$143 Find Cheap Flights 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 the United States to Costa Rica departing on 8/26. 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 to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San José
San Josénonstop$304
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$340
San José
San Josénonstop$304
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$340

Book Cheap Costa Rica Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights 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 to Costa Rica

Thu, Sep 24 - Tue, Sep 29
Avianca Logo
2:15 pm - 3:05 pm
MIA
-
SJO
2h 50mnonstop
Avianca Logo
7:45 am - 12:40 pm
SJO
-
MIA
2h 55mnonstop
$304Avianca
Wed, Sep 16 - Wed, Sep 30
Avianca Logo
2:15 pm - 3:05 pm
MIA
-
SJO
2h 50mnonstop
Avianca Logo
7:45 am - 12:40 pm
SJO
-
MIA
2h 55mnonstop
$305Avianca
Mon, Oct 12 - Mon, Oct 19
Delta Logo
6:30 am - 11:58 am
FLL
-
SJO
7h 28m
1 stop
Delta Logo
1:23 pm - 12:35 am
SJO
-
FLL
9h 12m
1 stop
$330Delta
Fri, Oct 2 - Sat, Oct 10
Delta Logo
6:30 am - 11:54 am
FLL
-
SJO
7h 24m
1 stop
Delta Logo
1:23 pm - 12:35 am
SJO
-
FLL
9h 12m
1 stop
$338Delta
Mon, Jun 15 - Wed, Jun 24
JetBlue Logo
9:10 am - 12:40 pm
JFK
-
LIR
5h 30mnonstop
JetBlue Logo
2:00 pm - 9:29 pm
LIR
-
JFK
5h 29mnonstop
$376JetBlue
Wed, Sep 9 - Wed, Sep 16
United Airlines Logo
12:29 pm - 7:37 pm
LGA
-
SJO
9h 08m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
7:55 am - 9:57 pm
SJO
-
LGA
12h 02m
1 stop
$406United Airlines
Wed, Nov 18 - Wed, Nov 25
American Airlines Logo
10:25 am - 8:55 pm
JFK
-
SJO
11h 30m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 5:55 pm
SJO
-
JFK
9h 55m
1 stop
$406American Airlines
Fri, Sep 11 - Thu, Sep 17
American Airlines Logo
9:08 am - 8:07 pm
LGA
-
SJO
12h 59m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 6:29 pm
SJO
-
LGA
10h 29m
1 stop
$411American Airlines
Sat, Jun 13 - Tue, Jul 21
JetBlue Logo
9:10 am - 12:36 pm
JFK
-
SJO
5h 26mnonstop
JetBlue Logo
1:50 pm - 9:08 pm
SJO
-
JFK
5h 18mnonstop
$413JetBlue
Thu, Sep 17 - Sun, Sep 20
United Airlines Logo
7:50 am - 7:37 pm
LGA
-
SJO
13h 47m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
7:55 am - 8:59 pm
SJO
-
LGA
11h 04m
1 stop
$418United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Costa Rica

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

What is the cheapest flight to Costa Rica?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 5 days.

The cheapest ticket to Costa Rica from the United States found in the last 5 days was to San José, at $243 round-trip. The most popular route is Atlanta (ATL) to San José (SJO) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $243.

What is the cheapest month to fly from the United States to Costa Rica?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from the United States 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 the United States to Costa Rica is January, when tickets cost $486 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $681 and $675 respectively.

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

The average price for all round-trip flights from the United States 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 morning, when round-trip flights cost $432 on average. Morning departures are around 21% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $550.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United States 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 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 the United States to Costa Rica, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 8 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Costa Rica?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Costa Rica is San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport (SJO), with an average flight price of $310.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$130
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 18% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 20% increase in price.
Flight from Atlanta to San José

Flights to Costa Rica: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew to Costa Rica 
RonFlew with Delta
MSP
-
LIR
Jan 2026
It took us an hour to go through immigration at peak about 1:30 landing time and room was warm, so wear something for the heat and put away any jackets/overcoats/sweaters before you even deplane, you will not need them.
CarmelFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
LIR
Jan 2025
Know that flights are very unreliable so pad your days/plans.
LannyFlew with American Airlines
MIA
-
SJO
Jan 2024
Bring a book or tablet to connect to entertainment to keep you occupied. This leg of our trip met our expectations. Much better job than our first leg of our trip.

FAQs - booking Costa Rica flights

  • Which airport should I fly into for a trip to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca?

