Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

live 2.0 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Costa Rica, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 54.5% lower top tax rate

Puerto Rico has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Costa Rica, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

make 40.0% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $43,000 as of 2023, while in Costa Rica, the GDP per capita is $25,800 as of 2023.

be 39.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Costa Rica, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

Life

be 35.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 34.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Costa Rica, 22.0 women do as of 2020.

have 38.5% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Costa Rica, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 38.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Costa Rica, on the other hand, 8.4 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 86.1% more on education

Puerto Rico spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Costa Rica spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 2.6 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Costa Rica, that number is 1,290 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica: At a glance

Costa Rica is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 51,060 sq km. Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. In 1949, Costa Rica dissolved its armed forces. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
Read more

How big is Costa Rica compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Costa Rica.or Puerto Rico It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.