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Find cheap flights from Costa Rica to San Francisco from $184

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to San Francisco departing on 5/28. 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.
1 adult
0 bags
Thu 5/23
Thu 5/30

Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Francisco

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to San Francisco
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to San Francisco
In the last 7 days travelers have searched 44,632,927 times on KAYAK, and here is why:

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Flights to San Francisco - Travel Insights & Trends

Get data-powered insights and trends for flights to San Francisco to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest day to fly to San Francisco?

The average price of all flights to San Francisco clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to San Francisco is Thursday where tickets can be as cheap as $424. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where prices are $536 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly to San Francisco?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights to San Francisco, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.
The cheapest month for flights to San Francisco is February, where tickets cost $379 on average for one-way flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, where the average cost of tickets from Costa Rica is $613 and $599 respectively. For return trips, the best month to travel is February with an average price of $379.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to San Francisco?

The average price for all flights to San Francisco depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.
The cheapest time of day to fly to San Francisco is generally in the afternoon, when flights cost $393 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to San Francisco is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $498.

What is a good deal for flights to San Francisco?

If you’re looking for cheap airfare to San Francisco, 25% of our users found tickets to San Francisco for the following prices or less: From Liberia $261 one-way - $476 round-trip.

How far in advance should I book a flight to San Francisco?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights to San Francisco, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price, you should book around 0 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 37 days before departure.

How long is the flight to San Francisco?

The duration of your flight to San Francisco depends on your departure and arrival airports. Obviously any flights that include a layover will also be longer. The most popular routes to San Francisco on KAYAK are from San José, which takes 8h 20m, and Liberia, which takes 10h 39m.

How many direct flights to San Francisco are there each day?

There are around 594 direct flights from within Costa Rica to San Francisco every day. Most flights depart in the morning, with 6:00 am the most common departure time and 45% of flights departing in the morning.

How many direct flights to San Francisco are there each week?

Each week there are around 4,154 direct flights from within Costa Rica to San Francisco. The most common day for departures is Thursday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

Good to know

Low season

November

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$184
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 6% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 2% lower on average.
Flight from San José to San Francisco

FAQs - booking San Francisco flights

  • How far is San Francisco from central San Francisco?

    There are 12 miles between San Francisco city center and San Francisco.

  • What is the name of San Francisco’s airport?

    There is only 1 airport in San Francisco, called San Francisco (SFO). It can also be referred to as San Francisco or San Francisco Intl.

  • How much is a flight to San Francisco?

    On average, a flight to San Francisco costs $458. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost $180 and departed from Liberia Airport.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights to San Francisco?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights to San Francisco.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket to San Francisco?

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

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights to San Francisco?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to San Francisco with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight to San Francisco?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to San Francisco up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airline offers the most flights to San Francisco?

    Of the 10 airlines that fly to San Francisco, United Airlines offers the most flights, with around 1,999 per week, followed by Alaska Airlines with 724 flights per week.

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to San Francisco

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest San Francisco flight deals.

Prefer to fly non-stop to San Francisco?

Find which airlines fly direct to San Francisco, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Nonstop departures

Costa Rica to San Francisco

Monday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +79 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +80 more

Tuesday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, +79 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +80 more

Wednesday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +80 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +81 more

Thursday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, +80 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +81 more

Friday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +79 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +80 more

Saturday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, +81 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +82 more

Sunday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +81 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +82 more

See more direct flights

Nonstop returns

San Francisco to Costa Rica

Monday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +79 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +80 more

Tuesday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, +79 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +80 more

Wednesday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +80 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +81 more

Thursday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, +80 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +81 more

Friday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +79 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +80 more

Saturday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, +81 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +82 more

Sunday

AIR PREMIA, ANA, Aer Lingus, +81 more

AIR PREMIA, ANA, +82 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top 5 airlines serving from Costa Rica to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to San Francisco. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from Costa Rica to San Francisco. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to San Francisco? 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.
7.8
Copa AirlinesOverall score based on 2902 reviews
7.7comfort
8.1boarding
7.2entertainment
7.4food
8.3crew
Airline reviews

Captain and Crew were excellent. The Boeing 737-800 was showing its age. In flight entertainment system was sluggish and my Business Class seat on the outbound flight had some mechanical issues. Only real problem was the location of the Gate in Panama PTY. It was a 40 minute hike from Security to the Gate. There should have been some sort of warning about the distance.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Mar 2024PTY - BWI
Read more about Copa Airlines reviews

