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Find cheap flights to Costa Rica from $69

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from the United States to Costa Rica departing on 9/10. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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Best Costa Rica Flight Deals

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

San José
San José1 stop$186
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$279

Good to know

Low season

September

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$69
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 14% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 25% increase in price.
Flight from Newark Liberty Airport to San José

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • Which airport should I fly to if I want to visit the National Park of San Jose?

    National Park of San Jose is a famous attraction in Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. The best way to access it is by booking a flight that lands at SJO. A TUASA-operated bus provides the most convenient means of travel between these two points, covering the 12 miles (19.1 km) stretch in about 30 minutes. The coach departs every 10 minutes from the airport to its terminal in Sabana.

  • Which Costa Rican airport provides easy access to Nicaragua?

    Nicaragua borders Costa Rica to the north. If you are planning to connect to this neighboring country after your excursion in Costa Rica, consider booking a flight that departs from Juan Santamaría International Airport, and lands at Sandino International Airport (MGA) after approximately 3h 10min.

  • Which Costa Rican airport is closest to the Sacred Heart Cathedral?

    Sacred Heart Cathedral is a religious landmark found in Puerto Limón. As such, the best way to access it is to fly into Limon International Airport (LIO). Taxis provide the quickest connection between these two destinations in about 7 minutes. Still, the distance is walkable if you do not have heavy luggage.

  • Are there hotels near major airports in Costa Rica?

    Most of the airports in Costa Rica are located close to a wide range of accommodation options, leaving no cause to worry if you are planning to arrive late. Normally, such facilities offer courtesy shuttles to and from the airport, an essential service if you have heavy luggage.

  • Which airport should I fly into for a trip to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca?

    Because Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a popular destination, there are a handful of ways to get there. One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to get to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is by flying into San Jose Airport and taking the 4.5h bus that departs from the Terminal Atlantico Norte.

  • Do I need a visa to enter Costa Rica?

    US nationals do not require a visa to stay in Costa Rica for less than 90 days. What you will need is a valid passport and a ticket for your flight departing from Costa Rica (back to the US or onward to another country) within the 90-day timeframe.

  • Can I exchange USD into Colones at Costa Rica airports?

    USD is widely accepted in tourist areas of Costa Rica, but Colones are the way to go if you’re going out of heavily tourist-centric areas. USD can be exchanged for Colones at the airports in San Jose and Liberia, but you can often get a better exchange rate if you simply make purchases with USD and receive your change in Colones, which is common practice.

  • Which airline should I take for a nonstop flight to Costa Rica?

    There are a handful of different airlines that offer nonstop flights to Costa Rica from the US, and each flies out of a different hub city. There are nonstop flights to Costa Rica from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando with Spirit Airlines, from Miami with American Airlines and from Orlando with jetBlue.

  • How long is the flight to Costa Rica?

    An average nonstop flight from the United States to Costa Rica takes 6h 17m, covering a distance of 2153 miles. The most popular route is New York - San José with an average flight time of 5h 21m.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Costa Rica?

    The cheapest ticket to Costa Rica from the United States found in the last 72 hours was $53 one-way, and $139 round-trip. The most popular route is New York John F Kennedy Intl to San José Juan Santamaria Intl and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $202.

  • Which airlines fly to Costa Rica?

    United Airlines, American Airlines & Air Canada fly the most frequently from the United States to Costa Rica.

  • What are the most popular destinations in Costa Rica?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is San José (71% of total searches to Costa Rica). The next most popular destination is Liberia (29%).

