Side-by-side comparison of Nicaragua and Costa Rica across population, economy, quality of life, and more. Data updated 2026.
How do Nicaragua and Costa Rica compare? Nicaragua, located in Central America and Caribbean, has a population of 6.7M and covers an area of 130,370 km². Its GDP (PPP) stands at $53.0B with a GDP per capita of $7,700. Costa Rica, in Central America and Caribbean, has a population of 5.3M across 51,100 km², with a GDP of $138.4B and GDP per capita of $27,000. In terms of quality of life, Nicaragua has a life expectancy of 74.7 years compared to Costa Rica's 80.3 years.
