Costa Rica weather in May
In May, Costa Rica sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 13.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 76% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of May to 13 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Costa Rica's 1st-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Costa Rica's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 31°
- 6th warmest
- Overnight low
- 21°
- 7th coldest
- Rainfall
- 1 mm
- 0.2 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 12 min
- 5:30 AM – 6:41 PM
- Cloud cover
- 22%
- 1st clearest
- Wind
- 8 km/h
- 2nd windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.81 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.7
- out of 10
Costa Rica is town in Culiacán Municipality, State of Sinaloa, Mexico.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month.
A typical May day in Costa Rica reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Avg low (°C) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 19 |
| 2 | 31 | 19 |
| 3 | 31 | 19 |
| 4 | 31 | 19 |
| 5 | 31 | 20 |
| 6 | 31 | 20 |
| 7 | 31 | 20 |
| 8 | 31 | 20 |
| 9 | 31 | 20 |
| 10 | 31 | 20 |
| 11 | 31 | 20 |
| 12 | 31 | 20 |
| 13 | 31 | 20 |
| 14 | 31 | 20 |
| 15 | 32 | 21 |
| 16 | 32 | 21 |
| 17 | 32 | 21 |
| 18 | 32 | 21 |
| 19 | 32 | 21 |
| 20 | 32 | 21 |
| 21 | 32 | 21 |
| 22 | 32 | 21 |
| 23 | 32 | 22 |
| 24 | 32 | 22 |
| 25 | 32 | 22 |
| 26 | 32 | 22 |
| 27 | 32 | 22 |
| 28 | 32 | 22 |
| 29 | 32 | 22 |
| 30 | 32 | 23 |
| 31 | 32 | 23 |
How May really feels in Costa Rica
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 25 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Costa Rica weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 14° | 13 | 1.7 | 10.6 | 8.4 |
| Feb | 26° / 15° | 14 | 1.6 | 11.1 | 8.3 |
| Mar | 27° / 16° | 3 | 0.5 | 11.8 | 8.2 |
| Apr | 29° / 18° | 1 | 0.2 | 12.6 | 6.9 |
| May | 31° / 21° | 1 | 0.2 | 13.2 | 5.7 |
| Jun | 33° / 25° | 14 | 2 | 13.5 | 4.5 |
| Jul | 34° / 26° | 108 | 13.7 | 13.4 | 2.9 |
| Aug | 33° / 26° | 168 | 19.1 | 12.9 | 2.6 |
| Sep | 33° / 26° | 175 | 18.4 | 12.2 | 2.9 |
| Oct | 32° / 24° | 43 | 4.7 | 11.4 | 4.6 |
| Nov | 30° / 19° | 38 | 2.2 | 10.8 | 6.6 |
| Dec | 26° / 15° | 14 | 1.7 | 10.5 | 8.2 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 76% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 13%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 78 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 93 |
| Cloudier (%) | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 78 | 22 |
| 2 | 78 | 22 |
| 3 | 79 | 21 |
| 4 | 80 | 20 |
| 5 | 80 | 20 |
| 6 | 81 | 19 |
| 7 | 81 | 19 |
| 8 | 83 | 17 |
| 9 | 83 | 17 |
| 10 | 83 | 17 |
| 11 | 85 | 15 |
| 12 | 85 | 15 |
| 13 | 86 | 14 |
| 14 | 86 | 14 |
| 15 | 87 | 13 |
| 16 | 87 | 13 |
| 17 | 88 | 12 |
| 18 | 89 | 11 |
| 19 | 89 | 11 |
| 20 | 89 | 11 |
| 21 | 89 | 11 |
| 22 | 90 | 10 |
| 23 | 90 | 10 |
| 24 | 91 | 9 |
| 25 | 91 | 9 |
| 26 | 92 | 8 |
| 27 | 92 | 8 |
| 28 | 92 | 8 |
| 29 | 92 | 8 |
| 30 | 93 | 7 |
| 31 | 93 | 7 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Costa Rica gets around 1 mm of rain over 0.2 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 |
| 7 | 1 |
| 8 | 1 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 |
| 11 | 1 |
| 12 | 1 |
| 13 | 1 |
| 14 | 1 |
| 15 | 1 |
| 16 | 1 |
| 17 | 1 |
| 18 | 1 |
| 19 | 1 |
| 20 | 1 |
| 21 | 0 |
| 22 | 0 |
| 23 | 0 |
| 24 | 0 |
| 25 | 0 |
| 26 | 0 |
| 27 | 0 |
| 28 | 0 |
| 29 | 0 |
| 30 | 0 |
| 31 | 0 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 47% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 72% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 48 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 40 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 51 | 51 | 53 | 54 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 53 | 52 | 51 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 41 | 38 | 36 |
| Oppressive (%) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 39 | 43 | 46 | 49 | 52 | 56 | 57 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 10 | 48 | 38 | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | 9 | 47 | 39 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | 1 | 8 | 46 | 40 | 6 | 0 |
