Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Kazakhstan, you would:
Health
live 6.5 years longer
In Kazakhstan, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 32.0% more spent on your healthcare
Kazakhstan spends $1,460 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
be 44.8% less likely to die by suicide
Kazakhstan has a suicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 55.0% more likely to be obese
In Kazakhstan, 21.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
have 28.4% fewer doctors per person
Kazakhstan has 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
Economy
make 35.9% more money
Kazakhstan has a GDP per capita of $14,692 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 43.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Kazakhstan, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Kazakhstan, 5.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 2.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Kazakhstan, approximately 10.0 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 23.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Kazakhstan, approximately 7.4 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 48.8% fewer children
In Kazakhstan, there are approximately 19.5 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 82.2% more on healthcare
Kazakhstan spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.0 times more likely to be murdered
Kazakhstan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 27.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Kazakhstan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 52.0% more home broadband
Kazakhstan has 15.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 83.0% less strain on fresh water
Kazakhstan withdraws 35% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 55.6% less electricity
Kazakhstan uses 5,146 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 77.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Kazakhstan, air pollution causes 68.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 87.0% less CO2
Kazakhstan emits 12.6 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kazakhstan vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Kazakhstan? See an in-depth size comparison.