Largest cities in Costa Rica by population
The 12 cities the United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2024 lists for Costa Rica: the capital and every city of 100,000 or more, with the latest figure the country reported. The largest is San José with 356,056 people.
Who runs cities in Costa Rica?
Cantons / municipalities (82 in 2020): Mayor (alcalde) and council of 5–13 regidores elected for four years. Urban planning, local roads, waste, local taxes and permits (Article 170 and the Municipal Code).
How local power works in Costa Rica · Level 3: local councils worldwide
| # | City | Population | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José (capital) | 356,056 | 1 July 2023 |
| 2 | Alajuela | 329,161 | 1 July 2023 |
| 3 | Desamparados | 253,199 | 1 July 2023 |
| 4 | San Carlos | 211,856 | 1 July 2023 |
| 5 | Cartago | 168,096 | 1 July 2023 |
| 6 | Pococí | 158,525 | 1 July 2023 |
| 7 | Heredia | 148,656 | 1 July 2023 |
| 8 | Puntarenas | 147,504 | 1 July 2023 |
| 9 | Pérez Zeledón | 143,267 | 1 July 2023 |
| 10 | Goicoechea | 142,796 | 1 July 2023 |
| 11 | La Unión | 116,577 | 1 July 2023 |
| 12 | Limón | 100,532 | 1 July 2023 |
Countries define a city in different ways (the city proper, or the wider urban area) and report in different years, so cities in different countries are not always comparable.
More on Costa Rica: official statistics · government and power · regions
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
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