Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Costa Rica or France: 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 ↗ |  France ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 25% | 45% |
| Corporate tax | 30%* | 25%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 15% | 30% |
| VAT / sales tax | 13% | 20% |
| Wealth tax | No | Yes |
| Inheritance tax | No | Yes |
| Foreign income | Territorial | Partly exempt |
| Headline expat regime | Territorial Taxation (Foreign-Source Exemption) | Impatriate regime |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 59 | 77 |
| Population | 5,152,950 | 68,720,337 |
| Area | 51,100 km² | 547,030 km² |
| Population density | 101/km² | 126/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 17 | 135 |
| Annual tourists | 1,146,500 | 117,109,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 81 yrs | 83.5 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 17.7 | 1.3 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.12 | 6.66 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 57/100 | 69/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~4 | ~122 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 169 Mbps | 352 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $1,163 | $5,327 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 17.7 | 8.23 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC-6 | UTC |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | · |
| Official languages | 1 (Spanish) | 1 (French) |
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. · France: Standard 25%; reduced 15% on first €42,500 profit for qualifying SMEs. Temporary surtax on very large companies for FY2025.
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