Travel safety comparison · Latin America & the Caribbean
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: safety comparison
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Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: 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 Nicaragua on the composite Warnely score: 27/100 against 45/100, a gap of 18 points. The biggest single category gap is in terrorism, where Costa Rica scores 1/5 against Nicaragua's 2/5. Women's-safety rating differs: Costa Rica is Generally Safe and Nicaragua is Exercise Caution. Drug law diverges sharply: Nicaragua carries a tier-severe regime against Costa Rica's more permissive framework.
| 🇨🇷Costa Rica | 🇳🇮Nicaragua | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 27 / 100 | 45 / 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 | #111 |
| Drug law | Strict | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | marriage | legal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | CRC | NIO |
Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: common questions
Is Costa Rica or Nicaragua safer to visit?
Costa Rica has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 27/100 vs 45/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Costa Rica or Nicaragua safer for solo female travellers?
Costa Rica is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Nicaragua is rated Exercise Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Costa Rica and Nicaragua?
Costa Rica: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Nicaragua: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).