Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 6.3 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 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
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Costa Rica has 26.9 as of 2022.
have 19.1% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Costa Rica scores 81 as of 2021.
be 13.6 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Costa Rica, that number is 32.7% of people as of 2024.
be 10.4% more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Costa Rica, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.9 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $19,970 as of 2025.
be 4.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.8% as of 2025.
be 4.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Costa Rica, however, that number is 17.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 50.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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 24.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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.
have 25.6% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 83.7% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Costa Rica spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 50.7% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 6.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 62.5% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.
Safety
be 12.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Costa Rica, they kill 15.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 67.6% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Costa Rica withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 11.7% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Costa Rica uses 2,282 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 71.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Costa Rica, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 61.8% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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: Vietnam vs. Costa Rica
Costa Rica: At a glance
How big is Costa Rica compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.