$136 Find Cheap Flights 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 the United States to Costa Rica departing on 10/4. 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 to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
San José
San Josénonstop$278
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$340
San José
San Josénonstop$278
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

Sat, Aug 29 - Thu, Sep 3
Avianca Logo
3:20 pm - 11:55 pmFLL  Fort Lauderdale-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
10h 35m1 stop Bogotá El Dorado
Avianca Logo
9:25 am - 7:30 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-FLL Fort Lauderdale
8h 05m1 stop Bogotá El Dorado
$358Avianca
Wed, Dec 2 - Mon, Dec 7
JetBlue Logo
9:50 am - 11:46 amFLL  Fort Lauderdale-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
2h 56mnonstop
JetBlue Logo
12:50 pm - 4:48 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-FLL Fort Lauderdale
2h 58mnonstop
$358JetBlue
Fri, Aug 28 - Mon, Aug 31
Avianca Logo
3:20 pm - 11:55 pmFLL  Fort Lauderdale-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
10h 35m1 stop Bogotá El Dorado
Avianca Logo
1:50 am - 1:55 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-FLL Fort Lauderdale
10h 05m1 stop Bogotá El Dorado
$359Avianca
Thu, Sep 17 - Fri, Sep 25
JetBlue Logo
11:00 am - 11:56 amFLL  Fort Lauderdale-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
2h 56mnonstop
JetBlue Logo
1:05 pm - 6:05 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-FLL Fort Lauderdale
3h 00mnonstop
$361JetBlue
Fri, Aug 28 - Wed, Sep 30
Copa Airlines Logo
6:12 pm - 10:58 amFLL  Fort Lauderdale-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
18h 46m1 stop Panama City Tocumen Intl
Copa Airlines Logo
8:12 am - 4:15 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-FLL Fort Lauderdale
6h 03m1 stop Panama City Tocumen Intl
$367Copa Airlines
Fri, Sep 18 - Mon, Sep 21
Copa Airlines Logo
6:13 pm - 10:58 amFLL  Fort Lauderdale-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
18h 45m1 stop Panama City Tocumen Intl
Copa Airlines Logo
5:55 pm - 4:15 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-FLL Fort Lauderdale
20h 20m1 stop Panama City Tocumen Intl
$367Copa Airlines
Wed, Oct 28 - Sat, Oct 31
United Airlines Logo
8:37 am - 6:53 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
12h 16m1 stop Newark
United Airlines Logo
1:15 pm - 7:59 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
4h 44mnonstop
$368United Airlines
Sat, Nov 7 - Sat, Nov 14
United Airlines Logo
12:40 pm - 10:00 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
10h 20m1 stop Denver Intl
United Airlines Logo
2:15 pm - 7:59 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
4h 44mnonstop
$368United Airlines
Sat, Jan 23 - Sun, Jan 31
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 11:43 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
18h 43m2 stops Charlotte Douglas Dallas/Fort Worth
American Airlines Logo
4:01 pm - 11:03 amSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
18h 02m2 stops Miami Charlotte Douglas
$368American Airlines
Thu, Oct 29 - Sun, Nov 1
American Airlines Logo
5:01 am - 2:00 pmIAD  Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl-SJO San José Juan Santamaria Intl
10h 59m2 stops Charlotte Douglas Dallas/Fort Worth
American Airlines Logo
2:01 pm - 1:50 pmSJO  San José Juan Santamaria Intl-IAD Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
22h 49m2 stops Miami Dallas/Fort Worth
$368American 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 $203 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 $203.

How much is a flight to Costa Rica?

The average and cheapest price for all round-trip flights to Costa Rica from each origin found by users searching on KAYAK in the last month.

A flight to Costa Rica costs $532 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $88 for the route Orlando Airport (MCO) to San José (SJO). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Miami to Liberia which costs $568 on average, and San Francisco to Liberia, which costs $951 on average.

See prices from:

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 September, when tickets cost $183 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $330 and $285 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 afternoon, when round-trip flights cost $459 on average. Morning departures are around 12% 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 $587.

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 10 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 Liberia Airport (LIR), with an average flight price of $384.

