Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic

Illuminated beachfront dining pavilion with white railings and thatched-roof bungalows reflected in the pool at dusk.

Luxury bathroom at Sanctuary Cap Cana with soaking tub, dual sinks, travertine walls, and ocean view through tall window.

Dominican Republic39 resorts · ★ 4.6 average

Costa Rica and Dominican Republic, 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

Costa Rica compared with Dominican Republic
Costa Rica	Measure	Dominican Republic
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution	U.S. travel advisory	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
6	Resorts in our catalog	39 (better)
★ 4.4	Average guest rating	★ 4.6 (better)
$88–$285/night pp	Nightly rates	$40–$505/night pp (better)
1 of 6	Adults-only resorts	15 of 39
Low hurricane risk (better)	Hurricane exposure	In the hurricane belt
May–November ('green season'), with September–October seriously wet	Rainy season	May and August–October, mostly brief tropical downpours
December–April, bone-dry in Guanacaste	Sweet spot	December–April
Spanish (English common in tourist areas)	Language	Spanish (English at resorts)
Costa Rican colón – USD widely accepted	Currency	Dominican peso; USD widely accepted
120V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US)	Power	110V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US)
On the right	Driving	On the right
Liberia – Daniel Oduber (LIR)	Main airport	Punta Cana (PUJ)
~3.5–5.5h from the US (nonstops to Liberia)	Flight time	~3.5–4h from the US East Coast

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

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Weather, month by month

Month-by-month average high temperature and rainfall for Costa Rica and Dominican Republic
Measure	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Costa Rica · high °F	91	92	93	93	91	88	88	88	87	86	87	89
Dominican Republic · high °F	84	84	85	86	87	88	89	89	88	87	86	84
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
Dominican Republic · rain (in)	2.0	1.7	1.7	2.5	4.5	3.0	2.5	3.5	3.5	4.5	3.5	2.5

Approximate climate normals for Guanacaste / Papagayo and Punta Cana: planning guidance, not a forecast. A deeper tint is a higher number, read within its own row.