Captain and Crew were excellent. The Boeing 737-800 was showing its age. In flight entertainment system was sluggish and my Business Class seat on the outbound flight had some mechanical issues. Only real problem was the location of the Gate in Panama PTY. It was a 40 minute hike from Security to the Gate. There should have been some sort of warning about the distance.

landed in panama it was in terminal one. We had to take a bus to terminal two for customs. Then back to terminal one. It was very frustrating. Then, on the way back from panama it was the same situation. We had to go back and forth between terminals to check in and drop our bags and then to board. When we were leaving, we had to wait in line for the boarding area and go through another gate security process. They told the bottles of water and coffee were bought while in line in the airport after we passed the main security. Ridiculous (and expensive). A much better communication system is needed.

This was my first time flying Copa but I'll definitely be back! Great service, professional agents, and delicious food for a fair price. Thanks for a great trip!

Horrible experience from start to end. Copa costumer service is non existent. They treat you bad. Everybody tells you different information. We didn’t received our luggage in the 1 day stop we did even we they said if was not going to be a problem. They didn’t respect the seats that we had and spread our family leaving in between of two big people who didn’t leave any space for me and crush me from side to side. I’ll never recommend Copa to anybody.

No cumpli mencionado trayecto por reasignacion de Copa Pero extraviaron mis maletas por su culpa

I was fortunate enough to have an entire row to myself and that was the highlight. Unfortunately, the flight was really turbulent which had no impact on how effective the crew was. However, I am disabled and should have boarded the flight first, but that wasn't the case. They also decided to take my bag at the gate because I had one too many and upon my picking it up at JFK it along with my rollator had been damaged. I am a vegan so the didn't have a proper meal for me and I was unable to view the entertainment because I didn't receive a set of headphones and if I needed to supply my own I wasn't made aware of that either. The crew was great, but overall everything was pretty lackluster.

Cons: "Sure. I had booked a two week vacation in Brazil. All hotels, car rental and guides booked. Copa changed my fligjt at the last minute and out of the 14 days vacatipn I had in Brazil, they would have me spend 6 days in Panama City!!! Lost of small fortune with hotels, car rentals amd had to buy another ticket with Latam. They are a scam!!"
Cons: "Due the COVID-19 El Salvador closed its boarders, leaving me unable to fly. I have sent two emails, called and spoke to a customer service representative who treated me unprofessionally and rude. After that I have been calling numerous times with a wait of over 25 minutes each time and I still have to answer from you as a company. I am extremely disappointed and want an answer soon."
Pros: "Crew was great. Food was acceptable. Really comfortable flight."
Cons: "Entertainment could have been better. Tvs per seat to wAtch movies what we want"
Pros: "nice crew."
Cons: "seats were too small and uncomfortable, not possible to lean back much because of a tall passenger behind me. international flights should have better seats."

Boarding - It is unclear where the line for the group are given the signs. A solution would be a diagonal arrow pointing to the lane in which the lane for boarding of a given zone should form. As it is now, you are guessing which side of the pole the "zone 3" sign is telling you to form the line. Inflight Entertainment - The Spanish subtitles function didn't work for movie watching (in fact, all subtitles didn't work), so was difficult to follow along and I watched the movie in silence without words.

An hour-long wait to check in, 90 minutes for luggage to come out, lost luggage, chaotic operations

No everybody brings the proper equipment to enjoy the plane entertainment. Then I was not able to enjoy it.

