Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Cuba, you would:
Health
live 2.7 years longer
In Cuba, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 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 41.6% less likely to die by suicide
Cuba has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 42.3% more likely to be obese
In Cuba, 23.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
see 25.1% less spent on your healthcare
Cuba spends $2,575 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 71.8% fewer doctors per person
Cuba has 95.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
Economy
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cuba, 1.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 31.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cuba, approximately 35.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
have 15.9% more children
In Cuba, there are approximately 8.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 33.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Cuba, approximately 6.8 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.
Basic Needs
be 23.7% more likely to have internet access
In Cuba, approximately 70.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 37.1% less on education
Cuba spends 8.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 26.8% less on healthcare
Cuba spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 65.5% less coastline
Cuba has a total of 3,735 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 2.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Cuba, road accidents kill 5.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.6 times more home broadband
Cuba has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 75.4% less strain on fresh water
Cuba withdraws 24% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 56.1% more electricity
Cuba uses 1,462 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 51.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cuba, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.7% less CO2
Cuba emits 1.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Cuba vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Cuba? See an in-depth size comparison.