San José, Costa Rica: Retirement City Guide
- Timezone
- America/Costa Rica
Best for: Good value · Mild climate · Strong healthcare
- Affordable vs US
- High livability
February
Year-round average
59% of US
Compared to US index (100)
17–26°C
Target -10–50°C
11 rainy days
66 mm/mo · target 0–31 days
10AM–7PM
7h overlap with your schedule
Spanish
335K
High
74
High
72
High
70
High
Map of San José
- JanCool
- FebWarm
- MarWarm
- AprWarm & Wet
- MayWarm & Wet
- JunWarm & Wet
- JulWarm & Wet
- AugWarm & Wet
- SepWarm & Wet
- OctCool & Wet
- NovCool & Wet
- DecCool & Wet
- Ideal
- Warm
- Cool
- Cold & Wet
- Cold
- Hot & Dry
- Hot
Retirement fit breakdown
San José, Costa Rica
Strong fit for affordable vs us, and high livability.
Last updated August 2, 2026
San José, the capital of Costa Rica, has a cost of living at 59% of the US baseline.
Spanish is the main language, and the city is on Central Standard Time. The best month for moderate weather is February, averaging 20°C with about 11 rainy days. The city sits at an elevation of about 1,133 m.
Livability is high, with high safety (74), high healthcare (72), and high digital infrastructure (70).
- Cost of living
- 59% of USWorld Bank PPP at country level unless this is a US city with a regional index.
- Healthcare access
- 72/100Country-level access index for Costa Rica, not hospital quality in San José.
- Safety
- 74/100Global Peace Index component for the country.
- Livability
- High72/100 country composite (safety, healthcare, digital).
- Languages
- Spanish
San José averages about 17°C–25°C from November through March, with roughly 141 mm of rain in a typical winter month.
The Desk Port is not medical, visa, tax, or financial advice. Healthcare figures are country-level access indexes, not hospital quality or a treatment recommendation.