Cheap flights from California to Costa Rica from $138

The cheapest month to fly to Costa Rica from California is in May. Flight prices, which tend to average around $398, are often lower during this time because this is during the off-season. If you’re not able to fly to Costa Rica in May, then August is your next best option. Flight prices from California to Costa Rica during August average around $435.

According to our data, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly to Costa Rica from California. The lowest ticket price found for a Thursday departure recently was $477. Keep in mind that prices can always vary depending on your route and whether or not you are flying domestic or international. If your travel schedule is flexible, try to avoid departing on a Sunday because tickets tend to average around $523. These prices are subject to change though, so be sure to set up a Price Alert for flights to Costa Rica.

In the morning is the cheapest time of day to fly from California to Costa Rica when you can find flight prices for as low as $432. Flying to Costa Rica in the morning is an ideal time because this is during off-peak travel hours. Flights to Costa Rica are more costly in the afternoon, with an average ticket price of $536. Departure times in the afternoon fall within the peak daily travel times, which is why tickets can be more expensive.

Fly from Los Angeles to San José Juan Santamaria Intl for the best California - Costa Rica flight prices

You are more likely to see cheaper flights to Costa Rica from California when booking weeks ahead of your departure date. In general, you can expect to find flights to Costa Rica for around $471 when searching weeks out. However, flight prices might be lower outside of this timeframe. For example, people recently found flights to Costa Rica from California for as low as $412 on momondo.

United Airlines, JetBlue, and Viva are the most popular carriers operating from California to Costa Rica

Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Avianca are the top three most popular airlines that fly to Costa Rica from California according to our data. Alaska Airlines is the first choice among our users, with 38% of people opting to fly with this airline when traveling to Costa Rica. Keep in mind that there are 13 different airlines that fly to Costa Rica on a routine basis, so you have a few additional options to choose from.

The number of flights available between California and Costa Rica is 3 per day as of May 2026. The most frequent departure time is 5:00PM, with 44% of daily flights leaving in the afternoon.

As of May 2026, 27 flights take off from California and land in Costa Rica each week. The most common flight departure day for this route is Sat, with 22% of weekly flights taking off on this day.