$186 Find Cheap Flights from San Diego to Costa Rica - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Diego to Costa Rica departing on 11/8. 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 San Diego to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San José
San José1 stop$408
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$523
San José
San José1 stop$408
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$523

Book Cheap San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego to Costa Rica

Mon, Nov 16 - Fri, Nov 20
Copa Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 9:07 am
SAN
-
SJO
9h 07m
1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
3:59 am - 5:15 pm
SJO
-
SAN
15h 16m
1 stop
$408Copa Airlines
Tue, Nov 17 - Fri, Dec 4
American Airlines Logo
10:35 pm - 12:09 pm
SAN
-
SJO
11h 34m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
2:40 pm - 8:28 am
SJO
-
SAN
19h 48m
1 stop
$420American Airlines
Mon, Nov 16 - Sat, Nov 21
American Airlines Logo
7:30 pm - 1:39 pm
SAN
-
SJO
16h 09m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
2:39 pm - 8:34 am
SJO
-
SAN
19h 55m
1 stop
$425American Airlines
Wed, Sep 30 - Sun, Oct 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:20 pm - 8:30 am
SAN
-
SJO
17h 10m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 9:17 am
SJO
-
SAN
17h 42m
2 stops
$426Multiple Airlines
Fri, Sep 11 - Sun, Sep 20
American Airlines Logo
7:15 am - 8:07 pm
SAN
-
SJO
11h 52m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 11:55 pm
SJO
-
SAN
11h 55m
1 stop
$430American Airlines
Thu, Sep 3 - Fri, Sep 11
United Airlines Logo
7:41 pm - 7:15 am
SAN
-
SJO
10h 34m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
7:55 am - 5:46 pm
SJO
-
SAN
10h 51m
1 stop
$433United Airlines
Sun, Nov 15 - Sun, Nov 22
United Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 6:37 pm
SAN
-
LIR
8h 37m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:45 am - 9:26 pm
LIR
-
SAN
14h 41m
1 stop
$526United Airlines
Thu, Nov 26 - Fri, Dec 4
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:59 pm - 6:25 pm
SAN
-
LIR
18h 26m
2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:22 am - 7:43 am
LIR
-
SAN
22h 21m
2 stops
$534Alaska Airlines
Mon, Oct 19 - Thu, Oct 22
Alaska Airlines Logo
4:00 pm - 7:54 pm
SAN
-
LIR
50h 54m
2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:16 am - 10:06 am
LIR
-
SAN
25h 50m
2 stops
$548Alaska Airlines
Sun, Nov 1 - Thu, Nov 5
Southwest Logo
10:35 pm - 1:50 pm
SAN
-
LIR
13h 15m
2 stops
Southwest Logo
2:45 pm - 7:40 am
LIR
-
SAN
18h 55m
2 stops
$549Southwest
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Diego to Costa Rica flights

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

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Diego to Costa Rica?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Diego 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 San Diego to Costa Rica is December, when tickets cost $136 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are May and April, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $292 and $280 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego to Costa Rica, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 10 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$186
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 7% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% increase in price.
Flight from San Diego to San José

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • Where can you dine at the departure airport?

    There are both dine-in and grab-and-go dining options at the San Diego airport. There is a fair mix of well-known and regionally-owned restaurants at the airport. Nearly all of the city's gastronomic staples, including Phil's BBQ, The Prado, and Elegant Desserts, are present along with several locally-produced alcoholic beverages like Ballast Point Bar and Stone Brewing. Each has a different opening and closing hour, though. You can also order food from the airport restaurants through the At Your Gate app.

  • Where can you shop at the departure and arrival airports?

    MAC Cosmetics, MindWorks, which sells toys and games, and Gaslamp Marketplace, where you can buy regional goods and souvenirs, are just a few of the well-known stores at the San Diego airport where you can shop. At Terminal 2 near gates 20–21, there are duty-free shops. In addition, there are five duty-free stores at the SJO airport, four on the airside and one on the landside, for travelers who want to shop when they arrive. Other airside stores that sell jewelry and cosmetics are also available.

