$127 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 8/31. 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$285
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$396
San José
San Josénonstop$285
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$396

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

Mon, Sep 7 - Mon, Sep 14
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
Tue, Oct 20 - Fri, Oct 30
Avianca Logo
1:45 pm - 6:50 pm
MIA
-
SJO
7h 05m
2 stops
Avianca Logo
5:00 am - 4:20 pm
SJO
-
MIA
9h 20m
2 stops
$305Avianca
Thu, Sep 3 - Tue, Sep 8
Avianca Logo
2:15 pm - 3:05 pm
MIA
-
SJO
2h 50mnonstop
Avianca Logo
5:05 am - 4:25 pm
SJO
-
MIA
9h 20m
2 stops
$306Avianca
Sat, Sep 12 - Sat, Sep 19
JetBlue Logo
9:16 am - 12:35 pm
JFK
-
SJO
5h 19mnonstop
JetBlue Logo
1:55 pm - 8:59 pm
SJO
-
JFK
5h 04mnonstop
$404JetBlue
Tue, Nov 10 - Sat, Nov 14
Delta Logo
10:10 am - 10:15 pm
JFK
-
SJO
13h 05m
1 stop
Delta Logo
7:00 am - 10:06 pm
SJO
-
JFK
14h 06m
1 stop
$406Delta
Sun, Sep 13 - Wed, Sep 16
American Airlines Logo
7:25 am - 1:18 pm
JFK
-
LIR
7h 53m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
2:47 pm - 12:58 am
LIR
-
JFK
8h 11m
1 stop
$410American Airlines
Sun, Aug 30 - Sun, Sep 6
JetBlue Logo
9:20 am - 12:40 pm
JFK
-
LIR
5h 20mnonstop
JetBlue Logo
2:00 pm - 9:19 pm
LIR
-
JFK
5h 19mnonstop
$411JetBlue
Thu, Sep 10 - Tue, Sep 15
American Airlines Logo
9:35 pm - 1:18 pm
JFK
-
LIR
17h 43m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
2:47 pm - 10:29 am
LIR
-
JFK
17h 42m
2 stops
$413American Airlines
Sat, Sep 5 - Fri, Sep 11
United Airlines Logo
7:40 pm - 12:10 pm
EWR
-
LIR
18h 30m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 12:49 am
LIR
-
EWR
9h 29m
1 stop
$422United Airlines
Sat, Sep 12 - Sun, Sep 20
United Airlines Logo
10:11 am - 7:37 pm
LGA
-
SJO
11h 26m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
7:55 am - 7:02 pm
SJO
-
LGA
9h 07m
1 stop
$426United 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 $275 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 $275.

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 $480 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $143 for the route Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Liberia (LIR). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Miami to Liberia which costs $511 on average, and San Francisco to Liberia, which costs $894 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 October, when tickets cost $178 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $267 and $267 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 $439 on average. Morning departures are around 22% 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 $561.

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 $351.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$127
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 17% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 16% 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 $480. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $578 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 $509, from Newark $714, from Los Angeles $926
  • 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 8422 reviews
7.8Comfort
7.8Entertainment
7.2Food
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

Very good flight. Crew was great. No issues and we even arrived early.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jun 2026
SAN - DTW
Read more Delta reviews

Very good flight. Crew was great. No issues and we even arrived early.

The flights are constantly late anymore, and they won't even give you a glass of water on the plane. For years, they were able to do a service on this flight from Atlanta to Knoxville and Knoxville Atlanta now they say it's too short of a flight. You can't even get a quick drink of water.

Flight got canceled 4 times, missed my connecting flight due to delays, have to wait to go home tomorrow

Third flight in two months where the crew was not there. Comfort seating does not guarantee overhead bin space. Passengers with children are allowed on the plane first - if you are flying to and from Orlando, this means half the plane has boarded before you get on. And somehow all the bin space is taken up. 3 out of 5 flights have had issues with equipment or procedure. Some of these instances caused the flight to be delayed because of a "nuisance" light. One time it was a bag that had been brought on board but did not belong to anyone so we had to return to the gate. Last night we were told the "AC" on the plane doesn't work well and we're 10th for take off- because the crew was late - and that it will get cool when we're in the air. Not sure if this is usual, but I didn't think flight crew could jump seat in first class. Movie and TV selection has not been refreshed for several months- flying one to two round trips each month easily exhausts the list of content.

Great experience nice pilot very soft and easy landing and take off

We sat on the runway for over an hour before departure. That was unwelcome.

Horrible. Faucet in sink not working, wifi not working. Didn’t bring food or snacks

Flight was delayed before take off and at landing. Baggage took 20 minutes. Flight crew would not serve full soft drink and had to ask multiple times before receiving water.

From checking to boarding, it was a seamless experience. The service agents were so helpful. The flight crew was so pleasant.

Gate agent showed up 20 minutes before boarding and was not at all friendly. Had to take this flight due to the one on the day before being cancelled and any later options were already full with long standby lists. Despite having paid for Delta Comfort seats, Delta did not allow me (or anyone) to choose their seat. The agent assigned them for everyone just prior to boarding. Self seat selection was allowed on the original flight. Flight staff was great - very friendly.