Pros: "I like the service ,the food in thos fliggt back. Excelent"
Cons: "Better rules for people who put the seat back while we eating ,some crewmembee could say something"
Pros: "Crew friendlynesd"
Cons: "Paying a little more attention to the seating. Not everyone was socially distanced. Seat rows were unequally distributed: some were all full others were too empty."
Pros: "Seat was okay, but I thought we weren't doing center seats because of Covid risk. That plane was packed tight."
Cons: "They made me store my bag, because I had a guitar which has always been allowed as a carry on. Its a fragile instrument, and has always been allowed as a carry on."
Pros: "Seats are comfortable. Compared to other flights there is more leg room. Flight attendants where friendly."
Cons: "The flight was late on arrival, so there was more time spent in the airport. Due to this, we were right behind another flight that landed before us. Customs will only allow one plane to disembark, so we waited to get off the plan for over 30 minutes. This was the only bad experience with the trip."
Pros: "The crew was attentive."
Cons: "Check in process was super slow. It took an hour and a half. Check in process needs to be made more efficient. Also, plane took off an hour and 20 minutes later than originally planned. Therefore, we landed an hour later than expected."
Pros: "Movies and shows. Blankets. Prompt staff on plane. Snack options."
Cons: "Ticket counter was stubborn to release our boarding passes despite having already checked in online. Saying we were “too late”. The kiosk would not release our boarding passes either. Yet, we breezed right through security to the gate and we’re first to board the plane having had to actually wait awhile before boarding. The ticket counter person unnecessarily made us wait even longer when we were already running late due to having spent 11 hours in the hospital day prior from E. coli. The boarding process was also sloppy. Three different attendants asked to see our passports. Why did everyone need to verify us? We were asked very silly and seemingly unnecessary questions before boarding further slowing the process. We were asked before boarding if we had checked a bag, not sure what difference that made."
Pros: "The flight was delay about an hour, on board. The crew was great. No entertainment on board. Good complimentary bar."
Cons: "Being on time"

I did not like anything, first time I use company and for sure it will be the last time, they charge for simple operations that any other average airline wouldn't charge.

The good thing is the flight was on time and the crew was really nice. They can work better the arriving with staff

The inflight entertainment did not work on a 6 hour flight The cel phone chargers did not work There was a 45 minute wait for the luggage to get off the plane.

Seat space was terrible no food on a six hour flight

There was no bag included in the reservation. The price was double. Not properly advertised

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

They could offer free food and drink like other international flights.

Flight attendants to show up on time, offer drinks and food.

The worst airline, the crew so mean and rude, everything was a nightmare, if I start to write, I'll never end

Pros: "Comfortable flight good crew"
Cons: "The boarding process could use help, to chaotic at times but some of the has to do with the countries policies. But I’d give it a B+"

Our seat tv didn’t work All the rest was perfect

delay several times and wait extra long to board. no entertainment service because there are problem for some rows. always encounter some delays for the last flight of the day.

Meals were adequate but could be better. Lots of movies, podcasts, tv shows. We really enjoyed using our personal headsets highly recommended. 15 hrs flight great to travel at night.

This was a Lufthansa flight. Disappointing main meal. Very rough over Canada and arrival at FRA. IFE was almost unusable.

the plane was old. the wifi didn’t work. the entertainment was boring and dated. the charging ports were impossible to find. i was mostly ignored by flight attendants that had no problem speaking to the man beside me. i got two drinks the entire time i was on the plane.

Quit making seats narrower and narrower. The guy beside me spilled over in to my seat.

The service was non existent . Crew did very little didn’t even answer call button . Premium economy in this long haul was the worst I have ever experienced . Never again flying with them .

The crews are great.. Easy boarding. Inflight entertainment ok. Food is a disappointment.

The real big issue with this flight was that it was 3 hours delayed. Other than that, no big praises or complaints.

I was not able to buy food in the flight. They refer to include your Credit card in the APP, and if you are not from USA (i have a credit card form Canada) it is not possible

Somehow I got “offloaded” even though I had my boarding pass and was in transit Food is horrible Staff were nice and cheerful No headphones were provided on 11 hours flight

Fight crew was not very attentive and the bastions were gross!

Our flight was great we left Kona earlier and got into LAX almost an 1hour earlier as well. LAX AA is in repair so to get out and found our bus to get pick up was a bit confusing.

Plane was good but was delayed. probably not AA fault but caused a 1 hour delay. Seating was cramped.

The staff were very helpful with lots of refreshments on offer. The toilets were clean. The seats were comfortable and entertainment was good. No complaints, it was excellent.

amazing! they were so kind and allowed us to sit on empty seats so we could stretch our legs and sleep good. Food is amazing as well plus dessert in the middle of the flight!

5 hour flight - full flight - not enough room to use my computer - slightly delayed - Admirals club was excellent quality food, drink made up for flight seating. No food offerred on flight, you ahd to prebook.

We experience delays on departure and connecting flights resulting in 14 hour to our next departure. We were accommodated with a night's stay but was only provided a 12 dollar meals accommodation. The airlines rules state.at least 50 dollars. In any case, it can not make up for the whole day missed on our vacation in Sydney Australia.

I can say I will not be taking this airline again any time soon. Seat were uncomfortable and too tight. Lack of chair screen and little overhead space.

