$181 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco 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 San Francisco to Costa Rica departing on 12/8. 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.
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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San José
San José1 stop$403
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$377
San José
San José1 stop$403
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$377

Book Cheap San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco to Costa Rica

Wed, Jan 28 - Wed, Feb 4
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 6:01 pmSFO-LIR
8h 31m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:20 am - 6:38 pmLIR-SFO
9h 18m1 stop
$377Alaska Airlines
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Sat, Dec 6 - Fri, Dec 12
Alaska Airlines Logo
10:24 pm - 6:07 pmSFO-LIR
17h 43m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:00 am - 11:59 pmLIR-SFO
16h 59m1 stop
$382Alaska Airlines
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Wed, Nov 12 - Sat, Nov 22
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:36 am - 6:55 pmSFO-SJO
16h 19m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 12:00 pmSJO-SFO
9h 00m1 stop
$403Multiple Airlines
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Mon, Feb 23 - Fri, Mar 6
JetBlue Logo
10:40 pm - 12:55 pmSFO-SJO
12h 15m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
10:00 am - 11:33 pmSJO-SFO
15h 33m1 stop
$404JetBlue
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Tue, Oct 28 - Thu, Oct 30
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 1:53 pmSFO-SJO
28h 53m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:11 am - 3:29 pmSJO-SFO
15h 18m1 stop
$406Multiple Airlines
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Wed, Nov 12 - Mon, Nov 17
Copa Airlines Logo
12:36 am - 4:50 pmSFO-SJO
14h 14m2 stops
Copa Airlines Logo
11:00 am - 11:17 pmSJO-SFO
14h 17m1 stop
$408Copa Airlines
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Wed, Jan 28 - Mon, Feb 2
JetBlue Logo
11:59 pm - 12:55 pmSFO-LIR
10h 56m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
2:00 pm - 11:30 pmLIR-SFO
11h 30m1 stop
$411JetBlue
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Mon, Nov 17 - Fri, Nov 21
Copa Airlines Logo
12:36 am - 4:40 pmSFO-SJO
14h 04m1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
2:53 pm - 11:17 pmSJO-SFO
10h 24m1 stop
$412Copa Airlines
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Mon, Oct 27 - Thu, Nov 6
Avianca Logo
12:10 am - 1:40 pmSFO-SJO
12h 30m1 stop
Avianca Logo
3:05 pm - 9:50 pmSJO-SFO
8h 45m1 stop
$420Avianca
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Mon, Nov 3 - Mon, Nov 10
Avianca Logo
11:10 pm - 11:25 amSFO-SJO
10h 15m1 stop
Avianca Logo
7:50 pm - 12:00 pmSJO-SFO
18h 10m1 stop
$430Avianca
Find Deal
Booking Insights

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

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

What is the cheapest San Francisco 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 San Francisco found in the last 72 hours was to Liberia, at $412 round-trip. The most popular route is from San Francisco (SFO) to San José (SJO), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $581.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San Francisco 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 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $681 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco to Costa Rica is September, when tickets cost $526 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and November, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,013 and $715 respectively.

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

The average price of all round-trip flights from San Francisco to Costa Rica clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

For San Francisco to Costa Rica, Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Thursday is the most expensive. Flying from Costa Rica back to San Francisco, the best deals are generally found on Wednesday, with Monday being the most expensive.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco to Costa Rica, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 6% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 11 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$181
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 22% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 43% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Liberia

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • If I have made plans to travel from San Francisco to Costa Rica, will I need to have a valid passport and do I need to obtain a visa before I make my trip?

    Travelers that are making the trip to Costa Rica will need to have a valid passport and you need to make sure that your passport will be valid for your entire length of stay in Costa Rica. It is also important to remember that your passport needs to have at least one blank page for an entry stamp. While you will not need a visa to stay in Costa Rica for up to 90 days, the immigration service in Costa Rica will expect you to present a return airline ticket upon your arrival.

  • If my flight from San Francisco International Airport will be landing at San José Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), what type of public transportation is available to travel from the airport to downtown San Jose?

    There is a bus service available, operated by TUASA, that will make the trip from the airport to downtown San Jose in around 30min. The fare for this trip is around CRC 642 (USD 1).

  • If I'm looking for a lounge to wait for my flight to Costa Rica, will I find one at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)?

    There are several lounges provided by both United Airlines and American Airlines at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). These lounges are often used by passengers making the trip to Costa Rica from this airport since both airlines offer one-stop service to airports in Costa Rica.

  • If I will be bringing children on my trip to Costa Rica and I plan on renting a car at the airport, what should I know about car seat laws in Costa Rica?

