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Costa Rica vs Panama for families
On safety, Costa Rica grades mixed (50 of 100) and Panama grades mixed (42 of 100) and on healthcare, Costa Rica grades strong (79 of 100) and Panama grades strong (73 of 100). [CR S1] [PA S1] [CR H1] [PA H1] The table below sets Costa Rica and Panama side by side on every factor we have checked, and it does not rank them.
Side by side
Costa Rica and Panama, factor by factor.
Each grade is against the same published measure for both places, with its source and the date we checked it. Research information, not advice.
| Factor |  Costa Rica |  Panama |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | Unknown Our research doesn't cover schools yet. | Unknown Our research doesn't cover schools yet. |
| Safety | 50 of 100Mixed Global Peace Index 2026: 62nd of 163. Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026. | 42 of 100Mixed Global Peace Index 2026: 81st of 163. Source: Global Peace Index 2026, A3 map poster with the overall ranking. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Healthcare | 79 of 100Strong WHO UHC service coverage index 84 (2023). Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026. | 73 of 100Strong WHO UHC service coverage index 82 (2023). Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Cost of living | 55 of 100Mixed Price level 0.591 of United States prices (2025). Source: Price level index (GDP), Costa Rica. Checked 15 October 2026. | 74 of 100Strong Price level 0.451 of United States prices (2025). Source: Price level index (GDP), Panama. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Community | Unknown Not covered by Expat Insider 2026 | 85 of 100Strong Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 2nd of 31. Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| English | 44 of 100Mixed EF EPI score 516, between the 499 and 550 anchors. The page does not print its edition year. Source: EF English Proficiency Index: Costa Rica. Checked 15 October 2026. | 28 of 100Weak EF EPI 2025 score 491, under the 499 anchor. Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Panama fact sheet. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Visa, United States passport | 85 of 100Strong Strong: the digital nomad stay is open to US passport holders paid from abroad, with no job offer in Costa Rica and no age minimum. It runs up to a year and renews once; the income test is about US$3,000 a month (about US$36,000 a year, about US$4,000 a month for a family), with no deposit. To be safe, have more than US$3,100 a month. No entry visa is needed for 180 days. Source: Digital nomads in Costa Rica: remote worker visa; Digital nomads: remote worker and service provider stay (requirements, fees, procedure); General Guidelines for Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents (November 2025). Checked 15 October 2026. | Unknown Research for US passports is being checked |
| Visa, Canada passport | 85 of 100Strong Strong: the digital nomad stay is open to Canadian passport holders paid from abroad, with no job offer in Costa Rica and no age minimum. It runs up to a year and renews once; the income test is about US$3,000 a month (about US$36,000 a year, about US$4,000 a month for a family), with no deposit. To be safe, have more than US$3,100 a month. No entry visa is needed for 180 days. Source: Digital nomads in Costa Rica: remote worker visa; Digital nomads: remote worker and service provider stay (requirements, fees, procedure); General Guidelines for Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents (November 2025). Checked 15 October 2026. | Unknown Research for CA passports is being checked |
| Visa, Australia passport | 85 of 100Strong Strong: the digital nomad stay is open to Australian passport holders paid from abroad, with no job offer in Costa Rica and no age minimum. It runs up to a year and renews once; the income test is about US$3,000 a month (about US$36,000 a year, about US$4,000 a month for a family), with no deposit. To be safe, have more than US$3,100 a month. No entry visa is needed for 180 days. Source: Digital nomads in Costa Rica: remote worker visa; Digital nomads: remote worker and service provider stay (requirements, fees, procedure); General Guidelines for Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents (November 2025). Checked 15 October 2026. | Unknown Research for AU passports is being checked |
| Visa, New Zealand passport | 85 of 100Strong Strong: the digital nomad stay is open to New Zealand passport holders paid from abroad, with no job offer in Costa Rica and no age minimum. It runs up to a year and renews once; the income test is about US$3,000 a month (about US$36,000 a year, about US$4,000 a month for a family), with no deposit. To be safe, have more than US$3,100 a month. No entry visa is needed for 180 days. Source: Digital nomads in Costa Rica: remote worker visa; Digital nomads: remote worker and service provider stay (requirements, fees, procedure); General Guidelines for Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents (November 2025). Checked 15 October 2026. | Unknown Research for NZ passports is being checked |
| Climate | 16 of 100Weak The Heredia and San José area, the main city: 3 comfortable months a year (January, November and December), measured at Tobías Bolaños airport in San José. Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Tobías Bolaños Palma Airport, Pavas, San José (WMO 78764). Checked 15 October 2026. | 0 of 100Weak Panama City, the main city: 0 comfortable months a year. Mean daily highs are 32.6 to 35.4 °C in every month (WMO World Weather Information Service) and 32.6 to 35.3 °C at Tocumen, 1977 to 2010 (ETESA). Neither source is a 1991 to 2020 table; the result does not change with the period, because no month is at 30 °C or under. Source: Climate information for Panama City (WMO World Weather Information Service); Caracterización climática para los distritos de Panamá y San Miguelito, según los datos de la estación meteorológica Tocumen. