$137 Find Cheap Flights from San Jose 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 Jose to Costa Rica departing on 1/22. 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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1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Cheap Flights from San Jose to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San José
San José2 stops$310
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$427
San José
San José2 stops$310
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$427

Book Cheap San Jose 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 Jose 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 Jose to Costa Rica

Tue, Mar 3 - Wed, Mar 11
American Airlines Logo
2:26 pm - 12:31 pm
SJC
-
SJO
20h 05m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
11:35 pm - 10:11 am
SJO
-
SJC
11h 36m1 stop
$310American Airlines
Tue, Apr 14 - Thu, Apr 23
Delta Logo
10:45 pm - 12:04 pm
SJC
-
SJO
12h 19m1 stop
Delta Logo
1:25 pm - 9:02 am
SJO
-
SJC
20h 37m2 stops
$333Delta
Sat, Apr 18 - Wed, Apr 29
United Airlines Logo
3:45 pm - 10:11 am
SJC
-
SJO
17h 26m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
11:13 am - 12:08 pm
SJO
-
SJC
25h 55m1 stop
$346United Airlines
Sun, Mar 1 - Mon, Mar 16
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 10:43 pm
SJC
-
SJO
14h 43m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
11:35 pm - 10:11 am
SJO
-
SJC
11h 36m1 stop
$356American Airlines
Sat, Apr 18 - Wed, Apr 29
United Airlines Logo
3:45 pm - 10:11 am
SJC
-
SJO
17h 26m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
1:25 pm - 1:26 pm
SJO
-
SJC
25h 01m2 stops
$361United Airlines
Tue, Jan 20 - Fri, Jan 23
Delta Logo
8:05 pm - 10:15 pm
SJC
-
SJO
24h 10m2 stops
Delta Logo
7:00 am - 9:20 pm
SJO
-
SJC
16h 20m1 stop
$369Delta
Sun, Mar 1 - Mon, Mar 16
GOL Logo
6:00 am - 10:43 pm
SJC
-
SJO
14h 43m1 stop
GOL Logo
12:26 pm - 10:11 am
SJO
-
SJC
22h 45m2 stops
$388GOL
Sun, Feb 8 - Sat, Feb 14
GOL Logo
2:32 pm - 1:54 pm
SJC
-
SJO
21h 22m2 stops
GOL Logo
12:35 am - 10:11 am
SJO
-
SJC
11h 36m1 stop
$394GOL
Sat, Feb 28 - Fri, Mar 6
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:38 am - 6:45 am
SJC
-
LIR
17h 07m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:08 pm - 7:25 pm
LIR
-
SJC
26h 17m2 stops
$440Alaska Airlines
Fri, Feb 20 - Fri, Feb 27
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:40 am - 7:09 pm
SJC
-
LIR
33h 29m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:08 pm - 7:25 pm
LIR
-
SJC
26h 17m2 stops
$472Alaska Airlines
Booking Insights

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

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Jose 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 Jose 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 Jose 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 Jose to Costa Rica is August, when tickets cost $391 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and April, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $864 and $702 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Jose 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 Jose 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 Jose to Costa Rica, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 24 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonOctober
Cheapest flight$137
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 36% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 10% lower on average.
Flight from San Jose to San José

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • What travel documentation should I know about before I board my flight to Costa Rica?

    Any traveler making a trip to Costa Rica for a great vacation does not need to get a visa so long as you don't plan on staying for more than 90 days, but you will need to show the immigration authorities your return plane ticket. You will also need a valid passport when flying to Costa Rica, and your passport needs to be valid the entire time you are in Costa Rica.

  • I am planning on renting a car in Costa Rica. What are the child car seat laws I should know about when driving here?

    Every child traveling in a car in Costa Rica that is up to 12 months old needs to ride in a car seat that faces to the rear. If they are between 12 months and four years old, the car seat needs to face forward. After that, children up to 12 years old need to travel in a booster seat or a booster cushion.

  • Is there any way for me to get freshened up at the San José Juan Santamaria International Airport after a long flight?

