Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Costa Rica or Estonia: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  Costa Rica ↗ |  Estonia ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 25% | 22% |
| Corporate tax | 30%* | 22%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 15% | 0% |
| VAT / sales tax | 13% | 24% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | No | No |
| Foreign income | Territorial | Worldwide |
| Headline expat regime | Territorial Taxation (Foreign-Source Exemption) | Distributed-Profits Corporate Tax (Estonian Model) |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 59 | 66 |
| Population | 5,152,950 | 1,366,475 |
| Area | 51,100 km² | 45,226 km² |
| Population density | 101/km² | 30/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 17 | 6 |
| Annual tourists | 1,146,500 | 1,695,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 81 yrs | 79.3 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 17.7 | 1.5 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.12 | 6.02 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 57/100 | 75/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~4 | ~62 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 169 Mbps | 95 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $1,163 | $2,438 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 17.7 | 5.92 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC-6 | UTC+2 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (Spanish) | 1 (Estonian) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* Costa Rica: Standard 30% on net income. Reduced graduated 5-20% rates for small companies (gross income under ~CRC 119,174,000). Territorial base. · Estonia: Estonian distributed-profits model: undistributed (retained/reinvested) profits are 0% taxed; CIT of 22% (22/78 of the net distribution) is due only when profits are distributed as dividends or deemed-distributed.
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