cost
Cost of Living Index
Costa Rica68.4 / 100
Peru82.9 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Costa Rica leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Peru leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Peru leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Peru leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Costa Rica | 68.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Peru | 82.9 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Costa Rica | 35.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Peru | 86.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Costa Rica | $1,520 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Peru | $989 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Costa Rica | 9.9x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Peru | 6.5x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Costa Rica | $1,549/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Peru | $704/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Costa Rica | 6.8% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Peru | 5.1% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Costa Rica | 54.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Peru | 70.2 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Costa Rica | 83.6 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Peru | 85.3 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Peru wins on 15 of 22 metrics compared to Costa Rica.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Costa Rica leads cost, salary, and air quality; Peru leads safety, rent, and housing.
cost
Costa Rica
68.4
Peru
82.9
safety
Costa Rica
35.3
Peru
86.3
housing
Costa Rica
$1,520
Peru
$989
housing
Costa Rica
9.9x
Peru
6.5x
jobs
Costa Rica
$1,549/mo
Peru
$704/mo
jobs
Costa Rica
6.8%
Peru
5.1%
health
Costa Rica
54.2
Peru
70.2
health
Costa Rica
83.6 years
Peru
85.3 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Costa Rica
0.5%
Peru
1.1%
education
Costa Rica
59.6
Peru
92.9
transport
Costa Rica
69.1
Peru
49
safety
Costa Rica
17.7 per 100k
Peru
8.6 per 100k
safety
Costa Rica
3.7 per 100k
Peru
68.4 per 100k
health
Costa Rica
11.6%
Peru
31.6%
quality
Costa Rica
3.7
Peru
4.1
housing
Costa Rica
$13,354/sqm
Peru
$9,959/sqm
religion
Costa Rica
72.4%
Peru
28.1%
religion
Costa Rica
59.8%
Peru
91.6%
religion
Costa Rica
55.6%
Peru
81.7%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.