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Teach English in Costa Rica

Teach English in Costa Rica

With dense jungles, amazing coastline, and some of the happiest residents on earth, Costa Rica is the perfect choice to Teach English Abroad!

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From lush rainforests teeming with wildlife to pristine beaches perfect for surfing, Costa Rican culture is unique, with plenty of English teaching jobs and a positive approach to life. As a place to teach English abroad, Costa Rica is full of opportunities. You can find plenty of work with young adults, business professionals, young learners and more.

Costa Rica is often featured on lists of the happiest places in the world and ranks as one of the greenest, so there are plenty of reasons to consider living there. In Costa Rica, teaching jobs are unique, challenging experiences, and while it can be hard to find a guaranteed job placement, it's very much worth trying.

In this article, we'll explore an underrated TEFL location and tell you what you need to teach English in Costa Rica!

Costa Rica: An overview 

Though Costa Rica doesn't compete with some other TEFL locations for the highest average salary, its low cost of living lets teachers comfortably enjoy their time off exploring the country's diverse landscapes. Furthermore, the growing demand for English language instruction in Costa Rica presents ample teaching jobs and opportunities for qualified TEFL teachers, making it an ideal destination to launch or further a rewarding career. If you've completed an accredited TEFL course, you can find a job teaching English in Costa Rica pretty quickly.

As part of government policy, English is taught in primary schools, so standards have improved in recent years. In the most recent EF English Proficiency Index, Costa Rica is ranked 38th of 113 nations. While there’s a large drive to learn English in Costa Rica, finding paid positions can still be challenging. Equally, Costa Rican immigration laws are very strict, so there’s less impetus to hire English teachers from outside the country. Still, there are rich opportunities for those desperate to start teaching English abroad in Costa Rica if you’re willing to put the work in.

Approximately 11% of Costa Ricans speak a second language, and 92% of those who speak a second language opt for English.

Requirements 

Want to move to Costa Rica to teach English? Let's look at some of the typical teaching requirements.

TEFL certificate

TEFL certification is key. You need to have completed 120 hours or more of a TEFL certification course to be considered for a teaching job in Costa Rica. Other TEFL courses, like Advanced TEFL certification in Business English and English for Academic Purposes, can help you find a better paying teaching job as an English teacher in Costa Rica.

Degree/no-degree 

While a bachelor's degree isn't always required for entry-level jobs teaching English in Costa Rica, it's preferred and can improve job prospects and potential earnings. However, in Costa Rica’s international schools, language schools and private schools, you will find that bachelor’s degrees are usually in demand. A bachelor's degree is useful if you want to teach English in Costa Rica long-term, especially in more elite institutions.

Learn more about teaching english abroad without a degree.

Experience 

Do most schools in Costa Rica ask for experienced English teachers? Yes and no.

The importance of experience depends very much on the types of teaching jobs you’re looking for in Costa Rica. Experience teaching English as a foreign language isn't important for many TEFL jobs. However, at international and private school levels, it’s important to have enough teaching practice.

Native/non-native English speakers

You need native English proficiency to find TEFL jobs in Costa Rica, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have to be a native English speaker.

English teaching jobs in Costa Rica often go to Costa Ricans, but if you have TEFL certification, practical knowledge, and fluency, you can find work there. You should qualify as long as you're TEFL certified and have an IELTS or TOEFL qualification.

Want to dig deeper? Learn more about non native english teacher.

Spanish language abilities

Some basic Spanish vocabulary is super helpful for ESL teachers. While Costa Ricans are very friendly and will try to communicate with you even if you don’t share a language, they appreciate efforts to speak the native tongue.

Visa 

Work visa rules in Costa Rica are strict. It’s impossible to gain permanent residence or a long-term work permit within a short period of moving to Costa Rica, unless you're a close relative of a Costa Rican and/or you have Costa Rican heritage. This changes when you’ve had Temporary Residence Permits for over 3 years, at which point you can apply for a Permanent Costa Rica Residence Permit.

It’s legal to work in Costa Rica on a Temporary Residence Permit. Depending on your passport, these permits last different durations from the first entry point. They can be extended multiple times, provided you show value and work legally. 

But how can you work legally? A popular way to do this is by working as a freelancer. The big issue with Costa Rican immigration is that you have to prove that you are doing work that a Costa Rican person cannot do.

The best way to do that during your first 3 years in Costa Rica, and the most visa-friendly way, is through self-employment. You do this through the Rentiers visa. In some cases, English teachers from overseas will be granted specific temporary residence permits, though this isn’t very common. Many people try to teach English in Costa Rica on a tourist visa, which we don’t recommend doing!

In short, it can be quite tricky. At first, your best bet as a TEFL teacher is to become a self-employed tutor or not move to Costa Rica unless you have a guaranteed job. For teachers interested in teaching English in Costa Rica, it’s important to know the visa system well, and stay within the law.

Download our teaching English in Latin America guide

Salary and cost of living  

What kind of average salary can an English teacher earn in Costa Rica? How much does teaching English in Costa Rica cost, and how well does a teaching salary cover it?

Country Avg. monthly salary Degree required Start of term Teaching experience Housing & flights included Suitable for non-native English speakers Age restrictions
Teach in Costa Rica
662,431 CRC
£978 GBP
$1,259 USD 		January to July None

Salary 

In Costa Rica, teachers can expect an average salary between £480 - £800 / $600 - $1,000 per month. This varies depending on the school type (language institute, private school, tutoring), your hours, and your qualifications. In Costa Rica, teachers usually work 20-25 hours, with contracts lasting 6-12 months. If you’re a tutor, you can usually charge a minimum of £7 - £15 / $10 - $20 per hour.