  • How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Costa Rica

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Costa Rica flight deals.
  • The choice of your arrival airport when booking your flight to Costa Rica depends on which part of the country you’re intending to tour, whether it’s military museums in the capital city or the pacific beaches in the west-southwest of the city of Liberia. Nevertheless, Costa Rica has two main international airports located in San Jose (SJO) and Liberia (LIR).
  • If you’re planning to visit multiple cities in Costa Rica, consider reserving a flight that arrives at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), which serves the country’s capital, San Jose. As the main getaway and the busiest airport in Costa Rica, it offers numerous connections to other destinations, and you are thus sure of getting a flight that fits your itinerary.
  • Are you planning to spend your time in Costa Rica touring east-central Costa Rica? In that case, it might be convenient to book flights that arrive at Cartago, which is one of the popular cities in this region. The town hosts Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ).
  • Travelers looking to explore the north-central part of the country might have Heredia as a possible destination. To this end, consider reserving a flight that lands at an airport that serves this region. Juan Santamaria International Airport is one such facility, as it lies about six miles away.
  • Flights with one-stop layovers from New York to San Jose usually make layovers in their respective capitals. For instance, Copa Airlines makes a stopover at Tocumen International Airport Panama (PTY) in Panama City, while Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is a major focus port for Spirit Airlines.
  • For most destinations throughout Costa Rica, flying into San Jose (SJO) is going to be quicker and more affordable than other airports. However, if you happen to be flying into Costa Rica specifically to go to the beaches in Guanacaste and the surrounding areas, it will be more convenient to fly into Costa Rica’s other international airport: Liberia Airport (LIR).
  • If you’re only traveling to Costa Rica, a flight into one of the major airports is the best option. However, if you’re looking to experience multiple cities, including the beaches in northern Costa Rica, it can be a good idea to fly into Managua, Nicaragua, and take the inexpensive bus to Liberia.
  • For travelers heading to the forest preserves in Monteverde, it can be confusing on whether to fly into San Jose or Liberia. Since Monteverde lies nearly an equal distance from both, it would be more convenient to fly into whichever city is closest to the other attractions on your Costa Rica itinerary.
  • There are many festivals that last several days in Costa Rica, and flight prices can skyrocket during these festivals. One of the most popular festivals is the Limón festival, which takes place over 2 weekends from October 11th through the 22nd. Unless you’re traveling specifically for the festival, you can save money by avoiding flights to Costa Rica during these weekends.
  • If you’re heading to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, you may be tempted to book a connecting flight from San Jose or Liberia Airport to the regional Tamarindo airstrip. A less expensive alternative to getting to the Tamarindo area from Liberia Airport is to take one of the shuttle buses that goes directly from LIR to Tamarindo.
See more tips

Top 5 airlines flying to Costa Rica

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States to Costa Rica? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.6
JetBlueOverall score based on 4351 reviews
7.8Boarding
7.8Comfort
8.3Crew
7.1Food
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

Overall fine but both ways for this trip was delayed.

6.0 GoodJackie, May 2024BOS - SYR
Read more about JetBlue reviews

Overall fine but both ways for this trip was delayed.

Flight was delayed by almost 5 hours. Suitcase was not loaded despite the flight being near empty (my colleagues’ suitcases did reach JFK, unlike mine). Had to argue on phone to get JetBlue to deliver the case to my hotel. Never again

The flight was excellent. The crew was welcoming and attentive.

Great! I love Jet Blue. My favorite airline! Very efficient, clean and timely.

Run out of snack choices. Why are the seats not padded for your butt? Are we sitting on blocks of wood or metal for $250-300 a pop? This ain’t spirit. Let’s get it together people

We were told that our flight would be delayed for 90+ minutes because of weather, so we went to get something to eat only to have them randomly start boarding 15 minutes after the announcement, with no warning.

Entertainment... No earphones passed out. Many including me couldn't use the TV. Legroom was good. Crew was indifferent and a bit surly. Free wifi was a nice convenience. Check in desk location was unknown. Gate number on the boarding passes was wrong.

Going through JFK’s security is a mess. The TSA security said no shoes on the bins. So, we place our shoes in the belt and they came out all over the belt. Boarding was delayed and Flight as well.

Safe and on time were the positives. The plane wasn't cleaned before boarding, there was garbage and food on the floor and in the seat pocket. The TV screen was small and the picture fuzzy, audio quality was poor. Seatbelt was fraying and seat did not recline properly. No charging ports near the seats,

Confusing. Delay updates were out of whack At one point it said my flight was 25 hours. Three gate changes and two delays only to change back to original departure time. Gate announcer and on board flight attendant (Alejandro) making the announcements was impossible to understand due to accent and speed of speech. After beverage service the rear flight attendants sat back there on their phones. No refills no checking in, one sweep through for trash collection. Very impersonal. Bring back Coke products

No water for a 5 hour flight entertainment not working seats with little room for knees when person in front of me reclined kept bumping my knees.

I don't think anyone actually reads these comments, so I won't spend much time on this submission. If you want to talk, you know how to reach me. The D/FW manager of Avianca (self-identified), Juan Calderon, insisted I buy an onward ticket from San Salvador even though I have diplomatic status in El Salvador and live here. It cost me $1,393 and Mr Calderon would not let me make the ticked flexible so I could get a refund. He went out of his way to be rude to me. He gave me seat 32K -- windowless window seat in the last row and did not offer to let me upgrade even though there were plenty of seats. I have flown well over a million miles in my life and this is the worst experience I have ever had. I would like a refund on the ticket I was forced to buy. Just awful!

This is the Spirit of Latino travel. And don’t even get me started on customer service.

Awful. I checked in online and there was no option to pay for baggage, at the airport when I checked in my baggage was received and Iwas not charged. When I got to LA during the boarding process I was told I didn't pay for baggage, the crew resolved I was let in the plane. When I got to my final destination my baggage was not there. It took me two days to receive my baggage. Bad service ever!

There was no food or drink service, couldn’t even get a glass of water for free. It was a long and expensive flight to not offer food or beverage on the plane.

