Perhaps, it’s difficult to argue that it’s better to live in a rich country than in a poor one. As of 2024 year data, the basic indicator of the economic development - GDP by purchasing power parity per capita - was:

● In Bosnia and Herzegovina - 23,7 thousand dollars,

● In Costa Rica - 30,9 thousand dollars.

Thus, according to the gross production per one person, Costa Rica leaves Bosnia and Herzegovina behind by %.

Where do they earn more?

Let’s compare the data about average labor level pay in both countries.

The average gross salary (before the taxes and other mandatory fees) is:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 1,987 Bosnian marks (about 1100 US$);

● in Costa Rica - 787,100 colones (about 1500 US$).

Where are the prices lower?     up↑

The average GDP gap per capita is narrowed down by the difference in cost of living. According to the statistics of the data base Numbeo, at the beginning of 2025 year, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a cheaper country.

The price level in Bosnia and Herzegovina for basic goods and services (including food, consumer goods, transport, mobile connection and utility bills) is on average % lower than in Costa Rica. In other words, at the current exchange rate 1000 dollars in Costa Rica will have the same purchasing power as dollars in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Where is the crime rate lower?     up↑

One can evaluate the general level of criminal situation with the help of “crime rate”. This indicator is calculated by the portal Numbeo, which specializes in rating scores of different life aspects in all the world regions and shows how safe it is to live in the country from a risk of becoming a victim of lawbreakers (the higher the crime rate is, the higher the risk is). As of 2025 year, the crime rate is:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 41.7;

● in Costa Rica - 54.1

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To estimate the population law-abidingness and law enforcement activity, let’s pay attention to the statics of premeditated murders and to the data about the number of Bosnians and Costa Ricans, being imprisoned.

Yearly out of 100 thousand people, murders kill:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 1.08 people;

● in Costa Rica - 12.82 people

As of 2023 year, in prisons and criminal camps the number of inmates is:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 1.81 thousand, or 83 prisoners per 100,000 people;

● in Costa Rica - 15.5 thousand, or 301 prisoners per 100,000 people

So, if we consider the risks connected with the crimes, the safer country is definitely Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Where do people get sick less and live longer?     up↑

The life quality is greatly defined by how long the people live. According to the latest data, the life expectancy is:

The number of people infected by tuberculosis is:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 900 people (27 per 100,000 people);

● in Costa Rica - 510 people (10 per 100,000 people)

The cancer situation is the following:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina per 100 000 people yearly one finds 227.1 new cases of the disease and registers 128.1 lethal cases;

● in Costa Rica per 100k people every year one fixes 188.7 of newly infected people and 80.1 lethal cases from cancer.

We should not judge about the quality of medicine only by the number of cancer cases, we should look at the ratio between the number of new cases and the number of cancer deaths (the lower it is, the higher the rate of the cured ones is; consequently, the better the health care system works). In the countries under consideration, we see the following ratio between the newly-infected and the dead:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - ;

● in Costa Rica -

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We can estimate the effectiveness of the health care systems of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Costa Rica on the base of the health care quality index which is estimated by Nubmbeo. The index comprehensively displays how bad or good it is in the country with medical services, taking into consideration hospital facilities, medicines, staff professionalism and treatment availability in terms of cost. As of 2025 year, the index is:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 55.6;

● in Costa Rica - 64.3

Where do people drink and smoke less?     up↑

It’s considered that It’s more comfortable to live in that country where people are less exposed to bad habits. The following WHO data show that the situation with the alcohol consumption (pure alcohol) runs as this:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 7.2 liters per every person older 15 years old (about 11.8 litres per every man and 2.7 litres per every woman);

● in Costa Rica - 4.9 liters per every person older 15 years old (about 7.8 litres per every man and 2 litres per every woman)

How noticeable are the differences in alcoholic beverages of the Bosnians and the Costa Ricans?

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in terms of pure alcohol, beer accounts for 73.3% % of consumption, wine accounts for 9.7% of consumption, strong drinks (vodka and cognac, etc.) account for 17%;

● in Costa Rica beer accounts for 59.3% from the total amount of alcohol consumption, wine accounts for 4.7%, strong drinks - 35.5%

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Addiction to smoking in the countries under consideration is seen like that:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina there are 36,2 % of active smokers among the adults (41,6 % of adult males and 30,9 % of adult females smoke there);

● in Costa Rica 8,9 % of adult population smoke on a constant base (13,2 % of men and 4,5 % of women)

By unit tobacco consumption per capita the leader is Bosnia and Herzegovina - here on average every adult smokes 1767 cigarettes per year, against 411 cigarettes per capita in Costa Rica.

Where do people have more reasons to be satisfied with their lives?     up↑

Perhaps, it’s very difficult to make up an indicator, with the help of which one can define how much the people of this or that country are satisfied by their lives. Nevertheless, there have been a couple of researches.

For example, the UN experts calculate a so-called "Rating of countries by the Happiness Index”, which helps to understand to what degree the states provide their citizens with the happy life. As of 2023 data, the happiest ones are Costa Ricans, their happiness index is 6.609, meanwhile in Bosnia and Herzegovina the happiness index is equal to 5.633.

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There is also an overall index, which is used by UNO - Human Development Index (HDI). This index considers various reasons why citizens feel comfortable. According to 2022 data, HDI in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 0.78; in Costa Rica - 0.809.

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To indirectly evaluate how much the people are satisfied with their lives, one can consider the number of suicides. It comes logically that the better the lives of the people are arranged, the fewer reasons for the suicides there are. In the countries under consideration, per 100 000 people there are:

● in Bosnia and Herzegovina - 8,3 suicides (13,5 among men and 3,4 among women) ;

● in Costa Rica - 7,6 suicides (13,3 among men and 1,9 among women)