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Lifestyle | Unknown Not covered by Expat Insider 2026 | 78 of 100Strong Expat Insider 2026 Quality of Life: 6th of 31. Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Work and career | 50 of 100Mixed Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (the digital nomad stay), but fixed broadband is 23.29 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line. Source: Digital nomads in Costa Rica: remote worker visa; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Costa Rica. Checked 15 October 2026. | 50 of 100Mixed Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (the short-stay remote worker visa, nine months, renewable once), but fixed broadband is 18.13 per 100 people (2023), under the 30 line. Source: Decreto Ejecutivo No. 198 de 7 de mayo de 2021, que crea la Visa de Corta Estancia como Trabajador Remoto (Gaceta Oficial Digital No. 29290-A, 20 May 2021); Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Panama. Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Retirement | 85 of 100Strong Strong: pensioners (a pension of at least US$1,000 a month) and people living on income (at least US$2,500 a month) are temporary residents, and three consecutive years of temporary residence allow an application for permanent residence. Later changes by Law 9996 were not checked. Source: Ley General de Migración y Extranjería No. 8764, articles 78, 79, 81 and 82. Checked 15 October 2026. | 85 of 100Strong Strong: Decreto Ejecutivo 320 of 2008 lists a permanent permit for pensioners with a lifetime pension of at least B/.1,000 a month (articles 10 and 200). No age minimum or deposit is stated. Later amendments were not checked. Source: Decreto Ejecutivo No. 320 de 8 de agosto de 2008, articles 10 and 200 to 203 (Gaceta Oficial Digital No. 26104, 13 August 2008). Checked 15 October 2026. |
| Internet | 52 of 100Mixed 23.29 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024). Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Costa Rica. Checked 15 October 2026. | 40 of 100Mixed 18.13 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2023, the latest year with a value). Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Panama. Checked 15 October 2026. |
Where they differ
Where the grades fall in different levels.
A different level is a difference in the measure, not a verdict on either place. What matters depends on your own circumstances.
The countries
The research on each country.
Compare
The comparison for everyone.
Questions about Costa Rica vs Panama for families.
Can a spouse and children come with you, and what does that add?
Costa Rica's nomad stay asks a higher income with family, and incomes can be combined; to be safe, more than US$4,100 a month. Panama's pensioner permit adds an amount per dependant (to be safe, more than US$300 a month); the remote worker and friendly-nations checklists don't say if family can join.
Which international schools do we know about?
Not much yet: our research doesn't cover schools, so they show as unknown, not zero. Schools' own sites list the IB Diploma at UWC Costa Rica (Santa Ana), Journey School (Tamarindo) and Del Mar Academy (Nosara). In Panama, the Metropolitan School says it is an IB World School. Fees and places are unknown.
How would healthcare work for a family in each country?
WHO's coverage index is 84 for Costa Rica and 82 for Panama (2023). Costa Rica's nomad stay needs private cover of at least US$50,000, and residents must join the national fund (CCSS). In Panama, Canada says good care is in private hospitals in Panama City and you may pay in advance. Family prices are unknown.
How safe are the two countries for families?
The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Costa Rica 62nd and Panama 81st of 163. Canada advises a high degree of caution in Costa Rica (violent crime highest in San José, Alajuela, Limón and Puntarenas; petty theft) and normal precautions in Panama, noting break-ins when no one is home and possible curfews for minors.
What does a family-sized home cost in each country?
Not known for Costa Rica, where the adverts we read are one-bedroom: Heredia asked CRC 210,000 to 400,000 a month. Panama City two-bedroom adverts asked B/.1,000, B/.1,100 and B/.1,700. These are single adverts, not averages. Prices overall are about 0.59 of US prices in Costa Rica and 0.45 in Panama.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [CR S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Costa Rica ranks 62nd of 163 countries (score 1.860).
- [PA S1] Global Peace Index 2026, A3 map poster with the overall ranking, Institute for Economics and Peace (Vision of Humanity). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama ranks 81st of 163 countries (score 1.976), down 6 places. Read from the poster; the full report PDF was not opened.
- [CR H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Costa Rica: 84 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API on 15 October 2026.
- [PA H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Panama: 82 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
- [CR C1] Price level index (GDP), Costa Rica, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 59.06 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [PA C1] Price level index (GDP), Panama, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 45.08 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026 (data.worldbank.org pages were not used; the API was).
- [PA Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama ranks 2nd of 31 countries in the Ease of Settling In Index.
- [CR F1] EF English Proficiency Index: Costa Rica, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 516, global rank 55, 18 points below the previous score. The page does not print its edition year; it is the live country page read on 15 October 2026.
- [PA F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Panama fact sheet, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 491, global rank 70 (global average 488). The live country page (ef.com/wwen/epi/regions/latin-america/panama/) shows the same score and rank on 15 October 2026.
