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

Health

live 0.8 years less

In Cyprus, 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.

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be 51.7% more likely to be obese

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

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see 57.5% less spent on your healthcare

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

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have 24.4% fewer doctors per person

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

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be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide

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

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Economy

be 39.0% more likely to be unemployed

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

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make 52.2% less money

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

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Life

be 71.4% more likely to die during childbirth

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

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be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In Cyprus, approximately 4.1 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.

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Expenditures

spend 15.4% less on healthcare

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

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spend 12.0% more on education

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

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Geography

see 99.1% more coastline

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

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Safety

be 21.6 times more likely to be murdered

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

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be 4.0 times more likely to die in a road accident

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

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Infrastructure

live with 80.7% less strain on fresh water

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

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find 38.0% less home broadband

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

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use 40.6% less electricity

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

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Environment

emit 69.8% less CO2

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

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

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