$99 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to Costa Rica

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Chicago to Costa Rica departing on 4/27. 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
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Cheap Flights from Chicago to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San José
San José2 stops$365
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$384
San José
San José2 stops$365
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$384

Book Cheap Chicago to Costa Rica Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Chicago to Costa Rica that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Chicago to Costa Rica

Sat, May 9 - Thu, May 14
Spirit Airlines Logo
4:50 pm - 11:45 am
ORD
-
SJO
43h 55m
2 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 11:15 pm
SJO
-
ORD
9h 15m
1 stop
$365Spirit Airlines
Sun, Apr 26 - Sun, May 3
Spirit Airlines Logo
11:28 am - 11:33 am
ORD
-
SJO
25h 05m
2 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
12:38 pm - 8:22 am
SJO
-
ORD
18h 44m
1 stop
$366Spirit Airlines
Thu, Jul 9 - Thu, Jul 16
Frontier Logo
5:30 pm - 8:20 am
ORD
-
SJO
15h 50m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:35 am - 11:14 pm
SJO
-
ORD
12h 39m
1 stop
$368Frontier
Fri, May 8 - Fri, May 15
Spirit Airlines Logo
5:05 am - 11:45 am
ORD
-
SJO
7h 40m
1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 11:15 pm
SJO
-
ORD
9h 15m
1 stop
$369Spirit Airlines
Sun, May 10 - Fri, May 15
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:20 am - 6:50 pm
ORD
-
SJO
10h 30m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 11:59 pm
SJO
-
ORD
9h 59m
1 stop
$374Multiple Airlines
Fri, May 29 - Sat, Jun 6
Air Canada Logo
8:35 pm - 12:05 pm
ORD
-
LIR
16h 30m
1 stop
Air Canada Logo
1:00 pm - 9:00 am
LIR
-
ORD
19h 00m
1 stop
$384Air Canada
Fri, Jun 5 - Sat, Jun 13
Air Canada Logo
8:20 pm - 12:05 pm
ORD
-
LIR
16h 45m
1 stop
Air Canada Logo
1:00 pm - 12:00 pm
LIR
-
ORD
22h 00m
1 stop
$406Air Canada
Sat, May 9 - Sat, May 16
JetBlue Logo
8:34 am - 12:40 pm
ORD
-
LIR
29h 06m
1 stop
JetBlue Logo
2:30 pm - 7:44 am
LIR
-
ORD
16h 14m
1 stop
$492JetBlue
Thu, Jun 11 - Mon, Jun 15
JetBlue Logo
9:35 am - 12:40 pm
ORD
-
LIR
28h 05m
1 stop
JetBlue Logo
2:00 pm - 8:45 am
LIR
-
ORD
17h 45m
1 stop
$507JetBlue
Fri, Jun 12 - Sat, Jun 20
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:20 pm - 12:05 pm
ORD
-
LIR
16h 45m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 1:22 pm
LIR
-
ORD
23h 22m
1 stop
$509Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to Costa Rica flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to Costa Rica to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to Costa Rica from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport found in the last 72 hours was to San José, at $467 round-trip. The most popular route is from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) to San José (SJO), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $467.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Costa Rica?

The average price for all round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $510 on average. Morning departures are around 17% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $664.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 2 stops layover the cheapest option at $495 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica, 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 from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica is October, when tickets cost $358 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $679 and $604 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to Costa Rica?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If you are looking for a flight deal from Chicago to Costa Rica, look for departures on Tuesdays and avoid leaving on a Saturday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from Costa Rica, Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly and Sunday is the most expensive.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Costa Rica, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 5% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 4 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$99
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 8% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 17% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to San José

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • Are there any onsite hotels at Costa Rican airports?

    There are various hotels within and near SJO and LIR where passengers landing late at the airport can spend the night. Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Jose Airport, situated approximately 0.7 miles from SJO, is your best bet. In addition, the hotel offers hotel shuttle transfers. On the other hand, if you are landing at LIR, you can make a reservation at Hilton Garden Inn Liberia, found 0.7 miles away from the airport.