  • Where can you get a spa treatment at the departure and arrival airports?

    If you're looking for spa services at the San Diego International Airport, you can also stop by The Be Relax Spa in Terminal 2 which provides massages, facials, oxygen and light therapy, and other treatments. You can also get a spa treatment on arrival at SJO airport. Spa Mioderma offers a variety of spa services, including as massages, facials, pedicures, and more. This spa is located on the airside at gates 5 and 10.

  • Where can you exchange currency at SJO airport?

    Since the currency used in San Diego is the dollar while in Costa Rica it is the colon, you may have to exchange some money. In SJO, currency exchange services are available at the airport lobby. These services are offered by Global Exchange and BAC San Jose. You can also withdraw at the BAC branch since they offer withdrawals in colones, euros, and dollars.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Diego 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 San Diego to Costa Rica.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego 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

  • The airport's lounges are available to passengers who want to unwind before their journey at San Diego International Airport. The lounges provide comfort, free refreshments, and food. The Airspace Lounge has shower facilities. Additionally, there are lounges including the United Club and the Delta Sky Club.
  • At the San Diego International Airport, lactation rooms are available for parents who prefer a private setting to nurse their children. In Terminal 1, there are two of them, and Terminal 2 has one more. In these rooms, you can find conveniences like a sink, a seat for kids, and comfortable seats.
  • If you wish to rent a car at SJO airport, there are various car rental providers at the airport such as Hertz, Budget, Enterprise, and SIXT. You can consider booking in advance since it may be cheaper and you might also get discounts.
  • There are only a few food concessions available at Liberia Airport if you wish to eat when you arrive. Bar Imperial, Britt Cafe & Bakery, and Cafe Players are a few places to eat.
  • There are numerous ways to go from the airport to the city center for those arriving at the Liberia airport. A public bus operates between the airport and the city. There are both private and shared taxis in the ground transportation area for individuals who desire them. Additionally, there are several car rental companies at the airport, including Avis, Budget, and Economy.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from San Diego to Costa Rica

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Diego 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.
7.9
SouthwestOverall score based on 4245 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.6Crew
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

Comfortable. Easy. No problems. Just wish they had gf options for snacks.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2026
SAN - SLC
Read more Southwest reviews

Comfortable. Easy. No problems. Just wish they had gf options for snacks.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

The seats are now more narrow. I paid for front row the seats in the front are even more narrow than before.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

No trays in our seats, we sat in first row, purchased a business class fare. Had to hold our drinks and snack in our hands. No plugs for our cell phones. Had to pay for it a drink cocktail each. Seats so uncomfortable.

There was over a 9 hour delay for one thing after another. A toilet problem, they had to change the brakes, they had to refuel, three pilots times out, etc. We had to sit on the plane at the gate for over 5 hours with no air.

Unfortunately it was not a good experience. There was a rude stewardess.

No problems with the flight, my issue is with the terminal at SAN airport. I’ve never seen a dirtier, worse equipped terminal. No power plugs worked, but you could of course buy a fuel rod battery from the kiosk (seemingly the only thing that worked).

Usually reliable SWA worked out fine for my quick business trip to Phoenix.

It would have been better if they don't separate families in seating. We were seated in the aile row in the middle of a family of four. It would have been better if they they seat the family of four together than separated.

It was good, plane is a bit older so seats are somewhat flat

Check in person said there would be lunch. We were first class passengers and lunch was chips.

Very good flight and crew Food was a surprise on a short flight

Biggest issue was that they only had two restrooms in the back of the aircraft. Too many people for only two restrooms. The trash was overflowing and there was paper on the floor too. Long lines in the isle to use it. Food was also a bit meh. They don’t offer snacks with drinks, so you might want to buy a snack to hold you off on a longer trip, since the meals are very small.

Everything was smooth and crew was very polite and friendly.

I like that they served a mail, I’m not sure about the in-flight entertainment. I didn’t really check. staff helped me with my luggage. Smooth boarding smooth takeoff smooth flight

The seats had plenty of leg room and the staff were very nice.

