Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Dominica instead of Costa Rica, you would:
Health
live 9.7 years less
In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Dominica, that number is 71 years (68 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
see 49.8% less spent on your healthcare
Costa Rica spends $1,928 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Dominica spends $968 as of 2023.
have 39.5% less access to essential health services
Costa Rica scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Dominica scores 49 as of 2021.
Economy
make 45.0% less money
Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $19,970 as of 2025, while in Dominica, the GDP per capita is $10,989 as of 2025.
Life
be 50.0% more 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 Dominica, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.7 times more 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 Dominica, on the other hand, 33.3 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 27.1% less on healthcare
Costa Rica spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Dominica, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 88.5% less coastline
Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Dominica, that number is 148 km.
Safety
be 29.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Costa Rica, road accidents kill 15.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Dominica, they kill 11.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 52.5% more likely to be murdered
Costa Rica has a homicide rate of 17.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Dominica, that number is 27.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 10.4% less home broadband
Costa Rica has 23.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Dominica has 20.9 as of 2022.
live with 70.1% more strain on fresh water
Costa Rica withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Dominica withdraws 10% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 22.1% less CO2
Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Dominica emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Costa Rica vs. Dominica
Dominica: At a glance
How big is Dominica compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.