Costa Rica

Cheap Car Hire in Costa Rica from £5

Driver's age: 25-65
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Costa Rica car hires in 2026

Most popular company

FlexWays

Most common car type

Mini

Average price per day

£32

Cheapest price per day

£5

Popular car types in Costa Rica

small car is the cheapest car type you can hire in Costa Rica this past week from 707 hire locations out of 67 hire agencies. Prices for a Costa Rica small car hire start from £5/day. Check out available deals for 3 car types currently offered at listed car hire agencies here:

Economy

Economy

Compact

Compact

Intermediate

Intermediate

SUV

SUV

Full-size SUV

Full-size SUV

Mini

Mini

Compact SUV

Compact SUV

Standard SUV

Standard SUV

Best car hire deals found in Costa Rica

Kia Stonic£5/day
Kia Stonic
Vauxhall Astra£5/day
Vauxhall Astra
Toyota Yaris£5/day
Toyota Yaris

Cheapflights insights for Costa Rica car hires

Get relevant, data-driven information to help you hire a car in Costa Rica, including pricing trends, ideal booking times, and more.

How far in advance should I hire a car in Costa Rica?

Book your car hire in Costa Rica 7 days before your pickup date to maximise your savings. Car hire prices are around £16/day on average when booked 7 days ahead, which saves you 34% off the average price.

What is the cheapest car hire company in Costa Rica?

In Costa Rica, the most affordable car hire company right now is MEXRENTACAR , offering prices from just £8.67/day over the past two weeks. Another budget-friendly choice is keddy by Europcar, with rates starting at £13.60/day.

What is the cheapest month to hire a car in Costa Rica?

Planning to hire a car in Costa Rica? September is the cheapest month, costing about £9 per day. In contrast, December is the most expensive, with an average daily rate of £36. Monthly average car hire prices are listed below. Remember, prices can change based on when you book, the type of car, and availability.

January

£26

February

£30

March

£27

April

£14

May

£11

June

£11

July

£16

August

£13

September

£9

October

£9

November

£11

December

£36

What car do most people hire in Costa Rica?

The most popular types of cars to hire in Costa Rica are the following: SUV cars (Jeep Wrangler or similar), Compact cars (Nissan Versa or similar), and Economy cars (Hyundai i10 or similar).

Which car hire company has the most locations in Costa Rica?

Avis has 22 locations throughout the area, more than any other company. L&M Car Rental has the second-highest number of locations in Costa Rica at 5.

What are the car hire prices for popular cities in Costa Rica?

Among the most popular cities in Costa Rica, San José offers the lowest average car hire price at just £8/day. Other affordable options include Liberia (£10/day), Tamarindo (£26/day), and La Fortuna (£44/day).

Top hire agencies in Costa Rica

Avis

5.4
Fair
117 reviews22 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

7.0

Comfort

6.6

Overall

5.4

Pick-up/drop-off

5.6

Value

5.0

U-Save

4.3
Mediocre
33 reviews3 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

5.7

Comfort

5.2

Overall

4.3

Pick-up/drop-off

4.6

Value

4.1

NextCar

3.6
Poor
62 reviews2 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

5.4

Comfort

5.0

Overall

3.6

Pick-up/drop-off

4.2

Value

3.3

National

8.7
Very Good
15 reviews61 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.8

Comfort

8.8

Overall

8.7

Pick-up/drop-off

8.7

Value

7.4

L&M Car Rental

5 locations

TOOSLA

2 locations

America Car Rental

1 location

Right Cars

2 locations

Car hire FAQs

  • What are the requirements to hire a car in Costa Rica?

    Whilst many agencies do not allow car hire in Costa Rica until you’re 25, some will accept drivers that are 18 and who have held a licence for at least one year. Luxury car hire in Costa Rica often requires you to be older, though. If you want to hire cars in Costa Rica, you will need a valid driving licence and a passport. If your licence contains non-Roman characters, then you’ll need an international driving permit for your Costa Rica car hire. You can pay for your car hire in Costa Rica with credit or debit cards; some agencies allow you to use cash, but it needs to be guaranteed with a credit card.

  • What are the rules for driving in Costa Rica?

    When you drive your cheap car hire in Costa Rica, everyone needs to wear seat belts. Children under 12 or smaller than 145 cm must also be in a child restraint seat. If you are breathalysed, even when driving your Costa Rica car hire, the legal limit of alcohol allowable is 0.75 mg of alcohol per ml of blood. Speed limits are different in Costa Rica than the UK and are also shown in kilometres rather than miles. On motorways, you can go 100 kph (62 mph), whilst in urban areas, you can go either 40 kph (25 mph) or 60 kph (37 mph). You will also need to drive on the right-hand side of the road rather than the left. If you want to find out more about local road laws, then call the Costa Rica local authorities before you drive, to see if there have been any recent changes to the law.

  • What type of car is recommended for driving in Costa Rica?

    Costa Rica is a picturesque country in Central America, which you can explore entirely by car. The type of car hire in Costa Rica that you need depends on where you decide to go. If you are looking to hire cars in Costa Rica to explore the great outdoors and the national parks, then you might want to opt for something like a Nissan Kicks SUV, which can manage the tougher terrains and steep gradients. This way you can get to great viewing points along the coast with ease. Whereas, if you’re just looking for a cheap car hire in Costa Rica that will get you around the city, then a compact car should do the job. For instance, you could go for a Chevrolet Beat, which will enable you to drive down narrow streets and also park in smaller spaces.

  • What is the most popular car hire provider in Costa Rica?

    When hiring a car in Costa Rica, the most popular provider of hire cars among Cheapflights users is JUMBO CAR , and with prices around £27/day, it’s easy to understand why. The most popular car type from JUMBO CAR is SUV, which starts as low as £8/day.

  • What is the cheapest city to get a rental car in Costa Rica?

    At £40/day, it is 3% cheaper on average to rent a car in San José than any other city in Costa Rica. The cheapest price found in Costa Rica was for £19/day in San José.

  • What side of the road do you drive on in Costa Rica?

    In Costa Rica, drivers are expected to drive on the right side of the road.

Car hires by fuel type in Costa Rica

Browse through car hire deals by fuel type in Costa Rica. There are currently 3 fuel types to choose from with Petrol/Diesel being the cheapest (£8+).

Electric

Electric

Hybrid

Hybrid

Petrol/Diesel

Petrol/Diesel

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Airport car hires in Costa Rica

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Free Cancellation

Plans change — we get it. And that’s why you can search and book car hire on Cheapflights from agencies that offer free cancellation