Copa performed as expected for the amount of money I was willing to spend for the flight; it wasn’t exceptional but it was not bad in any way either. The crew was good; friendly and straightforward. The food was airplane food, so no expectations there and the entertainment was lacking but that was my fault for owning an IPhone with a charging port that’s not compatible with the rest of the world. I’d fly Copa again.

Left my bags in origin city on a business class ticket , spent about 2-3 days in the same clothes plus the flight .

Service was professional and quick. Premium economy seat was comfortable given the class

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Over 2.5 hour maintenance delay on first morning flight with no acknowledgement, compensation or even gesture of good will. Aircraft had overnighted at airport so issue should have been addressed prior to boarding. Over 3.5 hours before first slow and deliberate beverage service.

Complimentary light meal would be appreciated. But great flight crew service on all legs

The food was terrible this time. Otherwise pleasant, quiet, on-time.

I was in first class. The outlets at my seat did not work. The plane was shabby and run down. I had prepurchsed a day subscription for internet that was not redeemable. I had to repurchase the internet for my flight and then it didn’t work anyway. Quite disappointed in what was supposed to be the launch of a great vacation.

As usual, United scheduling is completely misleading. A 54-minute layover at O’Hare is too short to make a lot of connections, especially since the flight landed “on time” but had to wait on the taxiway 15 minutes for a gate to open up. Then it takes another 10 minutes to exit the plane before one can run to another concourse to catch a connecting flight.

Flight was ok. Unfortunately it was a Boeing 737, which is a cramped / tight airplane. I prefer the Airbus as they are a more comfortable flight experience.

We were traveling as a family of 5 and they refused to seat us together. There were entire rows open, and my 13 year old daughter had to sit alone. Ridiculous!

Do not like the feeling of being in the basic economy. Everyone should feel good no matter what.

Was not able to do a online check-in because the American Airlines system doesn't store our visa or other passport information, allowing us to have a trouble-free check-in. We were forced to have to check-in at the counter which Changes are upgrade status given that we were not able to check in much earlier.

The entertainment package was vast and the selections were very current. Keep updating it was great.

The seat was so hard my tailbone was aching The crew was kind of a b**** because I made a joke that I didn't care if they close the door I total c*** when she was trying to f****** act like she was mad at me because I said that The flight was bumpy. Sure you didnt have control over that.

Cramped seats. FAA should make airlines have more legroom, for even short people complain

Flight was full, and would have preferred an aisle seat, but due to getting a late ticket ,the seat I had was adequate. The flight crew were very help full and hard working. Food and drink were excellent for the 11hr flight. Overall I was pleased with flight, and would recommend British Airways again.

The plane was late and then sat on the runway for almost 45 minutes before taking off.

Had to wait on pilot and crew to depart and had to wait to arrive at the gate because they only had 2 crews working. Delays, delays....Planes just keep getting smaller and tighter and they nickle and dime for everything. When will an airline actually wake up and make flying more enjoyable?

I paid for what I got which was cheap, I brought my own entertainment. I knew what to expect, so I could be prepared. If you’re flying economy, check in early like me. I have no problems with my flight, was on time, staff were friendly, and overall good experience.

Multiple maintenance delays and the missed and rebooked connection changed gates at least 6 times including one which had us walking 20 minutes to another terminal and then back again. Seated our family of three in different middle seats throughout the plane and then there was an empty seat next to me. Very long travel day which I would have never agreed to if I knew the itinerary would be changed at 5 am, 2 hours before takeoff.

Not too impressed with them to be honest. They had forgotten my gf meal, despite the fact that the app had notified me that it was sorted. Apparently there is a ‘glitch’ in the system, according to one of the stewardesses, and has been for a while. Also the legroom in economy is way too small (and I’m a slight person) and are very uncomfortable. An extra Internal flight I booked via the app, had not even given me the option to order a meal, so was unaware of that and left without food on a 9 hr. flight !! Don’t think I’ll use AA again after this.

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Diego to Costa Rica

Information on your arrival and departure airports