Costa Rica vs Mexico

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

White resort building with palm trees, lounge chairs, and umbrellas line a sandy beach with turquoise water under clear blue sky.

Costa Rica and Mexico, 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.

Costa Rica guide · Mexico guide · How we score

By the numbers

Costa Rica compared with Mexico
Costa Rica	Measure	Mexico
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution	U.S. travel advisory	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
7	Resorts in our catalog	77
★ 4.4	Average guest rating	★ 4.5 (better)
$119–$289/night pp	Nightly rates	$39–$635/night pp
1 of 7	Adults-only resorts	21 of 77
Low hurricane risk	Hurricane exposure	In the hurricane belt
May–November ('green season'), with September–October seriously wet	Rainy season	June–October, heaviest September–October on the Caribbean side
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	Mexican 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	Cancún (CUN)
~3.5–5.5h from the US (nonstops to Liberia)	Flight time	~2–4.5h from the US

Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country.

On the map

Costa Rica

Mexico

Weather, month by month

Month-by-month average high temperature and rainfall for Costa Rica and Mexico
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
Mexico · high °F	82	83	85	87	89	90	90	91	89	87	84	82
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
Mexico · rain (in)	3.5	2.0	1.5	1.5	4.0	6.5	4.0	4.5	8.5	8.5	4.0	3.5

Approximate climate normals for Guanacaste / Papagayo and Cancún / Riviera Maya: planning guidance, not a forecast. Deeper gold = hotter; deeper teal = wetter.

Where you'd actually stay

Best of Costa Rica

Full Costa Rica guide

Chains here: RIU Hotels & Resorts · Westin · Margaritaville

Best of Mexico

Full Mexico guide

Chains here: Barceló · Secrets Resorts & Spas / Hyatt Inclusive Collection · Hilton