    Because Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a popular destination, there are a handful of ways to get there. One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to get to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is by flying into San Jose Airport and taking the 4.5h bus that departs from the Terminal Atlantico Norte.

  • Do I need a visa to enter Costa Rica?

    US nationals do not require a visa to stay in Costa Rica for less than 90 days. What you will need is a valid passport and a ticket for your flight departing from Costa Rica (back to the US or onward to another country) within the 90-day timeframe.

  • Can I exchange USD into Colones at Costa Rica airports?

    USD is widely accepted in tourist areas of Costa Rica, but Colones are the way to go if you’re going out of heavily tourist-centric areas. USD can be exchanged for Colones at the airports in San Jose and Liberia, but you can often get a better exchange rate if you simply make purchases with USD and receive your change in Colones, which is common practice.

  • Which airline should I take for a nonstop flight to Costa Rica?

    There are a handful of different airlines that offer nonstop flights to Costa Rica from the US, and each flies out of a different hub city. There are nonstop flights to Costa Rica from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando with Spirit Airlines, from Miami with American Airlines and from Orlando with jetBlue.

  • Which airport should I fly to if I want to visit the National Park of San Jose?

    National Park of San Jose is a famous attraction in Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. The best way to access it is by booking a flight that lands at SJO. A TUASA-operated bus provides the most convenient means of travel between these two points, covering the 12 miles (19.1 km) stretch in about 30 minutes. The coach departs every 10 minutes from the airport to its terminal in Sabana.

  • Which Costa Rican airport provides easy access to Nicaragua?

    Nicaragua borders Costa Rica to the north. If you are planning to connect to this neighboring country after your excursion in Costa Rica, consider booking a flight that departs from Juan Santamaría International Airport, and lands at Sandino International Airport (MGA) after approximately 3h 10min.

  • Which Costa Rican airport is closest to the Sacred Heart Cathedral?

    Sacred Heart Cathedral is a religious landmark found in Puerto Limón. As such, the best way to access it is to fly into Limon International Airport (LIO). Taxis provide the quickest connection between these two destinations in about 7 minutes. Still, the distance is walkable if you do not have heavy luggage.

  • Are there hotels near major airports in Costa Rica?

    Most of the airports in Costa Rica are located close to a wide range of accommodation options, leaving no cause to worry if you are planning to arrive late. Normally, such facilities offer courtesy shuttles to and from the airport, an essential service if you have heavy luggage.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from the United States 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 the United States to Costa Rica.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from the United States 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 the United States 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 the United States 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 the United States 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 the United States 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 day to fly to Costa Rica?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Costa Rica is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $472. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $570 on average.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Costa Rica

  • Looking for cheap airfare to Costa Rica? 25% of our users found round-trip tickets to Costa Rica for the following prices or less: From Fort Lauderdale $330, from New York John F Kennedy Intl $439, from Newark $614
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Costa Rica flight deals.
  • For most destinations throughout Costa Rica, flying into San Jose (SJO) is going to be quicker and more affordable than other airports. However, if you happen to be flying into Costa Rica specifically to go to the beaches in Guanacaste and the surrounding areas, it will be more convenient to fly into Costa Rica’s other international airport: Liberia Airport (LIR).
  • If you’re only traveling to Costa Rica, a flight into one of the major airports is the best option. However, if you’re looking to experience multiple cities, including the beaches in northern Costa Rica, it can be a good idea to fly into Managua, Nicaragua, and take the inexpensive bus to Liberia.
  • For travelers heading to the forest preserves in Monteverde, it can be confusing on whether to fly into San Jose or Liberia. Since Monteverde lies nearly an equal distance from both, it would be more convenient to fly into whichever city is closest to the other attractions on your Costa Rica itinerary.
  • There are many festivals that last several days in Costa Rica, and flight prices can skyrocket during these festivals. One of the most popular festivals is the Limón festival, which takes place over 2 weekends from October 11th through the 22nd. Unless you’re traveling specifically for the festival, you can save money by avoiding flights to Costa Rica during these weekends.
  • If you’re heading to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, you may be tempted to book a connecting flight from San Jose or Liberia Airport to the regional Tamarindo airstrip. A less expensive alternative to getting to the Tamarindo area from Liberia Airport is to take one of the shuttle buses that goes directly from LIR to Tamarindo.
  • The choice of your arrival airport when booking your flight to Costa Rica depends on which part of the country you’re intending to tour, whether it’s military museums in the capital city or the pacific beaches in the west-southwest of the city of Liberia. Nevertheless, Costa Rica has two main international airports located in San Jose (SJO) and Liberia (LIR).
  • If you’re planning to visit multiple cities in Costa Rica, consider reserving a flight that arrives at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), which serves the country’s capital, San Jose. As the main getaway and the busiest airport in Costa Rica, it offers numerous connections to other destinations, and you are thus sure of getting a flight that fits your itinerary.
  • Are you planning to spend your time in Costa Rica touring east-central Costa Rica? In that case, it might be convenient to book flights that arrive at Cartago, which is one of the popular cities in this region. The town hosts Tobías Bolaños International Airport (SYQ).
  • Travelers looking to explore the north-central part of the country might have Heredia as a possible destination. To this end, consider reserving a flight that lands at an airport that serves this region. Juan Santamaria International Airport is one such facility, as it lies about six miles away.
  • Flights with one-stop layovers from New York to San Jose usually make layovers in their respective capitals. For instance, Copa Airlines makes a stopover at Tocumen International Airport Panama (PTY) in Panama City, while Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is a major focus port for Spirit Airlines.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Costa Rica

