How Much Does Costa Rica Cost for a Family? Our Real 10-Day Budget Breakdown

If you’re planning a trip and trying to work out how much Costa Rica costs for a family, this is one of the biggest questions to answer before you start booking.

It’s also where Costa Rica can feel confusing. Some people describe it as extremely expensive, while others say it can be done affordably — and the truth is that the final cost depends heavily on how you structure your trip, especially your flights, accommodation and whether you choose an all-inclusive beach stay.

Quick Answer: How Much Does a Family Trip to Costa Rica Cost?

For our family of three, a 10-day Costa Rica trip cost approximately £1,220 per person excluding international flights. Once UK return flights are included, a more realistic budget is around £2,220 per person during the School Summer Holidays.

For us, Costa Rica was not a cheap family holiday, but it also wasn’t as expensive as we had expected. The biggest cost was accommodation — especially choosing an all-inclusive beach resort for part of the trip — while activities, food and car hire were more manageable.

We travelled during in August during the UK summer holidays and built Costa Rica into a wider USA and Costa Rica trip. We intentionally mixed a very affordable jungle stay in La Fortuna with a more expensive beach resort, which gave us a good balance of adventure, comfort and budget control.

This guide is for families who want to understand:

• how much a Costa Rica family holiday realistically costs

• what we actually spent on our 10-day Costa Rica itinerary with kids

• where the biggest expenses came from, including flights, hotels, car hire and activities

• and how to make Costa Rica feel more affordable without missing out on the experiences that make it special

Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links, including hotels, car hire and travel tools, which means we may earn a small commission if you book through them — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend options we’ve used ourselves, seriously considered, or would genuinely choose again for a family trip.

Is Costa Rica Expensive for Families?

Costa Rica can be expensive for families, but it depends more on your accommodation choices than on the destination itself.

Before we went, I kept hearing that Costa Rica was really expensive. In reality, we found it more balanced than expected. Flights and hotels were the biggest costs, but food, car hire and activities were manageable.

The biggest surprise was that La Fortuna felt very good value, especially compared with the beach resort part of our trip. Our jungle hotel included breakfast, hot springs, pools and volcano views for a very reasonable price.

The beach resort, on the other hand, was the expensive part. But because it was all-inclusive, we spent very little once we arrived. There were other cheaper options available but we chose Costa Rica for our family holiday specifically to visit this resort.

For us, Costa Rica felt expensive in the same way many long-haul family holidays are expensive. It was not a cheap beach break, but it also did not feel poor value. The wildlife, landscapes, volcanoes and family experiences made it feel very different from a standard resort holiday.

If you are still deciding whether Costa Rica is right for your family, you may also find this helpful: Is Costa Rica Good for Kids?

Flights to Costa Rica from the UK

Flights were the hardest part of the trip to compare because we didn't book simple return flights from the UK to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica isn't a typical UK summer holiday destination and, because August falls during Costa Rica's rainy season, there are generally fewer direct flight options than you'll find for destinations such as Spain, Portugal or Florida.

Most families travelling during the school holidays should expect at least one stop, as direct flights from London to San José or Liberia tend to be seasonal rather than available year-round. If you're planning a Costa Rica family holiday in August, it's worth considering flight availability when building your itinerary rather than choosing destinations first and trying to make the flights fit.

For us, this wasn't a deterrent at all. After researching what Costa Rica is really like during the summer holidays, we felt the benefits of fewer crowds, lush scenery and excellent wildlife spotting outweighed the possibility of some rain. If you're considering an August trip, see Costa Rica in August with Kids: Is Rainy Season Worth It for Families? for our full experience.

Instead, we visited Costa Rica as part of a wider multi-city trip using British Airways multi-city tickets:

• UK to Denver (to visit Mount Rushmore and the Colorado Rockies)

• Denver to Costa Rica, via Texas

• Costa Rica to New York

• New York to the UK

This worked really well for us because we combined Costa Rica with a USA road trip through Colorado, the Rockies and Mount Rushmore before finishing with a few days in New York. It made the journey feel like part of a bigger adventure rather than just a long-haul flight. If you're considering a similar route, our Mount Rushmore Family Road Trip Itinerary shows how we planned this part of our wider trip.

