Bulgaria vs Costa Rica

Bulgaria is 2.17 times larger than Costa Rica. Costa Rica would fit into Bulgaria about 2.2 times.

BulgariaCosta RicaBulgaria moved onto Costa Rica · Equal-area projection
2.17×
Bulgaria is 2.17× the area of Costa Rica.
BulgariaCosta Rica
Area110,994 km²51,180 km²
Population6,433,3025,152,950
Density58 / km²101 / km²
CapitalSofiaSan Jose
RegionEastern EuropeCentral America
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours52

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Bulgaria sits at about 43°N and is stretched to 1.86× its true area; Costa Rica at 10° N is stretched to 1.03×. That difference is why Bulgaria looks so much bigger than it is next to Costa Rica. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Bulgaria bigger than Costa Rica?
Yes. Bulgaria is 2.17 times larger than Costa Rica. Bulgaria covers 110,994 km² and Costa Rica covers 51,180 km².
How many times does Costa Rica fit into Bulgaria?
About 2.2 times: Bulgaria has 2.17× the area of Costa Rica.
Why do Bulgaria and Costa Rica look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Bulgaria is drawn about 1.86× its true area there and Costa Rica about 1.03×. That is why Bulgaria looks so much bigger than it really is next to Costa Rica. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Bulgaria or Costa Rica?
Bulgaria: 6,433,302 people against 5,152,950. Density: Bulgaria 58 per km², Costa Rica 101 per km².