Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Uruguay instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

live 1.2 years less

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 19.0% more money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $25,800 as of 2023, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $30,700 as of 2023.

be 61.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Uruguay, however, that number is 9.9% as of 2022.

pay a 100.0% higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Uruguay, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 16.7% more children

In Costa Rica, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 31.3% less on education

Costa Rica spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Uruguay spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 16.5% more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Uruguay, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 48.8% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Dirección General Impositiva, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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How big is Uruguay compared to Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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