Costa Rica, San Jose

Overview

Costa Rica, San Jose San Jose is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. San Jose is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama. The climate is tropical and subtropical but cooler in the highlands.

The official language is Spanish. Many business people and officials speak English. For business dealings visitors may require fluent Spanish or need to use an interpreter. The main religion is Christianity.

The economy of Costa Rica heavily depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been reduced over the past 15 years, and a social safety net put into place.

Costa Ricans generally welcome expatriates, especially related to foreign investment. It is advisable to address people using their professional title, or by either Senor (Mr), Senora (Mrs), or Senorita (Ms) and their surname. Expatriate business dress tends to be conservative. Men mostly wear darker shade suits, and women usually wear either a dress or a long skirt with a blouse. Women are prominent at all levels of business and public life.

The security risk for expatriates in Costa Rica is low, but medium for Limón province and along the Nicaraguan border. Risks include petty crime such as pickpocketing and mugging, as well as house and car related theft. Crime in Costa Rica carries the additional risk of violence involving firearms and less often kidnapping, particularly of wealthy nationals.

The currency of Costa Rica is the Costa Rican Colon (CRC).

Medical facilities are generally good, however emergency services in remote areas may vary. Emergency medical treatment is provided without charge for visitors, however any other treatment is charged. Cases of Chikungunya virus and Zika virus have been reported. Dengue is present.

The population of San Jose is 2.2 Million (2016 est.), while the inflation rate is 1.17% (July 2017).

Cost Of Living

The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in San Jose as at 1 July 2017 is high in comparison to other places in the world.

In San Jose, the cost of each basket, based on local prices, compared to the international average, is categorized follows (Exact cost of living percentages only available in personalised reports):
1) Alcohol (where available) & Tobacco: Average
2) Clothing: Average
3) Communication: Very Low
4) Education: Low
5) Furniture & Appliances: High
6) Groceries: High
7) Healthcare: Average
8) Household Accommodation: Very High
9) Miscellaneous: Average
10) Personal Care: Average
11) Recreation & Culture: Low
12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: Average
13) Transport: Low

San Jose is for example 31.4% more expensive than Houston TX for groceries, 55.9% more expensive for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and 3.7% more expensive for transport costs than Dubai.

San Jose is ranked as a high degree of hardship location.

The hardship premium for San Jose for an expat from Perth, is for example 20%, i.e. host location (San Jose) premium of 30% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.

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The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in San Jose as at 1 July 2017 is high in comparison to other places in the world.

San Jose is ranked as a high degree of hardship location.