.
Saint Lucia passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Saint Lucia
Visa FreeData: 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 23.3 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 Saint Lucia and Costa Rica.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
Saint Lucia generally does better on safety, though Costa Rica leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 39.0 in Saint Lucia.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Saint Lucia?
Saint Lucia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in health coverage index. There are 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 42.3 in Saint Lucia. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saint Lucia: 77).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Saint Lucia?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to None°F in Castries. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Saint Lucia, the official language is English.
