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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$221
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$283
San José
San Josénonstop$221
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$283
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 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to Costa Rica from the United States found in the last 72 hours was to San José, at $207 round-trip. The most popular route is Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) to San José (SJO) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $207.

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 $465 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $84 for the route Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Liberia (LIR). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Fort Lauderdale to Liberia which costs $380 on average, and Orlando to San José, which costs $344 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 April, when tickets cost $474 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $665 and $653 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 $394 on average. Morning departures are around 18% 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 $527.

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 7 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 $243.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$100
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 16% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 21% 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
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 $454. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $548 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 $297, from Denver $463, from Newark $615
  • 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.
7.4
United AirlinesOverall score based on 9628 reviews
7.3Comfort
6.6Food
8.1Crew
7.7Boarding
7.1Entertainment
Airline reviews

boarded early to only find out that flight would sit at gate for 45 min to an hour. Landed in chicago and sat on runway for over an hour before got to gate. Total delay was extensive for a 45 min flight door to door.

2.0 MediocreKelly, Apr 2026
MLI - ORD
Read more United Airlines reviews

boarded early to only find out that flight would sit at gate for 45 min to an hour. Landed in chicago and sat on runway for over an hour before got to gate. Total delay was extensive for a 45 min flight door to door.

The flight was delayed from take off because only one runway was operational in San Francisco.

Several missed and almost missed connections. It felt like everything was being patched together last minute without enough resources and it ended up being an extremely stressful experience that basically ruined our weekend on the west coast. What a waste.

Really hard landing... as in slammed into the runway then hit the brakes really hard ...

The flight was significantly delayed. The inbound flight from EWR was delayed departing because of mechanical problems. My original departure from CLT was 5:28 pm but due to the delay of the inbound flight, after arrival, deplaning, cleaning, boarding, we did not push back from the gate until 9:00 pm. Once in the air, the flight was smooth and what was originally supposed to be an arrival in ORD at 7:30 pm local time turned out to be 9:35 pm.

Putting people that close to the bathroom, where you have to look into the bathroom as people are exiting and entering was not great and the smell was also not great. I know the airlines are desperate for more chairs, but that seat is a crime.

My bags were misplaced!!! Im in a foreign country with no bags

The entertainment options on the seat back video boards were nice.

The flight I was supposed to be on was supposed to take off at 1:50 from State College. It was delayed over and over and over again until somehow I had to rebook on a flight that was supposed to have left State College at 8 am that morning but didn't end up taking off until almost 6 pm. Not only was this completely unacceptable, the "token from United" was a 15 dollar meal voucher that has to be used by today. I would personally like some miles added to my account for this inconvenience. I was in transit for 8 hours from the time I arrive at State College Aiport to when I got home. I was supposed to be home at 3 pm and I returned at 8 pm. Unacceptable. I have not been on an on Time united flight in nearly 5 years.

Crew was friendly. Seats are too narrow, particularly when a big person is in the adjacent seat, but I understand this is due to smaller planes usually flight into Lincoln. I have experienced several flight delays going out and coming into Lincoln airport, I say maybe 50% or higher of the flights I've taken out of this airport have been delayed.

Crew was very friendly. Did not like being jammed in the back middle seat. Don’t understand why I can not select an aisle for free based on first come first serve. Also first time I’ve been on a flight which attempted land then circled Detroit airport multiple times.

Terrible. There was a lot of misleading information regarding ticketing, seat upgrades, & boarding group. I also expect my seat will recline. I have back problems & it is very painful for me of the seat doesn’t recline. In addition, when I choose a fare that allows me a carry-on bag, I expect to be able to carry it on. Not be forced to check it. Thos happened on my flight to MCO & back to Boston. Not sure I will ever fly JetBlue again. Further I bought the ticket through hat deal. I will NEVER do that again. They were incapable of providing an accurate record locator # for either leg of the trip. I had to call them before each flight with me VERY stressed about whether I would actually be able to get on my flight. Who does that? Who books flight & then FAILS to give an accurate record locator? Twice!

The flight was delayed 4 hours and the JetBlue people at the counter kept lying to us and telling us it was due to weather however all other flights were going in and out of NY and FL. Then they lied that the plane had to stop to refuel. Then they lied and said the plane needed a tire change. JetBlue is the worst. Then they gave a lot of people meal vouchers however I didn’t know they did that and they didn’t offer anything to me.

