Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Jamaica, you would:
Health
be 45.5% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Jamaica, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 0.6% of people as of 2024.
live 9.4 years longer
In Jamaica, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 74 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 2.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Jamaica spends $869 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 5.8 times more doctors per person
Jamaica has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
be 4.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Jamaica has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.5 times more money
Jamaica has a GDP per capita of $8,003 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Jamaica, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Jamaica, 7.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 81.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Jamaica, approximately 130.0 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 44.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Jamaica, approximately 16.4 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 12.8% fewer children
In Jamaica, there are approximately 11.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Jamaica, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Geography
see 26.2% more coastline
Jamaica has a total of 1,022 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 64.1% less likely to be murdered
Jamaica has a homicide rate of 49.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 12.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Jamaica, road accidents kill 17.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 45.7% more home broadband
Jamaica has 16.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 52.5% less strain on fresh water
Jamaica withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 89.5% more electricity
Jamaica uses 1,205 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 31.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Jamaica, air pollution causes 22.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 42.6% less CO2
Jamaica emits 2.8 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Jamaica vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Jamaica? See an in-depth size comparison.