- [CR K1] Digital nomads in Costa Rica: remote worker visa, Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), visitcostarica.com. Checked 15 October 2026. No publication date shown. Stable net income of at least US$3,000 a month (US$5,000 for families); a stay of one year with the option to renew for a further year; health insurance of at least US$50,000; US$100 payment. The page names no nationality restriction. The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería site (migracion.go.cr) refused automated access, so the official procedure was not read there.
- [CR V1] Digital nomads: remote worker and service provider stay (requirements, fees, procedure), Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME), Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 29 August 2025, re-read on 15 October 2026; DGME's live page (migracion.go.cr) returns 403 to automated readers, so it was not compared with the capture. States a minimum pay from abroad of US$3,000 a month (US$4,000 with dependants), no nationality restriction and no Costa Rican job offer, and renewal after 180 days in the country. Applies to US, CA, AU and NZ passports alike.
- [CR V2] General Guidelines for Entry and Stay Visas for Non-Residents (November 2025), Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, published in La Gaceta (Alcance 148, 17 November 2025); Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 27 September 2026, re-read on 15 October 2026. Australia, Canada, the United States and New Zealand are in the first group: no entry visa, a stay of up to 180 days.
- [CR W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Tobías Bolaños Palma Airport, Pavas, San José (WMO 78764), Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI). Checked 15 October 2026. The Heredia and San José area, the main city for Costa Rica's climate grade. Monthly mean daily highs 28.9 to 31.5 °C; rain 10.7 mm (January), 135.1 mm (November) and 25.4 mm (December); 3 comfortable months (January, November, December).
- [PA W1] Climate information for Panama City (WMO World Weather Information Service), World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (data supplied by Panama's national meteorological service). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama City station (9.05 N, 79.37 W). Monthly mean daily highs 32.6 to 35.4 °C (October lowest, April highest); rainfall 10.1 mm (February) to 330.7 mm (October). The service marks the rainfall record as 1971 to 2000 and gives no period for temperatures. These are not 1991 to 2020 normals; no month has a mean daily high of 30 °C or less, so there are 0 comfortable months.
- [PA W2] Caracterización climática para los distritos de Panamá y San Miguelito, según los datos de la estación meteorológica Tocumen, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (ETESA), Gerencia de Hidrometeorología, Centro del Clima de Panamá (published on the site of the Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá, IMHPA). Checked 15 October 2026. Tocumen station, period 1977 to 2010 (not 1991 to 2020). Average daily maximum 32.6 °C (October) to 35.3 °C (April) in every month; rain 10.0 mm (February) to 329.6 mm (October), 1,917.4 mm a year. No month has a mean daily high of 30 °C or less. IMHPA's own climate pages (imhpa.gob.pa) show current data only, no 1991 to 2020 normals table was found.
- [PA Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama ranks 6th of 31 countries in the Quality of Life Index.
- [CR K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Costa Rica, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 23.29 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [PA K1] Decreto Ejecutivo No. 198 de 7 de mayo de 2021, que crea la Visa de Corta Estancia como Trabajador Remoto (Gaceta Oficial Digital No. 29290-A, 20 May 2021), República de Panamá, Ministerio de Seguridad Pública (published in the Gaceta Oficial). Checked 15 October 2026. Article 1: a short-stay (non-resident) visa for foreign remote workers with foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year; nine months, renewable once for the same period; carnet B/.50. Article 2: B/.250 payment, insurance, a letter showing at least B/.3,000 a month, a sworn statement of no local job or service. The Gaceta is a scan; the text was read by OCR. The Servicio Nacional de Migración requirements sheet (migracion.gob.pa) could not be opened (the address returned a page-not-found). Later changes were not checked.
- [PA K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Panama, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2023: 18.13 per 100 people (2024 and 2025 have no value), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [CR R1] Ley General de Migración y Extranjería No. 8764, articles 78, 79, 81 and 82, Asamblea Legislativa de la República de Costa Rica (copy published by ICODER). Checked 15 October 2026. Article 78: permanent residence for those who held temporary residence for three consecutive years. Article 79: temporary residence for up to two years, renewable, includes rentistas and pensionados. Article 81: pension of at least US$1,000 a month. Article 82: income of at least US$2,500 a month. Later changes by Law 9996 were not checked.
- [PA R1] Decreto Ejecutivo No. 320 de 8 de agosto de 2008, articles 10 and 200 to 203 (Gaceta Oficial Digital No. 26104, 13 August 2008), República de Panamá, Ministerio de Gobierno y Justicia (published in the Gaceta Oficial). Checked 15 October 2026. Article 10 lists the permanent permit for jubilado o pensionado. Article 200: a lifetime pension of at least B/.1,000 a month (B/.750 with a property worth more than B/.100,000). Article 201: certification letters and B/.250 per dependent. No age minimum is stated. This is the 2008 text; amendments (for example Decreto Ejecutivo 26 of 2009) were not checked.