As a rough guide, I would budget around:

• £800–£1,200 per person for economy flights

• Around £1,000 per person as a realistic school holiday estimate

• More if travelling during peak dates or booking late

For families travelling from the UK to Costa Rica as a standalone holiday, flights are usually one of the biggest costs. During our planning, we found it helpful to research different routes and dates using Trip.com, which made it easy to compare airlines, stopovers and departure airports in one place. Prices can vary significantly, especially during the school holidays, so it's worth checking multiple options before committing to a route.

If you want a full breakdown of what we included in this trip, see our: 10-day Costa Rica itinerary

Accommodation Costs in Costa Rica with Kids

Accommodation was by far the biggest variable in our Costa Rica family budget.

We deliberately chose two very different types of stay:

• A good-value jungle hotel in La Fortuna

• A more expensive all-inclusive beach resort

This combination worked really well for us. We had the adventure and volcano scenery first, then ended with a more relaxing resort stay where everything was included.

La Fortuna Hotel Cost: Hotel Los Lagos

For our La Fortuna stay, we booked Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort.

Our cost was:

• £122 per night

• 2 nights

• Family of three

• Breakfast included

This was excellent value and honestly felt far more luxurious than the price suggested. The hotel had hot springs, pools, slides and views towards Arenal Volcano.

Joshua our 7 year old son loved the pools and the mocktails served in pineapples, which is exactly the kind of thing that reminds you children often remember the simple details as much as the big-ticket experiences.

For us, Los Lagos was one of the best-value parts of the whole trip. Having hot springs included also meant we did not need to pay separately for that experience elsewhere.

If you are looking at where to stay in this area, read: Where to Stay in La Fortuna with Kids

You can also read our full hotel experience here: Hotel Los Lagos La Fortuna Review

Beach Resort Cost: Planet Hollywood Costa Rica

The biggest single cost of our Costa Rica trip was our beach stay at Planet Hollywood Costa Rica.

Our cost was approximately:

• £3,000

• 7 nights

• Family of three

• Upgraded room

• Star Class included

This was not a budget option, but it did make the second half of our trip incredibly easy.

After several busy days in La Fortuna, having food, drinks, entertainment, pools, beach time and kids’ club access all included made a big difference. It removed a lot of the daily decision-making that can become tiring when travelling with children.

We had previously stayed at Planet Hollywood Cancun and loved it, so we were curious to see how the Costa Rica version compared. The Costa Rica resort felt like a strong choice for families who want comfort after the more active jungle part of the trip.

We upgraded to Star Class, which included extras such as:

• À la carte breakfast

• Larger room

• Stocked drinks

• Upgraded restaurant access

• Star Class pool access

• Butler support for bookings and help during the stay

It was expensive, but for our family, it worked. We were not constantly paying for meals, drinks, snacks or entertainment on top, which made the overall budget easier to manage once we arrived.

If you are considering this resort, read: Planet Hollywood Costa Rica Review

The Cheaper Beach Resort Alternative We Considered

When we were planning our trip, RIU Guanacaste was also on our shortlist.

At the time, it was roughly £800–£1,200 cheaper than Planet Hollywood Costa Rica for a similar school holiday stay for a family of three.

That is a significant saving, especially if you are trying to keep the overall Costa Rica family trip cost down.

The trade-off is that RIU Guanacaste is more self-contained and remote, so it is best suited to families who are happy to stay mostly on site. We chose Planet Hollywood because we wanted a slightly more premium feel, but RIU looked like a strong value option.

If beach location is still part of your decision-making, read: Where to Stay on the Beach in Costa Rica with Kids: Best Family-Friendly Areas.

Car Hire Costs in Costa Rica

Our car hire cost was:

• £293

• Insurance included

• Used for the La Fortuna part of the trip

We only hired a vehicle for part of our Costa Rica itinerary, which helped keep costs down.

We used it for the jungle section around La Fortuna, where having your own transport is genuinely useful. It made it much easier to visit waterfalls, hanging bridges and local attractions without relying on organised transfers.

I thought we had booked a normal car, but my husband came back with a truck, which actually turned out to be useful on rougher roads.

Once we moved to the beach resort, we returned the vehicle and used transfers instead. I would do this again. Having a car in La Fortuna was helpful; having one at an all-inclusive beach resort would have been unnecessary.

If you are unsure whether to self-drive, read: Driving in Costa Rica with Kids: Tips, Roads & Our Honest Experience.