Lost one piece of luggage even though I checked in 2.5 hours before the flight

It was Swiss. Our kosher meals were literally frozen solid and therefore inedible, and the crew didnt care.

For the expense of first class, the seats could have been nicer and higher tier snacks would have been nice.

The boarding process on the departure from LA was rather slow even though I was in Group 1. For first class, I was not expecting to have to pay for Wi-fi but I did and then the wi-fi was spotty. The entree was surprisingly good and so that was a pleasant surprise. However, once I got to Houston, it was terrible. Unfortunately there was bad weather but the constant gate changes for my connecting flight was difficult to manage due to having to navigate back and forth between different terminals.

We used Kayak to reserve our tickets and specifically checked the luggage option which was a more expensive option. When we arrived at the terminal we had to pay an extra $90 per suitcase for the three passengers. This has been a pattern for the past 3 years. Why charge for a more expensive luggage option, and the ticket price not include luggage?

They delayed the flight 3 hours because it wasn't full they moved us to 5 different gates probably the worst airline ever not even spirit is this bad.

Very easy ! Use the kiosk and bag drop and right to security within 10 min

Checking bag at terminal was horrible. No agents to check us in and only 1 kiosk working. Boarding went ok. Crew onboard was very scattered rained. Missed our row while serving and then didn’t see them hardly again.

Crew was amazing, takeoff wonderful. The bathroom was disgusting from before takeoff the odor made the flight uncomfortable as you could smell the bathroom from the center of the plane where we were sitting. Smelled like raw sewage. My daughter was throwing up as we landed due to the smell and horrible turbulence as we approached Newark.

Airline tickets are not cheap. You expect reliable competent service. Thanks to canceled flights and botched transfers we arrived at our destination two days late. This is not acceptable

I think since I am an AA Advantage member, my checked bags should have been free, but I paid for all 4 of us.

This flight moved Gates several times in a short time period, from B to C, which required a substantial walk or rail ride. Then the flight was delayed more than 2 hours and the food was subpar compared to other flights.

Flight was delayed multiple times without giving any particular reason and the only thing that was communicated was that 'Aircraft is getting ready'. I was stuck at SFO airport for 15 hours and finally took Southwest Airlines flight back home to Dallas.

Hydraulic leak caused the flight to be cancelled. Auto system scheduled us on a 3 am flight. Wevhsedvrebook on the app and hit schedules later in the afternoon. Our luggage per gate and ticket agent would be rescanned and put in our new flight. Did not happen. Our luggage stayed in hsv. Baggage claim in wash dc unable to help. We filed a claim. Several emails about our luggage were in conflict with one another. Called as baggage and was on hold 30 minutes. Oscar said one of 2 was out fir delivery then cancelled. About 45 minutes later both pieces were delivered. Their system is suspect

I was not clear if food was offered or not.

Because I bought my ticket from Underpricer, I could not check in online. I could only check in at the airport and that was deeply frustrating because I had to arrive very early. The flight also departed 45 min late and passengers were given no explanations about why we were delayed. I was worried I would miss my connecting flight. Once on board, however, the flight was fine.

Absolutely terrible. They boarded the plane, supposedly realized they didn't refuel the plane or load the luggage so we sat as the gate inside the plane for over 2 hours while they supposedly did things that should have been done before having passengers board the planem

Flight cancelled. Twice. And no communication. No gate agent. Went past boarding time and had to go and see email from AA. Airport communication was bad

I love the e fact that the staff communicated swiftly when my flight was delayed and gate number changed

It was awful. The communication between corporate and the crew on the ground left more to be desired. The crew even said that Corporate was waiting on answers because they themselves didn't know. Every hour, there was a new excuse. I also understood that passengers were angry, but the crew should have done a better job at crowd control. There was a racial exchange between passengers that could've been avoided has the crew acted sooner.

Domestic flights are good. Just stay away from international travel

Flight left 2 hours late with no explanation as to the delay

The aircraft was fine, it’s was just the service. The flight got canceled several times and that was very inconvenient for my 69 years old mom.

My checked in luggage cost was $59, almost ticket price. The first 13 rows were empty, but fly attendant did not alow women with little boy change her middle sit, sweet boy was crying, I am so sorry for mother and passengers. At the end of the flight the cabin became impossible cold. Only good was timing of departure and early landing, but it suppose to be normal.

Seamless flight, didn’t feel like five hours at all very smooth ride. Watched two good movies didn’t even realize I was on a plane. The staff were extremely nice and helpful.

I tried to book a flight with Jet Blue. Your third party company hijacked my attempt with a website that looked like I was booking with Jet Blue. I realized it when I paid. I tried to cancel and was told by a man in India that there were no refunds. $735 stolen, Thanks Kayak!

It was inexplicably canceled and we are stuck in LA, haven't gotten home and it has been an inconvenience having lost work (on unpaid leave for my husband).

I like everything. Blythe at DCA is the absolute best!

JetBlue worker, Blythe, was so amazing at the DCA counter. If it wasn’t for her, I’m not sure we would’ve made it through. Please thank her!

They lost my luggage and refuse to help. Terrible airline. I've never experienced worse customer service in my life. Pretty much just told me too bad that I lost all my luggage, not caring that I am stuck in Europe for 2 weeks with absolutely nothing.

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.

I had bad experiences before now was excellent I am glad they have business class again

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

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