Quick answer. SJO has BAC Credomatic and Davivienda (the former Scotiabank) ATMs in arrivals, both open 24 hours and both dispensing colones and US dollars at the real Visa or Mastercard interbank rate. Neither is a no-surcharge machine: BAC charges roughly $5-6 a pull and Davivienda about $2.50-3. Costa Rica's two state banks, Banco Nacional (BNCR) and Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), add no operator surcharge but have no ATM inside SJO arrivals, so the cheapest play is to withdraw a small amount of colones at the BAC unit on landing and refill at a BNCR or BCR machine once you reach the city. Always pick colones and decline DCC (charge in your home currency). There is no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner in Costa Rica anymore (Scotiabank exited in December 2025). Skip the Global Exchange currency counter in the terminal (8-15 percent markup). To San José or Escazú: the orange Taxis Unidos official airport taxis (~$25-30 to downtown), Uber or DiDi (cheaper, but they cannot pick up inside arrivals, so you walk out to the public road), or the Tuasa / Station Wagon public bus (~₡675, about $1, to San José or Alajuela).
Where to get Costa Rican Colón at SJO
SJO has a compact arrivals money setup: a BAC Credomatic ATM and a Davivienda (former Scotiabank) ATM, both dispensing colones and USD; a Global Exchange currency-exchange counter; and the curbside taxi, bus, and rideshare options outside. Notably, the two no-surcharge state banks (BNCR and BCR) are not inside arrivals, so the airport units cost more than the machines you will find in the city. The cost math below assumes you withdraw the equivalent of $100 starting from a USD account.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banco Nacional (BNCR) or BCR ATM (NOT at airport, in the city) | After 30-45 min taxi/bus to San José or Escazú | No operator surcharge + interbank rate | ~$100 + $0 fee |
| Davivienda ATM (former Scotiabank, SJO arrivals) | SJO arrivals hall landside | ~$2.50-3 fee + interbank rate | ~$100 + $2.50-3 fee |
| BAC Credomatic ATM (SJO arrivals) | SJO arrivals hall landside | ~$5-6 fee + interbank rate | ~$100 + $5-6 fee |
| Global Exchange currency counter (SJO arrivals) | SJO arrivals hall | 8-15% over mid-market on the CRC sell rate | ~$85-92 |
| 'Sin comisión' casa de cambio (San José Avenida Central, NOT at airport) | Downtown tourist strip | 5-12% baked-in spread | ~$88-95 |
| Standalone non-bank ATM (beach towns, NOT a bank) | Tamarindo / Nosara / Jacó surf shops, minimarkets | $5-8 surcharge + 4-8% DCC | ~$85-91 |
Where to find the BAC Credomatic and Davivienda ATMs at Juan Santamaría (SJO)
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), Costa Rica's primary international gateway, sits in Alajuela about 18-20 kilometers northwest of downtown San José (roughly 30-45 minutes by car depending on traffic) and about the same to the Escazú business-and-mall district. It is a compact single-terminal airport: international arrivals funnel through immigration and customs into one arrivals hall and out to the curbside. The two ATMs you will see landside in arrivals are BAC Credomatic (the largest private bank in Central America, the recognizable bank-branded unit) and Davivienda (the Colombian-owned bank that absorbed Scotiabank's Costa Rica operation in December 2025, so some signage may still read Scotiabank or DAVIbank). Both run 24 hours, both dispense colones and US dollars, and both use the real interbank rate. The catch specific to SJO is that neither is a no-surcharge machine, and the two state banks that do not charge an operator fee, Banco Nacional (BNCR) and Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), are not present inside arrivals. So the airport math is the opposite of most countries: pull just enough colones here for your taxi or first day, then do your bigger withdrawals at a BNCR or BCR ATM in San José, Escazú, or your destination town. Walk past the Global Exchange currency-exchange counter in the terminal; its colón sell rate runs 8-15 percent off the interbank rate.
Main Terminal (International Arrivals)
United, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska, Air Canada, WestJet, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Iberia, British Airways, Air France, Edelweiss, and the regional carriers Sansa and Green Airways for domestic hops. SJO is Costa Rica's primary international gateway, handling the bulk of US and European arrivals into the Central Valley
After immigration and customs, the BAC Credomatic and Davivienda (former Scotiabank) ATMs are in the arrivals area landside near the terminal exit; both run 24 hours and dispense colones and USD. The Global Exchange currency-exchange counter is also in the arrivals hall: walk past it, its rate is 8-15 percent worse than the ATM. Withdraw only a small amount of colones here (the airport machines carry an operator surcharge), then refill at a no-surcharge Banco Nacional or Banco de Costa Rica ATM in the city. Decline DCC and choose colones.
Do you actually need cash at San José SJO Airport?
Partly. Uber and DiDi (card via app) and pre-booked shuttles (prepaid or card) get you to San José or Escazú without cash, but the orange Taxis Unidos airport taxis and the public bus both want colones, so a small cash pull on landing keeps every option open. Here is what works on a card on the way into the city, and where you will still need colones:
Orange Taxis Unidos (official airport taxi) (~$25-30 (~₡15,000) to San José or Escazú): The exclusive authorized airport taxi, orange with the company logo on the doors, queued right outside arrivals. Pays in colones or USD, cash; some accept card but do not count on it. 30-45 min to downtown San José.
Uber / DiDi (app-booked) (~$15-25 (~₡9,000-15,000) by destination): Cheaper than the orange taxi and charged to your card via the app, but Uber and DiDi operate in a legal grey area in Costa Rica and cannot legally pick up inside the airport. Walk about 5 minutes out to the public road or the nearby Denny's to meet your driver.