    This airport offers showers inside of the terminal building that are free of charge to travelers and make a great way to get freshened up after a long flight.

  • Are there any hotels that have a location right at the San José Juan Santamaria International Airport?

    There are several hotels that have a location right at the entrance of the airport property, and some of them include the Hyatt Place San Jose Airport and the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott San Jose Airport.

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

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

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

  • When people want to fly from San Jose to Costa Rica, they often fly to the San José Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO). Choosing this route, you will find one-stop flight offerings aboard United Airlines and Delta Airlines from San Jose Airport (SJC).
  • One of the most convenient ways to get to the San Jose Airport from downtown San Jose without having to drive your own car is to travel aboard the bus and train lines operated by Santa Clara VTA, which offers service from downtown to the airport in around 12 minutes.
  • If you're looking for a comfortable place to wait for your flight to Costa Rica at the San Jose Airport, consider one of The Club SJC locations at the airport that not only offers plenty of comfortable seating but also quite a few food and beverage options as well as some entertainment options.
  • For travelers planning on driving their to the San Jose Airport and looking for parking options, the airport offers quite a few different choices, with several lots right at the airport terminal building. A more cost-effective solution is to choose Economy Lot One that offers a much lower rate on a per day basis and has a shuttle service to the airport terminal buildings.
  • For nursing mothers traveling from the San Jose Airport, you'll be happy to know that this airport offers five different nursing room locations at gates 8, 18, 21, 24, and 26. Each of these rooms has a very comfortable chair as well as a changing station, power outlets, and a sink.

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

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Jose 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 11676 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.5Crew
7.1Food
8.1Boarding
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

My Alaska Airlines return flight, although worked out in the end, didn't start off well. The initial plane that my family and I boarded was grounded because of a mishap that happened to one of the engines and everyone on board had to disembark the plane. Thankfully we were accommodated with a another plane but our initial flight was supposed to have departed at 11 pm San Diego time for Orlando but instead we ended up leaving at 1:40 am San Diego time. All Passengers were informed that part of the delay was that the plane had to be inspected by the captain, the food had to be stocked and the individuals responsible for fueling the plane left for the evening and had to be summoned to return to fill up our. The Alaska Airlines crew at the airport and on the plane were awesome and apologetic. I know that the crew wasn't responsible for the mishap of the engine but I think in the future the airline should offer a complimentary drink or (1) item of food other than pretzels, nuts or chips to all passengers since we're not to blame for the extreme set backs. The airline in general is good and I recommend to all flyers.

6.0 GoodJames, Jan 2026
SAN - MCO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

My Alaska Airlines return flight, although worked out in the end, didn't start off well. The initial plane that my family and I boarded was grounded because of a mishap that happened to one of the engines and everyone on board had to disembark the plane. Thankfully we were accommodated with a another plane but our initial flight was supposed to have departed at 11 pm San Diego time for Orlando but instead we ended up leaving at 1:40 am San Diego time. All Passengers were informed that part of the delay was that the plane had to be inspected by the captain, the food had to be stocked and the individuals responsible for fueling the plane left for the evening and had to be summoned to return to fill up our. The Alaska Airlines crew at the airport and on the plane were awesome and apologetic. I know that the crew wasn't responsible for the mishap of the engine but I think in the future the airline should offer a complimentary drink or (1) item of food other than pretzels, nuts or chips to all passengers since we're not to blame for the extreme set backs. The airline in general is good and I recommend to all flyers.

Alaska is a great airline. Unfortunately, our flight was canceled in a really late hour and it caused a lot of hardship in my travel process.

Did not have In flight service on my round trip due to turbulence. I did not partake in In flight entertainment. Flight descending into LAX was very turbulent. It would have been nice if the pilot communicated with us during that rough descent into LAX to ease the minds of some of us more nervous flyers.

More comfortable than the flight to Los Angeles. But food was mediocre again. Attendants kind and courteous.

The snack pretzels have garlic. just use normal pretzels. Tomatoijuice instead of only bloody mary mix

Late leaving so threatened our connection in Vegas to Seattle. We did make up time and made our connection.

