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

Health

live 14.0 years longer

In Comoros, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 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.

View global rankings →

see 7.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Comoros spends $250 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 6.3 times more doctors per person

Comoros has 4.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

have 68.8% more access to essential health services

Comoros scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 95.0% more likely to be obese

In Comoros, 16.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 34.3% more likely to die by suicide

Comoros has a suicide rate of 6.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 62.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Comoros, 46.1% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 9.7 times more money

Comoros has a GDP per capita of $2,056 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 79.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Comoros, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 86.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Comoros, approximately 179.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 29.6% more likely to be literate

In Comoros, the literacy rate is 75.6% as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 98.0% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 74.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Comoros, approximately 35.0 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.

View global rankings →

have 64.6% fewer children

In Comoros, there are approximately 28.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 11.4% more likely to have access to electricity

In Comoros, approximately 90% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 86% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 2.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Comoros, approximately 32.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 17.4% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Comoros, approximately 85% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 83% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 2.3 times more on education

Comoros spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 3.8 times more coastline

Comoros has a total of 340 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 46.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Comoros, road accidents kill 29.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 59.7 times more home broadband

Comoros has 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 7.1 times more strain on fresh water

Comoros withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 67.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Comoros, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 3.2 times more CO2

Comoros emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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.
Read more

How big is Costa Rica compared to Comoros? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Costa Rica or Comoros. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.