  • How is parking at ORD?

    Passengers who want to leave their cars at the airport while flying out can use the multiple parking lot options available at Chicago O’hare International Airport. You can leave your car at the offsite parking lots, which are more affordable than onsite parking lots. Those who wish to leave their cars at the airport for a long can use the long-term parking lot and Economy Lot F. Alternatively, if you want to park short-term, you can take advantage of the hourly and daily parking lots found at the airport’s terminal parking.

  • Does ORD offer any pet facilities?

    ORD features three outdoor pet relief areas that passengers flying through the airport with their furry friends can utilize to make them comfortable before their flights to Costa Rica. The relief areas are located at terminals 1, 2 and 5.

  • Can I have accessibility services at Costa Rican airports?

    Upon request, you can have access to extra assistance and wheelchair services at LIR and SJO if you are flying with a companion with reduced mobility. However, you need to contact your airline earlier before travel date to have the services arranged.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to Costa Rica?

    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 from Chicago to Costa Rica.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Chicago to Costa Rica?

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

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Chicago to Costa Rica?

    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 from Chicago to Costa Rica 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 from Chicago to Costa Rica?

    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 from Chicago to Costa Rica up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Costa Rica

  • Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), situated approximately 6.2 miles away from San Jose in Costa Rica, is the main airport in the city, serving many international and domestic flights. However, from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), you can also land at Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR), which is approximately 8 miles from Liberia, Costa Rica.
  • If you want to freshen up at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) before boarding your flight to Costa Rica, there are shower amenities in terminals 1 and 3. These shower facilities are found at the American Airlines Admirals Club, United Polaris Lounge and Hilton Athletic Club. However, if you want to access these facilities, you need to have a lounge pass.
  • ORD features a family lounge with a play area where your kids can burn off steam before boarding their flights to Costa Rica. It is equipped with climbing structures, toys and games and is located in the Main hall in terminal 2. Additionally, it features comfortable benches with charging stations where parents can sit and monitor their kids.
  • LIR and SJO feature a few lounges where passengers can unwind and relax upon arrival at the airports. These lounges offer exceptional services such as meals, drinks, entertainment, comfortable seats, internet access and flight information monitor. However, you need to have a lounge pass if you want to take advantage of these services and amenities.
  • If you are flying from ORD to Costa Rica, you can opt for one-stop flight options or airlines offering multiple layover options. Fly with Spirit Airlines, Copa Airlines, American Airlines and Jetblue Airlines, offering short layovers with stops at DFW, FTY, JFK, MIA and FLL airports.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Chicago to Costa Rica

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Chicago 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.
7.5
Copa AirlinesOverall score based on 1575 reviews
7.7Boarding
7.4Comfort
8.1Crew
6.8Food
6.8Entertainment
Airline reviews

Entire experience from check in to landing was amazing the flight crew was excellent and friendly. Seats were comfortable.

10.0 ExcellentK Anson, Apr 2026
POS - PTY
Read more Copa Airlines reviews

Entire experience from check in to landing was amazing the flight crew was excellent and friendly. Seats were comfortable.

Copa staff at PTY and one particular crew member were unhelpful & rude.

There should be a warning regarding the quality of the aircraft on the website as we reserve the tickets. There was no TV or any type of screen onboard. The wifi they offer is good for nothing. Traveling 9 hours straight with kids and no type of entetainment was horrible. I wish I had been informed prior so I could buy a ticket with another airline. The food was a joke too. A very tiny portion per passenger. They also charged $100 per checked bag. With United I used to pay $60. So, fair to say that I wont be flying Copa anymore. Their aircraft was super old, outdated, no entertainment, with nearly no onboard food.

Very strict carry on rules meant most of the plane had to gate check their luggage. As is often the case had things that were broken because of this, but I appreciated not being charged to gate check. Otherwise good flight and great crew once on the plane

Simply as follows:- First, there was no vegetarian option for the meal Second, only 2 washrooms for the entire economy class.

I liked the meatloaf the chicken was awful but the plane was on time and got there and the staff was nice.