I behave had better flights this one was old and poor

They canceled my flight with only a couple hours before checking in at the airport and offered no alternatives to get home.

I had entered my TSA pre number when I bought the ticket but TSA pre was not on my boarding pass. I went to find an agent at check in and there was only one agent one duty for first class and a line of people waiting for check in/baggage with no agent manning that area.

I haven’t flown in over 20 years and had my grandkids, so I had lots of questions. They were very polite and helpful . Thank you.

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.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

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

Crew could have been friendlier, maybe I'm spoiled by SW crews. In flight wifi was good. Would be nice to have more food offerings on a 4 plus hour flight

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

Sacrament staff are always polite and helpful. Airport is easy to maneuver and boarding is straightforward.

As always, the entire Southwest experience was wonderful, from online booking to flight to baggage retrieval. Very grateful.

The weather could have been better. There was a 40 minute ATC delay in SFO because of marine fog and a micro cell storm delayed landing and take-off at Nashville. The gate was changed 5 minutes from boarding from gate B3 to gate C23 at Nashville airport.

The cabin was quiet for the redeye flight. The area was clean. The staff was great. The 787 Max was in good condition. Drawbacks were that the seat widths were tight for some passengers. The seat padding was at best average and for a long flight uncomfortable.

Delayed flight. Nicest crew member was a SW pilot flying seated next to me who kindly move to seat the final passenger. Flight extra delayed. My cup of refreshment of ginger ale was so packed with ice it was literally 2 sips.

The flight was delayed for about 2 hrs. Other than it, it was good.

I am extremely disappointed that delta internal pilot manuals now refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “gulf of America”. You can bow down to the Orange turd on your own. I will never fly delta again

No lunch on a x-country flight scheduled for 10:50 am departure, arrived 5+ hrs later. That requires a black box label before you pay for the tickets. Worst, when I checked in online, it's specifically said that lunch was served on his flight for economy Plus passengers.

Our flight from SFO to MSP was right on time on 11/15/2025. No delays. As we approached MSP at about 8 pm, we circled in the air until 8:40 pm so I don't call that efficient for MSP. I think the captain should announce the delay and why. (as if we all don't know that we are just circling around the area, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down.) Thank you. Marilyn Fischer

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

The flight used a B767 with a very old interior from before 2014. The entertainment system did not work at all during the flight despite attempts to reset the system. It was like they flew this route just to be competitive.

Delayed flight (1hour) plus a long layover after an overnight flight with no backup plane available.

Flight delayed for two and half hours and then canceled altogether due to mechanical issues. No mechanic onsite to fix so had to send one from LAX.

My husband upgraded our seats and I don't know if it was due to the type of planet was or if they didn't upgrade our seats. We were supposed to be in I believe comfort seats and they were just as tight as any other seat- no leg room and we are very tall people but at least it wasn't extremely cold. My husband did put in a complaint about our seating because he paid extra and if we would have known that the space and the tightness would have been the same, we just would have gotten the emergency row emergency row seats that we normally get. We love Delta but both our flights coming home we're not good. Oh I forgot to mention that on our flight to Hawaii our luggage wheels got broke and we had to purse new luggage on vacation then we never had this problem so we didn't know protocol and reported it after we got home only for them to tell is we only had 24hrs to report the damage. Not sure what was going on with Delta this vacation trip.

Crew was excellent. Comfort seats not as nice as other kinds of planes.

Some flight attendants were great others were cranky. Seats were very tight and sitting on an aisle was very hard as the carts and people walking constantly bumped shoulder and arm.

It was great with United overall except for two things. 1) It was a 5-hour flight and we were with kids, so we were asking for extra snacks. They were extremely reticent to dole them out even though there wasn't any meal and the kids were starting to hit their limit towards the end. 2) Baggage didn't arrive until 80 minutes after we landed.

I’m so sorry, I can’t remember her name, I believe it was Dimpti. She was stellar, also a mature Asian flight attendant, lots of flowers in her hair, just as amazing! But literally the crew was AWESOME . Only downside is there weren’t any charging outlets. Maybe I needed to ask a flight attendant , but it would’ve been nice to have one easily accessible.

