Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
live 4.2 years longer
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 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 33.8% more spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 14.8% more doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
be 40.2% more likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 42.7% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 52.2% more money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 81.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% 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 Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 30.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 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 19.2% fewer children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 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 11.1% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 51.3% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 73.5% more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 72.4% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 24.3 times more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 11.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 71.9% more home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 70.9% more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 55.1% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 76.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 80.4% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 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: Malaysia vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.