Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
live 4.4 years longer
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 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 80.7% more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 5.0 times more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
be 51.4% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 99.9% more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.5 times more money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 8.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 3.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Thailand, 5.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 29.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Costa Rica, 24.0 women do as of 2023.
have 23.0% more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 51.3% more on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 59.9% less coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 39.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 56.4% more home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 74.4% less strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 23.0% less electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 48.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 58.8% less CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 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: Thailand vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.