Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Moldova, you would:
Health
live 9.7 years longer
In Moldova, the average life expectancy is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 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 63.2% more spent on your healthcare
Moldova spends $1,181 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 14.1% more access to essential health services
Moldova scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 43.0% less likely to die by suicide
Moldova has a suicide rate of 14.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 46.7% more likely to be obese
In Moldova, 22.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
have 33.1% fewer doctors per person
Moldova has 40.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
Economy
be 49.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Moldova, 33.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
make 2.3 times more money
Moldova has a GDP per capita of $8,622 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 4.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Moldova, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 39.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Moldova, approximately 15.1 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.
be 26.3% more likely to die during childbirth
In Moldova, approximately 19.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 12.7% more likely to have internet access
In Moldova, approximately 77.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.1% less on education
Moldova spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.0 times more likely to be murdered
Moldova has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 70.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Moldova, road accidents kill 9.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 53.2% less strain on fresh water
Moldova withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
find 21.4% less home broadband
Moldova has 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
Environment
be 74.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Moldova, air pollution causes 58.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 52.3% less CO2
Moldova emits 3.4 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: Moldova vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Moldova? See an in-depth size comparison.