It is better at the jfk than my home country. It was very easy and everything was on time.

There is no food. There is no in-inflight entertainment. The seats are cardboard. The airline is a living hellscape.

My experience was amazing! They helped my elderly mother board on early through a wheelchair and were accommodating to have us sit together since our seats were in different locations. When landing at the airport in GUA they were very helpful with full of hospitality.

No complimentary snacks food, beverage (not even water), pillow and blanket on a 6 hours long flight (including economy comfort). A low form of nickeling an diming. Lost a recurring passanger over a soda. Avianca never again.

Flight departure late. Got late in Colombia making us take a different flight next day. Avianca airport crew messed up my ticket so when a I got in Brazil I didn’t have a ticket for my destination. Had to buy a new ticket out of my pocket.

Well....let's start from the point that I had to stay in airport for 12 hours instead of 2 that was scheduled. Poor company and even worst customer service. Never again....

The flight and boarding were easy peasy. I was traveling with my 4-year-old, so a smooth boarding experience was especially appreciated. My only piece of feedback is really about where our gate was in O'Hare. They've shoved four gates into a tiny corner of the B terminal and there isn't early enough room or seating for everyone. Not United's problem, but did dent the overall experience.

We liked the fully reclinable seats. Had center seats, so it was difficult to talk to spouse. Crew was great

Aisle chair was good and liked the foot bar preventing you from putting your foot in the isle, The breakfast on this international flight to Zurich was horrible (Europeans, specially, used to good food) may make this a dealbreaker for booking with United Airlines again. I agreed with my Spanish fellow passenger.

Dinner was okay but the breakfast was not eatable on the flight San Francisco to Zurich.

There was no screens on board AND the WiFi didn’t work. My seat was broken and couldn’t recline so I couldn’t even sleep. The flight attendants didn’t offer anything to make it more comfortable. It was such an old cramped plane, when the person in front of me reclined I couldn’t even open my tray table. All the United ads talk about guaranteeing everyone gets a screen!

The Wi-Fi was unavailable on this flight for some reason.

The flight was delayed almost 2 hours. Bad customer service etc. I will never fly Luthansa. Ever!!!

On time take off…US cabins look tired and need of refresh!

Fine. Though no food or entertainment so the survey needs to be updated with those options.

Missed connection from Philadelphia to London because flight from DC was seriously delayed. Was re-routed the next day (had to pay for hotel) to Zurich and was given a main cabin middle seat while I had paid for premium. Great job AA!!!

My husband and I pre-ordered our food, but they did not have my husband’s order, and my cheese plate was very average. I asked for a blanket and was told they don’t carry blankets on domestic routs. The flight was on time and smooth!

28 hour delay at Fort Worth/Dallas airport, part due to weather which was unavoidable, but various other reasons - no pilot, no fa, mechanical problem, plane too small, too big, crew out of flying time, seat configuration problems.... endless and hourly updates with a different excuse. Finally told us about 3.00 am, that the flight was delayed to hours later.

Experience was bad. 3.5 hour delay for a 2.5 hour trip. There was no r Transparency about the reason for the delay and it was done 30 mins at a time.

Original flight delayed several times and finally canceled at 2:30 in the morning. Staff at the gate was not very helpful in resolving problems or communicating why there were delays. I spent 34 hours at the airport before I could leave, they couldn't book me on another early flight even after canceling my original flight. Next flight available after my original flight was canceled was 22 hours later. I will never fly American Airlines again.

very very tight seats unfriendly crew who do not seem to care about the comfort of their passengers and do not know how to smile poor ground staff support at LHR and PHX

The boarding process and flight were great. However, I waited about 40 minutes for my luggage. It did not come up on the designated belt. Instead, everyone’s bags were on a cart. Not sure what the issue was, but we were not informed until another passenger went looking for her bags and found them.

There were delays on both ends. It made it less than excellent. This plane was great though

AA1537 the AC was not working properly. It was very hot and uncomfortable.

So uncomfortable to sit in the tiny space on a long, international. Food was rough. Please, less white flour and processed food.

The plane was not on time for boarding or departure or arrivals.

EVERYTHING WAS WONDERFUL HOSPITALITY THE HELP.THE SEATING FRIENDLY ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD RIDE NOT ONE BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THEM

This was the smoothest flight I have had in awhile. I was also offered an exit row seat for a great upgrade cost and was able to sleep almost thr whole flight due to comfort and a smooth flight. We left on time and arrived on time.

No food not even water offered unless you buy it and no usb in the seat but other than that everything was good

Because our flight from marsh Harbor to Fort Lauderdale was over three hours delayed it caused us to miss our flight in Fort Lauderdale. Because we missed that flight, it cost us nearly $100 apiece for four different travelers which totaled nearly $400. We are seeking a reimbursement for the flight that we missed in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

Flight expected to leave at 6:40 pm ended leaving at 8:00 am the following day. I slept in a cold airport. Never again Spirit for me…

Flight was cancelled just 6 days before. No more flights that day, and the following date was sold out. Had to obtain a refund and buy more expensive flights on another airline.

