Costa Rica

Costa Rica provides universal healthcare to its citizens and legal residents via its public healthcare system. It is also known for its constant upgrades to its private and public healthcare systems. The United Nations has ranked them as the very best healthcare option in Latin America. Costa Rica remains highly competitive in the health travel market – particularly when considering its size, relative to other global leaders – thanks to continuous advances and developments in infrastructure and technology. Costa Rica’s economic stability and well-established healthcare reputation make it a strong candidate for medical tourism visits. It is known for competitive prices, scenic views, and a central location that attracts thousands of medical tourists every year – primarily from regional neighbors, like North America, and even a generous number of Canadians frustrated with long waits for healthcare. Costa Rica is best known for its affordable, high-quality dental care but is developing a prominent reputation for elective cosmetic work, too. Costa Rica ranks seventh overall (and second in the Americas, behind Canada) primarily thanks to its thriving health travel market. In the category measuring attractiveness and cost of a Medical Tourism destination, Costa Rica ranks second out of all countries, trailing only Canada. Its proximity to large markets of wealthy first-world nations gives it a massive nearby market to work with.

*Based on the 2020 – 2021 Global MTI (Medical Tourism Index) Report published by the Medical Tourism Association.*