Brazil vs Costa Rica
Brazil and Costa Rica, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture. Everything you need to break the tie.
By the numbers
| Brazil | Measure | Costa Rica |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 8 (better) | Resorts in our catalog | 6 |
| ★ 4.7 (better) | Average guest rating | ★ 4.4 |
| $148–$334/night pp | Nightly rates | $117–$795/night pp (better) |
| 0 of 8 | Adults-only resorts | 1 of 6 |
| No hurricane season (better) | Hurricane exposure | Low hurricane risk |
| April–July on the northeast coast | Rainy season | May–November ('green season'), with September–October seriously wet |
| September–March (southern-hemisphere spring and summer) | Sweet spot | December–April, bone-dry in Guanacaste |
| Portuguese (English limited outside tourist areas) | Language | Spanish (English common in tourist areas) |
| Brazilian real (BRL) – cards widely used | Currency | Costa Rican colón – USD widely accepted |
| 127V/220V, Type N plugs (adapter needed) | Power | 120V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US) |
| On the right | Driving | On the right |
| Salvador (SSA) | Main airport | Liberia – Daniel Oduber (LIR) |
| ~7–9h from the US East Coast (often via connection) | Flight time | ~3.5–5.5h from the US (nonstops to Liberia) |
Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country. A marked row is one we are willing to call; rows without a mark are a matter of taste, or we have no comparable figure for both sides.
On the map
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil · high °F | 86 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 82 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 85 |
| Costa Rica · high °F | 91 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 91 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 87 | 89 |
| Brazil · rain (in) | 2.7 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.9 |
| Costa Rica · rain (in) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 7.7 | 9.0 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 13.0 | 12.2 | 4.3 | 0.5 |
Approximate climate normals for Northeast coast (Bahia) and Guanacaste / Papagayo: planning guidance, not a forecast. A deeper tint is a higher number, read within its own row.
Where you'd actually stay
Best of Brazil
Costao do Santinho Resortnull · ★ 4.8
Grand Palladium Imbassaí Resort & Spanull · ★ 4.8
Iberostar Selection Praia do Fortenull · ★ 4.8
Chains here: Amarante · Vila Galé · Costao do Santinho
Best of Costa Rica
Planet Hollywood Costa Rica by Royalton, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resortnull · ★ 4.5
The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spanull · ★ 4.5
Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingonull · ★ 4.4
Chains here: RIU Hotels & Resorts · Planet Hollywood Hotels & Resorts · Westin