| 4 | 1 | 8 | 44 | 41 | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | 7 | 43 | 42 | 7 | 0 |
| 6 | 1 | 7 | 42 | 43 | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 44 | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | 0 | 6 | 39 | 45 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | 0 | 5 | 37 | 46 | 11 | 0 |
| 10 | 0 | 5 | 36 | 47 | 13 | 0 |
| 11 | 0 | 4 | 34 | 48 | 14 | 0 |
| 12 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 48 | 15 | 0 |
| 13 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 49 | 17 | 0 |
| 14 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 51 | 18 | 0 |
| 15 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 51 | 20 | 0 |
| 16 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 53 | 21 | 0 |
| 17 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 54 | 22 | 0 |
| 18 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 53 | 24 | 0 |
| 19 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 55 | 25 | 0 |
| 20 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 55 | 27 | 0 |
| 21 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 55 | 29 | 0 |
| 22 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 55 | 31 | 0 |
| 23 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 53 | 34 | 0 |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 52 | 37 | 0 |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 51 | 39 | 1 |
| 26 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 48 | 43 | 1 |
| 27 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 46 | 46 | 1 |
| 28 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 44 | 49 | 1 |
| 29 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 41 | 52 | 2 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 56 | 2 |
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 36 | 57 | 3 |
Wind in May
Winds average 8 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | calm |
| 2 | 8 | calm |
| 3 | 8 | calm |
| 4 | 8 | calm |
| 5 | 8 | calm |
| 6 | 8 | calm |
| 7 | 8 | calm |
| 8 | 8 | calm |
| 9 | 8 | calm |
| 10 | 8 | calm |
| 11 | 8 | calm |
| 12 | 8 | calm |
| 13 | 8 | calm |
| 14 | 8 | calm |
| 15 | 8 | calm |
| 16 | 8 | calm |
| 17 | 8 | calm |
| 18 | 8 | calm |
| 19 | 8 | calm |
| 20 | 8 | calm |
| 21 | 8 | calm |
| 22 | 8 | calm |
| 23 | 9 | calm |
| 24 | 9 | calm |
| 25 | 9 | calm |
| 26 | 9 | calm |
| 27 | 9 | calm |
| 28 | 9 | calm |
| 29 | 9 | calm |
| 30 | 9 | calm |
| 31 | 9 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of May to 13 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:40 AM to 5:25 AM, and sunset from 6:34 PM to 6:49 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:40 | 5:39 | 5:38 | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:36 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:34 | 5:33 | 5:33 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:30 | 5:30 | 5:29 | 5:29 | 5:28 | 5:28 | 5:28 | 5:27 | 5:27 | 5:26 | 5:26 | 5:26 | 5:26 | 5:25 | 5:25 | 5:25 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:40 | 6:40 | 6:41 | 6:41 | 6:42 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:46 | 6:46 | 6:47 | 6:47 | 6:48 | 6:48 | 6:48 | 6:49 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.9 | 5:40 | 6:34 |
| 2 | 12.9 | 5:39 | 6:34 |
| 3 | 12.9 | 5:38 | 6:35 |
| 4 | 13.0 | 5:37 | 6:35 |
| 5 | 13.0 | 5:37 | 6:36 |
| 6 | 13.0 | 5:36 | 6:36 |
| 7 | 13.0 | 5:35 | 6:37 |
| 8 | 13.0 | 5:35 | 6:37 |
| 9 | 13.1 | 5:34 | 6:38 |
| 10 | 13.1 | 5:33 | 6:38 |
| 11 | 13.1 | 5:33 | 6:39 |
| 12 | 13.1 | 5:32 | 6:39 |
| 13 | 13.1 | 5:32 | 6:40 |
| 14 | 13.2 | 5:31 | 6:40 |
| 15 | 13.2 | 5:31 | 6:41 |
| 16 | 13.2 | 5:30 | 6:41 |
| 17 | 13.2 | 5:30 | 6:42 |
| 18 | 13.2 | 5:29 | 6:43 |
| 19 | 13.2 | 5:29 | 6:43 |
| 20 | 13.3 | 5:28 | 6:44 |
| 21 | 13.3 | 5:28 | 6:44 |
| 22 | 13.3 | 5:28 | 6:45 |
| 23 | 13.3 | 5:27 | 6:45 |
| 24 | 13.3 | 5:27 | 6:46 |
| 25 | 13.3 | 5:26 | 6:46 |
| 26 | 13.3 | 5:26 | 6:47 |
| 27 | 13.4 | 5:26 | 6:47 |
| 28 | 13.4 | 5:26 | 6:48 |
| 29 | 13.4 | 5:25 | 6:48 |
| 30 | 13.4 | 5:25 | 6:48 |
