Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Trinidad and Tobago, you would:
Health
live 7.4 years longer
In Trinidad and Tobago, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 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 39.6% less likely to die by suicide
Trinidad and Tobago has a suicide rate of 13.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 14.1% less spent on your healthcare
Trinidad and Tobago spends $2,244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 35.4% fewer doctors per person
Trinidad and Tobago has 41.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Trinidad and Tobago, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 55.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 54.0 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 46.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 17.0 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 64.4% more on education
Trinidad and Tobago spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 3.6 times more coastline
Trinidad and Tobago has a total of 362 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 56.1% less likely to be murdered
Trinidad and Tobago has a homicide rate of 40.4 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Costa Rica, that number is 17.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 3.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Trinidad and Tobago, road accidents kill 5.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 71.1% less strain on fresh water
Trinidad and Tobago withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
find 13.8% less home broadband
Trinidad and Tobago has 27.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
use 65.8% less electricity
Trinidad and Tobago uses 6,664 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 25.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Trinidad and Tobago, air pollution causes 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 91.7% less CO2
Trinidad and Tobago emits 19.6 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Trinidad and Tobago vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Trinidad and Tobago? See an in-depth size comparison.