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States 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
DeltaOverall score based on 8398 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
7.8Entertainment
7.2Food
Airline reviews

Average seat comfort, a drink and chips were provided, early boarding because we checked a carryon at the gate was nice. Ticket pricing shenanigans, including fees to pick a seat, check a bag, and get food onboard - evidence the industry is reinvigorating last century’s strategies- destroys the experience before one ever arrives at the airport. It’s difficult to recognize any value or sustain loyalty in the end-to-end process making air travel more drudgery than pleasure.

6.0 GoodDouglas, Jun 2026
SLC - CLT
Read more Delta reviews

Average seat comfort, a drink and chips were provided, early boarding because we checked a carryon at the gate was nice. Ticket pricing shenanigans, including fees to pick a seat, check a bag, and get food onboard - evidence the industry is reinvigorating last century’s strategies- destroys the experience before one ever arrives at the airport. It’s difficult to recognize any value or sustain loyalty in the end-to-end process making air travel more drudgery than pleasure.

Gate agent was unhelpful for handicapped boarding. Flight attendant seemed untrained.

No service flight that took 5 hrs and a stop at an unscheduled airport. Crew and pilots did their jobs

Clean planes and not take my comfort class seat away.

The crew were efficient. The pilots seemed professional. It was a bit chilly in our seats. The sheet provided weren’t very helpful.

Weather caused a long delay, but the efficiency and updates from the pilot were helpful. We were able to make our connection fortunately.

Planes were clean, no water or snacks on either flight.

Free & relatively fast Wi-Fi. Would've liked a wider drink selection.

I continue to be satisfied with Delta’s excellent service out of LGA. The digit id works well and gets me through security in no time. Whenever possible, I choose Delta.

Was revoked with Jet Blue due to delay from Kenya Air

I flew from Santa Fe to Denver to catch a flight to London and the transfer of my luggage on arrival at Denver to the London flight worked perfectly. The crew on the ground and on board for the London flight were so friendly and efficient.

Boarded early; and arrived home 40 mins early. After a long flight, it’s nice to be back home early. These flights have no amenities; no snacks. So need to bring your own

Boarded early, left early, arrived 40 mins early! A win win for me!

New plane was lovely. Crew customer service is always lax but expected. Kraft on time and arrived safely.

These airplanes should be illegal. The seats are two tight, it is a safety issue. Wheelchair support was ridiculously slow. We almost missed our flight.

It was a short flight so I was expecting too much

Horrifying Almost 2 million miles. Bring your own food and drink. One coffee or drink every three hours. Have to order meals on app more than 24 hours ahead Tiny and dirty bathrooms

Flight was delayed but more than 90 minutes. This caused me to miss my available windows for pick-up by a friend. I had to pay $125 for an uber back home from the airport which was an added expense that I had not budgeted for my trip. Staff was friendly.

I felt scammed. The priced advertised was different than what I paid. I paid the whole some online. I then got a call 20 minutes later saying I need to paid 70 more person. She said the price online is not the guaranteed price.

Seat pitch is horrible especially on the 15 hour flight. Gate crew at SFO was Outstanding. The flight crew was also great.