I boarded flight UA#1318 at Sacramento International Airport going back to Houston TX. The flight was scheduled at 5:10am. I was able to check in virtually using the United Airlines app. When I entered the airport, there was no one outside assisting with checked bags as it was for Delta Airlines. Immediately upon entering, there was a LONG, EXTREMELY LONG line to the kiosks to get boarding passes. I stand in line to get boarding passes then had to move to ANOTHER EXTREMELY LONG line to get my bags checked in. While standing in this line, we noticed an agent taking customers to 3 at a time to her station to check their bags in. Lucky for me, she called me back, checked my bags for me and I was on my way. I then encountered another long line at the TSA check and to avoid I ending up having to sign up for CLEAR to bypass it. So glad, I did.,...Both of my flights were great with no issues, butthe check in progress at Bush Airport was so much smoother. Check-in at SMF airport needs to be anaylzed and corrected. Do better United, I know you can....thanks

Pushed back only to get deplaned due to a tire damaged by ground crew. They did at least go pretty fast. The bathrooms should be banned under the Geneva convention. No room to even sit straight on the toilet. The under-seat entertainment units block what little leg room there is.

United airlines has the best customer experience from booking to arrival. I always fly United airlines. The mileage program is excellent

from SFO-> FRA flight, AVML meal was significantly less compared to regular meal, especially no Desert, no Bread, no sides.

This was an older airplane. The cabin was constantly warm to hot throughout the 10 hour flight and there were no vents to personalize air flow. Also since it was an older plane, the material and comfort of the chairs were very uncomfortable. I left my flight with major soreness on my tailbone.

Older aircraft, no meal, only food was for purchase. Not impressed United.

Not pleasant trip cross country when the entertainment and WiFi system not working. No entertainment for entirety of route. Staff was rather nonchalant in that they dismissed the problem due to age of plane. It would have been nice to know this up front so I could have come prepared to read or download movies before boarding Coincidentally or not, there was a similar issue with the entertainment system on my previous flight I took on my fist leg of the trip. There are no seat TVs, so you must rely on the app when it works. United can do better. Also, what use it it to pay for boarding group 2 when half of the passengers are in the same line as you?

The flight was on time and arrived early. The crew were friendly and helpful.

While I didn’t watch much tv I would have liked a few more options of TV series from Apple TV or hbo max ..

Overall experience was great. Flights were almost on time in departing and we arrived at our destination as scheduled. No issues with amenities or flight crew. Everything went well as as expected. Will fly again with American Airlines in the future!

The flight was very smooth and the meal in business class was great.

I requested a low sodium meal. Reason being, I take medicine for high blood pressure and I wear compression socks on long flights to help with leg swelling. Having less sodium in meals really helps me feel better on long flights. I received my initial low sodium meal after takeoff. Just before landing, the crew came through with the meal cart and offered me what was being served. I said no thank you and then noticed my low sodium meal in the meal cart, with my name and seat assignment on it. I motioned to the crew member, but he grabbed the meal cart and proceeded to move to the rear of the aircraft. He didn’t see me or other passengers who had attempted to get this attention. He was more concerned about completing meal service since we were due to land in under 45 minutes. I pressed the call light five times from my seat to receive help, but no crew member responded to me. So, I didn’t receive a second meal, one that I requested (the low sodium option). This led me to have a migraine from only eating one meal on an 11-hour flight. This is why I’m not a fan of flying US-based airlines overseas. The crew members continue to show the absolute worst customer service experience. I would not recommend flying American for overseas flights.

Not great. Booked Extra seats and got nothing extra at all. It’s basically a big budget airline.

Horrible. Both legs of my flight were delayed more than 6 hours. No compensation, no screens on the plane, and the plane was not clean.

The flight was smooth, the pilot kept us informed about delays and we arrived more of less on time

The flight was flawless and we even arrived between 20 and 25 minutes early!

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

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports