Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Central America

Central America
65
Overall score
Strong overall · 99% data coverage
Language
Spanish
Currency
CRC
Citizenship
7 years (5 for Ibero-American/Spanish)
Personal tax
0–25% (territorial)
Cost of living
$1,400 / mo (single)
Overall scoring rubric
68
Access

How easy it is to get in, stay, and build status.

17% of Overall
66Residence12%
74Citizenship and passport5%
63
Earning power

How far local income goes after prices.

25% of Overall
59Salary and work12%
67Buying power13%
57
Business and wealth

How friendly the country is for taxes, companies, and investing.

20% of Overall
78Taxes7%
59Business8%
25Investment5%
64
Daily life

How comfortable everyday life is for families and long stays.

25% of Overall
60Quality of life18%
74Education7%
79
Rights and institutions

How reliable freedoms and institutions are.

13% of Overall
89Freedom6%
70Rule of law7%

Safety (41) clears the 40 floor, so no penalty applies.

Healthcare (71) clears the 40 floor, so no penalty applies.

Environment (83) clears the 35 floor, so no penalty applies.

Rights and institutions (79) clears the 30 floor, so no penalty applies.

Overall score
Final weighted result
65

The 'pura vida' nature destination with territorial taxation, a dedicated digital-nomad visa and stable democracy - though local salaries are modest and naturalisation takes seven years.

Pros

  • Territorial tax on foreign income
  • Digital-nomad visa (tax-free remote income)
  • Stable, safe, biodiverse

Cons

  • 7-year citizenship path
  • Modest local wages
  • Bureaucracy can be slow

Best for

Nomads & remote earnersNature-loving retireesInvestors (rentista/inversionista)

Score profile

Access
Residence
66
Citizenship
70
Passport
84
Earning power
Salary & work
59
Buying power
67
Cost of living
64
Economy
77
Business and wealth
Taxes
78
Personal tax
55
Corporate tax
14
Business
59
Investment
25
Wealth building
57
Daily life
Safety
41
Healthcare
71
Environment
83
Infrastructure
69
Education
74
HDI
83
Rights and institutions
Freedom
89
Rule of law
70

Access

Residence

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any residence / visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Openness to residents
Good
66
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines international migrant stock (40%), regulatory quality (20%), the breadth of named residence pathways (25%), and time to permanent residence (15%). Available indicators are reweighted.

Migrant stock12.2% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality0.58 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways
Digital Nomad (Estancia)RentistaInversionista (US$150k)Pensionado
StudentStudent residency for enrolled students.
WorkWork permits restricted; employer sponsorship required.
Self-employedInversionista or rentista routes; local company formation.
PermanentPermanent residency after ~3 years of temporary residency.
Citizenship

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any citizenship decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Citizenship accessibility
Good
70
Years required7 years (5 for nationals of Ibero-American countries & Spain)
Dual allowedtrue
LanguageSpanish + Costa Rican history/values exam
ResidenceLegal residence for the qualifying period
NotesChildren born in Costa Rica acquire citizenship by birth (jus soli).
Passport

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any travel or visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Passport power
Excellent
84

Passport-index style mobility for the Costa Rica passport. The score above is its world reach: the share of 198 destinations reachable without a prior visa.

166 / 198
Mobility
#24
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
  • Visa-free116
  • On arrival42
  • eTA8
  • Visa required32

Passport Index style mobility data (2024–2025 estimate). Placeholder figures; verify current entry rules with each destination’s authority before travelling.

Earning power

Salary & work
Labour-market strength
Moderate
59
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines output per worker (a proxy for wage potential at 40%), unemployment (35%) and labour-force participation (25%). Available indicators are reweighted; the curated profile fields remain below.

Output per worker$61,875 PPP (2024)
Unemployment6.8% (2025)
Participation57.7% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$841 · $1,359 PPP (2024)
Tech (IT & comms)$1,747 · $2,453 PPP (2024)

Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)

FreelanceStrong nearshoring & call-centre/services market
Job marketIntel, Amazon and medical-device firms anchor the San José hub.
Buying power
Purchasing power score
Good
67
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score estimates how far money goes for the typical person here. It combines GNI per capita at PPP (30%) and actual household consumption per person at PPP (15%) with a price-advantage term from the local price level (25%) that rewards lower prices, then adjusts for income equality via the Gini index (20%), so unequal economies don't ride a high average, plus price stability via consumer inflation (10%). Available indicators are reweighted; it is a comparison, not a personal budget estimate.

GNI / person$30,760 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$18,572 PPP (2024)
Price level62 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality45.5 Gini (2025)
Inflation-0.1% / yr (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Cost of living
Affordability
Moderate
64

Our 0–100 affordability score is derived from the local consumer price level (World Bank, US = 100): the cheaper everyday prices are, the higher it scores. Lower price level means your money goes further here.

Price level62 (US = 100) (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rent$600–1,100 (1BR San José)
Monthly$1,400
CitiesSan José, Tamarindo, Atenas
Economy
Economic strength
Good
77
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines income level (GDP and GNI per capita, output per worker), growth momentum (real GDP growth), price stability (inflation) and labour utilisation (unemployment). Available indicators are reweighted; the sector split and industry profile below are descriptive, not scored.

