Costa Rica vs Serbia

Serbia is 73% larger than Costa Rica. Costa Rica would fit into Serbia about 1.7 times.

Costa RicaSerbiaCosta Rica moved onto Serbia · Equal-area projection
0.58×
Costa Rica is 0.58× the area of Serbia. Put the other way, Serbia is 1.73× the size of Costa Rica.
Costa RicaSerbia
Area51,180 km²88,499 km²
Population5,152,9506,549,143
Density101 / km²74 / km²
CapitalSan JoseBelgrade
RegionCentral AmericaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours28

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; Serbia at 44° N is stretched to 1.95×. That difference is why Serbia 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 Serbia?
No. Costa Rica is 42% smaller than Serbia. Costa Rica covers 51,180 km² and Serbia covers 88,499 km².
How many times does Costa Rica fit into Serbia?
About 1.7 times: Serbia has 1.73× the area of Costa Rica.
Why do Costa Rica and Serbia 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 Serbia about 1.95×. That is why Serbia 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 Serbia?
Serbia: 6,549,143 people against 5,152,950. Density: Costa Rica 101 per km², Serbia 74 per km².