Moving to Costa Rica from Vanuatu
What to Expect
Considering a move from Vanuatu to Costa Rica? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Vanuatu to Costa Rica, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Costa Rica compared to Vanuatu.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu 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
Vanuatu 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
share of households with internet
Costa Rica performs significantly better than Vanuatu 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
Vanuatu generally does better on employment & economy, though Costa Rica leads in gdp per capita.
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 Vanuatu across all family life metrics.
Data: 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 | Port Vila | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Port Vila | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.4°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) |
| Feb | 86°/74°F (30.2°/23.6°C) | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) |
| Mar | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.4°C) | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 84°/72°F (28.9°/22.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) |
| May | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) |
| Jun | 80°/69°F (26.7°/20.5°C) | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) |
| Jul | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 79°/67°F (26.1°/19.3°C) | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/67°F (26.7°/19.6°C) | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) |
| Oct | 82°/69°F (27.8°/20.6°C) | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) |
| Nov | 84°/71°F (28.9°/21.7°C) | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 85°/72°F (29.7°/22.4°C) | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department,
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Vanuatu 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.
Vanuatu passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa Free
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Vanuatu
Visa RequiredData: 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?
Connectivity is usually fine (Costa Rica: 21.3 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?
Vanuatu performs better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Costa Rica is 17.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.3 in Vanuatu.
How is healthcare in Costa Rica compared to Vanuatu?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vanuatu leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Costa Rica, compared to 1.6 in Vanuatu. Costa Rica scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Vanuatu: 47).
What's the weather like in Costa Rica compared to Vanuatu?
The average high temperature in San Jose is 77°F, compared to 83°F in Port Vila. San Jose receives around 73.5 in of rainfall per year, while Port Vila gets 87.5 in.
What language do they speak in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. In Vanuatu, the official languages are Bislama, English and French.
