Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
live 3.3 years longer
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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 3.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 20.9% more access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 45.3% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.0 times more money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 71.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 33.3% more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 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 75.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 59.7% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
be 10.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.9 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 86.7% more on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.7 times more home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 93.5% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 3.5 times more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 59.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 53.8% more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 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: Sri Lanka vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.