Moving to Costa Rica from Slovenia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Slovenia to Costa Rica — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Slovenia to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 4.1% more expensive than Slovenia overall. A €64,304 salary in Slovenia would need to be roughly CRC34,798,070 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 59°F in Ljubljana, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Slovenia to Costa Rica.

What does your salary buy?

€64,304 CRC34,798,070

To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 19.1% less

Groceries

pay 25.8% more

Transportation

pay 28.9% more

Housing

pay 0.8% less

Childcare

pay 5.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 527.26 CRC (June 2026)

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

How Slovenia and Costa Rica stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

SI
0.6
CR
17.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SI
5.8
CR
15.5

Slovenia performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

SI
$5,425
CR
$1,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SI
33.3
CR
26.4

Slovenia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SI
19.0
CR
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SI
6.3t
CR
1.6t

Costa Rica performs significantly better than Slovenia 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

SI
31.9
CR
21.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SI
6.3%
CR
5.9%

Slovenia generally does better on infrastructure, though Costa Rica leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SI
3.6%
CR
8.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SI
$48,100
CR
$25,800

Slovenia generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SI
81.8 yrs
CR
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SI
1.5
CR
8.4

Slovenia generally does better on family life, though Costa Rica leads in education spending.

Data: Tax Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Ljubljana Rain: 53.9 in/yr (1368 mm)
59° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ljubljana San Jose
Jan–Mar 44°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 75°/60°F (24°/16°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) 78°/62°F (26°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/56°F (25°/13°C) 77°/62°F (25°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/36°F (9°/2°C) 76°/61°F (24°/16°C)
View all months
Month Ljubljana San Jose
Jan 37°/27°F (3.0°/-2.7°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C)
Feb 43°/29°F (6.2°/-1.9°C) 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C)
Mar 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C)
Apr 60°/41°F (15.4°/4.9°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C)
May 69°/49°F (20.8°/9.4°C) 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C)
Jun 75°/55°F (23.9°/12.7°C) 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.6°C) 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C)
Aug 79°/58°F (26.1°/14.4°C) 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C)
Sep 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C)
Oct 60°/44°F (15.3°/6.7°C) 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C)
Nov 46°/35°F (7.9°/1.7°C) 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C)
Dec 38°/29°F (3.4°/-1.7°C) 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C)

Data: Slovenian Environment Agency Slovenian Environment Agency, Instituto Meteorológico Nacional Instituto Meteorológico Nacional

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Slovenia 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.

Slovenia passport

Slovenia passport holder visiting Costa Rica

Visa Free
Slovenia passport holders can enter Costa Rica without a visa.
Costa Rica passport

Costa Rica passport holder visiting Slovenia

Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holders can enter Slovenia without a visa.

Data: 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 Slovenia?

Day-to-day costs in Costa Rica run about 3% higher than Slovenia 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 €64,304 comparable salary, that's around CRC8,699,518 in Costa Rica for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 Slovenia and Costa Rica.

Is Costa Rica safe for expats?

Slovenia performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Slovenia.

How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Slovenia?

Slovenia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 33.3 in Slovenia. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Slovenia: 84).

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

The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 59°F in Ljubljana. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Ljubljana gets 53.9 in.

What language do they speak in Costa Rica?

The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Slovenia, the official language is Slovene.

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At a Glance

SI CR
Population 2,101,208 5,204,411
Currency Euro (€) Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
Languages Slovene Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +386 +506
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 911