MigrantoAverage salary in Costa Rica
Gross and take-home pay, by industry and against other countries
Average salary
Take-home / mo
CRC 536,000
Gross / yr
CRC 7.2M
Costa Rica has built a steady, diversified economy — tech, services, and a long stable democracy behind it — and a real career earns toward the upper end for the region and decently against the world. Tax stays light here, so you keep almost all of what you make.
Salaries in Costa Rica by industry
In Costa Rica your field clearly sets your pay. Tech and communications lead, with finance and teaching close behind, while general services, farming and fishing, and real estate sit at the bottom. If your profession is one the country's modern economy leans on, the difference is substantial; the gap between the top and bottom fields is wide.
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What you could earn in Costa Rica
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in Costa Rica, what your living costs might be, and what you could save
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- How it compares with today
Take-home in Costa Rica
CRC 381,000/mo
vs CRC 549,000 in your country
Cost of living
CRC 117,000
vs CRC 366,000 in your country
Potential savings
CRC 264,000
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How salaries in Costa Rica compare
Costa Rica stands in the upper tier of Latin America and ahead of much of the world, helped as much by what you keep as by what you earn — light taxes mean the gap between gross and net is small. Its standing rests on a broad, modern economy rather than a single industry.
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2024 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Costa Rica?
The average salary in Costa Rica is CRC 601,000 a month before tax, or CRC 536,000 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's CRC 7,210,000 before tax and CRC 6,430,000 after.
What is the average salary in Costa Rica in US dollars?
The average salary in Costa Rica in US dollars is about $15,744 a year before tax, or $1,171 a month after tax.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Costa Rica?
A typical person in Costa Rica spends about CRC 349,000 a month, while the average take-home pay is CRC 536,000. How much you need to live comfortably depends on the city, your family situation, and how you usually spend. See the cost of living in Costa Rica for the full picture.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Costa Rica?
The highest-paying jobs in Costa Rica are in IT, finance, and education. Take-home pay in these industries averages around CRC 952,000 a month (about CRC 12,800,000 gross a year), roughly 78% above the national average.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in Costa Rica?
Real estate is the lowest-paying industry in Costa Rica. Pay there averages around CRC 353,000 a month take-home (about CRC 4,750,000 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 2.7 times more.
What is a good salary in Costa Rica?
A good salary in Costa Rica is generally one above the national average — more than CRC 536,000 take-home a month, or CRC 7,210,000 gross a year. But a lot depends on your spending, where you live, and your financial goals.
Is Costa Rica a high-salary country?
Moderately. By average after-tax pay, Costa Rica is ahead of 64% of countries worldwide and ranks 6th out of 27 countries in Latin America.
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Living in Costa Rica
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