Travel safety comparison · Latin America & the Caribbean
Costa Rica vs Ecuador: safety comparison
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Costa Rica vs Ecuador: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Costa Rica carries a materially lower safety risk than Ecuador on the composite Warnely score: 27/100 against 50/100, a gap of 23 points. The biggest single category gap is in terrorism, where Costa Rica scores 1/5 against Ecuador's 2/5. Women's-safety rating differs: Costa Rica is Generally Safe and Ecuador is Exercise Caution.
| 🇨🇷Costa Rica | 🇪🇨Ecuador | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 27 / 100 | 50 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #54 | #129 |
| Drug law | Strict | Strict |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | marriage | marriage |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | CRC | USD |
Costa Rica vs Ecuador: common questions
Is Costa Rica or Ecuador safer to visit?
Costa Rica has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 27/100 vs 50/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Costa Rica or Ecuador safer for solo female travellers?
Costa Rica is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Ecuador is rated Exercise Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Costa Rica and Ecuador?
Costa Rica: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Ecuador: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).