Best time to visit Costa Rica on a budget
When to visit Costa Rica for lower prices on flights, accommodation, and food — without sacrificing too much on weather or atmosphere.
Best month
September
The wettest month on the Pacific — but the Caribbean coast enters its mini-dry season, and prices are at their lowest.
↑Cheapest month to visit Costa Rica by a clear margin: budget airlines, rock-bottom accommodation rates, and tours at reduced prices — the same country at a fraction of high-season cost
↑Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Cahuita National Park) enters its own mini-dry season in September–October: while the Pacific drowns, the Caribbean enjoys better weather, calmer seas, and excellent reef snorkelling
↑Tortuguero turtle nesting continues through September — the late-season nesting is often less crowded with visitors; combine with a Caribbean dry-season beach extension
All months ranked — Cheap travel
Best match
The wettest month on the Pacific — but the Caribbean coast enters its mini-dry season, and prices are at their lowest.
#1 for cheap travel
Best match
Still the wet season on the Pacific, but whale watching peaks and the Caribbean coast is at its driest.
#2 for cheap travel
Best match
Quietest month of the year — budget prices, almost no other tourists, and the rainforest at its most dramatic.
#3 for cheap travel
Best match
Humpback whales arrive off the Pacific coast and sea turtles begin nesting at Tortuguero.
#4 for cheap travel
Best match
Green season opens — prices drop 30–50%, Pacific surf improves, and the lush transformation begins.
#5 for cheap travel
Best match
Green season in full swing — whale watching continues, turtles peak at Tortuguero, and the jungle is impossibly lush.
#6 for cheap travel
Strong option
The transition month — Pacific rains ease significantly and the dry season approach brings improving conditions.
#7 for cheap travel
Worth considering
Pacific coast transitioning — still largely dry, Holy Week brings Costa Ricans to the beach en masse.
#8 for cheap travel
Worth considering
Hot, dry Pacific coast with spring break arrivals — excellent conditions but prices stay high.
#9 for cheap travel
Worth considering
The driest month on the Pacific — and the Monteverde Music Festival makes the cloud forest worth the trip.
#10 for cheap travel
Avoid
Dry season returns to the Pacific — Christmas week is the single most crowded and expensive period in Costa Rica.
#11 for cheap travel
Avoid
Pacific coast at its absolute driest — Guanacaste beaches are perfect, but expect peak crowds and prices.
#12 for cheap travel