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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 Josénonstop$259
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$287
San José
San Josénonstop$259
Liberia
Liberia1 stop$287
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 $209 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 $209.

How much is a flight to Costa Rica?

A flight to Costa Rica costs $512 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 $512 on average, and San Francisco to Liberia, which costs $1,061 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 $197 (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 $285 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 1% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Costa Rica is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $597.

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 22 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 $298.

Good to know

Low season

September

Cheapest flight

$137
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 3% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% increase in price.
Flight from Washington Dulles Airport 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 $506. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $615 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 $362, from New York John F Kennedy Intl $367, from Newark $623
  • 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 8573 reviews
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
7.8Entertainment
7.2Food
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

Both legs on the way were smaller planes, each had a mechanical issue causing a delay

4.0 OkayAlexander, Sep 2026
Read more Delta reviews

Both legs on the way were smaller planes, each had a mechanical issue causing a delay

Delta exceeded my expectations! I am beyond satisfied. Thank you!

Flight was on time! That's the most important thing for me.

Delayed flight. Dirty seats, dirty seat belts with food stuck on it from previous passengers maybe. No one cleaned the seats or flight.

The flight was delayed and knowing I was going to miss my connection, nothing was done proactively to try and get me rebooked. It was an act of congress to do so. This is not on the crew, but on the experience itself

No headphones, forced to sit in another seat that I did not book, had to check my carry on when I boarded the plane I saw backpacks and other non carry on items stuffed in the carry on holder! Horrible experience Wi-Fi did not work either

Sat in the tarmac at O’Hare for 65 minutes. This is a regular occurrence for delta at O’Hare

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 :)

Crew was great. Seats are cramped and uncomfortable and I’m a small person.

Awful. Delay after delay. And then again on the tarmac.

WiFi was slow as compared to trip down. Maybe because it was a night flight and more people were using it?

Excellent except for the 2 screaming kids who wouldn’t stop crying and screaming for the entire flight but what are you going to do? The flight was early- good experience

Kept changing the takeoff time and the moved it up so arrived when boarding had already started. Then sat waiting to taxi in for a long time

It was partially ok .. not anything like from Orlando to Houston... first the flight attendant was not so nice and insisted on have a small backpack down when really was not to put in danger anyone, also the beverages they were not so good... not big chance to select other tea.. the seat was partially ok could not have those flips to hold your head.. and finally when it land off in Guadalajara, it was raining and the flight was going to the main area then go back and drop us out of nowhere with the rain.

Airplane is not very clean, food quality and taste was not good. Lufthansa used to be good but nowadays went down. Overall experience is just okay, wouldn't fly again, prefer Turkish airlines.

I missed the flight due to maintenance issues. This is the second flight I’ve missed in four days because United allows such little time between layovers. Very disappointing

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

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

My flights were all delayed , mostly due to technical issues with AA aircrafts. I had to rebook my trip 4 times . I lost my whole day and finally arrived in LAX around midnight. This was a very bad experience with American airlines , I will always try to avoid flying with them

AA was fine....the overall experience was subpar, but not due to the airline due to broader issues

Delayed and WIFI was not working for most of flight.

The big challenge here was that the inbound flight was delayed, THEN, the aircraft was deemed in need of service, so we had to deplane after being a few minutes away from departure, THEN we had to switch terminals, where another plane in our gate had maintenance issues so we had to change gates again. I am a regular flyer (not on American) so I understand these things happen. The crew was great. The pilot in particular was gracious and understanding and stayed with the passengers the whole time to answer questions and give updates - that was impressive. But the flight was massively delayed as a result, and today I really wanted to be home in time. Sigh The flight was otherwise great.

I am Plstinum Pro snd was standby on earlier flight. They gave seats to people that asked rather than follow standby order. When realized what was happening was too late to get on as no seats left. My scheduled flight was late. Then filled the seat beside me Ruth rude person that they had to move from her original seat

My flight was delayed close to 10 times over the course of the evening. I was originally scheduled to depart at 7:03 PM but did not leave until 12:33 AM, resulting in over 9 hours spent waiting at the airport. The only explanation provided was that the aircraft kept being swapped, with no clear reasoning as to why. Weather conditions at both DCA and Tampa were clear, so that was not a factor. The only accommodation offered was a $12 food voucher, which was entirely insufficient given the length of the delay. Overall, I was completely unsatisfied with this experience. A delay of this magnitude with no meaningful communication or accommodations is unacceptable, and I would have expected much more from American Airlines in terms of customer care.

No ground air conditioner for the plane. Very hot and humid prior to take off which was an uncomfortable period of time.

Check-in process was poor, very poor, only one person to check-in all passengers, so if one passenger had a check-in issue, all other passengers were delayed. All check-ins should have two airline staff to check-in passengers.

Flight was cancelled due to a myriad of operational issues. You guys really suck

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.

My original flight was cancelled. My replacement flight was delayed over 2 hours. I lost my whole day in NY

Delays were crazy long (over an hour) both for boarding and baggage claim

awful expereince. boarding was a mess and not communicated, then we sat on a hot plane and were at risk of getting kicked off

2 hour delay and a lack of air conditioning on the plane. Not a good combination

Fabulous! This was the first time we've flown with JetBlue and the entire experience was flawless!

First time flying JetBlue and my perception changed. Love it.

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.

More options for your flight to Costa Rica

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