Side-by-side comparison of Costa Rica and Panama across population, economy, quality of life, and more. Data updated 2026.
How do Costa Rica and Panama compare? Costa Rica, located in Central America and Caribbean, has a population of 5.3M and covers an area of 51,100 km². Its GDP (PPP) stands at $138.4B with a GDP per capita of $27,000. Panama, in Central America and Caribbean, has a population of 4.5M across 75,420 km², with a GDP of $164.5B and GDP per capita of $36,400. In terms of quality of life, Costa Rica has a life expectancy of 80.3 years compared to Panama's 79.2 years.