Output & income
GDP$102.9B (2025)
GDP / person$19,970 (2025)
GNI / person$30,760 PPP (2025)
GDP growth4.3% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour
Inflation-0.1% / yr (2025)
Unemployment6.8% (2025)
Output per worker$61,875 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition
Agriculture3.4% of GDP (2025)
Industry19.9% of GDP (2025)
Services69.2% of GDP (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries
Medical devicesTourismAgricultureBusiness servicesTechnology
Top exports
Medical devicesBananas, coffee & pineapplesBusiness services
TypeUpper-middle-income, services- and high-tech-manufacturing-led
Key sectorsMedtech free zones, Eco-tourism, Shared-services & IT
SummaryA stable economy that moved up the value chain into medical-device manufacturing, services and eco-tourism.
CurrencyCosta Rican colon (US dollars widely accepted)

Business and wealth

Taxes

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Tax friendliness
Good
78
Personal0–25% on Costa Rica-source income (territorial)
Corporate30% (lower brackets for small companies)
Capital gains15%
Dividends15%
Exit taxNone
Foreign cosNo CFC regime (territorial)
Personal tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Personal tax
Moderate
55
Personal0–25% on Costa Rica-source income (territorial)
FreelanceForeign-source income untaxed; local activity registered with tax authority
Capital gains15%
Dividends15%
Exit taxNone
Corporate tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Corporate tax
Low
14
Corporate30% (lower brackets for small companies)
Capital gains15%
Dividends15%
Foreign cosNo CFC regime (territorial)
Business
Business friendliness
Moderate
59
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score measures the operating environment without counting tax a second time: company formation and ownership rules contribute 40%, regulatory quality 30%, and government effectiveness 30%. Available indicators are reweighted; the values are shown below.

Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality0.58 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness0.29 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Operating rules
Foreign co.Yes: foreign ownership permitted
Local co.Sociedad Anónima or S.R.L. via notary
FreelanceForeign-source income untaxed; local activity registered with tax authority
Investment

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any investment / tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Investing environment
Low
25
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score measures market access without counting tax a second time: broker availability contributes 50%, equity-market depth 30%, and private credit depth 20%. Available indicators are reweighted.

Market cap3% of GDP (2022)
Private credit51% of GDP (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gains15% CGT; foreign-source gains generally outside scope
DividendsData not available yet
ETFs & fundsData not available yet
Wealth taxNone (property/luxury-home tax only)
BrokersLimited locally; foreign brokers commonly used
Foreign accessData not available yet
Tax-advantagedData not available yet
Wealth building

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax / investment decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Wealth accumulation
Moderate
57
How this score is calculated

How favourable Costa Rica is for building wealth: earnings and business/investment upside, tax drag, and how much a typical income keeps after living costs. Estimated from the factors below.

Salary & work
Moderate
59
Business
Moderate
59
Investment
Low
25
Tax friendliness
Good
78
Cost of living
Moderate
64

Daily life

Safety
Safety & stability
Limited
41
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines personal safety (intentional homicide rate at 50%), political stability and absence of violence (30%), and control of corruption (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below. Always check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Personal safety
Homicide rate17.7 per 100,000 (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability
Control of corruption0.68 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability1.18 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Healthcare
Healthcare score
Good
71
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines health outcomes (life expectancy at 25% and under-5 mortality at 20%) with system capacity (physicians at 20% and hospital beds at 15% per 1,000 people) and health spending per capita (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below.

Outcomes
Life expectancy81.0 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality10.4 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing
Physicians2.69 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds1.14 per 1,000 (2022)
Health spending$1,928 PPP / person (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs
SystemUniversal public (Caja/CCSS) + private
InsuranceResidents pay into the Caja; private care affordable
Avg costCaja contribution income-based; private cheap by US standards
Environment
Environment score
Excellent
83
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines annual population-weighted PM2.5 exposure at 60% with freshwater stress at 40%. Lower exposure and lower water stress score better. Air quality alone can produce a score because it covers most countries; water stress alone cannot.

Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure17.7 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress5.9% (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
Good
69
How this score is calculated

The score combines digital access, resilience and download performance (30%), electricity access and network losses (30%), and transport infrastructure covering rail, logistics and aviation (40%). Available inputs are reweighted, but a country needs both digital and transport data to receive a score.

Digital infrastructure
Internet use87.2% (2024)
Internet resilience60 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed84 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed64 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses9.1% of output (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport
Transport quality2.70 / 5 (2022)
Rail density16.6 km / 1,000 km² (2001)
Air connectivity3,046 departures / million people (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Education
Education score
Good
74
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines attainment (expected schooling at 30% and mean schooling at 25%) with participation (tertiary enrolment at 25%) and public investment (government education spending at 20%). Available indicators are reweighted; tuition and study rules remain separate profile fields below.

Attainment
Expected schooling16.3 years (2023)
Mean schooling8.8 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment55% gross (2019)
Education spending5.3% of GDP (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tuition$3,000–9,000 / yr (private)
Public uniPublic universities (UCR) low-cost for residents
LanguagesSpanish, English (some private)
Student workLimited work for students
HDI
Human development score
Excellent
83
How this score is calculated

The UN Human Development Index is the geometric mean of three dimension indices (a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living), shown on a 0–100 map scale (HDI × 100). The 2023 UNDP inputs behind each dimension are listed below.

HDI0.833 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life
Life expectancy80.8 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge
Expected schooling16.3 years (2023)
Mean schooling8.8 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Standard of living
GNI / person$23,417 PPP (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Rights and institutions

Freedom
Freedom score
Excellent
89
How this score is calculated

The score weights Freedom House’s 0–100 Freedom in the World score at 60% and its Freedom on the Net score at 40%. If either report does not cover a country, the available score is used alone. Scores of 70 and above are rated “Free”, 40–69 “Partly free”, and below 40 “Not free”.

Freedom in the World91 / 100 (Free)
Freedom on the Net86 / 100 (Free)
Rule of law
Rule of law score
Good
70
How this score is calculated

The World Bank’s Rule of Law indicator captures how well contracts are enforced and how independent and effective the courts, police and property-rights regime are. We show its 0–100 percentile rank, where higher means stronger, more predictable institutions.

Rule of Law percentile70 / 100
Resources

Mock data for demonstration only. Not legal or tax advice.