When to go · San José
San José in May
Mixed month. Green season starts; afternoon showers.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 27°C (81°F)81°F (27°C) / 18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 19
- Crowds
- Low
- Costa Rica overall
- Prices
- Low
- Costa Rica overall
Verdict
Green season starts; afternoon showers.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- San JoséHighs around 27 °C (81 °F), lows around 18 °C (64 °F), rain on about 19 daysHighs around 81 °F (27 °C), lows around 64 °F (18 °C), rain on about 19 days
- Central Valley and mountains, Costa Rica · San José, Monteverde, Poás, Irazúfine
Spring-like 18–26 °C (64–79 °F); Monteverde is cool, windy and misty — pack a fleece.Spring-like 64–79 °F (18–26 °C); Monteverde is cool, windy and misty — pack a fleece.
Early green season season
Green hillsides and fewer visitors; rain mostly after 13:00.Green hillsides and fewer visitors; rain mostly after 1:00 PM.
Watch: Afternoon downpours; a short drier spell in July some years.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Labour Day
1 May · Nationwide
Public holiday; shops and museums closed.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Costa Rica overall
- Low
- Prices · Costa Rica overall
- Low
Costa Rica overall: Green season starts: sunny mornings, afternoon storms, lower prices.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in San José, side by side.
Verdict
May: Mixed
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 27 °C (81 °F)81 °F (27 °C)
Jan: 26 °C (79 °F)79 °F (26 °C)
Night low
May: 18 °C (64 °F)64 °F (18 °C)
Jan: 16 °C (61 °F)61 °F (16 °C)
Rain days
May: 19
Jan: 3 (better)
Crowds
May: Low
Jan: High
Prices
May: Low
Jan: High
Festivals listed
May: 1
Jan: 2
May: Green season starts; afternoon showers.
January: Dry and sunny; mornings cool.
San José: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast