Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
Costa Rica or United Arab Emirates: 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 ↗ |  United Arab Emirates ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 25% | 0% |
| Corporate tax | 30%* | 9%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | None |
| Dividend tax | 15% | 0% |
| VAT / sales tax | 13% | 5% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | No | No |
| Foreign income | Territorial | None |
| Headline expat regime | Territorial Taxation (Foreign-Source Exemption) | No personal income tax (Virtual Working visa) |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 59 | 63 |
| Population | 5,152,950 | 11,513,149 |
| Area | 51,100 km² | 82,880 km² |
| Population density | 101/km² | 139/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 17 | 12 |
| Annual tourists | 1,146,500 | 8,084,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 81 yrs | 83.1 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 17.7 | 0.7 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.12 | 6.79 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 57/100 | 71/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~4 | ~137 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 169 Mbps | 385 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $1,163 | $2,402 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 17.7 | 57.19 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC-6 | UTC+4 |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| Official languages | 1 (Spanish) | 1 (Arabic) |
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. · United Arab Emirates: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000, 9% above (Federal CT Law, effective 1 June 2023). Qualifying Free Zone Persons pay 0% on qualifying income and 9% on non-qualifying income. Natural persons with business turnover >AED 1M are in scope. 15% Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (DMTT) for MNE groups with global revenue >EUR 750M from 1 Jan 2025.
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