Costa Rica vs Luxembourg

Costa Rica is 19.7 times larger than Luxembourg. Luxembourg would fit into Costa Rica about 20 times.

Costa RicaLuxembourgCosta Rica moved onto Luxembourg · Equal-area projection
19.7×
Costa Rica is 19.7× the area of Luxembourg.
Costa RicaLuxembourg
Area51,180 km²2,593 km²
Population5,152,950686,970
Density101 / km²265 / km²
CapitalSan JoseLuxembourg
RegionCentral AmericaWestern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours23

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Costa Rica sits at about 10°N and is stretched to 1.03× its true area; Luxembourg at 50° N is stretched to 2.4×. That difference is why Luxembourg 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 Costa Rica bigger than Luxembourg?
Yes. Costa Rica is 19.7 times larger than Luxembourg. Costa Rica covers 51,180 km² and Luxembourg covers 2,593 km².
How many times does Luxembourg fit into Costa Rica?
About 20 times: Costa Rica has 19.7× the area of Luxembourg.
Why do Costa Rica and Luxembourg look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Costa Rica is drawn about 1.03× its true area there and Luxembourg about 2.4×. That is why Luxembourg 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, Costa Rica or Luxembourg?
Costa Rica: 5,152,950 people against 686,970. Density: Costa Rica 101 per km², Luxembourg 265 per km².