MigrantoAverage salary in Costa Rica
What people take home per month and earn per year, by industry and against other countries
Wages in Costa Rica
89% of gross pay stays in hand after income tax and employee contributions
Per employee, all industries
Take-home / mo
CRC 536,000
Gross / yr
CRC 7.2M
Salaries in Costa Rica by industry
Take-home pay by industry against the national average
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Key facts
Salaries in Costa Rica in numbers
Out-earns every neighbour
No neighbouring country pays more. The closest is Panama at CRC 381,000 a month against CRC 536,000 here. The widest gap is to Honduras, where pay is 2.9× lower.
Mining & quarrying is paid unusually poorly in Costa Rica
Here it sits at -22% against the national average, where the same industry usually sits at +24%.
Public-sector work pays above average
Public administration, education and health together average CRC 793,000 a month, 48% above the national average.
IT & communication pays the most
It averages CRC 952,000 a month, 78% above the national average of CRC 536,000.
Industries pay 2.7× apart
Real estate sits at the bottom on CRC 353,000 a month, against a national average of CRC 536,000.
Agriculture & fishing is where the country places highest
It ranks #16 of 105 in the world, while Costa Rica ranks #61 of 169 on pay overall.
How salaries in Costa Rica compare
Neighbours, region and the world on the same take-home figure
Industries against the world
Where this country pays an industry more, or less, than that industry is usually paid
Pays more than usual here
- Education+55% here, usually +16%
- IT & communication+78% here, usually +47%
- Public administration+53% here, usually +24%
Pays less than usual here
- Mining & quarrying-22% here, usually +24%
- Real estate-34% here, usually +5%
- Transport & storage-22% here, usually +0%
“Usually” is what the same industry pays above or below the national average in a typical country
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2024 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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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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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 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 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.
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 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.
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.
Where to live?
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Living in Costa Rica
See the full country overview