| 31 | 13.4 | 5:25 | 6:49 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.81 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.14 kWh/m² to a high of 7.81 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 7.81 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.7 | Intense |
| 2 | 7.7 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.7 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 21 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 22 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 23 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 24 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 25 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 26 | 7.8 | Intense |
| 27 | 7.7 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.7 | Intense |
| 29 | 7.7 | Intense |
| 30 | 7.7 | Intense |
| 31 | 7.6 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Costa Rica
In May, Costa Rica sits inside its pacific hurricane season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Costa Rica sits in the eastern Pacific hurricane zone; the season peaks August–September.
Costa Rica's rainy season runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Costa Rica?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Costa Rica for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Costa Rica in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Costa Rica sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Costa Rica in May
The nearest coast averages about 25°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 34 km away) is warmest in August at about 30°C and coldest in February near 21°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 23 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Refreshing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 21 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 21 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 22 | Refreshing |
| May | 25 | Warm |
| Jun | 28 | Warm |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 26 | Warm |
| Dec | 23 | Refreshing |
UV index in Costa Rica in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Costa Rica peaks around May 11 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 5 (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) | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Level | High | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | High |
| Feb | 8 | Very high |
| Mar | 10 | Very high |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Extreme |
| Oct | 8 | Very high |
| Nov | 6 | High |
| Dec | 5 | High |
Air quality in Costa Rica in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Costa Rica is worst in May — around 43 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.9× the cleanest month (January, 11 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) | 11 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 43 | 23 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Level | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 11 | Good |
| Mar | 13 | Moderate |
| Apr | 18 | Moderate |
| May | 43 | Poor |
| Jun | 23 | Moderate |
| Jul | 17 | Moderate |
| Aug | 12 | Good |
| Sep | 13 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 11 | Good |
| Dec | 11 | Good |
Where is Costa Rica?
Costa Rica sits at 24.6°N, 107.4°W, 30 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Licenciado Benito Juárez, 17 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 21 m around an average of 25 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 401 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,932 m.
The land around Costa Rica is covered by cropland (64%) within 3 km, cropland (62%) within 16 km, and trees (39%), water (27%) and cropland (20%) within 80 km.
Mexico travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 54% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,889
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 43%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 24.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 440
- 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 (24.5907°, -107.3899°, elevation 30 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).