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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$373
Liberia
Liberianonstop$331
Puerto Jiménez
Puerto Jiménez2 stops$852
San José
San José1 stop$373
Liberia
Liberianonstop$331
Puerto Jiménez
Puerto Jiménez2 stops$852
Booking Insights

Price, demand and travel trends for flights to Costa Rica

Use KAYAK data on prices, travel dates, airlines and seasonal trends to compare options and book flights with more confidence.

Are flights to Costa Rica cheaper or more expensive than last year?

Fares to Costa Rica are running about the same as they were around this time last year, averaging $562 round-trip.

What are the cheapest fares to Costa Rica right now?

The cheapest fares to Costa Rica on KAYAK in the last week were to Liberia (LIR) from $277 round-trip or to San José Juan Santamaria Intl (SJO) at $311 round-trip.

What's the cheapest month to fly to Costa Rica?

May is the cheapest month to fly to Costa Rica, with round-trip fares averaging $511. The most expensive months are December and July, when average round-trip fares rise to $730 and $646, respectively.

When's the best time to book a flight to Costa Rica?

The best time to book is 4 weeks before departure. Drawing on 12 months of KAYAK data, fares booked in this window have averaged 4% lower than last-minute bookings (within 2 weeks of departure).

How do fares to each airport in Costa Rica compare?

According to KAYAK data from the last 12 months, the cheapest airports to fly into Costa Rica are:

• San José Juan Santamaria Intl (SJO) (avg. price $560)
• Golfito (GLF) (avg. price $597)
• Nosara Beach (NOB) (avg. price $641)

How do fares to Costa Rica vary across the week?

Based on deals KAYAK users found in the last 12 months, Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly to Costa Rica and Saturday is the most expensive. Looking at KAYAK data from the past 12 months, Tuesday prices run 13% lower than Saturday.

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

On average, afternoon flights are the cheapest, at around $546. Morning flights are the most expensive to Costa Rica, with tickets averaging $645.

Key details for flights to Costa Rica

Low season

September

Cheapest flight

$132
Beat the crowds with an average 45% drop in travelers.
The most popular month to fly with an average 33% increase in travelers.
One-way flight from Newark Airport to Liberia

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.

Your questions about flights to Costa Rica, answered

Find helpful route details based on KAYAK data, including flight times, airports, airlines and booking questions.

  • Is now a good time to book a flight to Costa Rica?

    Yes. Fares to Costa Rica are low right now. As a rule of thumb, a round-trip under $434 (cheaper than most fares this year) is a good deal, so if you spot one at or below that, it's worth booking.

  • How much should I budget for a flight to Costa Rica?

    You can typically expect round-trip fares to Costa Rica to cost from $434 to $808, based on KAYAK data from the past 12 months.

  • What are the main airports serving Costa Rica?

    Costa Rica has 17 airports. The three busiest are San José Juan Santamaria Intl (SJO) (68% of arrivals), Liberia (LIR) (32%) and Puerto Jimenez (PJM) (0%).

  • What airlines fly nonstop to Costa Rica?

    Based on the flight schedule for the next 3 months, 11 airlines operate nonstop flights to Costa Rica on a regular basis:

    • United Airlines
    • American Airlines
    • Delta
    • JetBlue
    • Southwest
    • Alaska Airlines

  • Is it cheaper to fly with a layover to Costa Rica?

    Yes, based on KAYAK data, flights to Costa Rica with a layover can cost less than nonstop flights. The most affordable connecting airports are:

    • Medellín Jose Maria Cordova Intl (MDE) (avg. price $397)
    • Monterrey Gen Mariano Escobedo (MTY) (avg. price $399)
    • Bogotá El Dorado (BOG) (avg. price $416)

  • How often are flights to Costa Rica delayed, and by how long?

    Around 17% of flights to Costa Rica are delayed by at least 15 minutes. Delays last 2h on average.

  • What cabin classes are available on flights to Costa Rica?

    On flights to Costa Rica you can book Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, Business Class or First Class.

  • What are some popular landmarks travelers visit in Costa Rica?

    Based on KAYAK data from the past 3 months, Costa Rica is home to many popular landmarks. KAYAK travelers' favorites include:

    • Parque Metropolitano La Sabana
    • Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica
    • Museo de Oro
    • Morazan Park

  • 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.

Your guide to booking flights to Costa Rica

Get tips on when to book, when to fly and what to know before your trip.
  • If you can plan ahead, the sweet spot for booking your flight is 4 weeks before your trip. KAYAK data shows fares in this window are around 4% lower than last-minute bookings (made within 2 weeks of departure). Not ready to commit? Set a Price Alert and we'll let you know when prices change.
  • If your dates are flexible, May usually has the best deals, while December tends to be the priciest. The best-time-to-travel chart on this page shows how prices move across the year.
  • Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to fly, about 13% cheaper than Saturday, the priciest day. If your dates are flexible, that's an easy way to save. If not, try nearby airports or a layover instead.
  • If arriving on time matters more than price, consider flying with one of the most punctual airlines flying to Costa Rica: Avianca, Volaris, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines or JetBlue.
  • If you're looking to save, San José Juan Santamaria Intl (SJO) has had the lowest fares over the past 12 months. Just remember to factor in the cost of getting to your final destination.
  • San José is the most popular destination in Costa Rica. Start your trip here and then check out these other places KAYAK travelers love: La Fortuna, Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio.
  • Consider a layover to Costa Rica, it can cost less than flying nonstop. Medellín Jose Maria Cordova Intl (MDE) is typically the cheapest place to connect.
  • 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 8699 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
7.2Food
7.8Entertainment
Airline reviews

A 6hr delay is going to put a damper on all reviews. It was almost impossible to get into the Delta club also. Zero conveyance. I could not use my status for anything. Makes me wonder why am I loyal to delta?

