Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Canada, you would:
Health
be 14.6% less likely to die by suicide
Canada has a suicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.1 years less
In Canada, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 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.
be 25.9% more likely to be obese
In Canada, 26.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
see 74.8% less spent on your healthcare
Canada spends $7,646 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 11.0% less access to essential health services
Canada scores 91 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
Economy
make 64.1% less money
Canada has a GDP per capita of $55,698 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
Life
have 12.2% more children
In Canada, there are approximately 8.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Canada, approximately 12.0 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 93.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Canada, approximately 4.7 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.
Expenditures
spend 39.3% less on healthcare
Canada spends 11.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.4% less coastline
Canada has a total of 202,080 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 9.0 times more likely to be murdered
Canada has a homicide rate of 2.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 3.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Canada, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 45.2% less home broadband
Canada has 42.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 58.1% more strain on fresh water
Canada withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 83.8% less electricity
Canada uses 14,093 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 88.4% less CO2
Canada emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 87.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Canada, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Canada vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Canada? See an in-depth size comparison.