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Costa Ricachecked Jul 2026A catch or twoTaxis in Costa Rica, and the apps to use
Costa Rican taxis are cheap and metered, and ride apps make it easier still. The one habit to keep is insisting on the meter, called la maria. Here is how it works.
At a glance
Apps
Uber, DiDi (both work)
Airport (SJO)
Official orange taxis, or an app
Taxis
Red, metered (ask for la maria)
Watch for
Meter refusal, pirata taxis
Install Uber and DiDi (both widely used, DiDi especially), and official red taxis are metered too. The meter is called la maria, and the one habit to keep is insisting it is on, since some drivers skip it for tourists. From San Jose airport (SJO), use the official orange airport taxis (a regulated fare) or an app. Avoid unmarked pirata (pirate) taxis. Fares are cheap, so pay in colones and round up to tip.
Which apps to install
Uber and DiDi both work well in Costa Rica, and DiDi is especially popular, so install both and compare. They cover the San Jose area, the Central Valley and the main tourist spots, showing the fare and driver up front and taking card in the app.
Ride apps operate in a bit of a legal gray area here, so a driver may ask you to sit up front to look like a friend, especially near the airport. It is routine and nothing to worry about.
From San Jose airport
At San Jose (SJO, Juan Santamaria), the official airport taxis are orange (operated by Taxis Unidos) and run on a regulated fare from the marked stand outside arrivals. An app works too, with drivers meeting you at the designated pickup area.
From Liberia (LIR), official taxis and apps both serve the beach towns of Guanacaste, though rides are longer, so agree the app fare or confirm the taxi rate first.
Insist on the meter (la maria)
Official Costa Rican taxis are red with a yellow triangle on the door (and orange at the airport), and they carry a meter called la maria. The classic issue is a driver who will not switch on the maria for a tourist and instead names an inflated flat price.
Insist the maria is running from the start, or just use an app, where the fare is set in advance. Avoid unofficial pirata (pirate) taxis, which are unmarked and unregulated.
Fares, paying and tipping
Fares are cheap: metered in a red taxi, set up front in an app. Prices may be quoted in dollars in tourist areas, but pay in colones for the best value. To tip, round up the fare; there is no set percentage.
For more, see cash or card in Costa Rica, tipping in Costa Rica, and the Costa Rica money guide.
Common questions
Quick answers.
What taxi app should I use in Costa Rica?
Uber and DiDi both work well, with DiDi especially popular. They show the fare up front and take card in the app. Ride apps operate in a legal gray area, so a driver may ask you to sit up front, which is routine.
How do I get from San Jose airport (SJO)?
Use the official orange airport taxis (operated by Taxis Unidos) on a regulated fare from the marked stand, or an app from the designated pickup area. Avoid unmarked pirata taxis.
What is la maria in a Costa Rican taxi?
It is the meter. Official red taxis (orange at the airport) are metered, but some drivers skip the maria for tourists and name an inflated price. Insist the meter is on, or use an app.
Do you tip taxi drivers in Costa Rica?
Only lightly: round up the fare. There is no set percentage. Fares are cheap and metered, and paying in colones gives better value than dollars.
More on Costa Rica
The little money things nobody warns you about.
- What does renting a car in Costa Rica really cost?Costa Rica is one of the great drives and also one of the places where the rate you booked is least likely to be the price you pay. A single mandatory insurance explains most of the gap.
- Do I need cash in Costa Rica, or can I use cards?Short answer: cards work almost everywhere, dollars are accepted, but you get better value paying in colones, and you will want a little cash for sodas, buses and small vendors. Here is how to handle it.
- Staying connected in Costa RicaThe catch in Costa Rica is that the coverage gaps sit exactly where you came to go: the parks, the cloud forests and the wild coasts. Which network your eSIM uses is what decides whether you have signal in Corcovado or Monteverde, so it is worth getting right before you fly.
- Tipping in Costa RicaThe short version: most restaurant bills already include a 10% service charge, so the tipping is largely done for you. The people worth tipping extra are your guides and drivers, and the one trap to watch for is a blank tip line on a bill that has already charged you.
- Do US citizens need a visa for Costa Rica?Short answer: no visa, and no online form. US citizens are stamped in on arrival, now for up to 180 days. The one thing that trips people up is the onward-ticket rule. Here is what actually matters at the border.
Sources, and how this was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
- Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT)official travel information
- US State DepartmentCosta Rica country information
Our own readCosta Rican taxis are cheap and metered, apps like DiDi and Uber are widely used in a legal gray area, and the meter (la maria) games and pirata taxis are the things to watch. Fares and app rules shift over time, so this is our practical read. Checked July 2026.
How we checkHow every guide is researched, checked and dated