Panama vs Costa Rica — Country Comparison

The flag of Panama is composed of four equal rectangular areas — a white rectangular area with a blue five-pointed star at its center, a red rectangular area, a white rectangular area with a red five-pointed star at its center, and a blue rectangular area — in the upper hoist side, upper fly side, lower fly side and lower hoist side respectively.Panama VS 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

Panama and Costa Rica side by side: Panama is the larger country (75,417 km² vs 51,100 km²), while Costa Rica has the bigger population (5.3 million vs 4.1 million). The full comparison table below covers capitals, currencies, languages, dialling codes, timezones and more.

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

FactPanamaCosta Rica
CapitalPanama CitySan José
Population4,064,7805,309,625
Area75,417 km²51,100 km²
CurrencyUnited States dollarCosta Rican colón
LanguageSpanishSpanish
Dialling code+507+506
Main timezoneUTC-05:00UTC-06:00
Drives on theRightRight
RegionCentral AmericaCentral America
Emergency number112 (works on most mobile networks worldwide)112 (works on most mobile networks worldwide)

Key differences: Panama vs Costa Rica

Want the full picture for each country? See Panama and Costa Rica, or compare their population pages: Panama · Costa Rica.

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Panama vs Costa Rica — FAQ

Which is bigger, Panama or Costa Rica?

Panama is bigger by area: 75,417 km² vs 51,100 km².

Is Panama bigger than Costa Rica?

Yes — Panama covers 75,417 km², compared to 51,100 km² for Costa Rica.

Which has more people, Panama or Costa Rica?

Costa Rica has the larger population: 5,309,625 (5.3 million) vs 4,064,780 (4.1 million).

How does the size of Panama compare to Costa Rica?

Panama (75,417 km²) is larger than Costa Rica (51,100 km²).

Do Panama and Costa Rica use the same currency?

No — Panama uses the United States dollar and Costa Rica uses the Costa Rican colón.

Are Panama and Costa Rica on the same continent?

Yes — both are in North America.

What is the time difference between Panama and Costa Rica?

Panama is 1 hour ahead of Costa Rica (UTC-05:00 vs UTC-06:00), not accounting for daylight saving changes.

Do Panama and Costa Rica share an official language?

Yes — both share Spanish as an official language.

Do Panama and Costa Rica share a border?

Yes — Panama and Costa Rica share a land border.

Which is more densely populated, Panama or Costa Rica?

Costa Rica is more densely populated at roughly 104 people per km², compared to 54 for Panama.

How far is Panama from Costa Rica?

The distance between the geographic centres of Panama and Costa Rica is roughly 450 km (280 miles) in a straight line. Actual travel distances between cities will differ.

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