Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Dominican Republic, you would:
Health
live 7.1 years longer
In Dominican Republic, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 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.
see 64.9% more spent on your healthcare
Dominican Republic spends $1,169 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 10.8% more doctors per person
Dominican Republic has 24.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
be 91.9% more likely to die by suicide
Dominican Republic has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 80.6% more money
Dominican Republic has a GDP per capita of $11,059 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 34.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Dominican Republic, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 80.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Dominican Republic, approximately 124.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
be 67.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Dominican Republic, approximately 27.7 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.
have 43.3% fewer children
In Dominican Republic, there are approximately 17.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 41.2% more on education
Dominican Republic spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 49.3% more on healthcare
Dominican Republic spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Dominican Republic, road accidents kill 27.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 62.5% more likely to be murdered
Dominican Republic has a homicide rate of 10.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 2.1 times more home broadband
Dominican Republic has 11.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 85.1% less strain on fresh water
Dominican Republic withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 22.2% more electricity
Dominican Republic uses 1,867 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 44.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Dominican Republic, air pollution causes 27.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 45.5% less CO2
Dominican Republic emits 3.0 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Dominican Republic vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Dominican Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.