Good to know

Low season

September

Cheapest flight

$136
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 12% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% increase in price.
Flight from Dallas 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-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-Jan 2025
Know that flights are very unreliable so pad your days/plans.
LannyFlew with American Airlines-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 $496. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $601 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 New York John F Kennedy Intl $398, from Boston $462, from Newark $701
  • 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.
7.8
DeltaOverall score based on 8492 reviews
7.8Entertainment
7.2Food
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

the flight got cancelled - few hours before the departure time - no time to change

2.0 MediocreWojciech, Aug 2026
Read more Delta reviews

the flight got cancelled - few hours before the departure time - no time to change

This a short easy flight. No food or drink but that was not an issue since we were only in the air for 35 minutes.

The meal tray was not usable it was completely uneven

My experience with Delta started with my luggage being found ripped open with items missing. The baggage office told me to bring the bag, and I wanted them to see how I found it. The agent refused, so I carried my bag into the office myself. The agent was nice enough to fix the zipper and gave me a red card with a number to call. I followed the steps; first one department, then the baggage department took over. This took more than two hours on the phone. The return flight was okay. The flight lead was checking her meals and then asked if we wanted anything before departure. However, throughout the flight, I had to ask for things because she was reading her book;which I have no issue with if she had been more attentive. At the end of the flight, the pilot appeared annoyed with the flight lead for not following his instructions regarding a meal he had requested; a chicken sandwichand said, "I asked for that for the flight." On the positive side, my work event in Vegas went well, and now I'm home relaxing.

Internet connectivity still seems to be touchy on these flights, making it difficult to rely on it for getting work done.

The ac must have died, it was way to hot on this flight. Boarding g was chaotic. The flight was delayed for boarding. Not a great experience.

Comfortable seats. Nice service online. Short flight, so not a lot of time to enjoy.

Easiest airport experience ever in my life at MSP with Delta check-in and flight attendant gave us a bottle of champagne in celebration of our 10-year wedding anniversary, so overall amazing!

Great. Seamless. Check in agent at kiosk international was amazing and extremely helpful.

Delta planes have the WORST seat comfort of any plane in history. It's the opposite of ergonomic, in every sense. They also recline minimally, are covered in a vinyl and have no feet rests. Then the disembarking process is chaotic and time consuming (because of the way they load the plane and deal with luggage). Overall, somewhat frustrating but we arrived safely :)

It was a good experience, unfortunately my checked baggages were come late and not arrived on time.

Very stressful to locate United Airline boarding area, delayed flight, changing boarding area again to another location with all tiredness 😩. But flying was fine.

Staff and flight attendants were very polite. Flight was smooth. My seat on the plane was a bit broken so it would not stay in upright position but it was fine for the most part.

Flight staff and all was fine. Food always sucks on planes so nothing new.

The flight crew were very helpful. The seats were very close together. There was barely room to sit without touching the person next to you.

I’m an EP on AA every year for more than a decade but this was a very pleasant and surprising experience. Clean and sizable plane for HOU to CHI. 5 row first class. And excellent food in first class the steak option was really good. Your flight attendants even better. Seat 5A

It was hot and not as comfortable as the flight to Chicago. Must have been a different plane that needs to be worked on or replaced.

My flight was delayed so bad i missed u it so i just said never mind

My experience on this United Airlines flight was highly uncomfortable, primarily due to two issues: Cabin Temperature: The temperature on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was unacceptably high, feeling consistently around 80 degrees throughout the flight. This made sleeping impossible and significantly detracted from the experience. Seating Arrangement: Being stuck in a middle seat for a six-and-a-half-hour overnight flight compounded the discomfort. Moving forward, I will always purchase a seat assignment to avoid this situation.

I had very little time to change planes originally in Denver after my flight from Omaha. I had an hour and a half layover in Denver originally and my flight leaving Omaha was delayed an hour because they had to change a tire, which I can understand. When I reached Denver my other flight was late, fortunately, but I still had only 10 minutes to run about a mile through the airport to get to my flight. Again, fortunately, I am a healthy 71-year-old and was able to accomplish this feat. However, the stress was more than necessary to bear.

