AMERICAS
Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution
Costa Rica
Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution
Population
5.3 million
Exchange Rate
1 USD = 493.36 CRC
Advisory
Level 2
GDP/Capita
$18,587
Health Alerts
0
Last Updated
Apr 23, 2026
About Costa RicaOverview, geography, and key facts
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, sharing a maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around five million in a land area of nearly 51,180 km2 (19,760 sq mi); the capital and largest city is San José, home to around 350,000 residents and two million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.
Capital
San José
Population
5.3 million
Area
51,100 km²
Languages
Spanish
Currency
Costa Rican colón (CRC)
GDP/Capita
$18,587
Travel AdvisoryU.S. Department of State
Gov Data
Exercise increased caution due to heightened risks to safety and security.
Currency & Economy
- Currency
- Costa Rican colón (CRC)
- Exchange Rate
- 1 USD = 493.36 CRC
- GDP
- $95.4B
- GDP per Capita
- $18,587
Visa Fee Estimate
$185 USD
91,272 CRC
Based on current Treasury exchange rate
Development
- Life Expectancy
- 80.8 years
Geography & Practical Details
- Region
- Americas
- Capital
- San José
- Area
- 51,100 km²
- Population
- 5,309,625
- Timezone
- UTC-06:00
- Languages
- Spanish
- Calling Code
- +506
- Drives On
- Right
- ISO Code
- CR