There are 7 ways to get from California to Costa Rica by plane, bus, car, or shuttle
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
best- Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane LAX - SJO
8h 44m$319–565Fly San Diego International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
cheapest- Fly from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SAN - SJO
11h 8m$154–607Bus
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to Managuabus
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal NicaBusbus
4d 15h$369–440Drive 5,334.1 km
- Drive from Los Angeles to San Josécar 5,334.1 km
2d 18h$716–1,034Fly San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SFO - SJO
9h 49m$432–965Fly Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Fly from Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane TIJ - SJO
11h 41m$284–525Fly Los Angeles International Airport to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)plane LAX - LIR
- Take a shuttle bus from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Take a shuttle bus from Monteverde to Puntarenas
11h 43m$522–1,442
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from California to Costa Rica is to fly which costs $150 - $650 and takes 11h 8m.
The fastest way to get from California to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 44m and costs $310 - $600.
No, there is no direct bus from California to Costa Rica. However, there are services departing from Spring / 1st and arriving at Terminal NicaBus via Los Angeles and Managua. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 4 days 15h.
The distance between California and Costa Rica is 4409 km. The road distance is 5334.1 km.
The best way to get from California to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 4 days 15h and costs $360 - $440.
It takes approximately 8h 44m to get from California to Costa Rica, including transfers.
California to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Buses USA Tours, depart from Los Angeles station.
The best way to get from California to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 44m and costs $310 - $600. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $360 - $440 and takes 4 days 15h.
California to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Buses USA Tours, arrive at Managua station.
Costa Rica is 1h ahead of California. It is currently 12:06 PM in California and 1:06 PM in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between California, USA and Costa Rica?
Delta, United Airlines, and three other airlines fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Spring / 1st to Terminal NicaBus via Los Angeles and Managua in around 4d 15h.
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 1m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $320–550
Flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guatemala City
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 35m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $320–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 42m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $460–950
Flights from Tijuana International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 8m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $160–650
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- info@boletosdebus.com
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 6h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $330–400
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
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Booking & Getting There
Yes, the driving distance between California to Costa Rica is 5334 km. It takes approximately 2 days 18h to drive from California to Costa Rica.
There are 736+ hotels available in Costa Rica.
