Compare countries · Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic
Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic
Costa Rica(North America)·
Dominican Republic(North America)
Across 11 comparable indicators: Costa Rica leads on 9, Dominican Republic on 2. Which trade-offs matter is yours to weigh; the rows below show where each country wins, with sources.
Quick answers
Is Costa Rica cheaper than Dominican Republic?
Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts Costa Rica at 52.9 and Dominican Republic at 38.2. Dominican Republic is about 28% cheaper overall.
Is Costa Rica or Dominican Republic safer?
On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), Costa Rica scores 1.86 and Dominican Republic scores 2.04. Costa Rica ranks as the more peaceful of the two.
Which has the higher quality of life, Costa Rica or Dominican Republic?
On the UN Human Development Index, Costa Rica scores 0.833 and Dominican Republic scores 0.776. Costa Rica scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.
What is life like in Costa Rica compared to Dominican Republic?
GNI per capita runs $17,930 in Costa Rica against $10,620 in Dominican Republic; people live 81.0 years on average against 73.9; Numbeo users rate healthcare 65 against 58. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.
Head to head
Cost of living index
Numbeo 2026 (NYC = 100)
Costa Rica
52.9
Worse than 73% of countries
Dominican Republic
38.2
Better than 60% of countries
Dominican Republic: 28% cheaper overall.
Rent index
Numbeo 2026 (NYC = 100)
Costa Rica
20.3
Worse than 69% of countries
Dominican Republic
14.0
Around the global middle
Dominican Republic: 31% cheaper rents.
Peace — Global Peace Index
Institute for Economics & Peace (lower = more peaceful)
Costa Rica
1.86
Better than 63% of countries
Dominican Republic
2.04
Around the global middle
Costa Rica: more peaceful (1.86 vs 2.04).
Human Development Index
UNDP Human Development Report
Costa Rica
0.833
Better than 68% of countries
Dominican Republic
0.776
Around the global middle
Costa Rica: higher human development (0.833 vs 0.776).
GDP per person (PPP)
World Bank · 2025
Costa Rica
$33,815
Better than 64% of countries
Dominican Republic
$28,721
Better than 61% of countries
Costa Rica: 18% higher income per person.
Life expectancy
World Bank · 2024
Costa Rica
81.0 yrs
Better than 80% of countries
Dominican Republic
73.9 yrs
Around the global middle
Costa Rica: 7.1 years longer on average.
Healthcare index
Numbeo Healthcare Index 2026
Costa Rica
64.8
Around the global middle
Dominican Republic
58.4
Worse than 66% of countries
Costa Rica: better-rated healthcare (64.8 vs 58.4).
Fixed broadband speed
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
Costa Rica
165 Mbps
Better than 72% of countries
Dominican Republic
73 Mbps
Worse than 62% of countries
Costa Rica: 127% faster fixed internet.
Press freedom
RSF World Press Freedom Index
Costa Rica
72/100
Better than 78% of countries
Dominican Republic
70/100
Better than 75% of countries
Costa Rica: freer press (72 vs 70 of 100).
Happiness
World Happiness Report (Cantril ladder 0–10)
Costa Rica
7.44
Better than 97% of countries
Dominican Republic
6.09
Better than 56% of countries
Costa Rica: happier on the Cantril ladder (7.44 vs 6.09).
English proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index
Costa Rica
516
Around the global middle
Dominican Republic
503
Worse than 55% of countries
Costa Rica: stronger English proficiency (516 vs 503).
Not comparable for this pair
- Perceived street safety: Numbeo doesn't publish a safety index for one of these countries.
- Climate pleasantness: Numbeo doesn't publish a climate index for one of these countries.
Deciding between Costa Rica and Dominican Republic for real?
Indexes can't weigh your budget, your timeline or your dealbreakers. The matcher asks, then answers with this same data.
Find your match →Full Costa Rica profile →
70+ indicators: economy, safety, governance, climate and visas.
Full Dominican Republic profile →
70+ indicators: economy, safety, governance, climate and visas.