Climate and average weather in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, the weather is hot, wet, and mostly clear and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around January.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Costa Rica typically varies from 16°C to 31°C, and is rarely below 13°C or above 36°C. September is the hottest month of the year, while June is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Costa Rica for warm-weather activities is from early May to mid August.
- Hottest
- Sep
- 31°
- Coldest
- Jun
- 17°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 256 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 11 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1405 mm
- 173 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.9–13.1 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 646 m
- 18.5°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 30% cloud
Costa Rica weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early May to mid August.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Costa Rica, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Costa Rica stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is September, with an average high of 31°C and low of 20°C; the coolest is June, with an average low of 17°C and high of 28°C.
Days typically run about 10°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 12°C) in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 21 |
| Feb | 29 | 21 |
| Mar | 30 | 21 |
| Apr | 29 | 20 |
| May | 28 | 18 |
| Jun | 28 | 17 |
| Jul | 28 | 16 |
| Aug | 30 | 18 |
| Sep | 31 | 20 |
| Oct | 31 | 21 |
| Nov | 30 | 21 |
| Dec | 29 | 21 |
How hot and cold Costa Rica really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Costa Rica feels like about 32°C (around October 18). About 11 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 |
| Air high (°C) | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Air low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 29 | 21 | 21 |
| Feb | 31 | 29 | 21 | 21 |
| Mar | 32 | 30 | 21 | 21 |
| Apr | 31 | 29 | 20 | 20 |
| May | 28 | 28 | 18 | 18 |
| Jun | 28 | 28 | 17 | 17 |
| Jul | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 |
| Aug | 30 | 30 | 18 | 18 |
| Sep | 31 | 31 | 20 | 20 |
| Oct | 32 | 31 | 21 | 21 |
| Nov | 31 | 30 | 21 | 21 |
| Dec | 31 | 29 | 21 | 21 |
Average hourly temperature in Costa Rica
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on September afternoons, near 31°C, and coldest before dawn in June, near 17°C.
Costa Rica weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 21° | 256 | 26.2 | 13 | 3.3 |
| Feb | 29° / 21° | 215 | 23.6 | 12.6 | 3.3 |
| Mar | 30° / 21° | 181 | 23.8 | 12.1 | 3.6 |
| Apr | 29° / 20° | 81 | 12.4 | 11.6 | 5.0 |
| May | 28° / 18° | 39 | 5.7 | 11.1 | 7.0 |
| Jun | 28° / 17° | 18 | 2.4 | 10.9 | 7.9 |
| Jul | 28° / 16° | 11 | 1.4 | 11 | 7.6 |
| Aug | 30° / 18° | 17 | 2.5 | 11.4 | 6.0 |
| Sep | 31° / 20° | 67 | 8.7 | 11.9 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 31° / 21° | 129 | 18.5 | 12.4 | 3.7 |
| Nov | 30° / 21° | 175 | 22.2 | 12.9 | 3.5 |
| Dec | 29° / 21° | 217 | 25.6 | 13.1 | 3.4 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Costa Rica gets about 1405 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.3 months, from around Oct 2 to Apr 12, peaking in January at about 86% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 5.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 256 mm over about 26 wet days; July is the driest, with 11 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 85 | 84 | 76 | 42 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 29 | 59 | 74 | 82 |
| Rain days | 26 | 24 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 22 | 26 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85 | 26 |
| Feb | 84 | 24 |
| Mar | 76 | 24 |
| Apr | 42 | 12 |
| May | 19 | 6 |
| Jun | 8 | 2 |
| Jul | 5 | 1 |
| Aug | 9 | 3 |
| Sep | 29 | 9 |
| Oct | 59 | 19 |
| Nov | 74 | 22 |
| Dec | 82 | 26 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Costa Rica collects about 1405 mm of rain across 173 wet days — roughly 117 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 256 mm, while July is the driest at just 11 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 49% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 256 | 215 | 181 | 81 | 39 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 67 | 129 | 175 | 217 |
| Rain days | 26 | 24 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 22 | 26 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 256 | 26 |
| Feb | 215 | 24 |
| Mar | 181 | 24 |
| Apr | 81 | 12 |
| May | 39 | 6 |
| Jun | 18 | 2 |
| Jul | 11 | 1 |
| Aug | 17 | 3 |
| Sep | 67 | 9 |
| Oct | 129 | 19 |
| Nov | 175 | 22 |
| Dec | 217 | 26 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Costa Rica, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around April 3 and lasts for 6.2 months, ending around October 8. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 81% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 9 and lasts for 5.8 months, ending around April 2. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 78% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 22 | 26 | 40 | 61 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 81 | 69 | 46 | 33 | 24 |
| Cloudier (%) | 78 | 74 | 60 | 39 | 34 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 31 | 54 | 67 | 76 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 78 |
| Feb | 26 | 74 |
| Mar | 40 | 60 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 |
| May | 66 | 34 |
| Jun | 75 | 25 |
| Jul | 80 | 20 |
| Aug | 81 | 19 |
| Sep | 69 | 31 |
| Oct | 46 | 54 |
| Nov | 33 | 67 |
| Dec | 24 | 76 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 13 h 06 min of light; the shortest, around June 4, only 10 h 54 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 12 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.0 | 12.6 | 12.1 | 11.6 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 11.9 | 12.4 | 12.9 | 13.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:12 | 6:28 | 6:38 | 6:45 | 6:55 | 7:06 | 7:09 | 6:56 | 6:30 | 6:05 | 5:51 | 5:55 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:12 | 7:06 | 6:46 | 6:20 | 6:03 | 6:00 | 6:08 | 6:18 | 6:24 | 6:30 | 6:44 | 7:02 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.0 | 6:12 | 7:12 |
| Feb | 12.6 | 6:28 | 7:06 |
| Mar | 12.1 | 6:38 | 6:46 |
| Apr | 11.6 | 6:45 | 6:20 |
| May | 11.1 | 6:55 | 6:03 |
| Jun | 10.9 | 7:06 | 6:00 |
| Jul | 11.0 | 7:09 | 6:08 |
| Aug | 11.4 | 6:56 | 6:18 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 6:30 | 6:24 |
| Oct | 12.4 | 6:05 | 6:30 |
| Nov | 12.9 | 5:51 | 6:44 |
| Dec | 13.1 | 5:55 | 7:02 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Costa Rica averages about 11 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 21 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.8 months, from around Apr 7 to Oct 1. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 21 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is January, down near 2 sunny days — about 89% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 3 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 6 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 13 | Mixed |
| May | 16 | Bright |
| Jun | 19 | Bright |
| Jul | 21 | Bright |
| Aug | 21 | Bright |
| Sep | 15 | Bright |
