Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 10.8 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 52.5% more spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Costa Rica spends $1,928 as of 2023.
have 39.2% more doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
be 47.2% more likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 18.0% more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.1 times more money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 60.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 70.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
be 4.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, 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.
have 52.2% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Costa Rica, about 87.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.8% more on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 24.9% more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 93.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.5 times more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Costa Rica has 23.3 as of 2024.
live with 95.7% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 17.8% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 82.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 85.0% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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 (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.