Juan Santamaría International Airport

San Jose is a really good airport. It’s small enough to get around easily but has lots of good restaurants and gift shops. The car rental area is inside right before you leave. If you’re renting a car, my advice is do not do an advance you’ll get a better rate if you do it when you land because all of the car rental companies are within a few meters of each other so you can walk around and negotiate. I reserved a car in advance the very first time I got here, but never again.

The airport is relatively small and quite expensive. For example, a coffee costs $5, a hamburger is $24, pizza is $18, and even a simple magnet is priced at $10–11. I recommend making any purchases outside the airport to save money. If you need to rent a trolley for your luggage, it will cost you $5. However, one benefit of staying inside the airport is the air conditioning, which provides a much more pleasant environment, especially in hot and humid weather.

I arrived at the airport at 3 AM for my flight back to the U.S. and had no issues getting through security. It was smooth and hassle-free. The airport is very clean and has a duty-free shop with plenty of restaurants. However, the food and drinks are extremely expensive. A 750ml bottle of water costs $8.50 and avocado toast is $13.50. If you are traveling on a budget, it is best to bring your own snacks.

Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) is a solid and efficient airport overall. It’s relatively small compared to major international hubs, but it handles traffic smoothly and is well-organized. Security and immigration lines can get long during peak hours, but the staff generally keeps things moving. Most employees are professional and courteous, though not overly warm. The layout is easy to navigate, with clear signage in both Spanish and English. Bathrooms are clean and well-maintained, and there are decent food and shopping options after security, including local souvenirs and Costa Rican coffee. Prices are a bit steep, but that’s expected in airports. Wi-Fi is free and works well enough for basic browsing or messaging. Seating areas are decent, though they could use more charging stations. If you have a long layover, there’s not a ton to do, but it’s comfortable enough to wait. One big plus is how close the airport is to San José and other popular destinations. Taxi and shuttle services are readily available, and rental car counters are easy to find. Overall, SJO is a pleasant gateway to Costa Rica. It’s clean, efficient, and a good reflection of the country’s “pura vida” spirit—with a little room for improvement. Honestly it's one of the best airports I've been to, loved the part where I don't wait for any lines.

Very small international airport. Wide variety of local products but they are all overpriced. I don’t know how they sell like this. Unaesthetic… Very limited food restaurants. Pack your meals before get here :) Easy check out process

Small but nice airport, friendly staff with the "Pura vida" slogan present but pricy, first the question of what we bring in out bags and carry on as souvenirs, specially coffe as you cannot pass I think more than 250gms of it, "it's not allowed for safety reasons......." big BS as you can buy any size coffe packages once inside. 250, 500 or a kilo at a very high price, a magnet, sticker $5 to $9, food also expensive...a typical breakfast anywhere in CR $15, there $30.

Amazingly nice airport Staff is so friendly and helpful Very clean airport, water refill stations everywhere Lots of restaurants, food, and coffee options Unfortunately lounge closes at 8 pm which is not good, I had a 11:59 pm flight and I couldn’t access the lounge as I reached by 8:30 pm There is ATM , pharmacy, and amazing vibrant souvenir shopping

A very nice airport. Very smoothly run and well designed. They have plenty of places to buy amazing Costa Rican coffee for all your friends and family and helpful staff throughout. Pura Vida!