My pillow had a shoe print on it, when I asked if I can have another pillow, I was told “I’m sorry but it is one pillow per guest, do YOU want to turn it inside out” to which I responded , no thanks I will go without. This is generally not ok, but For the price tag I paid flying business this is absolutely unacceptable. Hopefully American Airlines can update their accommodations to bedding that is not tossed on the ground and stepped on, or at least have a couple of extra pillows in hand, incase someone had decided to step on the pillows for what ever reason

The flight from LA to Chicago was smooth and service was very good overall.

The flight from Dallas to Tokyo was not on Japan Airlines. It was on American Airlines. Very disappointed that we did not fly on Japan Airlines. Will not be using you liars again. I’ll just book direct from the airline next time. Wish you could make this right and has us fly on Japan Air when heading back home to the US.

The Mario was so helpful and provided amazing customer service however l have being waiting for a callback for almost a week now and have not heard anything further after l informed them l wanted to change my date of traveling because of my hospital appointment even send them proof and l was unable to use manag your booking on their website is a bit frustrating and l would appreciate an update on My request as soon as possible. And have called them times without numbers no response

They made nearly everyone check their bag because the overhead bins are way too small. Extremely inconvenient

Delayed delayed. Poor professionalism. Our seats changed and we pay for them

Was put into a seat right behind the toilet that had no entertainment possible but did have plenty of leg room over noisy part of plane.

B-class on an old plane with antiquated amenities and poor service. Landed in Rome w/o bag that didn’t make the connection (plenty of time in London). Bag will come to hotel NOT the day it lands but the following night!! Still waiting for bag…BA had nothing to offer in support and couldn’t even tell me their comp, told to submit receipts and then I’ll learn what is or isn’t covered.

Movies on my phone are great. It would be nice to have a gluten free snack option.

It was what i expected. I like the movies you can access from your phone. It would be nice if there was a gluten free snack offered. But I did bring my own snack knowing there would not be a gluten free option

First the flt was delayed over 2 hrs bc of plane mechanics that should have been handled better! No text or email was sent so only found out at the airport so there we sat for 5 hours! THATS RIDICULOUS! The gate area was filthy! No agents showed up till hr before so no additional info was given-waited online for 15 mins while the gate agent chatted and got together then given last seat in back of plane!! No priority for senior or anything-took attendants over 2hrs to serve drinks and snack-WHY are they not served together? By time snack came needed another drink! Worst service in my life!

Since we started at syr the service, crews, and flights were just excellent

All the TV screens in my rows was non functional . The map shown for an international route was antiqued..

It was fine for what it was. It’s not luxury travel but it was efficient, for the most part. Having my carry-on transferred into luggage however, was unwelcome.

We had better-than-average leg room and I loved the access to shows and movies. During boarding, we could not hear the agent even though we were close to the boarding door, which was kind of scary when we realized that half of the passengers had already boarded. Also, the entertainment was awesome, but I could not hear the movie as well as I would have liked, because my headphones were crappy. It would have been better if I could connect my own ear buds via Bluetooth or if JetBlue provided headphones.

On time, friendly attendants, quick wheelchair assistance and help checking in bags. Also appreciated change in seats, more forward to make it easier for my 97 year old mother to board and exit the plane. Thank you, JetBlue!

Flight did not have onboard charging and TV screen flickering.

I was seated next to an autistic child who was out of control and had a child behind me kicking my seat for most of the trip. I will never fly JetBlue again. Ever. I don't care how cheap it is. It's terrible.

Boarding process was terrible. No assigned seat until the gate, then a long line to get seat assignment.

This was the first flight I've taken since pre-pandemic. I was pleased with how orderly the boarding and disembarking went. The seats were comfortable. I loved that there was no "first class'. The attendants and passengers I met were all very friendly and welcoming.

They should provide water to passengers who ask for it

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.

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

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

Boarding was late due to the company’s that cleaned the aircraft (very poorly done) and the catering company. The entertainment system was not working for this six hour flight, uncomfortable seats in business (barely any cushion or recline). The airline staff is very good but the planes are horrible and not well maintained.

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.

Here we have another airline flying to Guatemala but doesn't have a plus or a less, just in the middle. Why? Well, first we don't have even free water Movie selection is poor Seats don't recline in some places Food selection is carb based Forgot to mention, customer service on the web is the worst. Good things; Very reliable on schedule Kind crew

Everything you need to know for your flight to Costa Rica