Key Facts: Eritrea vs Costa Rica Wages
- Eritrea Minimum Wage
- Nfk600/mo ($40 USD)
- Costa Rica Minimum Wage
- ₡1,554.55/hr ($3.04 USD)
- Eritrea Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- Nfk6,000 /mo ($400 USD)
- Costa Rica Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- ₡620,000 /mo ($1,210.94 USD)
- Data Sources
- ILO ILOSTAT / World Bank / OHCHR Eritrea reports (2026-02-25), Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social (MTSS) — Costa Rica (2026-06-01)
Eritrea 
Costa Rica
Updated 2026-06-01
The minimum wage in Eritrea is roughly 13 times higher than in Costa Rica in USD terms, reflecting the gap between a low-income and a upper-middle-income economy. Average gross salaries diverge further: $400/mo in Eritrea versus $1,211/mo in Costa Rica, a 3.0:1 ratio.
Eritrea's unemployment rate is 6.0% compared to Costa Rica's 6.8%.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Eritrea | Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage /hr | — | ₡1,554.55 $3.04 |
| Minimum wage /mo | Nfk600 $40 | ₡373,092.42 $728.70 |
| Minimum wage /yr | — | ₡4,850,201.46 $9,473.05 |
| Avg. gross salary /mo | Nfk6,000 /mo $400 | ₡620,000 /mo $1,210.94 |
| Avg. net salary /mo | Nfk5,400 /mo $360 | ₡508,400 /mo $992.97 |
| Median individual income /yr | N/A/yr | ₡4,680,000 /yr $9,140.63 |
Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Eritrea is higher.
Work Week
- Eritrea
-
44 hrs/wk standard
Labour Law sets 44 hours/week for civilian workers (8 hours/day, 5.5 days). However, the national service program operates under military regulations outside normal labour law. No reliable enforcement or monitoring data is available.
- Costa Rica
-
48 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.5x pay
Labour Code sets maximum ordinary workday at 8 hours (daytime) and 6 hours (nighttime), with 48-hour weekly maximum for day shifts and 36 hours for night shifts. Mixed shifts max at 7 hours/day (42/week). Overtime paid at 150% of regular rate (50% premium). In practice, many formal sector jobs work 40-45 hours.
What This Means for Workers
A minimum wage worker moving from Costa Rica to Eritrea would see a 1217% increase in USD-equivalent hourly earnings. Standard work weeks differ: Eritrea mandates 44 hours while Costa Rica mandates 48 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in Eritrea are $1,760 vs $146 in Costa Rica.
See this comparison from Costa Rica's perspective: Costa Rica vs Eritrea
Compare Eritrea with...
Eritrea vs United States $ 7.25 /hr 
Eritrea vs China ¥ 25 /hr 
Eritrea vs Germany € 13.9 /hr 
Eritrea vs United Kingdom £ 12.71 /hr 
Eritrea vs India ₹ 4,576 /mo 
Eritrea vs Japan ¥ 1,121 /hr 
Eritrea vs France € 12.02 /hr 
Eritrea vs South Korea ₩ 10,320 /hr 
Eritrea vs Canada C$ 18.1 /hr 
Eritrea vs Australia A$ 24.95 /hr 
Eritrea vs Brazil R$ 7.37 /hr 
Eritrea vs Russia ₽ 156.31 /hr 
Eritrea vs Mexico MX$ 9,583.52 /mo 
Eritrea vs Indonesia Rp 33,058 /hr 
Eritrea vs Netherlands € 14.71 /hr 
Eritrea vs Saudi Arabia ﷼ 23.08 /hr 
Eritrea vs Turkey ₺ 164.94 /hr 
Eritrea vs Taiwan NT$ 190 /hr 
Eritrea vs Switzerland 
Eritrea vs Poland zł 31.4 /hr 
Eritrea vs Thailand ฿ 10,400 /mo 
Eritrea vs Sweden 
Eritrea vs Argentina ARS 1,762 /hr 
Eritrea vs Singapore Frequently Asked Questions
Is the minimum wage higher in Eritrea or Costa Rica?
In Eritrea, the minimum wage is Nfk600/mo ($40 USD). In Costa Rica, it is ₡1,554.55/hr ($3.04 USD). Eritrea has the higher rate by 1217% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Costa Rica may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.
How much less does the average worker earn in Eritrea compared to Costa Rica?
The average gross salary in Eritrea is Nfk6,000/mo ($400 USD), compared to ₡620,000/mo ($1,210.94 USD) in Costa Rica. In USD terms, workers in Eritrea earn approximately 203% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Eritrea and Costa Rica is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Costa Rica earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in Eritrea.
How do work hours compare between Eritrea and Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has a longer standard work week at 48 hours, compared to 44 hours in Eritrea. Workers in Eritrea work 44 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in Eritrea working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.