Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of California, you would:

Economy

make 69.3% less money

California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $25,800 as of 2023.

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be 62.7% more likely to be unemployed

In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

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be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 25.5% as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 10.4% less likely to have internet access

In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Costa Rica, about 83.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: California vs. Costa Rica
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Costa Rica is 31.3% cheaper than California
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Size Comparison · See true size
California is about 8 times bigger than Costa Rica.
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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 California? See an in-depth size comparison.

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