Boarding was quick & efficient; they gave boarding groups due priority; staff & air crew were very cordial and helpful, pleasant flight.

As always, Copa Airlines is great to fly on. The flights are always on time, the staff are pleasant and helpful and it's always a wonderful flying experience.

the food served was an embarrassment. No connection for charging the cellphone... What a crappy airline.

I selected first class expecting excetional service. It was mediocre at best. The food service was cold, meal choices was poor and on one leg they did provide dessert. I did enjoy the lay day seat but the movies were old and nothing current. Boarding the plane is always hot. So boarding is quite warm until your in the air. I took a small personal air fan. Update the meals and movies.

The boarding timing needs to be improved. The flight was delayed again because it took way too long to board. I was already exhausted from sleeping at the airport and spending all day there due to delay from my previous flight that connected in Chicago.

Great until we got to FRA. The next trip leg we were put in Business Class where seats had minimal padding!!!! They were awful and United Airlines needs to have their Lufthansa partner up their game or I won’t fly with them again!!

No meal service to the back of the plane as it started late or was too slow to get it out before it was time to land.

Terrible, if possible won't be flying again anytime soon!

Efficient boarding and early departure. Very smooth flight. Early arrival in ATL. Great flight.

Smooth and easy boarding, comfortable for the entire 5 hour flight, and the seat back entertainment was great! I appreciated all the features, from location info and maps, movies, the ability to connect with Bluetooth headphones, and good selection of movies. Food was good, normal airline snacks (I didn’t purchase anything)

Awful. No counter attendants. No dinner offered due to delays.

This trip did not start off well. The inbound flight was delayed about 20 minutes. Then, after initial onboarding, the passengers had to deplane due to a mechanical problem. That took about 30 minutes to fix and be cleared. Then, reboarding was chaotic. It took a long time to sort passengers and two passengers on standby were ticketed but there was no seat. So, they had to deplane. One of the flight crew was trying to help passengers figure out a place to put their carry-on bags and that took more time. In the end, our scheduled 10:30 am departure did not actually take off until about 12:05 pm CST. The flight itself was long but we got to Houston. Some passengers missed their connecting flights and had to rebook. Not the best of flights I've had.

We were delayed for about an hour from taking off due to traffic control procedures at the destination airport. But once in the air, the flight went well. The crew members were great and provided cabin service despite moderate turbulence during much of the flight.

Short flight, but no drink/snack service. The flights both going and coming were delayed.

Delays experienced in boarding/take off due to incoming plane delayed. However, the boarding time/depart time in the app was significantly delayed in providing these updates. Usually not updated until an hour after we should have already boarded. Poorly managed.

Moved to earlier flight which unexpectedly had maintenance issues initially indicated as quick fix to ultimately plane changes. Moved back to original flight, also delayed. In all cases customer updates and communication very unclear, no updates on drivers for delays.

Typical AA - late by 90+ mn. Gate changed twice... Changed the departure time 6 times No explanation, no communication on reasons for delay I travel with AA twice a year... and it is consistently very poor.. I will continue to use AA only when i have to.

The gate got changed several times and the flight was delayed over an hour. Awful experience

American continues to decline in their customer service and its beyond disappointing.

It was an older plane. First Class was not especially roomy or comfortable. It was a short flight so there were no meal but they did offer mixed nuts which used to be normal but now is rare. Crew member was very polite and professional.

Flight to Tampa was delayed taking off due to plane arriving late but no other issues

As previously stated the delay I experienced flying from Wichita to Chicago caused a host of issues. When I finally was able to be booked on the last remaining American flight from Chicago to Cincinnati, the gate changed four times with the last change occurring very near the scheduled boarding time. While I didn't have a problem moving from gate to gate, I did notice and make note of others that had mobility issues and had to move each time for the gate change.

Maintenance took a very long time and then we were in a holding pattern. While a one-off maintenance issue is standard, there were delays on both of my flights for this trip based on maintenance issues with the planes, which delayed both flights over 45 minutes. Thankfully, I didn't have any connections but it wasn't an experience that would make me pick AA if I have other options.

