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

Health

live 0.8 years longer

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 34.1% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 32.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cyprus, that number is 21.6% of people as of 2024.

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see 2.4 times more spent on your healthcare

Costa Rica spends $1,928 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cyprus spends $4,538 as of 2023.

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have 32.3% more doctors per person

Costa Rica has 26.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cyprus has 35.6 as of 2022.

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be 62.5% less likely to die by suicide

Costa Rica has a suicide rate of 8.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cyprus, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 28.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 6.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cyprus, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.

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make 2.1 times more money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $19,970 as of 2025, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $41,783 as of 2025.

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Life

be 41.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Costa Rica, approximately 24.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cyprus, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 54.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Costa Rica, approximately 9.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Cyprus, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 10.7% less on education

Costa Rica spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Cyprus spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 18.2% more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 49.8% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Cyprus, that number is 648 km.

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Safety

be 95.4% less likely to be murdered

Costa Rica has a homicide rate of 17.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 74.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Costa Rica, road accidents kill 15.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cyprus, they kill 3.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 61.3% more home broadband

Costa Rica has 23.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cyprus has 37.6 as of 2024.

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use 68.3% more electricity

Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Cyprus uses 3,842 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 5.2 times more strain on fresh water

Costa Rica withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cyprus withdraws 30% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 3.3 times more CO2

Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cyprus emits 5.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Cyprus: At a glance

Cyprus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 9,241 sq km. A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.
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How big is Cyprus compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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