Tuasa / Station Wagon public bus (~₡675 (~$1)): The cheap option, paid in cash colones to the driver. Runs every 10-15 minutes to San José (Avenida 2 downtown) and to Alajuela, roughly 04:50-23:00 (Station Wagon runs later). Not luggage-friendly but unbeatable on price.
Shared or private shuttle (Interbus, Easy Ride) ($25-45 private to San José / Escazú; more for far destinations): Meet at the arrivals lobby. Prepaid online or card. The easy option for the Marriott Belén, the Escazú hotels, or onward to La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, and Monteverde.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from San José SJO Airport to San José?
No. Orange Taxis Unidos (official airport taxi) accepts contactless. Most taxis accept cards. Uber and other apps are card-only.
Can I order Costa Rican Colón before flying?
Yes. CEI Currency Exchange ships physical Costa Rican Colón to your US address in 2-5 days at rates well below airport counters. Order 50-100 Costa Rican Colón for taxis and tips on day one.
Which ATM at SJO has the lowest fees for foreign cards?
Of the two machines actually inside SJO arrivals, Davivienda (the former Scotiabank) is the cheaper at roughly $2.50-3 per withdrawal, versus about $5-6 at BAC Credomatic. But the genuinely no-surcharge banks in Costa Rica, Banco Nacional (BNCR) and Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), do not have an ATM inside SJO arrivals. The cost-minimizing strategy is to withdraw only a small amount at the airport (enough for your taxi and first day, say ₡20,000-40,000) at the BAC or Davivienda unit, then do your larger cash pull at a BNCR or BCR ATM in San José or Escazú, where there is no operator surcharge at all. Always decline DCC and choose colones at both the home-currency prompt and the colón-versus-USD prompt.
Is there a Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner at SJO or in Costa Rica?
No, not anymore. Scotiabank was the Bank of America Global ATM Alliance member in Costa Rica, and it closed its Costa Rica retail operation on 1 December 2025, with the branches and ATMs transferring to Grupo Davivienda (currently running under the transitional DAVIbank brand). There is no longer any Costa Rican bank in the Global ATM Alliance, so a Bank of America debit card pays BoA's 3 percent non-network surcharge at every ATM in the country, including the BAC and Davivienda machines at SJO. If you bank with BoA, the cleanest replacement for Costa Rica is a Charles Schwab Investor Checking card (zero FX fee, refunds operator fees, which neutralizes the BAC $5-6) or a Wise debit card (zero FX markup), paired with the no-surcharge BNCR and BCR machines once you are in the city.
Should I use the Global Exchange counter at San José airport?
No. The Global Exchange currency-exchange counter in the SJO terminal posts a colón sell rate that runs roughly 8-15 percent off the interbank rate, plus a fixed fee, which is far worse than the BAC or Davivienda ATM a few steps away. The same applies to the casas de cambio you will pass. A real bank ATM in arrivals will save you on the order of $10-25 on a typical $150-equivalent exchange. If you need a small amount of colones before you can reach a BNCR or BCR machine in the city, use the BAC or Davivienda ATM in arrivals, not the exchange counter.
How do I get from SJO to San José or Escazú?
Three main options. The orange Taxis Unidos (the exclusive authorized airport taxi, orange with the company logo on the doors) run about $25-30 to downtown San José and a similar fare to Escazú, paid in colones or USD; they queue right outside arrivals. Uber and DiDi are cheaper (often $15-25 to San José or Escazú) and charge your card via the app, but they operate in a legal grey area in Costa Rica and cannot legally pick up inside the airport, so you walk about 5 minutes out to the public road or the nearby Denny's to meet the driver. The Tuasa and Station Wagon public buses are the cheap option at roughly ₡675 (about $1), paid in colones to the driver, running every 10-15 minutes to San José (Avenida 2) and to Alajuela; they are not luggage-friendly but unbeatable on price. Shared and private shuttles (Interbus, Easy Ride) meet at the arrivals lobby and run $25-45 private to the San José or Escazú hotels.
Do I need cash to get from SJO to the city?
Not strictly, if you use Uber or DiDi (card via app) or a pre-booked shuttle (card or prepaid). But the orange Taxis Unidos and the public bus both want cash, so a small amount of colones on landing keeps every option open. Pull ₡20,000-40,000 at the BAC or Davivienda ATM in arrivals: enough for an airport taxi, a couple of meals, and the parking and tip cash you will need before you reach a no-surcharge BNCR or BCR machine in the city. The orange taxis do accept USD, so a few dollar bills also work for the ride into town.
Can I order Costa Rican colones before flying to San José?
Yes, and it is a reasonable backup, especially if your itinerary skips San José (for example flying into SJO but heading straight to Manuel Antonio or Monteverde where the only nearby machine may be a high-surcharge standalone). CEI Currency Exchange ships physical colones to your US address in 2-5 days at a rate well below the airport Global Exchange counter. Order ₡40,000-80,000 for taxis, tips, and the first day, then top up at a Banco Nacional or Banco de Costa Rica ATM once you land. Bring a stack of small USD bills too ($1, $5, $10): tour guides and shuttle drivers in Costa Rica are tipped in dollars.
What about LIR (Liberia) airport instead of SJO?
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste, is the better gateway if your trip is the northern Pacific beaches (Tamarindo, Nosara, the Papagayo Peninsula, Playas del Coco), saving a 4-5 hour drive from San José. LIR has the same money setup: BAC and bank ATMs plus a Global Exchange counter in arrivals, the same no-Alliance-partner situation, and the same rule to decline DCC, take colones, and refill at a no-surcharge BNCR or BCR machine in town. Because the Guanacaste beach towns lean heavily on standalone high-surcharge ATMs, pulling a solid amount of colones at LIR or pre-ordering before you fly is more worthwhile here than on a San José-based trip.