Costa Rica
Costa Rica in January: weather, sea & travel advice
This month's data profile
Sea conditions lead
Costa Rica in January is climatically well suited to beach holidays, family holidays and city breaks. The average daily high is around 33 °C, and the sea is about 28 °C. With about 1 rainy day it is very dry.
Historical monthly averages, not a weather forecast. Individual days and years can differ substantially.
Rank among 12 monthly averages
73/100 · #2
Warmth
#5
Dryness
#2
Sun
#4
Sea warmth
#9
Published best categories: Overall, Beach, City break, Active, Family
Costa Rica · JanuaryPhoto: Shiva Shenoy from Flower Mound, United States · CC BY 2.0Climate facts
- Average high
- 33 °C
- Average low
- 23 °C
- Sea
- 28 °C
- Rainy days (est.)
- 1 rainy day (est.)
- Sun (est.)
- 7 h/day
- Humidity
- 68 %
Climate evidence with direct month comparison
The highlighted row is the selected month. Precipitation total and rainy days are separate monthly averages.
| Month | Avg high °C | Avg low °C | Rainy days (est.) | Precipitation mm | Sun h/day (est.) | Humidity % | Wind m/s | Sea °C | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 31 | 23 | 3 | 16 | 6.1 | 76 | 3.5 | 28 | 77 |
| January (selected) | 33 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6.7 | 68 | 4.2 | 28 | 73 |
| February | 34 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 7.6 | 62 | 4.3 | 28 | 70 |
How do the previous and next months compare?
Baseline: January (73/100)
Positive and negative values show the change from the selected month.
| Score Δ | Average high Δ | Average low Δ | Rainy days Δ | Rain Δ | Sun Δ | Humidity Δ | Wind Δ | Sea Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | +4 | -1.7 °C | ±0 °C | +2.2 | +11.2 mm | -0.6 h | +8.3 % | -0.7 m/s | ±0 °C |
| February | -3 | +1.6 °C | +0.3 °C | -0.4 | -1.8 mm | +0.9 h | -5.6 % | +0.1 m/s | -0.1 °C |
All twelve months in context

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Useful next decisions
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Costa Rica in January?
The average daily high is around 33 °C, with an average daily low of about 23 °C.
Can you swim in Costa Rica in January?
The sea is about 28 °C (very warm).
Does it rain a lot in Costa Rica in January?
The curated estimate is about 1 rainy day per month, not a directly measured long-term average. Total precipitation averages around 5 mm for the month. A rainy day does not mean all-day rain.
When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
By the climate score, January, February, March and December are the strongest months for Costa Rica. For a beach trip: January, February, November and December. January is one of them.