Taxis in Costa Rica: What You Need to Know

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Taxis in Costa Rica are a common transportation option for locals and tourists. There taxis almost everywhere in Costa Rica.

If you are visiting Costa Rica for the first time, here are our tips for taking taxis in Costa Rica from a local.

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Always Take an Official Taxi

Official taxis in Costa Rica are red with the yellow triangle and light like the one shown below.

You will immediately be able to tell the difference between a pirate and real taxi.

Official taxis have newer cars, plates and the badge to signify they are official taxis. More on that below.

taxis in costa rica official red taxi
Official red taxis

Official taxis will have a plate on the side of their door signifying which province they can operate in. Taxis cannot operate across province lines so for example, a San Jose licensed taxi cannot operate in Guanacaste.

If you are in San Jose, you will see something like TSJ001 (TSJ stands for Taxi San Jose and the numbers tells you the taxi number), in Heredia you will see plates TH, in Limon TL, etc.

Orange Taxis

When you land in the San Jose airport, you might see orange taxis, instead of red. These group of taxis are exclusive for the airport.

They charge more than the RED ones but they are just right there outside the arrivals door.

Both San Jose and Liberia Airports have an official taxi stand which is right outside the exit. Go there to call an official taxi.

Security Tip: If you are in San Jose and the taxi has a Puntarenas plate, do not take it. Official taxis in Costa Rica can only pick up passengers within their own province.

If you don’t need to, don’t take a pirate taxi

I am Costa Rican and I always try to avoid non-official taxis.

Wherever you go in Costa Rica you can find a line of cabs next to the bus stations, parks, restaurants and they will come to you saying, “taxi, need a taxi?”

These are drivers who are not official taxis and they do not have the taxi medallion license to offer these services.

They are just simply normal people with their own personal cars.

taxis in costa rica pirate taxis
All the guys standing next to their cars are pirate taxi drivers. If they ask, just say no and find an official taxi

The popular way to call them are “Taxis Piratas” which mean pirate cab drivers.

The main reasons why I don’t use them are that they can charge whatever they want, they don’t have the same insurance as the legal ones and they aren’t as safe.

Many times they have a super old car in bad shape without insurance so it’s a risk if you take one of those.

Unfortunately, there are some destinations where only pirate taxis exist. These are places outside the city in more remote areas such as Tamarindo and Montezuma.

If you have to take a taxi and the pirate drivers are your only option, then negotiate a price beforehand, do not go alone especially if you are female and take a photo of their license plate and get their name just in case anything happens.

Turn the meter on

Like in any part of the world, some cab drivers will try to take advantage of tourists or people that they normally don’t work with by charging more or denying to use the meter.

According to Costa Rican law, every cab driver must use the meter (Costa Rica name for the meter  is”MARIA”).

If you find a cab driver that doesn’t want to use it even if you ask, you can get their plate number and report the cab driver to the government.

They have to turn it on by law (more on taxi scams below).

As for rates, the rates are regulated by the government. Rates change depending on the area (rural or city) and the automobile capacity.

Tip: Another way to get a rough estimate of how much your taxi would be is to check the fare estimate on the Uber website. Whatever they charge, add a bit more for Costa Rican taxis.

Ask a Local Before

If you have the opportunity, ask a local before you take a taxi.

Ask them about prices and transportation options because Costa Rica has a good public transportation system that might take you for less money where you want to go.

Like any public transportation however, it might take longer and you might have to walk a little bit.

Don’t know Spanish? Learn some important Spanish phrases here!

Most of the Costa Ricans will help you and you will have a good experience, but always keep your eyes open and use common sense.

Avoid these 10 mistakes when traveling in Costa Rica and read our Costa Rica safety tips to stay safe.

More Tips for Taxis in Costa Rica

  • Costa Rican drivers take great care of their car as cars, so please don’t slam the door when you close it. Do it softly and your driver will be happy.
  • For solo female travelers, it’s better if you sit in the backseat.
  • Always have change with you and small bills in local currency. We do not recommend to pay in USD because 99.99% of the time, the driver will tell you he does not have change and will use an incorrect exchange rate.
  • Costa Rica does not really have addresses so drivers will not know where you are going if your address is Calle 2, Segunda Ave 10. Find a hotel or business close by and use that as your destination.
  • It is not absolutely mandatory to tip your driver but you may if you want to (10% is standard and we recommend to give local currency). Read more about tipping in Costa Rica here.

Scams to Watch Out For

Unfortunately there are some taxi drivers that will try to scam tourists. Look out for these.

  • The driver tells you that your hotel is not in business anymore and will try to reroute you to a hotel they get commission for and try to charge you a lot more for the extra driving.
  • If you’re taking a taxi to the bus station, the driver may say your bus already left, the route doesn’t exist, bus station moved, etc. Do NOT believe them. Tell them to take you to the station and verify the information directly at the station.
  • Don’t take up their offer to go to a “cheaper/better” restaurant/souvenir store/business/whatever. Continue straight to your destination.
  • Get a prepaid Costa Rica SIM card so you have Internet on your phone and open the route on Google Maps or Waze so you can make sure he’s not taking you in the long way around.

