January
Best time
24°C / 15°C
1 rain days
warm, dry
- comfortable temperatures (avg high 24°C / 75°F)
- very low rainfall (only 1 rain days)
- warm evenings without humidity overload
Best time to visit San José
San José, Costa Rica — ranked month by month from data: temperature, rainfall, snow, and peak hazard seasons. The standouts: January, February, March.
Best · January & February
About San José
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of San José Province. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Central Valley. San José is Costa Rica's seat of national government, focal point of political and economic activity, and major transportation hub.
— condensed from Wikipedia ("San José, Costa Rica")
Best months to visit
February
Best time
25°C / 15°C
1 rain days
warm, dry
- comfortable temperatures (avg high 25°C / 77°F)
- very low rainfall (only 1 rain days)
- warm evenings without humidity overload
March
Best time
26°C / 16°C
2 rain days
warm, dry
- comfortable temperatures (avg high 26°C / 79°F)
- very low rainfall (only 2 rain days)
- warm evenings without humidity overload
December
Best time
24°C / 15°C
4 rain days
warm, dry
- comfortable temperatures (avg high 24°C / 75°F)
- very low rainfall (only 4 rain days)
- warm evenings without humidity overload
April
Best time
27°C / 17°C
7 rain days
warm
- comfortable temperatures (avg high 27°C / 81°F)
- manageable rain (7 days)
- warm evenings without humidity overload
November
Best time
25°C / 16°C
14 rain days
warm, rainy
- comfortable temperatures (avg high 25°C / 77°F)
- warm evenings without humidity overload
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Months to skip
May
Skip
26°C / 17°C
19 rain days
warm, very wet
- extremely wet (19 rain days)
July
Skip
25°C / 17°C
21 rain days
warm, very wet
- extremely wet (21 rain days)
June
Skip
26°C / 17°C
22 rain days
warm, very wet
- extremely wet (22 rain days)
August
Skip
26°C / 17°C
23 rain days
warm, very wet
- extremely wet (23 rain days)
September
Skip
26°C / 17°C
24 rain days
warm, very wet
- extremely wet (24 rain days)
October
Skip
25°C / 17°C
25 rain days
warm, very wet
- extremely wet (25 rain days)
How we ranked these
Each month is scored on temperature comfort (18–27°C avg high is the sweet spot), rainfall (more rain days = lower score), snow days, and peak hazard seasons (hurricanes, monsoons, etc.). Green-tier months are within ideal range with no major issues. Yellow are workable but with trade-offs. Red has at least one significant problem — extreme heat or cold, heavy rain, or peak storm season.
🇪🇸 Spanish survival phrases
The 16 phrases that will earn you smiles, food, and help when you need it. English-speaking travellers — start with the first 4 and add the rest as needed.
Hello
Hola
OH-lah
Thank you
Gracias
GRAH-syas
Please
Por favor
por fah-VOR
Yes / No
Sí / No
see / no
Excuse me
Perdón
pair-DOHN
Do you speak English?
¿Hablas inglés?
AH-blas een-GLAYS
I don't understand
No entiendo
no en-TYEN-doh
How much?
¿Cuánto cuesta?
KWAN-toh KWES-tah
The bill, please
La cuenta, por favor
lah KWEN-tah, por fah-VOR
Water
Agua
AH-gwah
Where is…?
¿Dónde está…?
DOHN-day es-TAH
Bathroom
Baño
BAH-nyo
Help!
¡Ayuda!
ah-YOO-dah
Call the police
Llame a la policía
YAH-meh ah lah po-lee-SEE-ah
I need a doctor
Necesito un médico
neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh
I'm allergic to…
Soy alérgico a…
soy ah-LEHR-hee-koh ah
Pronunciations are rough English approximations — they'll get you understood, even if your tones aren't perfect.
What does San José cost?
Estimated daily budgets per person across three travel tiers. Use these as rough starting points — actual spend varies with season and neighborhood.
| Per person per day | 🎒 Budget | 🏨 Mid-range | 🥂 Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging | $32 | $115 | $325 |
| Food | $20 | $50 | $135 |
| Transit | $6 | $14 | $45 |
| Activities | $25 | $50 | $130 |
| Daily total | $83 | $229 | $635 |
Calculate your trip total
Plug in how long you'll go and how many people you're with. We'll show the total in USD and — if you've set a home city — automatically convert it to your home currency.
Estimated trip cost
—
Estimates as of 2025-2026, in USD per person per day. Excludes long-haul flights.