Travel safety comparison · Latin America & the Caribbean

Colombia vs Costa Rica: safety comparison

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Colombia vs Costa Rica: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.

· How Warnely scores risk →
Costa Rica carries a materially lower safety risk than Colombia on the composite Warnely score: 26/100 against 57/100, a gap of 31 points. The biggest single category gap is in civil unrest, where Costa Rica scores 1/5 against Colombia's 3/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 3 advisory on Colombia and a Level 2 on Costa Rica. Women's-safety rating differs: Colombia is Exercise Caution and Costa Rica is Generally Safe.
🇨🇴Colombia 🇨🇷Costa Rica
Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) 57 / 100 26 / 100
Risk tier High Risk Exercise Normal Caution
UK FCDO advisory avoid all but essential travel to parts of country No active advisory
US State Department advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution)
Global Peace Index rank #140 #54
Drug law Strict Strict
Women's safety rating Exercise Caution Generally Safe
LGBTQ+ legal status marriage marriage
Tap water n/a n/a
Currency COP CRC
Full guide

Is Colombia safe to visit in 2026?
Full guide

Is Costa Rica safe to visit in 2026?

Colombia vs Costa Rica: common questions

Is Colombia or Costa Rica safer to visit?

Costa Rica has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 26/100 vs 57/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.

Is Colombia or Costa Rica safer for solo female travellers?

Colombia is rated Exercise Caution for women's safety; Costa Rica is rated Generally Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.

What do FCDO and US State Department say about Colombia and Costa Rica?

Colombia: avoid all but essential travel to parts of country (FCDO), Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) (US State). Costa Rica: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) (US State).

More comparisons

Colombia vs Panama · Colombia vs Ecuador · Colombia vs Venezuela · Colombia vs Peru · Costa Rica vs Nicaragua · Costa Rica vs Panama · Costa Rica vs Honduras · Costa Rica vs El Salvador

Planning the trip? Check Colombia visa requirements and Costa Rica visa requirements.

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