San José car rentals from C$ 7/day

To get to some towns close to San Jose you just might need a 4x4. This is definitely a necessity if you are traveling to the forest or visiting the country during the rainy season. Depending on where you want to go, a compact car might be more comfortable because of the tight, curvy roads. Diesel vehicles might also be more appealing because of the lower cost of fuel.

Speed limits in San Jose might be lower than you are used to. On the freeway you may only drive at a maximum speed of 50 mph (or 80 km/h). When you are on a main highway, the speed limit may go up to as much as 62 mph (100 km/h). However, when you get close to the city, the speed limit will go down quickly -- so always pay attention to signs you might be passing.

In downtown San Jose you’ll find a wide variety of restaurants, shops, and museums. Consequently, there are numerous paid parking lots in which you can safely leave your rental car. One popular area for parking is around the Central Market. If staying downtown, you might also get free parking at your hotel.

On average a rental car in San José costs C$ 38 per day.

In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Economy Rent a Car (C$ 7/day), U-Save (C$ 7/day) and Amigo Rent A Car (C$ 8/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest rental car price was found at Economy Rent a Car Tobias Bolanos International Airport 1081-1007 (5 kilometers from city center).

Yes, automatic cars are available in most car renting companies in San José. As cars with manual transmission are more common in many countries, you might have to pay an additional charge for renting an automatic car.

The average gas price in San José is C$ 7.36 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between C$ 88 and C$ 118, depending on the car size.

Premium (BMW X3 or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in San José.

Car rental companies onsite at Juan Santamaria Intl airport include Budget, Economy Rent a Car, Europcar, Fox, Thrifty, Firefly, U-Save, Amigo Rent A Car and Dollar.

Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Juan Santamaria Intl airport to off-airport locations include Avis, NU Car, Hertz, Alamo, Ace, Budget, Economy Rent a Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Europcar and Thrifty.

Take a look at our extensive car rental location map to find the best rental cars near you.

A Premium car rental in San José costs C$ 71 per day, on average.

A Compact car rental in San José costs C$ 39 per day, on average.

An Intermediate car rental in San José costs C$ 31 per day, on average.

In San José, cars are most frequently rented at Priceless Street Ernesto Moreno (15 km from city centre ).

On average a rental car in San José costs C$ 268 per week (C$ 38 per day).

On average a rental car in San José costs C$ 1,150 per month (C$ 38 per day).

Whether you'll pay for parking in San Jose will be determined by where you are in the city. If you're on the city's outskirts, you won't have to pay for parking. However, if you're within the city's central business district, you'll have to pay, as these parking spots are managed by city authorities. These parking spots range from ¢200 ($0.6) to ¢500 ($2), depending on the duration you park.

To drive to destinations outside San Jose, such as Cartago, Limon, and Caldera, you'll have to use a toll road. On the toll roads serving Cartago and Limon, you'll only have to go through one toll. On the contrary, on the Caldera toll road, you'll go through tolls at Escazú, San Rafael, Atenas, and Pozón.