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Cheap Flights to Costa Rica

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
San José
San José1 stop$328
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$282
San José
San José1 stop$328
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$282
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?

The cheapest ticket to Costa Rica from the United States found in the last 5 days was to San José, at $206 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 $206.

How much is a flight to Costa Rica?

A flight to Costa Rica costs $524 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $84 for the route Orlando Airport (MCO) to San José (SJO). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Miami to Liberia which costs $535 on average, and San Francisco to Liberia, which costs $1,085 on average.

See prices from:

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

The cheapest month for flights from the United States to Costa Rica is October, when tickets cost $193 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $333 and $284 respectively.

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 $471 on average. Morning departures are around 6% 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 $592.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United States to Costa Rica?

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 $326.

Good to know

Low season

September

Cheapest flight

$136
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 7% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 11% increase in price.
Flight from Fort Lauderdale 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 $503. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $611 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 Boston $390, from New York John F Kennedy Intl $554, from Newark $625
  • 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 8529 reviews
7.2Food
7.8Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

Noting this only because it’s so unusual for delta: this was just an uncomfortable flight. The jet ridge was too hot and the plane wasn’t any better. By the time we got off the ground the AC was on but for such a short flight it was almost too late.

4.0 OkayJim, Aug 2026
Read more Delta reviews

Noting this only because it’s so unusual for delta: this was just an uncomfortable flight. The jet ridge was too hot and the plane wasn’t any better. By the time we got off the ground the AC was on but for such a short flight it was almost too late.

1) It was extremely hot in the cabin. All the passengers were sweating and it almost became suffocating 2) It was a 50 min flight but there was no service. How can a 50 minute flight not have any drink/snack service?

Very bad multiple confusion and miscommunication which i ended up missing my flight.

There was no food, so :( to that one. The flight was delayed by 3 hours. Not Delta's fault. Not the crew's fault. Considering how tired all us passengers were, everything went surprisingly well. The flight crew were very helpful, friendly, and professional. I always fly Delta.

Delta is a perfect partner, offering the gold standard across the board.

Our flight from Detroit to LaGuardia on Thursday 8/20 was delayed from 555 to 910 due to storms and a ground stop at LGA. It’s never fun to be stuck at the airport but I thought the desk crew and captain handled it well and kept us informed. I especially liked how they referred to us as their “LaGuardia family.” I am a loyal delta customer and this is one of the reasons why.

Terrible. Waited on runway for 1+ hour after landing and then was brought to wrong terminal

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 :)

Not a United thing, but late afternoon departures from Denver with thunderstorms is always prone to delays.

Kayak booked this flight with only 1h 20min layover in Chicago. This made it impossible for me and several other passengers to reach this flight. Moreover, the gate closed boarding in spite of several passengers still on their way without waiting even one more minute. However, the plane departed with 20min (!) delay, i.e., there would have been at least 15 min time to let the delayed passengers board without causing any delays. I complained and as a "thank you" the attendent booked us on the last (!) flight to Indianapolis ~7h later! Thankfully, I caught the spitefulness and the United customer line rebooked the flight to an earlier flight. Although I can't grade this particular flight since I never had a chance to take it, Kayak made the mistake of a too short layover and the crew at the gate was awful.

With discover in general was very good but from Munich yo Palermo was poor

Sitting in coach even in the larger leg space is extremely uncomfortable and the staff pay no attention.

Really delayed, no effort to support customers other than “sometimes we run late.”

It was serviceable, nothing special but nothing awful on this leg.

On boarding crew at the airport called in the boarding numbers too early meaning before the previous line was completed resulting in later numbers getting to board ahead. Also she asked those who boarded from number 3 to have the tags in their carry-on bags and leave it in the jet bridge. Most of the overhead bins were empty though. This is more work for the ground staff in addition to more inconvenience for passengers waiting to get their carry-ons from the jet bridge.

Polaris seat is plush and conducive to sleep. Cabin crew was experienced, highly attentive and helpful when any need arose, such as finding a lost phone in the seat mechanism. Food was a disappointment, especially the Japanese items coming out of Newark all seemed a bit overcooked, though the empanada snacks served midway were a hit.

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.

DCA-LAX No screen on a 5 hour flight (almost) no food for sale on a 5 hour flight (practically) no wifi coverage or speed on a 5 hour flight I should have gotten my money back, shame on American

Flight was good, little delayed because of busy plane traffic

I had ridiculously long body search because I have knee and hip replacements

My luggage is missing. I haven’t received it. No one seems to know how I can find it

A crew member's attitude towards a couple passengers who couldn't speak English was rude. Just because they didn't understand what the passenger said, they were not given any snack.

Flight was delayed because of mechanical. Could not get landing space which caused me to miss my connection. Messy and not organized.

Flight was on time. Boarding was smooth and orderly. Flight attendants were friendly and professional. Bags came out soon after arrival.

Plane had mechanical issues. We had to de plane and board a different plane and were an hour late

Nothing with the flight. It was good. Crew as very helpful especially fist class flight attendant.

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.

The series of delays were very unfortunately - first the captain timed out, then the new captain didn't show up when we were told he would, then the first officer timed out. Those delays were compounded by after boarding, weather came in - obviously that's out of JB's control but it was frustrating after all of the other delays that seemed avoidable.

3 hours late JetBlue flight made me miss my connecting flight to Nairobi Kenya, they did not even offer me hotel accommodation, I paid out of my pocket, they did not know where my luggage was, let say my experience with JetBlue was nightmare.

JFK is the worst airport and JetBlue is the worst airline

Crew at first tried to SELL snack boxes (for an hour-long flight?!?), and it was the only leg of four on which I was charged for a hard seltzer. 😕 Spent extra to select seats in Row 8 for quicker disembarking only to be seated in Row 25. Someone owes me $38 for that!

My screen didn’t work, my seat didn’t recline, the flight attendant was rude and completely dismissive, the airplane was freezing, the seats are way old, slanted and uncomfortable. I payed for a full ticket and got a horrific experience, with a flight attendant who dismissed me even though I was calm respectful and polite.

Very poor help no one answering a question regarding seating. Very rude staff. They don’t care, as if it’s not part of their job. Flight was delayed for no good reason and no apologies given.

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!!

I like the attention you gave us in Guatemala due to the loss of the flight coming to El Salvador. It was a nice experience. Thanks a lot

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.

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