    When traveling with children in a car in Costa Rica, all children under the age of 12 months must ride in a rear-facing car seat and children from 12 months old to four years old must ride in a forward-facing car seat. Children from four years old to six years old must ride in a booster seat and those from six years old to 12 years old must ride on a booster cushion.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco to Costa Rica up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally in the afternoon, when round-trip flights cost $486 on average. Morning departures are around 9% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $748.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Costa Rica

  • A good way to get from downtown San Francisco to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is via the train service offered by Bay Area Rapid Transit, which makes the trip to the airport in around 30min for a cost of about $9.
  • If you are going to be driving yourself to the airport before your flight to Costa Rica, San Francisco International Airport has two different international garages that are just a few steps from the terminal building. For the ultimate convenience, the airport also offers a valet parking service.
  • If you are bringing kids along with you on your trip to Costa Rica, San Francisco International Airport has Kids' Spots play areas in terminals 1, 2, and 3 of the airport.
  • For any travelers with disabilities that will be bringing a service animal along with them to San Francisco International Airport, you'll be glad to hear that there are several animal relief areas located throughout the terminals, including one in the International Terminal near the A Gates.
  • If you want the most convenient way to travel out of San Francisco International Airport, you might consider using the airport's Airport Butler service that provides travelers with a dedicated staff member to guide them through every step of their journey through the airport.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to Costa Rica

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco 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.
8.0
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11094 reviews
7.8Comfort
7.0Entertainment
7.1Food
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

I still in San Francisco😡the flight has delay and lm not sure l can back to Seattle or not😡lm here from 7.30pm and still waiting😡 l never will use of Kayak.

2.0 MediocreZhila, Oct 2025SFO - PAE
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

I still in San Francisco😡the flight has delay and lm not sure l can back to Seattle or not😡lm here from 7.30pm and still waiting😡 l never will use of Kayak.

On time boarding, take off and landing. Will fly again with Alaska Airlines.

Flight was smooth, pleasant passengers and crew. Enjoyed the experience

Flight attendant was awful, I felt second hand embarrassment with every one of her interactions with people onboard. She was so incredibly rude every chance she got

Great flight - efficient and cheerful team on board, at SFO gate. Also, PAE (Paine Field, Everett, WA) is a great little airport to fly out or in to!

I was sitting towards back of plane and the flight attendants I thought spoke unusually loud for an evening flight. They chatted and chatted all night long and it seemed odd to me that they didn’t try to lower their voices. It is annoying as a passenger to hear all their conversations.

Had to pay $8 for internet wasnt cool, no tv’s, had to use phone to watch movies, no food choices seemed available unless u ordered in advance maybe I'm wrong about that but seemed that way, no snacks were served. Seemed a very bare bones flight. But it was on time and safe so that was good

We were singled out, greeted and helped with check-in at the busy airport. They offered to take our bags there and gave no fuss when we said they were carry-on. With United just last week I had to put up a fight just to get onto the flight with my one authorized carry-on.

boarding was late worst was going back LAX to SFO delayed not once ? but TWICE😡I was at the airport practically almost 5 hours of previous time , very inconvenient! i would have spend longer time with family , I was wanting to avoid TSA line? but it just got me to spend unwanted time @ d airport

Plane boarded and left on time or very close to the stated departure. Arrived on time. Staff was subdued. Could not hear the flight attendant too well. No announcement from the pilot which is always nice. Biggest complaint absolutely no little snacks! But the important thing is we left and arrived on time and we survived.

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.

We had a great flight just wished they had a tv so we can see a movie that would of made my trip excellent.

Very happy with my flight. I would definitely recommend it.

Did upgrade, travel in business it was great (more room I could sleep)

We paid extra with copa for seats near one another The plane was changed and we lost our seats We were all Separated. We have not received a refund for our seats despite emailing and calling.

It was ok. However, the food was quite poor since I don't eat pasta.

Tell people to remain in their seats during the meal/beverage distribution. Enforce boarding by group numbers. No one was checking. Tell people to turn their electronics speakers off. Bigger cups for drinks.

Placed us in the last rear row of the plane so could not recline seats because of the rear wall, and also made it more of a tight space when the passenger in front reclined their seat. While understand seat assignments, every passenger should be afforded a reclining seat. The odor control scent from the restrooms was overwhelming strong. My wife and I could not deal with it, and she suffered a terrible headache as a result. I kept getting hit by the crew since I was on the ilse seat. No apologies, nothing. They made me feel like I was supposed to take the beating for a 3 hr flight.

We were in business class. the angled seats in that class do not have a real window view & the placement of the controls are bad. But we knew that. But the food options were mediocre. The taste was fine, but the size was for a child. It’s just really feels like United is skimping on everything. Even when we were in the Polaris lounge they did not have diet sodas. They said they were out no Coke zero no Diet Coke, etc. I do not think the portion of nuts they serve on the plane could get any smaller. Really a minimal service and offer for what you’re paying for in business.

