Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 42.5% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.4 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 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.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
see 81.8% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 40.0% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
Economy
be 40.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
make 82.6% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
Life
have 14.8% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Switzerland, approximately 5.0 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 2.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Switzerland, approximately 3.4 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.
Basic Needs
be 10.4% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 41.2% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 29.6 times more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 6.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 50.5% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
use 67.9% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 56.5% less CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Costa Rica emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
be 50.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.