No Snacks or Entertainment. The flight was short, snacks should still be given.

The worst experience I've ever had because the "people" @ Avianca wouldn't let me fly because they said I needed a round trip ticket

Seating was tight. Seats don't recline. Initial flight was cancelled. Lost two days of vacation.

Horrible experience with Avianca, they delayed their flight and when we arrived to NYC, AVIANCA took 1 hr y 30 mins to park the airplane and all passenger get off the plane, it made me lost all my trains to get back home and I came back to my place at 3 am instead of 12 am. On the top of that their plane seat are so uncomfortable and is not enough space and killed my legs and knees, Avianca used to be good when it was a Colombian company, now after Brasilian company bought them, their service quality is bad and their flights are delayed and oversold.

It was delayed and I lost my connection flight to Cali and I missed my Mom's funeral

I upgraded to businesses class. Because of that the flight was comfortable.

I actually upgraded to the medium level of seats from basic and even doing that it may have been physically the most uncomfortable flight I have ever had. They packed everyone like is a train to death camp. It was a red eye so I hoped to get some sleep but it was physically impossible to find a comfortable way to rest. I met other folks on the same flight and they said the same thing. It was an utterly miserable flight and if I have any other options I will never fly with them again

Avianca has transitioned from full service legacy airline to "low cost" but has now became a strange hybrid (minimum leg space, started offering business class in domestic flights again, charges passenger for printing boarding pass, etc.). National and international coverage and destinations are really wide but service is not at its best

Deplaning was a mess, I sat in business (seats are horrible) and the front door had a problem so we had to deplane from the rear exit. The stairs were not tall enough to reach so there was a large step down from the plane to the top of the stairs.

Staff are the rudest in the industry … awful customer service … will never fly Avianca again

Pros: we leave and arrive on time Cons: the most uncomfortable seats ever. You cant recline at all your seats. No entertainment No TVs flight attendants didn't provide even a glass of water. You have to go to back of the airplane and ask for one. I am Colombian and I remember seeing the flight attendants very neat, elegants which is or was a staple of Avianca.it was one with tennis shoes, no male up, the hair was messy... that was really odd.

The attendant at the gate was not helpful at all and she was rude when we asked why the flight was delayed.

Great just wish they always had WiFi on every flight couldn’t even purchase it

They cancelled my flight with no reason affecting my travel plans and delaying it 24 hours.

a weekend long saga that ultimately led to a canceled trip. totally unreliable.

They cancelled our flight. 2 hours before we were supposed to take off and offered us nothing! We got our money back and that was it. No other flight to get to our cruise no working with another airline or with us to get there. Terrible customer service, no apology.

We get stuck in the plane when landed during 45min and no communication from the crew People were listening to their phone and music out loud and nobody told them anything I definitely want stop booking spirit flight it is a disaster

Good: It was cheap and they got us to our destination safely. Not so Good: Gates experience with many, many nauseatingly (almost) threatening announcements about bags size and how much they were going to charge us if our bag was too big, even to the point of having a gate agent roaming around through the passengers eyeballing bags size and making people go check their bags in the sizers.

Terrible. The flight was randomly delayed in Chicago causing us to miss our connection and they offered us a flight the next day at 6 am and it would have taken till 345 to get to Pensacola. They didn’t cover any fees. Our bags also supposedly were on the flight to Pensacola and we tried to get them yesterday after driving 6 hours and nobody was available. Worst company ever and will never use them again. Had to pay for a rental. Spirit is claiming in climate weather for the delay but there wasn’t any weather issuesz it’s a bunch of bullshit and I am not happy

Checking in at desk in Chicago was horrible. Person was not friendly never smiled and said my flight was not paid for so I had to give another credit card. Then it ended up that I was charged twice. Then after arriving at my destination had to wait on the phone a long time to speak to a person to fix the double charge! Thank goodness the flight was perfect.

Flight was delayed for 12 h. They should stop overlooking flights.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to Costa Rica

Information on your arrival and departure airports