My experience with Jet Blue was wonderful. My experience with Kayak sucked and will never use again.

Jet Blue has excellent everything, Friendly customer service and staff, clean aircraft’s and is always on time.

Entertainment and wifi were very sub-par - audio issues and no wifi

We were delayed and had to circle due to weather and had to divert for fuel. While I understand that you can’t control the weather I would have appreciated knowing that the crew wasn’t going to run out of hours and then having to spend the night in the Raleigh airport.

Messy plane that was falling apart Small screens that didn't work

I was traveling with two small kids and our TV s were the only ones not working. Informed the flight attendant who did nothing about them.

They forced me to check my hand luggage at the gate.

My flight got delayed a total of five times. And the boarding gate changed four times. most of the time the platform was not up-to-date with the changes taking place. The most discouraging part of the entire trip by far.

Flight left early and arrived 30 MINUTES early at the destination. Smooth trip.

American delayed the flight for a crew rest period. The delay occurred late in the evening - the earliest i can find is 10:20 pm. With a 6 am flight anyone on the flight would have already have been asleep (unless you are insane, a vampire or on drugs) and at least for me i was already on the way to the airport at 445 am the next morning when i discovered they delayed the flight until 9 am. Given the incoming flight was in the air at 6 pm the evening before this should have been figured out a lot more timely that was there only crew to use. Just frustrating given there is no consideration for customer experience anymore in flying.

Returned home with a blood clot from flight homes and the uncomfortable aircraft I was on.

Original flight was on time, then late, then changed gates...4 times. Once our newest plane came in, it was fine.

The crew was very kind, but no in-flight entertainment monitors and a 2 hour and 30 minute delay was extremely frustrating.

Everything was delayed and the staff sent me to the wrong gate, causing me to miss one of my flights. I arrived at my destination 6 hours later than I was supposed to.

Got home at 3am after deboarding the plane. No compensation offered by American

Delayed flight. Missed connection, AA put us on a later connecting flight. The connection flight was delayed 4 times and we had to deplane. Didnt get home until 3am, when I was supposed to be home at 8:30p. Zero compensation offered from American. I would not fly them again.

The seats need better cushioning for a nearly 5-hour flight, it was a bit uncomfortable. I'm glad American has free wi-fi but there were was a bout 30 minutes in the middle of the flight when there was no connection which was frustrating.

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

Flight was delayed 6plus hours Did not take flight Customer service was terrible Will never fly again and will spread how terrible you are You stink

I didnt have a flight. Kayak must be on drugs because I confirmed with spirit that I had no booked flight.

We were surprised to be charged $99 for a personal item. And of course everything offered on the flight was an additional charge. Other than that the pilot flew and landed the plane well and the attendants and fellow passengers were nice enough.

baggage drop off was a bit much. I felt like I worked for spirit airlines since I did all the work.

Gate changed multiple times. The staff seemed annoyed that we asked for water. We had to pay for the water as well.

It was a full Spirit experience. Got to witness police officers having to deboard a passenger and cost us about an hour of delay. Front seat was spacious and better than expected.

Broke my bag and offered no support or solution afterwards

We didn't get on the flight, they canceled our flight and said there was no flights leaving this weekend and sent me our money back.

Horrible company: canceled flights and delayed flights. Spirit canceled my flight from Miami to Philadelphia the day before we were supposed to leave from Philadelphia to Miami, with no explanation. I had to rebook another flight, spending more money and instead of flying from Miami, I had to choose a flight from Fort Lauderdale because there were no direct flights available from Miami. That created additional cost. The flight with Spirit from Fort Lauderdale was scheduled to depart at 6am, so I had to wake up my 3 and 6 years old at 3am to get to the airport in time and then, at 5am while we were at the gate the delayed the flight until 7:45am with again no explanation.

Spirit is awful, and cost me an extra $400. On the flight to the destination they staff was rude and did not even offer water during the flight. On the return flight, while on the way to the terminal, Spirit cancelled the flight. This is the second time this has happened, and I believe they should compensate for the additional cost for incurred for the return flight. Spirit simply offered reimbursement for their cancelled flight, and did not take into consideration the cost for a last-minute flight home. The TSA agents expressed how Spirit often cancels evening/night flights, and shows no concern for the passengers.

Everything you need to know for your flight to Costa Rica