It’s also worth noting that volunteering opportunities to teach English in Costa Rica are widespread. Voluntary TEFL teaching is common there and can be great for an English teacher's CV.

Learn more about the English teaching salaries abroad by visiting our guide.

Cost of living 

Costa Rica is the wealthiest country in Central America, but wages aren’t typically high for TEFL teachers. Living in the capital San José can be expensive, but it’s also where the highest wages are.

Via Numbeo, a typical, inexpensive meal for one is about £7.85 / $10, while a three-course meal for two in a mid-priced restaurant is about £44 / $56.

For a one-bedroom apartment in central San José, rent is usually about £526 / $670. This drops to £335 / $428 outside the main metropolitan area. 

If you’re looking to share accommodation, a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre usually costs close to £996 / $1,270, but this drops to £854 / $1,088. As for utilities, expect to pay about £50 / $64.

As for transport, the bus rules. Especially in the bigger cities. Bus passes aren’t really a thing - public transport is publicly owned, and the bus will pick you up and drop you off pretty much anywhere, too. In San José, expect to pay between 140 and 360 CRC (£0.27-£0.55 / $0.35-$0.70) to get where you need to go.

Restaurants
CRC
USD
GBP
Inexpensive restaurant meal
Domestic beer (0.5 litre)
Regular cappuccino
Water (0.33 litre)
Markets
CRC
USD
GBP
Regular milk (1 litre)
Loaf of white bread
Regular eggs (1 dozen)
Apples (1 kg)
Transportation
CRC
USD
GBP
One-way ticket (local transport)
Monthly pass (regular price)
Taxi start (normal tariff)
Gasoline (1 litre)
Utilities
CRC
USD
GBP
Electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage (for a regular apartment)
Regular prepaid monthly mobile tariff with 10GB+ data
Internet (60 Mbps, unlimited data, cable/ADSL)
Clothing and shoes
CRC
USD
GBP
Pair of jeans (Levis 501 or something similar)
Summer dress in a chain store
Nike running shoes (mid-range)
Men's leather business shoes

Job opportunities

Now that we’ve discussed salaries, job requirements, and the cost of living in Costa Rica, it’s time to look at the specific kinds of teaching jobs that are available.

Public schools 

The state education system in Costa Rica is high quality, with a national literacy rate of 98%. English has been compulsory in secondary education since 1998, with progress being made to improve English proficiency more widely.

The majority of English teachers in Costa Rica are Costa Rican. However, if you have teaching experience, a degree and a TEFL certificate, there are public school teaching jobs in Costa Rica for exceptional teachers.

You’ll need a school to sponsor your work permit and any related paperwork - so expect quite a lengthy interview process, as Costa Rican schools want to know they’re investing their time and money well.

TEFL Org teacher story

One of our teachers, Richard Cullen, talks about his experience teaching English in Costa Rica on the I Taught English Abroad podcast:

"My main motivation, other than Costa Rica being one of the most biodiverse countries in the world as a big nature lover, was to actually go and learn Spanish. So, I chose to take my TEFL qualification in a Spanish-speaking country.

"That set me up really well for being a TEFL teacher because you had to start exploring all of these multimodal communication techniques. I was miming, drawing, and mouthing. My repertoire grew quite quickly in terms of my communicative skills just from jumping in at the deep end."

Getting started teaching English in Costa Rica

Here are some of the most important things you'll need to know about teaching abroad in this beautiful part of Latin America:

  • Average salary: English teachers in Costa Rica typically earn between £480 - £800 / $600 - $1,000 monthly. TEFL certification in specific areas and teaching experience can help boost your salary.
  • Visas: Costa Rica has strict visa laws. Typically, an English teacher will start on Temporary Residence Permits or freelance/self-employment visas (like the Rentiers visa). Tourist visas are commonly used but not recommended for legal work.
  • Teaching requirements: A 120-hour TEFL certificate is essential. Completing an Advanced TEFL course, especially Business English, is also useful. A degree is preferred, especially for jobs in private or international schools. Teaching experience is helpful but not always necessary for entry-level roles.
  • Jobs: Most jobs are found in San José, Heredia, Cartago, and other urban centres. Teachers can work in public schools, private academies, international schools, or as private tutors.
  • Cost of Living: While Costa Rica’s salaries are modest, the cost of living is relatively low and public transport is cheap.

More on teaching English in Costa Rica

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q. Are English teachers in demand in Costa Rica?

    Costa Rica is improving its English proficiency and has a lot of English teaching talent from within the country. However, there are teaching jobs in Costa Rica for TEFL teachers from overseas.

  • Q. How much money can I make teaching English in Costa Rica?

    An English teacher in Costa Rica usually earns between $600 and $1,000/£480 - £800 in full-time employment. This varies depending on the school type, hours, and qualifications.

  • Q. Can a US citizen teach in Costa Rica?

    If a US citizen meets the relevant work permit and visa criteria, they can teach in Costa Rica. A teaching license from the USA can help boost an application, as does TEFL certification.

  • Q. What country is easiest to teach English in?

    Provided you have qualifications (completing a TEFL course is vital) and you meet the requirements to emigrate to another nation, you can teach English worldwide!