There are 8 ways to get from Chicago to Costa Rica by plane, bus (Greyhound, Flixbus), car, train, shuttle, or bus
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)plane ORD - SJO
8h 28m$354–557Fly Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
cheapest- Fly from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane MDW - SJO
9h 38m$184–757Bus
- Take the bus from Chicago Bus Station to Memphis Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Memphis Bus Station to Downtown Houstonbus
- Take the bus from Houston to San Salvadorbus
- Take the bus from Terminal Tica Bus San Salvador to Terminal Tica Bus San Josébus
5d$433–827Drive 5,329.2 km
- Drive from Chicago to San Josécar 5,329.2 km
2d 18h$715–1,033Train to General Mitchell International Airport, fly to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Milwaukeetrain
- Fly from General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane MKE - SJO
11h 23m$249–970Fly Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)plane ORD - LIR
- Take a shuttle bus from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Take a shuttle bus from Monteverde to Puntarenas
11h 12m$486–1,384Fly Chicago Midway International Airport to Liberia International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)plane MDW - LIR
- Take a shuttle bus from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Take a shuttle bus from Monteverde to Puntarenas
12h 56m$536–1,584Train, bus
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Longviewtrain
- Take the bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Houston to San Salvadorbus
- Take the bus from Terminal Tica Bus San Salvador to Terminal Tica Bus San Josébus
5d 1h$545–1,107
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 $180 - $800 and takes 9h 38m.
The fastest way to get from Chicago to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 28m and costs $350 - $600.
No, there is no direct bus from Chicago station to Costa Rica. However, there are services departing from Chicago Bus Station and arriving at Terminal Tica Bus San José via Memphis Bus Station, Smith St @ Pierce St, Mission Bend TC, Houston and Terminal Tica Bus San Salvador. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 5 days 0h.
The distance between Chicago and Costa Rica is 3607 km. The road distance is 5329.2 km.
The best way to get from Chicago to Costa Rica without a car is to bus which takes 5 days 0h and costs $430 - $850.
It takes approximately 8h 28m to get from Chicago to Costa Rica, including transfers.
Chicago to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, depart from Chicago Bus Station.
The best way to get from Chicago to Costa Rica is to fly which takes 8h 28m and costs $350 - $600. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $430 - $850 and takes 5 days 0h.
Chicago to Costa Rica bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, arrive at Memphis Bus Station.
Costa Rica is 1h behind Chicago. It is currently 8:07 AM in Chicago and 7:07 AM in Costa Rica.
What companies run services between Chicago, IL, USA and Costa Rica?
United Airlines, American Airlines, and three other airlines fly from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) 5 times a day. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Chicago Bus Station to Terminal Tica Bus San José via Memphis Bus Station, Downtown Houston, Smith St @ Pierce St, Mission Bend TC, Bellaire Blvd @ Corporate Dr, Houston, San Salvador, and Terminal Tica Bus San Salvador in around 5d.
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 52m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $220–950
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 59m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $210–900
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $220–950
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 38m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $240–1,000
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 44m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–750
Flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $220–900
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 32m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $210–900
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $260–1,100
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 19m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $220–900
Flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 54m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $210–900
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $230–950
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $360–650
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guatemala City
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 35m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $360–650
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 35m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- When
- Tuesday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $180–750
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $210–900
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Orlando
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 5m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $180–750
Flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Orlando
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 10m
- When
- Tuesday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $220–900
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Baltimore
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 15m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $310–1,300
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Orlando
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 1m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $240–650
Flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Orlando
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 56m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $300–750
- Website
- jetblue.com
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Fort Lauderdale
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 42m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–750
Flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Fort Lauderdale
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 46m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $270–1,200
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Cancun
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 48m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $150–550
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Chicago Union Station to Milwaukee
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 29m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $25–55
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Chicago Union Station to Longview
- Ave. Duration
- 18h 50m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $260–550
- Website
- Amtrak
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- [email protected]
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Memphis Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 35m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $80–160
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Longview Bus Station to Houston Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $30–60
- Website
- Greyhound
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- Flixbus USA
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Memphis Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 11h
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- $80–130
- Schedules at
- Flixbus USA
Bus from Memphis Bus Station to Downtown Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 10m
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- $110–190
- Schedules at
- Flixbus USA
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- [email protected]
- 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 San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 3d
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $180–390
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
- Phone
- +52 962 625 2435
- [email protected]
- Website
- Tica Bus
Bus from Terminal Tica Bus San Salvador to Terminal Tica Bus San José
- Ave. Duration
- 19h 30m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $60–90
- Website
- Tica Bus
Bus from Terminal Tica Bus San Salvador to Terminal Tica Bus San José
- Ave. Duration
- 19h 30m
- Frequency
- 3 times a week
- Estimated price
- $60–90
- Website
- Tica Bus
- Phone
- 1 800 715 1370
- [email protected]
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $269
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Monteverde to Puntarenas
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $209
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $269
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Monteverde to Puntarenas
- Ave. Duration
- 30 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $209
- Website
- RIDE CR
- Phone
- +506 2640 1900 / 2640 0811
- [email protected]
- Website
- Tropical Tours Shuttles
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $65–69
- Website
- Tropical Tours Shuttles
Shuttle from Liberia Airport to Monteverde
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $65–69
- Website
- Tropical Tours Shuttles
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.
Related travel guides
Travelling to the US: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Need to know: Greyhound
Read the travel guide
Why you should take the train in the US
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Yes, the driving distance between Chicago to Costa Rica is 5329 km. It takes approximately 2 days 18h to drive from Chicago to Costa Rica.
There are 755+ hotels available in Costa Rica.