| Oct | 8 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 5 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 3 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Costa Rica, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 7.1 months, from around September 29 to May 3. The muggiest month is January, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around May 4 to September 28, and July is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 92% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 32 | 64 | 67 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 28 | 42 | 28 | 21 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| Humid (%) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 38 | 22 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 20 | 11 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 65 | 68 | 68 | 58 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 62 | 72 | 70 |
| Oppressive (%) | 32 | 30 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 25 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 | 2 | 65 | 32 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 | 3 | 68 | 30 |
| Mar | 0 | 1 | 4 | 68 | 26 |
| Apr | 3 | 8 | 23 | 58 | 8 |
| May | 14 | 28 | 38 | 20 | 0 |
| Jun | 32 | 42 | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| Jul | 64 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 67 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep | 34 | 21 | 25 | 21 | 0 |
| Oct | 5 | 9 | 20 | 62 | 3 |
| Nov | 1 | 4 | 11 | 72 | 12 |
| Dec | 0 | 1 | 4 | 70 | 25 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Costa Rica is typically calm, near 8 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.4 months, from around May 4 to Oct 15. The windiest month is August, averaging about 10 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Oct 16 to May 3, with March the calmest month at about 6 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | calm |
| Feb | 7 | calm |
| Mar | 6 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 8 | calm |
| Jun | 9 | calm |
| Jul | 9 | calm |
| Aug | 10 | calm |
| Sep | 9 | calm |
| Oct | 8 | calm |
| Nov | 7 | calm |
| Dec | 7 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Costa Rica
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Costa Rica's monsoon runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Costa Rica
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Costa Rica throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid May, Costa Rica is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Costa Rica for general outdoor tourist activities is from early May to mid August, with a peak score in the last week of June.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 6.0 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| Rating | poor | poor | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal | good | fair | fair | fair | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.3 | poor |
| Feb | 3.3 | poor |
| Mar | 3.6 | fair |
| Apr | 5.1 | fair |
| May | 6.9 | good |
| Jun | 7.9 | ideal |
| Jul | 7.5 | ideal |
| Aug | 6.0 | good |
| Sep | 4.5 | fair |
| Oct | 3.7 | fair |
| Nov | 3.5 | fair |
| Dec | 3.4 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Costa Rica for hot-weather activities is from late April to mid September, with a peak score in the last week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Costa Rica, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
Costa Rica packs about the same all year — highs hold near 31°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.
In September, Costa Rica sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Costa Rica by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Costa Rica peaks around January 22 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 7 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 15 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 15 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 7 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Costa Rica
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| May | 6.5 | 4 |
| Jun | 6 | 3 |
| Jul | 6 | 3 |
| Aug | 6.5 | 4 |
| Sep | 7 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 8 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 9 | 7 |
Air quality in Costa Rica by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Costa Rica is worst in September — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.2× the cleanest month (June, 5 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 7 | Good |
| Mar | 6 | Good |
| Apr | 5 | Good |
| May | 5 | Good |
| Jun | 5 | Good |
| Jul | 8 | Good |
| Aug | 10 | Good |
| Sep | 24 | Moderate |
| Oct | 12 | Moderate |
| Nov | 6 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Growing season
Costa Rica is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Costa Rica banks about 5,257 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 463 | 422 | 467 | 437 | 397 | 369 | 383 | 439 | 470 | 488 | 455 | 466 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 463 |
| Feb | 422 |
| Mar | 467 |
| Apr | 437 |
| May | 397 |
| Jun | 369 |
| Jul | 383 |
| Aug | 439 |
| Sep | 470 |
| Oct | 488 |
| Nov | 455 |
| Dec | 466 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Costa Rica receives about 5.3 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.2 and 6.0 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 7.0 months, from around Aug 21 to Mar 20. The brightest month is October, averaging about 6.0 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is June, down near 4.2 kWh/m² — roughly 30% less than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.7 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.5 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.6 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.3 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.1 | Bright |
| May | 4.5 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.2 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.5 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.1 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.7 | Bright |
| Oct | 6.0 | Bright |
| Nov | 5.9 | Bright |
| Dec | 5.7 | Bright |
Where is Costa Rica?
Costa Rica sits at 18.5°S, 53.1°W, 646 m above sea level, in Brazil. The nearest listed city is Chapadão do Sul, 60 km away.
Topography around Costa Rica
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Costa Rica.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Costa Rica has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 160 m around an average of 655 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 307 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 616 m.
The land around Costa Rica is covered by grassland (39%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, cropland (41%), grassland (28%) and trees (27%) within 16 km, and cropland (42%), grassland (31%) and trees (23%) within 80 km.
Brazil travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / N
- 127 / 220 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 46% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $10,713
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.6 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 89%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 19.3
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 16
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 482
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Costa Rica (-18.5439°, -53.1292°, elevation 646 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).