Is Costa Rica safe in 2026?
Costa Rica scores 90.3/100 on the live safety index — very safe. The main pressure on the score comes from crime, natural disasters, economy. The score has been stable for 23 days. The 24-hour AI forecast calls the trend stable (projected 90.3/100).
90.3 /100very safe
30-day trend
Costa Rica's score fell by −4.5 over the last 30 days (94.8 → 90.3).
Threat breakdown
| Category | Pressure | Score / cap |
|---|---|---|
| Crime | 5.0 / 15 | |
| Natural disasters | 1.2 / 5 | |
| Economy | 1.3 / 8 | |
| Political instability | 1.6 / 15 | |
| Ecology | 0.1 / 1 | |
| Public health | 0.1 / 3 | |
| Internet freedom | 0.2 / 7 | |
| Military conflict | 0.2 / 30 | |
| Nuclear risk | 0.0 / 12 | |
| Sanctions | 0.0 / 4 |
Higher category scores mean more threat pressure; each category is capped by its weight in the 0–100 index. How scores are computed.
Official travel advisory
2 Exercise Increased Caution
The U.S. State Department places Costa Rica at Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution citing crime. Our live index reads 90.3/100. That advisory was last revised Apr 2, 2026, 152 days ago; the index above is recomputed continuously from current reporting.
Source: U.S. Department of State, revised Apr 2, 2026. Levels run 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel). This page is not travel advice.
Latest recorded events
- Strong tremor shakes Costa Rica: magnitude 5.4 earthquake in the early hours of Monday, August 24; get the details
- Costa Ricans take to the streets to protest against the government
- Costa Rica captures most-wanted fugitive also sought by US, authorities say
24-hour forecast
Trend: stable · projected score 90.3/100 (generated )
Recent tremor and protests are offset by a successful fugitive capture; no new escalation is evident.
Compared with nearby countries
| Country | Score | 0–100 | vs Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 90.3 | — | |
| Panama | 88.4 | −1.9 | |
| Nicaragua | 69.0 | −21.3 | |
| Honduras | 72.1 | −18.2 | |
| El Salvador | 74.6 | −15.7 | |
| Guatemala | 78.0 | −12.3 |