🇨🇷 Costa Rica or 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Which one, honestly
Costa Rica leads on nature and the sea. United Arab Emirates leads on cities, food and getting around.
A normal day costs about $130 in Costa Rica and $175 in United Arab Emirates.
Side by side
- 🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
- Jan, Feb, Mar, DecBest monthsJan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec
- $130A normal day$175
- 5h 15m to San JoseNonstop from New York12h 45m to Dubai
- Very goodBeaches and seaGood
- Not the drawCities and cultureVery good
- GoodFoodVery good
- ExceptionalNature and hikingNot the draw
- Not the drawValue for moneyNot the draw
- GoodEasy to get aroundVery good
- A hire car with clearance, the distances are short but the roads are slowGetting aroundMetro in Dubai, taxis everywhere else, a car for the mountains
- September and October on the Caribbean side, the wettest weeks of the yearWhen to avoidJune to September, when outdoors stops being an option
Pick by what you want
🇨🇷 Choose Costa Rica if
you want wildlife above everything else, cloud forest and two oceans in one small country, and you accept it costs more than its neighbours.
🇦🇪 Choose United Arab Emirates if
you want guaranteed winter sun, very short flights from Europe and Asia, and a city that works like clockwork.
Full Costa Rica guide →Full United Arab Emirates guide →
And what the world thinks
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates leads by 3 votes.
Compare something else
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.