Moving to Costa Rica from South Korea
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Korea to Costa Rica — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Korea to Costa Rica, you would find that Costa Rica is 11.7% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩99,000,000 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly CRC38,100,000 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 Seoul, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Costa Rica cheaper than South Korea?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 68.2% more
Groceries
pay 23.0% less
Transportation
pay 14.8% more
Housing
pay 28.1% more
Childcare
pay 4.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Costa Rica?
What does your salary buy?
₩99,000,000 → CRC38,100,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Costa Rica
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Costa Rica
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from South Korea to Costa Rica, based on official data.
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
- · · ·
-
34.302
South Korea
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Korea to Costa Rica.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
South Korea 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 South Korea 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 South Korea 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
South Korea 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
South Korea 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
South Korea performs better than Costa Rica across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Costa Rica vs South Korea
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seoul | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Can you move from South Korea to Costa Rica?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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.
South Korea passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 South Korea?
No — Costa Rica is on average about 12% more expensive than South Korea. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Costa Rica?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CRC9,525,000 in Costa Rica on a ₩99,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Costa Rica?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Costa Rica has 23.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Costa Rica safe for expats?
South Korea performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to South Korea?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 26.1 in South Korea. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
