Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Palau, you would:

Health

live 11.6 years longer

In Palau, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 72 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.

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be 19.3% less likely to be obese

In Palau, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.

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have 48.6% more doctors per person

Palau has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.

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have 24.6% more access to essential health services

Palau scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.

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Life

be 73.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Palau, approximately 89.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 51.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Palau, approximately 18.6 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.

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Expenditures

spend 36.7% less on healthcare

Palau spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 54.4% more on education

Palau spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Geography

see 15.1% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

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Safety

be 30.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Palau, road accidents kill 22.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 3.2 times more home broadband

Palau has 7.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 98.0% less CO2

Palau emits 82.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: Palau vs. Costa Rica

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Costa Rica is 3.2% cheaper than Palau overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Palau is about 111 times smaller than Costa Rica.
→
Moving from Palau to Costa Rica · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Costa Rica: At a glance

Costa Rica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 51,060 sq km. Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
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How big is Costa Rica compared to Palau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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