Costa Rica

Level moderateupdated 5 min ago
Open alert types
StormVolcanoEpidemic
What governments advise19 states tracked
9 nothing to report9 increased caution1 advise against non-essential travel
Mira Safe's take

A country you can visit normally, with the usual precautions.

3alerts in progress1 / 19state advises against travel17.7homicides / 100,000 inhab.44events over 12 months
HighCritical

What are the main risks in Costa Rica?

Over the last 12 months, our sensors recorded 44 events there, including 18 severe. The most frequent: Earthquake, Flood, Storm.

Is there a government travel advisory for Costa Rica?

Yes — of the 19 governments we track, 1 advises against travel and 9 urge extra caution. The detail is in the security section below.

Mira SafeAI agent

Ask your question about Costa Rica — it answers with this page's data.

Sign in to keep the conversation going — the app then alerts you by geolocation. Mira Safe is an AI: it can make mistakes. Double-check critical information with official sources.

Costa Rica: current alerts and safety news

The alerts open right now, all sources combined — weather, seismic, satellite, health and state advisories.

Severe thunderstorm — San Jose

in 14 hours · Mira Weather

High

Eruption — Rincon de la Vieja

3 months ago · Smithsonian GVP

High

CDC health alert (level 2) — Chikungunya (Costa Rica)

3 months ago · CDC

High

Last 90 days

  • Calm
  • Moderate / High
  • Critical
  • N/A
July 14October 11

Colour = the country level observed that day (highest of the day). N/A: before our records began.

Is it safe to travel to Costa Rica?

Costa Rica sits at level 3 on a 0-to-4 scale. Over the last 12 months, 19 events were recorded, 9 of them severe. Most of the count is weather: 5 thunderstorms, all 5 severe, and 5 floods, 1 of them severe. Then 3 earthquakes, 3 volcanic events, 1 wildfire and 1 epidemic episode. Counts and stakes say different things. Earthquakes, volcanoes and the epidemic score 4 out of 5 for what they mean for people, above floods at 3 and storms at 2. Storms, floods, wildfire and the epidemic follow a season here. Earthquakes and volcanoes follow none, so a busy month for them is chance, not a cycle. All hazards combined, August was the busiest month with 9 events, July had 7, February had 1. Homicides run at 17.7 per 100k against a world median of 2.1. That number covers homicide only. No state currently advises against travel.

What it changes for a nomad

For a stay of several weeks, the calendar matters. August and July hold the most recorded events, 9 and 7, all hazards combined. February holds the fewest, 1. Arrive in the busier stretch and plan around water: cut roads, power out, a work day lost more often than anything dramatic. The epidemic side is seasonal too, so it sits in a window rather than year-round. Earthquakes and volcanic activity sit outside any calendar, so the month you pick changes nothing there. Judge the flat you rent on that basis, not on the season. For daily life, the level itself is the honest signal. Homicides at 17.7 per 100k against a world median of 2.1 tell you about lethal violence, not about the petty theft that shapes a working week. Keep the same routine with your gear all year.

Written with the help of AI from Mira Safe's sourced data on August 21, 2026 · does not replace local guidance How this analysis is produced →

To watch right now

  • Three alerts are open right now. Read what each one covers before you cross the country or book a long road trip.
  • The most recent notable episodes on record are a thunderstorm, a volcanic event and an epidemic episode, each at severity 3. Check local conditions before you settle on a route.

To watch as a rule

  • Thunderstorms and floods, the two most recorded hazards, both seasonal here.
  • The busy stretch of August with 9 events and July with 7, against February with 1.
  • Earthquakes and volcanic activity: few events, high stakes for people, and no season to plan around.
  • The epidemic risk, which does follow a season, and wildfire, recorded once.

Good reflexes

  • Before you commit to a place for the month, ask the host whether the access road floods.
  • Keep a power bank and a torch charged, plus some cash, for the days storms take the power out.
  • Fit a screen or a net where you sleep and use repellent at dusk.
  • In a new flat, look at where the heavy furniture and the glass are before you set up your desk.
  • Follow the national weather and volcano monitoring feeds rather than reposts on social media.

Costa Rica: travel advisories and areas to avoid

What the 19 tracked governments officially advise for this country — converging or not. The everyday reference.

Costa Rica: quality of life and safety in figures

Everyday living conditions, on the few indicators published for every country in the world. Background for a stay — not what is happening today.

Favourable vs the world median

  • Physicians: 2.7 per 1,000 people (median 1.7)
  • Life expectancy at birth: 81 years (median 74.7)
  • New displacements, disasters: 0.06 per 1,000 people (median 0.73)

Watch out vs the world median

  • Homicides: 17.7 per 100,000 people (median 2.3)
  • Hospital beds: 1.1 per 1,000 people (median 2.4)
Air quality (PM2.5)
17.7µg/m³ · 2023

Close to the world median (17.3) · lower is better

WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³

Safely managed drinking water
80.5% of the population · 2024

Close to the world median (80.5) · higher is better

Road deaths
14.8per 100,000 people · 2019

Close to the world median (15.2) · lower is better

Physicians
2.7per 1,000 people · 2022

Above the world median (1.7) · higher is better

Hospital beds
1.1per 1,000 people · 2022

Below the world median (2.4) · higher is better

Life expectancy at birth
81years · 2024

Above the world median (74.7) · higher is better

New displacements, disasters
0.06per 1,000 people · 2023

Below the world median (0.73) · lower is better

290 people in total

Refugees hosted
7.1per 1,000 people · 2025

36,395 people in total

178,212 asylum seekers

People living in internal displacement
0people · 2025

Security and violence

Structural risk (INFORM) · 2026

4/10 — medium

Composite index by the JRC (European Commission): hazards & exposure, vulnerability, coping capacity. Structural background — not today's alerts.

17.7homicides per 100,000 people (2023)

Well above the world median (2.3).

Source: UNODC, via the World Bank (CC BY 4.0)

Homicides are the only crime figure that exists worldwide under an open licence. It says nothing about theft or scams — no reliable worldwide data exists for those; official state advisories are the honest day-to-day reference.

National figures, published once a year and often a few years behind: an order of magnitude for daily life, never the situation right now. Sources: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) · UNHCR

Costa Rica: natural disasters and risks in figures

Last 30 days · 14 events

Eventsof which severe
  • Earthquake91 1 severe
  • Storm33 3 severe
  • Flood21 1 severe

Last 12 months · 44 events

Eventsof which severe
  • Earthquake215 5 severe
  • Flood103 3 severe
  • Storm77 7 severe
  • Volcano31 1 severe
  • Internet outage11 1 severe
  • Epidemic11 1 severe
  • Wildfire1

By month

Eventsof which severe
11
12
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
Be notified in Mira Chat

Get alerted if safety changes — Costa Rica

Get notified if a risk appears or the alert level changes. Free for 7 days.

I agree to receive a safety alert email for this destination.

You'll receive a confirmation email. Create an account for unlimited alerts, or download the app to be alerted automatically by location.

What travellers lived

What people who stayed there report. A feeling is not a risk level: these figures complement official data, they don't replace it.

Nobody has shared a stay here yet. You could be the first.

Create an account to share

Only ever published as anonymous aggregates, from 5 responses onward.

Mira informs you. Mira is not an emergency service — in an emergency, call local emergency services. Some of this page's content is generated with the help of AI from sourced, quantified data.

Go further

Cities and destinations

The country's 6 regions

More countries in this region (Central America & Caribbean)

View the region →← Back to the world map