The flight was on time and nice as always for me with spirit but the cabin crew were not good. They left the lights on on a red eye for the entire flight.

This was the return leg of my journey with Spirit Airlines. Despite its reputation, I found no issues as it got me from point A to B safely and without delay, especially with no mechanical delays, which is fantastic in my book! The staff, from ground crew to cabin crew, were all pleasant and hassle-free. The flight was smooth from takeoff to landing. I have absolutely no complaints about this no-frills airline!

I got a one-way, last-minute nonstop flight from PDX to BWI for only $125. Yes, I got nicked $79 more for a checked suitcase and $89 more for the BIG SEAT option, but it was worth it, even with $4.50 for coffee and $10 for a snack (the latter no different than any other airline). The grand total was still less flying on any other airline.

Book Cheap Costa Rica Plane Tickets

Recent round-trip flight deals

9/10Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
7h 26mMCO-SJO
9/17Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
7h 00mSJO-MCO
$186
9/10Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
7h 26mMCO-SJO
9/17Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
7h 00mSJO-MCO
$187
6/19Wed
nonstopJetBlue
5h 21mJFK-SJO
6/20Thu
nonstopJetBlue
5h 11mSJO-JFK
$202
8/23Fri
2 stopsAvianca
8h 45mMIA-SJO
9/5Thu
2 stopsAvianca
17h 20mSJO-MIA
$212
8/31Sat
nonstopAvianca
4h 30mIAD-SJO
9/4Wed
1 stopAvianca
11h 25mSJO-IAD
$213
10/30Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
17h 33mMIA-SJO
11/2Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
8h 05mSJO-MIA
$216
9/11Wed
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
21h 29mEWR-SJO
9/17Tue
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
18h 27mSJO-EWR
$218
8/14Wed
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
20h 12mIAD-SJO
8/24Sat
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
24h 24mSJO-IAD
$218
6/15Sat
nonstopJetBlue
5h 21mJFK-SJO
7/15Mon
nonstopJetBlue
5h 11mSJO-JFK
$218
11/2Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
20h 11mEWR-SJO
11/8Fri
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 12mSJO-EWR
$296

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Recent one-way flight deals

9/10Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
8h 02mEWR-SJO
$69
8/27Tue
1 stopSpirit Airlines
14h 52mEWR-SJO
$70
8/15Thu
nonstopJetBlue
5h 21mJFK-SJO
$85
8/20Tue
1 stopUnited Airlines
8h 26mLGA-SJO
$89
8/27Tue
nonstopAvianca
4h 30mIAD-SJO
$90
8/28Wed
1 stopAvianca
11h 10mIAD-SJO
$91
6/5Wed
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 18mEWR-SJO
$93
6/15Sat
nonstopJetBlue
5h 21mJFK-SJO
$93
8/14Wed
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
15h 23mSFO-SJO
$126
8/15Thu
nonstopAmerican Airlines
3h 20mMIA-SJO
$128

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Last minute flights to Costa Rica

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

6/5Wed
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 18mEWR-SJO
6/6Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 23mSJO-EWR
$218
6/3Mon
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
15h 53mIAD-SJO
6/5Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
18h 08mSJO-IAD
$218
6/3Mon
multi-stopUnited Airlines
10h 02mEWR-SJO
6/6Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 21mSJO-EWR
$222
6/4Tue
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
15h 53mIAD-SJO
6/6Thu
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
21h 25mSJO-IAD
$225
6/1Sat
multi-stopAvianca
7h 10mJFK-SJO
6/12Wed
multi-stopAvianca
9h 15mSJO-JFK
$257
6/4Tue
multi-stopAvianca
9h 55mJFK-SJO
6/12Wed
multi-stopAvianca
9h 15mSJO-JFK
$259
6/3Mon
nonstopSpirit Airlines
3h 22mMCO-SJO
6/19Wed
nonstopSpirit Airlines
3h 23mSJO-MCO
$266
6/2Sun
nonstopSpirit Airlines
3h 22mMCO-SJO
6/13Thu
nonstopSpirit Airlines
3h 23mSJO-MCO
$281
6/4Tue
multi-stopJetBlue
6h 56mJFK-SJO
6/16Sun
nonstopJetBlue
5h 11mSJO-JFK
$437
6/3Mon
multi-stopJetBlue
6h 56mJFK-SJO
6/16Sun
nonstopJetBlue
5h 11mSJO-JFK
$446

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Flights to Costa Rica

Return flight deals:

Costa Rica - United States

Cabin classes:

$893
$551
$906
$114

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