My flight was delayed several hours, which is to be expected (American never fails to disappoint me!), but the parts that really bothered me are as follows: 1) I was unable to add myself to the standby list for another flight in the app, nor could the gate agents figure out how to help me do so (the app is difficult to work with and simply did not allow me to perform the action of adding myself to the list) 2) When I asked the gate agents to add me to the standby list, the agent said that he had added me, but I was not able to confirm that I was on the list in the app; as it turns out, I had NOT been added to the list after all. He had lied to me and/or failed to add me to the list. 3) I figured out I had not been added to the standby list when I spoke to the (rather rude, snippy, and dismissive) other gate agent, who finally did add me to the list after giving me some pretty unnecessary attitude. I understand that gate agents experience the worst of stressed travelers every day, so I appreciate that I was eventually able to make it onto the standby flight with their help. However, the app needs some SERIOUS attention!

The power outlets were not working for my row. Also felt like the seats have gotten smaller. I was in the window seat and felt like suffocated, as the two passengers next to me were tall and wide.

Delays and multiple changes in gates. In accurate info sent to phone. Worst flight in years. With no apologies or recompense.

No AC, no beverage service and no explanation from the captain. 4 flight legs in 2 days with no internet service.

No service on New Orleans to DFW or DFW to San Antonio. Also no explanation from the captain why we had no AC. Unacceptable!

They lost my bag on both the going and return flight of my round-trip.

Flight was on time and the flight crew was exceptional.

My flight in Dallas had maintenance issues. Which caused us to missed our connecting flight in LA. We had to stay overnight in Los Angeles. American Airlines booked us a hotel. The hotel was the Holiday Inn. It was horrible. The whole hotel smelled like weed and there were people rambling all night long up and down the hallways. The carpets in the hallway and the room has stains. There was dirt on the floor. It was so nasty that I slept in my clothes.

Terrible. The flight I booked had a convenient departure time. Quick layover. And an arrival timed that worked for the people who had to pick me up. Thanks to delays and rebooking I got none of those things

A much better flight than our previous. The flight attendant took care of us and regularly checked in to see if we needed anything. Brought us drinks prior to the departure and then a couple more times. Totally makes the difference in how you travel when the crew is checking on their passengers. Great job on this leg of our trip.

A more comfortable seat. Padding would be really helpful but I've read the airlines don't want customers to be satisfied with economy seats.

When I booked, I included my checked luggage and when the bill was sent there was no record of this. Its was costly since I am from Trinidad amd Tobago. Exchange rate over seven dollars to one US dollar.

Everything was good except checking bags . I had paid for two bags but it didn’t show so we had to do it again while people waited and we were struggling to get to our flight

Flight delayed 4 times on a non-stop from BOS to SFO. Then when landed in SFO had to wait for 30 mins for a gate AT 3:30AM.

Plane was delayed multiple times. I would like to request a refund. Was due to arrive Thursday evening ended up arriving Friday morning.

The seats were roomier than other airplanes I’ve been on.

see my previous response about being kicked off the flight and having to fly the next day, ruining a planned vacation tour.

The flight departed more than 1 hour late. Leg room is bigger than most airlines

terrible. Because I felt very unwell during the flight. How do they leave a woman alone in the middle of 2 men? an obese man who was falling on top of me.

I booked this flight using JetBlue points and I was just so happy. The plane was so clean, I had every need met. Thank you!!

We booked seats next to each other. When we got the boarding passes, they were for different rows. The crew were reluctant to help us, so we ended up sitting separately. 1. What’s the point of reserving by seat number if you’re not going to honor that reservation? 2. Even if it gets messed up between reservation and boarding, how is the crew going to deny us the opportunity to arrange to sit together. There were plenty of people flying alone. It could’ve been easily accommodated. Not very customer-friendly at all.

The seats were the worst I have ever flown Too narrow, did not recline and the actual seat was hard as a rock. I will tell all travelers to stay away from Avianca flights.

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

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

Voo longo nem mesmo água ou gelo é servido, se quiser tem que pagar. Embarque é péssimo, mau atendimento.

Everything you need to know for your flight to Costa Rica