Costa Rica vs Nicaragua — Country Comparison

The flag of Costa Rica is composed of five horizontal bands of blue, white, red, white and blue. The central red band is twice the height of the other four bands. The national coat of arms is placed in a white elliptical disk toward the hoist side of the red band.Costa Rica VS The flag of Nicaragua is composed of three equal horizontal bands of blue, white and blue, with the national coat of arms centered in the white band.Nicaragua

Costa Rica and Nicaragua side by side: Nicaragua is the larger country (130,373 km² vs 51,100 km², roughly 2.6× the size), while Nicaragua has the bigger population (6.8 million vs 5.3 million). The full comparison table below covers capitals, currencies, languages, dialling codes, timezones and more.

Facts last checked 31 August 2026.

FactCosta RicaNicaragua
CapitalSan JoséManagua
Population5,309,6256,803,886
Area51,100 km²130,373 km²
CurrencyCosta Rican colónNicaraguan córdoba
LanguageSpanishSpanish
Dialling code+506+505
Main timezoneUTC-06:00UTC-06:00
Drives on theRightRight
RegionCentral AmericaCentral America
Emergency number112 (works on most mobile networks worldwide)112 (works on most mobile networks worldwide)

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Costa Rica vs Nicaragua — FAQ

Which is bigger, Costa Rica or Nicaragua?

Nicaragua is bigger by area: 130,373 km² vs 51,100 km², roughly 2.6× the size of Costa Rica.

Is Costa Rica bigger than Nicaragua?

No — Nicaragua is larger at 130,373 km² vs 51,100 km² for Costa Rica.

Which has more people, Costa Rica or Nicaragua?

Nicaragua has the larger population: 6,803,886 (6.8 million) vs 5,309,625 (5.3 million).

How does the size of Costa Rica compare to Nicaragua?

Nicaragua (130,373 km²) is about 2.6× larger than Costa Rica (51,100 km²).

Do Costa Rica and Nicaragua use the same currency?

No — Costa Rica uses the Costa Rican colón and Nicaragua uses the Nicaraguan córdoba.

Are Costa Rica and Nicaragua on the same continent?

Yes — both are in North America.

What is the time difference between Costa Rica and Nicaragua?

Costa Rica and Nicaragua are in the same time zone (UTC-06:00).

Do Costa Rica and Nicaragua share an official language?

Yes — both share Spanish as an official language.

Do Costa Rica and Nicaragua share a border?

Yes — Costa Rica and Nicaragua share a land border.

Which is more densely populated, Costa Rica or Nicaragua?

Costa Rica is more densely populated at roughly 104 people per km², compared to 52 for Nicaragua.

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