Read more about common tourist scams in Costa Rica.

Uber

Uber in Costa Rica is honestly so much better than taxis.

Don’t get me wrong, taxis are necessary but like anyone else, we hate the constant taxi badgering when we leave the airport or are walking down the street.

Not to mention, Uber is much better for pricing because you can see how much it will be in the app and unlike a taxi driver, it is very difficult for them to try to charge you a higher or ridiculous price.

We always use Uber when we’re in San Jose even if we have a car because it’s cheap, pricing is automatically in the app and we don’t have to drive. Read our tips for using Uber in Costa Rica.

Another app for ride share is Didi, and it is only in San Jose.

Want to know more about getting around Costa Rica? Check these articles out.

Renting a car in Costa Rica

Tips on driving in Costa Rica

Shuttles in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Checklist

Explore related articles we think you’ll find helpful.

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157 responses

  1. WBUZ

    Can Uber pick up passengers at SJO airport? Is there designated area for Uber pickup like at some US airports? How long is the wait? Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      They can, a good and easy place is the bus stop right outside the SJO airport (just walk down the ramp to the main street). The wait depends on how close the Uber driver is.

      Reply
  2. Kevin

    I will be visiting San Jose at the end of October. Is uber legal and safe there? I use it all the time back home in NYC.

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      Uber is awesome in San Jose and soo cheap! Definitely recommend it instead of taxis, we always use Uber now since it’s way more convenient and cheap

      Reply
  3. Lindsay

    Hi I am landing at SJO on Saturday Oct 1st at 7:26am. I want to go straight to Tamarindo but all the shuttles leave at 8:30… I am nervous I won’t have enough time to make the shuttle… would a taxi be soooo expensive?

    Thanks!! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      Hi Lindsay, if you book the shuttle before hand, the shuttle has to wait for you. We used Tamarindo Tours & Transfers when we needed to get picked up and dropped off at the airport (we live in Tamarindo) and just book it beforehand so they know to wait for you and they’ll keep an eye if your flight is delayed, etc. A taxi would be ridiculously expensive :/ A shared shuttle is $20 a person.

      Reply
      1. Nicole

        Hi, I will be traveling to Costa Rica is December and I’m looking to travel from SJO to Tamarindo. I’ve been looking around for the best way to travel there and that will also be fairly trip for two people since we are on a budget. What would you recommend would be the easiest, safest and cheapest?

        Thank You =D

        Reply
  4. Brandi

    Hi There! Thanks so much for the info! Good to know about looking for the Red Taxis, and using the “Maria”. Quick question, we are arriving into San Jose just after midnight, do you know if there will still be plenty of taxis at the airport at that time – and is it safe to take a taxi at that time? Thanks so much!!

    Reply
    1. yeison

      Hi Brandi, yes you will find some airport taxis by the time you land. You can use Uber too it is cheaper 🙂

      Reply
  5. wanda

    going to SJ Friday need to get to Marriott SJ ,, will take a red taxi ,, about how much the cost ??

    Reply
    1. yeison

      Hi Wanda, we dont know exactly how much will that be but you can check with Uber to get a fare estimate and get an idea

      Reply
  6. Sylvia Talavera

    Trying to find out what is the approximate fare from San Jose airport to Apartotel La Perla hotel , San Jose. We are a party of nine. Just want to have a clue, so we won’t be caught off guard. Thanks, Sylvia

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      I recommend asking your hotel, they should know how much it will be.

      Reply
  7. Angel

    Hello there!

    If one is at the SJO International Airport, what is the best way to get to Tica Bus station? Is there a safe way, cheaper than a taxi?

    : )

    Reply
    1. yeison

      Hi, you can just walk out off the airport and take any bus to San jose, then once you are in San jose take a cab to TICA bus it will be way more cheaper

      Reply
  8. Emily

    “la Maria, la Maria por favor!” Good advice, and I didn’t realize taxis could only work within their own province. When I lived in San Jose many years ago, we had several friends who had friends that were piratas, and that was the only way we would take the ‘unofficial’ taxis, because our friends could vouch for them, and we would discuss the price of passage before hand.
    Cheers!

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      Yes it’s very important to take a taxi within their province. Now it’s better to put on the meter than discuss a price beforehand since most tourists don’t know how much it’s supposed to be.

      Reply
  9. Leesa

    Trying to get an idea – cost of Arenal springs resort to sky adventures. We have 8 people and trying to decide if we should take our own taxi and go other places or pay sky adventures the per person charge.. May want to do extra stuff in town the same day. Thanks

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      I recommend asking your hotel, they should know the approximately the taxi rates and see how much a shuttle will be to take you around town

      Reply
  10. Bettina Neidhardt

    Hello, can someone please tell me how much I have to pay from Liberia to Tamarindo? I’m traveling alone and I’ll article at 7 pm
    Thanks
    Bettina

    Reply
    1. Sammi

      Hi Bettina, do you mean Liberia Airport? A taxi will be expensive, probably around $70 if you take the orange ones. It’s better to pre-book a shuttle, it’s not as expensive as taking a taxi right when you land.

      Reply
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