Is San José Safe for Women? Crime Rate in San José

Safety rating

Unsafe
2.5 /5

Women living in San José consider the safety level to be moderate, with an overall safety rating of 2.5 out of 5.

Crime rating

Low
2.5 /5

Women living in San José consider the crime rate to be moderate, with an overall crime rating of 2.5 out of 5.

Violence rating

3%

On average 3% percentage of women in Costa Rica have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life, according to OECD Data.

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Crime & Safety Statistics

Based on 3 experiences

Safety rating:

2.5/5Unsafe

Safety walking alone after dark:

1.4/5Very Unsafe

Safety using public transport:

1.7/5Unsafe

Crime rate:

2.5/5Low

Worries of being sexually harassed:

1.1/5Not at all worried

Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped:

1.7/5A bit worried

Worries of being physically attacked:

1.4/5Not at all worried

Worries of home broken and things stolen:

1/5Not at all worried

Worries of being mugged or robbed:

2.6/5Moderate

Worries of being kidnapped or murdered:

2/5A bit worried

How safe is San José?

Angie

Angie

Try not to carry many things of value like laptops or iPads. If you visibly look a foreigner (wearing travel gear and carrying backpacks) I'd be specially careful, try to travel as light as possible. If you are visiting the more touristic and transited sites of San José, I'd say the city is relatively safe to walk through up til 7-8 pm but after that I'd be careful, specially since some zones are more dangerous than others, mostly in terms of robbery. You should be mindful of your surroundings ALWAYS, if someone stops you in the street trying to talk to you out of nowhere, thread with caution. If you are looking to experience the nightlife, depending on the club you go to, you might need to keep a close watch on your phone and wallet.

Posted: March 20, 2025
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I won’t walk in San Jose alone at night, during day time I would only use my phone when urgent or quick things. I would rather use uber instead of public transportation. Sexual harassment is becoming less common but there’s still a long way to eradicate this

Posted: December 25, 2024
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I would not recommend walking around alone in the dark, just take care of your private things… Although most of the people are nice, most of them dont speak english. So it is good to know the basics in spanish

Posted: October 20, 2024
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Is San José worth visiting?

Travel rating

3.4 /5

based on 5 experiences from female travelers

Solo travel

I really didn’t like San Jose at all. Especially traveling solo as a woman. I was assaulted because i was wearing a non gold, but golden necklace. My neck was scratched open and I was pushed to the ground in plain daylight, in the middle of a busy street. The police was standing next to me and didn’t even react. In General I was catcalled a lot, I felt I was being observed and followed and avoided going out. I’m sure that there are nicer areas than the ones I was in but I really had no good time. BE CAREFUL ALWAYS! and don’t wear any jewelry!

Posted: February 24, 2025
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Jessica

Jessica

Mexico

Solo travel

I felt good, I stayed at URBN Escalante and it was 1000/10. I recommend not staying too many days in San Jose and instead visiting other places like the beaches. Costa Rica in general is very expensive, like the USA. I loved Cacique Guaro.

Posted: May 27, 2024
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Meet locals in San José

Silvia

Silvia

About Me

Silvia, from Costa Rica. Love to travel, digital nomad.

Speaking

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Rebecca

Rebecca

About Me

I like it chill and peaceful. The perfect day in Costa Rica for me would be visiting a national parc, later rent 2 kayaks and spot some animals and in the evening grab cold drinks and enjoy the sunset preferably at the ocean :D

Speaking

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Safety in Costa Rica

Frequently asked questions

Is San José safe?

Women living in San José consider the safety level to be moderate, with an overall safety rating of 2.5 out of 5.

Is San José safe to walk alone at night?

Women living in San José consider walking alone at night to be very unsafe, with an overall safety rating of 1.4 out of 5

Is public transport safe in San José?

Women living in San José consider public transport to be relatively unsafe, with an overall safety rating of 1.7 out of 5.

What is the crime rate in San José?

Women living in San José consider the crime rate to be moderate, with an overall crime rating of 2.5 out of 5.

What is the risk of being sexually harassed in San José?

Women living in San José consider the risk of being sexually harassed to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1.1 out of 5

What is the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped in San José?

Women living in San José consider the risk of being sexually assaulted or raped to be relatively low, with an overall risk rating of 1.7 out of 5.

What is the risk of being physically attacked in San José?

Women living in San José consider the risk of being physically attacked to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1.4 out of 5

What is the risk of burglary in San José?

Women living in San José consider the risk of burglary to be very low, with an overall risk rating of 1 out of 5

What is the risk of being mugged or robbed in San José?

Women living in San José consider the risk of being mugged or robbed to be moderate, with an overall risk rating of 2.6 out of 5.

What is the risk of being kidnapped or murdered in San José?

Women living in San José consider the risk of being kidnapped or murdered to be relatively low, with an overall risk rating of 2 out of 5.