We had to deboard 2 times due to maintenance issues. They changed the plane, and then we got deviated to LAX due to maibtenance issues on the other plane, had to sleep at LAX and los a full day.

From the first moment you interact with United Airlines, you can expect nothing less but extreme frustration. The baggage handler at the bag drop seems completely unbothered by the presence of customers waiting in line. No help was extended to load the baggage whatsoever. And if any of your bags is overweight by 0.01 pound they will make you re-distribute everything in your suitcase just to play power trip. When it was time to board no help was extended to customers to locate their seats. Moreover. It was a chaotic mess at the gate when it was unclear who should board first and everyone just bunched up, trying to get on the plane. I am sure the crew was doing their best to perform their jobs while being paid their wages however it shouldn’t be that hard to smile once or twice when you’re in the business if serving customers. It is a shame for the United States of America to have a flagship carrier of such low caliber. Our flight was also delayed by about an hour and a half due to further delays prior to our inbound flight. Being someone who has travelled for both business and leisure in Asia, Europe, and South America I have never experienced such poor quality of service.

The pilots were late and it made us 1 hour late. The meat was tough and bok choy was also tough.

Stuck on tarmac for two hours plus a 5.5 hour flight. Rude flight attendant. And no meals, not even for purchase!

I learned that seating towards the end of plane that a line forms for the restroom and people use your chair as a hand railing, bumping your seat consistently. I was seated in the aisle. I think that next time if I am towards the back row I would want to sit in the middle or window seat.

The best airline I have ever travel , really good customer service, attention and service !!

Everything was great. Only thing that could’ve made it better was buy on board options for hot food, but the snacks were decent. The flight attendants were great. I had no complaints. I was able to make it to my destination safely

Horrific. They missed my connecting flight to San Diego. I didn’t get there until Monday at 9am when I had a mandatory court settlement conference scheduled at 6am since we had parties on the east coast. This caused many issues. All because United apparently forgot to hold the doors open until my flight landed that only had a 10 minute delay. This was the last flight to Southern California. So I couldn’t even rent a car to finish the trip. United cannot be trusted when traveling on specific days and times since weather didn’t have anything to do with the delays.

Very comfortable (upgraded to business class). The audio on my screen didn’t work, but I managed to play the audio through my phone while watching the screen.

Always seated jammed in rear of aircraft Admirals Club food at DFW terminal D was absolute worst food experience and I pay $600/year to eat this dried out junk

Mostly good. Flight was crowded but Airline personnel were very friendly & accommodating. It would be good to have savory snacks rather than just sweet Biscoff cookies.

It was a red eye flight, so no meals were provided, but it was fine with snacks. The seats felt cramped and almost too narrow.

Very crowded flight but what can you expect these days?? Crew was accommodating.

The seats in economy were appeared to be quite thin and lack sufficient cushioning to be comfortable. Perhaps it was my seating position but the plane seemed notably load.

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.

4 hours late, including over +1 hour waiting in plane to take off. Baggage left behind too.

While waiting to claim my checked luggage, I discovered the airline had lost it. After a long wait and inquiries, I discovered it was on another flight. Fortunately, the airline finally sent my luggage home.

Was not able to watch most shows on the entertainment site. They would not load

Boarding, crew were excellent, food was ok and entertainment need to improve

Luggage lost and nowhere to be found, no response from either airline regarding my bag

The seats were uncomfortable and barely reclined at all. Very little leg room despite being business class. The crew was friendly and the food was good. Had to use my own phone for in-flight entertainment.

No food, terms when selling are not clear. To pricy for the service in general

It was horrible. My experience with Avianca. I didn’t know it was Pakistan international Airlines but anyway, whatever it is it is bad horrible you guys need to upgrade everything in those planes. And you guys charge $130 for a carry-on did they wanna let me in with my carry-on that I travel everywhere with the luggage you guys are such a dog thank you

The incoming plane was late and no information was shared. They even announced we would board in 10 muntes 40 minutes prior to the plane arriving, and the website said until takeoff that we had taken off an hour earlier

Boarding was excessively slow. They do it by groups in a way that it doesn’t make sense. After business class , ppl that need assistance and any other priority group they should have ppl board from the back to the front. First rows 20+. Then 15+. Then 10, etc. having ppl sitting in the back board last makes no sense. The libe backame long as soon as ppl on rows 10 or so where told to board. The line went all the way up the ramp and tunnel for 25 mins.

Seats are very tight even in Plus, no complimentary snacks or beverage

I receive a service for what I pay, so it is fair.

Business class seats did not lie flat. There was only powdered milk for your coffee....in Business Class!! Food was good.

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

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