Costa Rica News – For all those men looking for a Costa Rican woman, expect in most cases for you to be footing the bill for a lot of their life.
(AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
But with average salaries of about $700 a month and the cost of living continuing to rise in Costa Rica this is not a surprise.
In 46% of Tico households, the male is the sole provider. You may be surprised to know that Article 35 of the Family Code, in force since 1973, states that “The husband is the principal to cover the costs demanded by the family.”
318,395 women depend totally on the salary of their husbands. 29% of women make money, but that does not exceed 40% of the family’s income. Only 25% of women earn the same or more than their husbands.
When speaking of the women with primary schooling or less and in low income families, 70% report zero income. In the highest income quintile and among those who went to college, 35% of women contribute about equally to the family income (40-60%). A quarter of them assume the role of main provider.
The main obstacle to women working is that they take care of the children and household tasks.
Those who don’t work spend about 28 hours a week on housework.
Those who work tend to spend 18 hours while the men spend just six.
