There are 7 ways to get from Chicago to Costa Rica by plane, train, bus, car, shuttle, or bus (Greyhound, Flixbus)
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
best- Fly from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)ORD - SJO
8h 6m$154–377Train, bus via Mexico City
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Dallas
- Take the bus from Dallas to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Take the bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Take the bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Take the bus from Terminal San Benito - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
4d 7h$469–1,147Drive 5,324.1 km
- Drive from Chicago to San José5,324.1 km
2d 18h$714–1,032Fly Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Fly from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)MDW - SJO
9h 41m$154–657Fly Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)ORD - LIR
- Take a shuttle bus from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Take a shuttle bus from Monteverde to Puntarenas
11h 30m$538–1,706Bus
- Take the bus from Chicago Bus Station to Memphis Bus Station
- Take the bus from Memphis Bus Station to Downtown Houston
- Take the bus from Houston to San Salvador
- Take the bus from San Salvador to San José
5d 3h$420–848Train, bus
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Longview
- Take the bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Take the bus from Houston to Managua
- Take the bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
5d 12h$441–1,254
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Chicago to Costa Rica is to fly which costs $150 - $380 and takes 8h 6m.
The fastest way to get from Chicago to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 6m and costs $150 - $380.
The distance between Chicago and Costa Rica is 3608 km. The road distance is 5324.1 km.
The best way to get from Chicago to Costa Rica without a car is to train and bus which takes 5 days 12h and costs $440 - $1,300.
It takes approximately 8h 6m to get from Chicago to Costa Rica, including transfers.
The best way to get from Chicago to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 6m and costs $150 - $380. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $420 - $850 and takes 5 days 3h.
Yes, the driving distance between Chicago to Costa Rica is 5324 km. It takes approximately 2 days 18h to drive from Chicago to Costa Rica.
There are 793+ hotels available in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between Chicago, IL, USA and Costa Rica?
American Airlines, United Airlines, and three other airlines fly from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Chicago Bus Station to San José via Memphis Bus Station, Downtown Houston, Smith St @ Pierce St, Mission Bend Transit Center, Bellaire Blvd @ Corporate Dr, Houston, San Salvador, and San Salvador in around 5d 3h.
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 4m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 1m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 22m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $310–1,300
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Charlotte
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 24m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $330–1,400
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 6m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $350–1,500
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 13m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $330–1,400
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 43m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 12m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $320–1,300
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 17m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $310–1,300
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 2m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $340–1,400
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Orlando
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston Hobby Apt
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $160–700
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Orlando
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guatemala City
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- When
- Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $190–750
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $310–1,300
- Website
- spirit.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Fort Lauderdale
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–370
- Website
- flyfrontier.com
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 42m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 7m
- When
- Monday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Chicago Union Station to Dallas
- Ave. Duration
- 21h 48m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $130–650
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Chicago Union Station to Longview
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 40m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $120–650
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +1 800 923 1799
- contactus@omexusa.net
- Website
- omnibusexpress.com
Bus from Dallas to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 26h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $170–230
- Schedules at
- omnibusexpress.com
- Phone
- +52 55 4386 4652
- solucioneshola@ado.com.mx
- Website
- ado.com.mx
Bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 15m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $80–170
- Schedules at
- ado.com.mx
- Book at
- ado.com.mx
- Phone
- +52 55 4386 4652
- solucioneshola@ado.com.mx
- Website
- ado.com.mx
Bus from Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte to Tapachula
- Ave. Duration
- 19h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $90–140
- Schedules at
- ado.com.mx
- Book at
- ado.com.mx
- Phone
- +𝟓𝟎𝟑 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟒 𝟔𝟓𝟒𝟖
- elcondorinternacional@gmail.com
- Website
- facebook.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $50
- Schedules at
- facebook.com
- Phone
- +52 962 625 2435
- info@ticabus.com
- Website
- ticabus.com
Bus from Tapachula to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
Bus from Managua to Terminal Tica Bus
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.ticabus.com/en/
- Phone
- +504 9919 5375
- Website
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
Bus from Terminal San Benito - CCA to Terminal Atlántico Norte
- Ave. Duration
- 22h 40m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $55–81
- Schedules at
- cristobalcolon.com.gt
- Road
- $55–75
- Phone
- 1 800 715 1970
- info@ridecr.com
- Website
- ridecr.com
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $223
- Website
- https://www.ridecr.com/
Shuttle from Monteverde to Puntarenas
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $171
- Website
- https://www.ridecr.com/
- Phone
- +506 2640 1900
- info@tropicaltourshuttles.com
- Website
- tropicaltourshuttles.com
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $55–75
- Website
- https://tropicaltourshuttles.com/
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- ifsr@greyhound.com
- Website
- greyhound.com
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Memphis Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $70–230
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $40–170
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- flixbus.com
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Memphis Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 11h
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- $70–160
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
Bus from Memphis Bus Station to Downtown Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 45m
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- $85–150
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
- Adult
- $85–150
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- info@boletosdebus.com
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Houston to San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 3d
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $180–390
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Houston to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 1h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $230–390
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
- Phone
- +503 7841 5688
- info@transportedelsol.com
- Website
- transportedelsol.com
Bus from San Salvador to San José
- Ave. Duration
- 23h
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $80
- Schedules at
- transportedelsol.com
Want to know more about travelling around Costa Rica
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
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