You hear it all the time from vacationers in Costa Rica: “God, this is the best.”
And from vacationers who just got home from Costa Rica and can’t stop telling everyone who didn’t get to go to Costa Rica: “Costa Rica was the best.”
But of course anyone who’s just spent a week on a stunning Pacific beach will have glowing things to say. The important thing is what the locals — the people who live, work, play, and raise their families in Costa Rica — think about it. And what the global community thinks about it. And their consensus is that… Costa Rica is the best.
Here are five areas where Costa Rica tops the global rankings.
1. Happiness
Costa Rica consistently ranks at or near the top of global happiness and well-being indices. This includes the Happy Planet Index, which looks at life satisfaction, longevity, and environmental impact — literally sustainable wellbeing. And the 2025 World Happiness Report places Costa Rica at #6 in the world, behind only Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
That enviable happiness is all built around perspective. Costa Rica’s iconic pura vida (“pure life”) is “hello,” “goodbye,” “everything’s good,” “you’re welcome,” embodying a lifestyle built around the simple joys and harmonies of life. It can actually be a struggle for some American immigrants to adjust when they first land in Costa Rica, but they have the time of their life figuring it out.
2. Renewable Energy
Around the world, renewable energy is an aspiration. In Costa Rica, it’s infrastructure. The country generates nearly all its electricity from renewable sources like hydroelectric, wind, geothermal, and solar power — making it one of just 11 countries in the world that manage to get close.
All that dedication to clean energy makes for quieter cities, cleaner air, and a national commitment to protecting natural resources. And it’s a sign of long-term thinking — investments in sustainability, resilience, and self-sufficiency don’t pop up out of nowhere — about how to handle development and protect the land in a way that will benefit the people who rely on it.
3. Biodiversity
Move to Costa Rica and you’ll find yourself vastly outnumbered by wildlife, and that’s not a bad way to live. Costa Rica is one of the 20 most biodiverse countries, hosting 5-6% of the world’s species on 0.03% of its landmass. You’ll find rainforests, cloud forests, beaches, volcanoes, wetlands, often within a few hours of each other. Wildlife is part of the landscape, and the landscape is stunning.
And it isn’t just about beautiful weekend hikes (although there are plenty of those). It’s about access to green space and cleaner environments, as well as a slower pace that’s naturally shaped by harmony with the outdoors. When national parks cover more than a quarter of the country, nature stops being a luxury and starts being a part of the lifestyle.
4. Healthcare
Costa Rica consistently ranks high worldwide, and at the top of Latin America, for its healthcare quality. Newcomers are sometimes surprised by how accessible and affordable care is — residents can access the public healthcare system (Caja) as well as widely available, comparatively inexpensive private healthcare.
And that is healthcare that’s both affordable and good. Doctors tend to be well-trained, facilities are modern, and wait times in the private system put the U.S. healthcare system to shame. Our healthcare expert, Hunter Schultz, says Costa Rica especially excels in primary care, with a new care team approach that other countries should envy. Costa Rica’s healthcare system is often a deciding factor for prospective immigrants from the U.S., particularly retirees and families balancing quality with cost of care.
5. Political stability
In globally turbulent times, political stability is a rare and precious find, and a stable, peaceable country starts to feel like a refuge. Costa Ricans know this from experience. Costa Rica actually abolished its military in 1949 — no standing army at all — and redirected those resources into education, healthcare, and social services.
In a way, most of the superlative things about Costa Rica — its dedication to sustainable energy and a healthy environment, its infrastructure and long-term planning, its healthcare, the overall happiness of its residents — are based in the stable democracy and strong institutions that make it such a safe, secure place to settle. It’s the best not just for people spending a week at the beach but also people putting down roots and making a healthy, happy home for the rest of their life.
Costa Rica and Panama are our countries of the month for January 2026. Get free webinars and expert advice or plan a scouting trip at our Country of the Month page.
