La Fortuna vs Santa Teresa
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights La Fortuna edges it, 59 to 57, winning 2 of the 9 factors. La Fortuna is stronger on getting there & around, climate; Santa Teresa on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Arenal volcano town built on hot springs and adventure tourism
Full La Fortuna profile →Plan a trip to La Fortuna →Surf beach with villas, yoga and a long dirt road
Full Santa Teresa profile →Plan a trip to Santa Teresa →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. La Fortuna leads on getting there & around, 23 to 5, against Santa Teresa. Non-stop airport destinations: 56 vs 2.
- Climate. La Fortuna leads on climate, 33 to 17, against Santa Teresa. Comfortable months: 4 vs 2.
- Air quality. Santa Teresa leads on air quality, 70 to 58, against La Fortuna. PM2.5: 23.7 µg/m³ vs 18.3 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick La Fortuna if you want
- a longer comfortable season (4 months against 2)
- more flights and easier getting around
Pick Santa Teresa if you want
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | La Fortuna | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 48 | 48 |
| Safety | 57 | 57 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 66 | 67 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 92 | 92 |
| Getting there & around | 23 ✓ | 5 |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 17 |
| Air quality | 58 | 70 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 70 | 70 |
Cost
| Metric | La Fortuna | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,700 | $1,700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | La Fortuna | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 17.12 | 17.12 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87 | 87 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 |
| Life expectancy | 79.8 yrs | 79.8 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | La Fortuna | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 33.4 Mbps | 34.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 10.6 Mbps | 11 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | La Fortuna | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $3,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | La Fortuna | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 56 ✓ | 2 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | La Fortuna | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 2 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.7 µg/m³ | 18.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, La Fortuna or Santa Teresa?
- La Fortuna and Santa Teresa cost about the same: roughly $1,700 per month for one person.
- Is La Fortuna or Santa Teresa safer?
- La Fortuna and Santa Teresa score the same on safety (57), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, La Fortuna or Santa Teresa?
- Santa Teresa: a measured median of 34.4 Mbps versus 33.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- La Fortuna vs Monteverde
- La Fortuna vs Uvita
- Santa Teresa vs Nosara
- Santa Teresa vs Tamarindo
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.