Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 7.7 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 4.9 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 35.0% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 64.5% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.4 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 37.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 48.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
be 51.0% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Costa Rica, it is 98.0% as of 2021.
be 33.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, 9.1 children do as of 2024.
have 20.3% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 55.4% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.2 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 27.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 8.0 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 4.2 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 73.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 18.9% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.