4.0 OkayJustin, Nov 2026
Read more Delta reviews

A 6hr delay is going to put a damper on all reviews. It was almost impossible to get into the Delta club also. Zero conveyance. I could not use my status for anything. Makes me wonder why am I loyal to delta?

I fly coach so there is always the feeling everyone up front has more space than me. Everything was fine - on time which is the most important thing!

Great overall experience and use of the Delta One lounge was amazing!

I used by Skymiles to upgrade to First so that I could comfortably work using my laptop. But WiFi was intermittent and unavailable for long periods. I feel like I wasted 70,000 miles :(

Great as one can be for a one connection 6 hour flight

Packed flight and not sure why dinner service would start at midnight while passengers we’re trying to sleep

The gate attendant was not clear w message on flight delays.

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 :)

Tiny seat made for midgets. You can’t put a normal size human in such a tiny seat for 8 god damn hours! Hot plane, no air. Lost bags at Rome airport for 8 hours, lucky to have found them. Horrible flying experience, United Airlines should be embarrassed!

The issue is the flight is delayed, which causes me Missing the connecting flight by 3 mins. Remember the connecting flight is a US codeshare flight so UA should be able to inform the operating airline about the delay.

Seats are made for children. An 8 hour flight with tiny seats is more like a cattle car. Lost bags at Rome airport caused a 7 hour delay.

We sat on the tarmac in Denver for over 30 minutes because a plane was in our gate. The pilot kept saying it will just be 5 minutes or less. However, we sat for over 30 minutes. Experiences like this make customers not trust what the pilot is saying.

Waited on tarmac for approximately 15-25 minutes before taking off. When landing, the time it took to taxi to our gate was the also 15-25 minutes.

Waited on tarmac to take off for approximately 15-25 minutes. When landing, the taxi to our gate took a similar amount of time. This happened on both of my United flights.

The plane was so old. I paid a ridiculous amount to fly business and there was no internet for six hours! This can't be happening in 2026 and especially in cross country flights where there are a high volume of business travelers.

Loved the easy process to board and the experience overall was smooth

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.

Entertainment, clean plane and funny pilot over the intercom was excellent… however, gate agent was rude and was probably a Spirit employee before they went bankrupt… there were 3 flight attendants - 2 of them didn’t want to be there the other one was kind and nice… I want you to recognize how you have to compete with Delta or South West airlines or even American Airlines which would choose over you at any given day from here on out. Please treat people respectfully. If you hate working in this industry - go and work somewhere else. The flight was very empty and it shouldn’t be hard to crack a smile once in a while. Very disappointing… I remember flying Jet Blue back in the day from Dulles IAD to LAX and you guys were super cool and fancy and made flying fun again - truly elevated the experience. Don’t become the next most hated airline… you can do better . I want you to succeed…

Free wifi was almost impossible to get, kept dropping the connection

Not good - we boarded and taxied for an hour before they told us there were technical issues with the plane. They told us we were going to need to deplane, parked back at the gate but then didn’t tell us we didn’t have to anymore. There was just a lot of uncertainties with poor communication.

3.5 hour delay because of “mundane” mx issue. Aircraft had to be towed 3 times.

Overall great experience, though my screen for entertainment was not working and I could see that others were.

Plane was very comfortable,ore legroom, help yourself snack are so weren't disturbed by staff passing up and down cabin, gluten free food availability and really efficient and friendly staff . Boarding and good to time. Highly recommend t

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!!

Seats are getting smaller and smaller. In flight movies are poor compared to other airlines. Food is mediocre.

There was a 4 hour delay, some of which was attributed to ATC weather but started with maintenance and then later also log books. Though the flight went far beyond the scheduled time, there were no accommodations such as additional meal options or anything else.

My flight left Honolulu EIGHT hours late due to lack of flight crew. This was the second time in 2026. The first class staff were excellent ... personable and friendly. The food was okay ...

The food in first class has taken a big downturn

Delay for 1 hour due to maintenance issue and late boarding

Had issues (application error) selecting my seat before checking in. Return Flight was delayed over 2 hours. Sat on the tarmac for 20 mins after landing Overall, not good of an experience compared to the times I have flown AA. Not sure I’m coming back.

Im reviewing a flight that hasn’t even taken off because it’s been delayed for almost 5 hours. Amazing. Great time. No vouchers. Nothing. Thanks.

WiFi broken, very long wait for valet bags, and the typical long wait at O'Hare on a thursday to get clearance to take off and then again long taxi and wait for the gate.

Got to gate late and they made me check my bag but when I got on flight there was lots of overheard bin space .

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.

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.

More options for your flight to Costa Rica

Complete your trip to Costa Rica with a hotel stay or car rental