Best places to retire in Costa Rica
For retirees, Cartago ranks highest in Costa Rica (retire score 62/100), balancing affordability, a mild climate and safety. The most affordable option is Atenas. Our retire score = 40% cost + 30% climate + 30% safety.
Top retirement cities in Costa Rica
- Cartago — retire score 62/100 (cost 40, climate 100, safety 52)
- Atenas — retire score 62/100 (cost 44, climate 100, safety 47)
- Heredia — retire score 61/100 (cost 40, climate 100, safety 49)
- San Pedro — retire score 61/100 (cost 40, climate 100, safety 49)
- Alajuela — retire score 60/100 (cost 38, climate 100, safety 48)
- San José — retire score 57/100 (cost 32, climate 100, safety 46)
- Quepos — retire score 54/100 (cost 43, climate 83, safety 41)
- Limón — retire score 53/100 (cost 37, climate 83, safety 45)
- Tamarindo — retire score 53/100 (cost 44, climate 76, safety 41)
- Liberia — retire score 52/100 (cost 38, climate 78, safety 45)
- Puntarenas — retire score 51/100 (cost 39, climate 78, safety 40)
Retire score weights affordability, climate comfort and disaster+crime safety. It does not include healthcare quality or retirement-visa rules — verify those separately.
FAQ
Where is the best place to retire in Costa Rica?
Cartago ranks highest in our retirement score (62/100), balancing affordability, mild climate and safety.
Is Costa Rica a good place to retire?
Costa Rica's best retirement city scores 62/100; the most affordable is Atenas (cost 44/100). We weigh cost, climate and natural-disaster + crime safety — not healthcare or visas, which you should check separately.
What's the cheapest place to retire in Costa Rica?
Atenas has the lowest cost of living in Costa Rica in our data.
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