To keep costs down, we compared car hire prices through Trip.com, which made it easy to check different suppliers and pickup locations before booking.

We also used an Airalo eSIM throughout the trip, which meant we always had access to Google Maps for navigation without worrying about roaming charges — something I'd highly recommend if you're planning to drive in Costa Rica.

Transport Costs in Costa Rica

Outside of car hire, our local transport costs were low.

We spent around:

• £40 on Ubers and taxis

This was mainly for airport or local transfers when we were not using the hire car.

Overall, transport was not a major part of our Costa Rica budget because we kept the itinerary simple. We did not move hotels constantly, and we only hired a car where it genuinely added value.

This is one of the easiest ways to keep costs down in Costa Rica with kids: choose a sensible route and avoid unnecessary transfers.

Activity Costs in Costa Rica with Kids

Costa Rica activities can become expensive if you book everything, but you really do not need to do every tour. We focused on the experiences that felt most worthwhile for our family.

The main paid activities we did were:

• Mistico Hanging Bridges

• La Fortuna Waterfall

Approximate costs were:

• Mistico Hanging Bridges: entry only around £30 per person (you don't need a tour)

• La Fortuna Waterfall: around £15 per person

• Hot springs: included with our hotel

We skipped some popular activities, including:

• Zip lining ~£37

• Guided sloth tours ~£35

• Coffee or chocolate tours ~£35

• Extra jungle trails ~£40

This was partly because we had just done zip lining in Colorado, and partly because Joshua was less interested in some of the slower wildlife tours. For us, the best value came from nature-based activities. Hanging bridges, waterfalls and hot springs gave us the Costa Rica experience we wanted without overloading the itinerary or the budget.

If you are planning family activities, I would budget roughly:

• £40–£60 per person for a low-key nature-focused trip

• £75–£120 per person for a balanced family itinerary

• £150+ per person for an adventure-heavy itinerary with zip lining and multiple tours

For most families with children, the middle range is probably the most realistic.

For more ideas, read: Best Things to Do in La Fortuna with Kids: 12 Family-Friendly Attractions.

Food Costs in Costa Rica for a Family

Food costs were much more manageable than we expected. Before we went, I had read that Costa Rica was very expensive, but we found food prices broadly similar to the UK. It was not cheap, especially in hotels, but it was not shocking either.

In La Fortuna, breakfast was included at our hotel. For evening meals, we ate at the hotel restaurant, which was reasonably priced with generous portions and child-friendly options. I found costs similar to what I would pay in the UK.

Joshua loved the fish and chips, which was helpful after a few busy travel days when familiar food made life easier. We also bought snacks and drinks from supermarkets for daytime exploring, which helped keep costs sensible.

Our approximate food spend outside the all-inclusive stay was around:

• £100–£150 total

Once we moved to Planet Hollywood Costa Rica, food and drinks were included, so we spent very little extra. This is where an all-inclusive resort can really help families stick to a budget. Even if the upfront cost is higher, it removes a lot of extra daily spending.

Our Total Costa Rica Family Budget Breakdown

Here is our full Costa Rica family trip cost in one place.

This makes Costa Rica expensive compared with a short-haul European break, but not necessarily more expensive than other long-haul family holidays during the school holidays. The biggest cost difference comes down to accommodation.

A family staying in mid-range hotels, eating locally and skipping all-inclusive resorts could spend much less than we did. A family choosing luxury lodges, private transfers and multiple guided tours could spend significantly more.

How to Save Money on a Costa Rica Family Holiday

There are plenty of ways to make Costa Rica more affordable with kids. The biggest savings usually come from accommodation, flights and how often you move around.

Ways to reduce your Costa Rica family trip cost:

• Book flights early for UK school holidays

• Compare San José and Liberia airports

• Travel during rainy season if prices are lower

• Stay in hotels with breakfast included

• Mix good-value jungle hotels with one splurge stay

• Avoid moving hotels too often

• Hire a car for only part of the trip

• Use supermarkets for snacks and lunches

• Choose a few key activities rather than booking everything

• Look for hotels with pools, hot springs or activities included

• Avoid assuming you need an all-inclusive resort for the whole trip

For us, the biggest money-saving decision was choosing an affordable La Fortuna hotel before moving to a more expensive beach resort. It meant we still had a special holiday without every part of the trip being high cost.

If you are deciding how long to go for, read: Planning a Costa Rica Family Holiday: How Long Do You Really Need?

