Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of British Virgin Islands, you would:

Health

live 3.6 years longer

In British Virgin Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (75 years for men, 80 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.

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Life

be 20.2% less likely to die during infancy

In British Virgin Islands, approximately 11.4 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.

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have 21.5% more children

In British Virgin Islands, there are approximately 8.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.2% more likely to have internet access

In British Virgin Islands, approximately 77.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 67.5% more on education

British Virgin Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 16.1 times more coastline

British Virgin Islands has a total of 80 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

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Environment

emit 30.0% less CO2

British Virgin Islands emits 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: British Virgin Islands vs. Costa Rica

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Costa Rica is 26.0% cheaper than British Virgin Islands overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
British Virgin Islands is about 338 times smaller than Costa Rica.
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Moving from British Virgin Islands to Costa Rica · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Costa Rica: At a glance

Costa Rica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 51,060 sq km. Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
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How big is Costa Rica compared to British Virgin Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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