American Airlines canceled the flight twice and was unable to facilitate a change of city for us after our travel plans became affected. We lost alot of money due to this and it seems like the airline was trying their best not to facilitate this. Mind you, I am a very loyal member.

Book cheap flights from Costa Rica to San Francisco

Recent round-trip flight deals

 
These are the cheapest round-trip flights to San Francisco found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
4/25Thu
1 stopCopa Airlines
13h 36mSJO-SFO
4/28Sun
1 stopCopa Airlines
16h 50mSFO-SJO
$309
6/8Sat
1 stopAvianca
15h 10mSJO-SFO
6/15Sat
1 stopAvianca
8h 00mSFO-SJO
$310
7/16Tue
1 stopAvianca
11h 15mSJO-SFO
7/18Thu
1 stopAvianca
8h 00mSFO-SJO
$315
4/25Thu
1 stopCopa Airlines
13h 36mSJO-SFO
5/8Wed
1 stopCopa Airlines
16h 54mSFO-SJO
$330
5/3Fri
1 stopUnited Airlines
17h 26mSJO-SFO
5/15Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
18h 42mSFO-SJO
$332
5/3Fri
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
15h 56mSJO-SFO
5/13Mon
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
12h 31mSFO-SJO
$333
5/4Sat
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
15h 56mSJO-SFO
5/14Tue
1 stopAmerican Airlines
8h 47mSFO-SJO
$335
4/27Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
12h 11mSJO-SFO
5/4Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
14h 08mSFO-SJO
$337
5/6Mon
1 stopAlaska Airlines
10h 27mSJO-SFO
5/14Tue
1 stopAlaska Airlines
9h 56mSFO-SJO
$403
5/15Wed
1 stopAlaska Airlines
31h 56mSJO-SFO
5/21Tue
1 stopAlaska Airlines
13h 00mSFO-SJO
$464

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Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best deals for one-way flights to San Francisco found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
5/28Tue
1 stopAvianca
8h 35mSJO-SFO
$184
5/2Thu
1 stopDelta
18h 45mSJO-SFO
$188
5/1Wed
1 stopAmerican Airlines
11h 49mSJO-SFO
$193
5/22Wed
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
14h 02mSJO-SFO
$197
6/18Tue
1 stopCopa Airlines
15h 15mSJO-SFO
$210
5/6Mon
1 stopCopa Airlines
13h 36mSJO-SFO
$226
4/27Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
22h 08mSJO-SFO
$229
4/27Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
12h 38mSJO-SFO
$235
6/27Thu
1 stopAeromexico
20h 44mSJO-SFO
$429
6/27Thu
2 stopsAeromexico
12h 13mSJO-SFO
$438

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Last minute flights to San Francisco

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights to San Francisco that are departing in the next 10 days.
4/23Tue
multi-stopCopa Airlines
18h 47mSJO-SFO
5/7Tue
multi-stopCopa Airlines
11h 14mSFO-SJO
$309
4/26Fri
multi-stopDelta
12h 28mSJO-SFO
4/28Sun
multi-stopDelta
13h 16mSFO-SJO
$328
4/27Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
22h 08mSJO-SFO
5/4Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
8h 37mSFO-SJO
$337
4/23Tue
multi-stopUnited Airlines
9h 46mSJO-SFO
4/27Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
9h 04mSFO-SJO
$342
4/27Sat
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
13h 00mSJO-SFO
5/4Sat
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 39mSFO-SJO
$373
4/24Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
11h 49mSJO-SFO
5/13Mon
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
17h 36mSFO-SJO
$380
4/24Wed
multi-stopAvianca
8h 35mSJO-SFO
6/24Mon
multi-stopAvianca
17h 30mSFO-SJO
$511
4/23Tue
multi-stopAvianca
18h 00mSJO-SFO
5/7Tue
multi-stopAvianca
14h 55mSFO-SJO
$704
4/25Thu
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
10h 27mSJO-SFO
5/9Thu
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
12h 56mSFO-SJO
$846
4/26Fri
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
10h 27mSJO-SFO
5/4Sat
multi-stopAlaska Airlines
10h 07mSFO-SJO
$1,494

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Flights to San Francisco

Destination:

San Francisco (SFO)United States

Return flight deals:

San Francisco - Costa Rica

Cabin classes:

$1,820
$340

Popular routes

The most searched flights to San Francisco by KAYAK users.