Is Costa Rica More Expensive Than Mexico or Europe?

Costa Rica is not really comparable to a simple beach holiday in Europe. It is more of an experience-led trip, with rainforest, volcanoes, wildlife, waterfalls and adventure activities. That naturally changes the cost.

Compared with Mexico, family costs can be similar if you are looking at flights and all-inclusive resorts. Mexico may be cheaper for food and resort choice, but Costa Rica offers a very different type of trip.

The biggest difference is that Costa Rica encourages you to get out and explore. That can add activity and transport costs, but it is also the reason many families choose it.

If you only want a beach and pool holiday, Costa Rica may feel expensive. If you want wildlife, volcanoes, rainforest and beach time in one trip, it offers a lot of value.

Was Costa Rica Worth the Cost for Our Family?

Yes, absolutely. Costa Rica was not a cheap holiday, but it felt worth the money because it gave us experiences we could not easily replicate elsewhere.

The highlights for us were:

• Seeing Arenal Volcano

• Relaxing in hot springs

• Walking through rainforest

• Visiting waterfalls

• Exploring hanging bridges

• Ending the trip with a relaxed beach resort stay

It felt like a proper family adventure, but with enough comfort to make it manageable.

The way we structured the trip made a big difference. Starting with La Fortuna gave us the adventure and nature side of Costa Rica. Ending at an all-inclusive beach resort gave us time to slow down and relax before flying home.

If we went again, I would probably spend longer exploring more of Costa Rica, but I would still keep the same basic formula: jungle first, beach second.

Final Thoughts: How Much Should You Budget for Costa Rica with Kids?

For a 10-day Costa Rica family holiday, I would suggest budgeting carefully around three main costs:

• Flights

• Accommodation

• Activities

For a family of three travelling from the UK during school holidays, a realistic budget could range from around £5,000 to £8,000+, depending on flights, hotel choices and how many tours you book.

Our own trip cost around £3,655 excluding international flights, or approximately £6,655 including estimated UK return flights.

Costa Rica is not the cheapest family destination, but it can be made more affordable with the right choices. You do not need to book every tour, stay in luxury hotels throughout, or move destinations constantly.

FAQ: How Much Does Costa Rica Cost for a Family?

How much does a 10-day family trip to Costa Rica cost?

For our family of three, a 10-day Costa Rica trip cost approximately £1,220 per person excluding international flights. Including return flights from the UK during the school holidays, a more realistic budget is around £2,220 per person.

If you're still planning your route, our 10-Day Costa Rica Family Itinerary: Jungle, Volcanoes & Beaches breaks down exactly how we structured the trip.

Is Costa Rica expensive compared to Mexico for families?

Costa Rica isn't necessarily more expensive than Mexico, but costs are structured differently. Flights can be similar during UK school holidays, while accommodation is often the biggest variable. We found food, activities and day-to-day spending comparable to the UK.

If you're still deciding whether Costa Rica is the right destination, see Is Costa Rica Good for Kids?

What is the biggest expense when visiting Costa Rica with kids?

Accommodation is usually the biggest cost for families. Our two-night stay at Hotel Los Lagos in La Fortuna cost just £122 per night, while our seven-night all-inclusive beach resort cost around £3,000. Your choice of hotel will have a much bigger impact on your budget than activities or food.

You can compare options in Where to Stay in La Fortuna with Kids: Best Areas & Family Hotels and Where to Stay on the Beach in Costa Rica with Kids: Best Family-Friendly Areas.

Can you visit Costa Rica on a budget with kids?

Yes. Families can reduce costs significantly by travelling during the rainy season, booking hotels with breakfast included, limiting internal transfers, hiring a car for only part of the trip and focusing on nature-based attractions.

Our experience visiting during August is covered in Costa Rica in August with Kids: Is Rainy Season Worth It for Families?

Is Costa Rica worth the cost for a family holiday?

For us, absolutely. Costa Rica offered experiences we couldn't easily find elsewhere, including volcanoes, rainforest walks, wildlife, waterfalls and hot springs. The combination of adventure and relaxation made it feel like good value despite the cost.

Some of our favourite experiences were La Fortuna Waterfall with Kids and Mistico Hanging Bridges with Kids

plan your TRIP TO costa rica

If you’re planning your family trip to La Fortuna, these guides will help you pull everything together:

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.