⚡ Fare recorded April 25, 2026 · Prices change daily

San José to San Salvador flights

San José (SJO) to San Salvador (SAL): 405 miles (652 km) great-circle, about 1h 20m nonstop by our estimate. Cheapest fare observed: $261 round-trip on Copa, with 1 stop, departing June 18, 2026.

CMCopaCM763
Depart
SJO
San José, Costa Rica
08:14
2026-06-18
✈
Arrive
SAL
San Salvador, El Salvador
Returns 13:58
2026-06-22
Stops
1 stop
Distance
405 mi
Est. nonstop time
1h 20m
Trip type
Round-trip
$261
Round-trip · per person
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About this flight

When did the cheapest San José to San Salvador fare fly?

$261 round-trip, Copa CM763, departing 2026-06-18 at 08:14, returning 2026-06-22. The recorded itinerary left on a Thursday, returning on a Monday 4 nights later; the fare was observed 54 days before departure. "Book this flight" opens Kiwi.com with the same airline and dates.

Route facts

How far is San José from San Salvador?

  • Distance: 405 miles (652 km) great-circle, heading northwest.
  • Estimated nonstop flight time: about 1h 20m.
  • Departure airport: Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), San José, Costa Rica, UTC-6 on June 18, 2026.
  • Arrival: El Salvador International Airport (SAL), El Salvador, UTC-6 on June 18, 2026.
  • Time difference: none on the recorded date.
  • Route type: international, Costa Rica to El Salvador.
  • Arrival airport elevation: 101 ft.
  • Recorded itinerary: Copa CM763, 1 stop, round-trip, 4 days between departure and return.
Fare comparison

How does the San José to San Salvador fare compare with other routes from SJO?

At $261, it ranked 4th of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from SJO (median $412). That is 64.4 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), above the SJO median of 21.6 cents across 29 round-trip routes.

Routes from SJO of similar length: Panama City (335 mi) at $300 and Guatemala City (531 mi) at $304.

Copa had the cheapest fare on 7 of 30 SJO routes. It is the 27th longest of the 30 routes we track from SJO.

Other ways in

What did other cities pay to fly to San Salvador?

Of 13 departure airports with a fare to San Salvador, San José (SJO) ranked 3rd at $261. Lowest: $241 from Los Angeles (LAX); highest: $603 from Atlanta (ATL); 4 nonstop. Cheapest-fare airlines (routes): United Airlines (7), Avianca (4), American Airlines (1) and Copa (1).

Sources

Where do these numbers come from?

Travelpayouts fares (cheapest per route, observed April 25, 2026); OurAirports coordinates and elevations; IANA zones America/Costa_Rica, America/El_Salvador; flight time is our estimate.

FAQ

San José to San Salvador flight questions

How far is San José from San Salvador by plane?

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San José is about 405 miles (652 km) from San Salvador on a great-circle line from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) to El Salvador International Airport (SAL), heading northwest. It is the 27th longest of the 30 routes we track from SJO. The recorded itinerary had 1 stop, so the distance flown was longer.

How long is the flight from San José to San Salvador?

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About 1h 20m nonstop by our estimate for 405 miles (500 mph cruise plus 30 minutes, not a timetable). The recorded Copa fare was with 1 stop. 13 airports in our feed had a fare to San Salvador; this one ranked 3rd, and 4 of the 13 were nonstop.

What is the time difference between San José and San Salvador?

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On June 18, 2026, San José was on UTC-6 (America/Costa_Rica) and San Salvador on UTC-6 (America/El_Salvador), so the two cities shared the same clock time: noon in San José was 12:00 in San Salvador. Neither America/Costa_Rica nor America/El_Salvador shifts for daylight saving, so the gap holds all year.

How much is a flight from San José to San Salvador?

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As observed on April 25, 2026: $261 per person round-trip on Copa flight CM763, departing June 18, 2026, returning June 22, 2026, with 1 stop. At $261, it ranked 4th of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from SJO (median $412). That is 64.4 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), above the SJO median of 21.6 cents across 29 round-trip routes. Prices change daily, so check the live fare.

Is there a nonstop flight from San José to San Salvador?

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The cheapest recorded fare had 1 stop; our feed keeps only the cheapest fare per route, so a pricier nonstop may exist. Into San Salvador, 4 of the 13 recorded fares were nonstop. From SJO, 6 of 30 were. Routes from SJO of similar length: Panama City (335 mi) at $300 and Guatemala City (531 mi) at $304.

Which airports serve flights from San José to San Salvador?

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It departs Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San José, Costa Rica, and arrives at El Salvador International Airport (SAL) in San Salvador, El Salvador. An international flight, Costa Rica to El Salvador. Copa had the cheapest fare on 7 of 30 SJO routes.

Where else near San Salvador can you fly from San José?

Guatemala City (GUA) $304Quepos (XQP) $246San Andres (ADZ) $444Cancun (CUN) $309Panama City (PTY) $300Mexico City (MEX) $256All flights from San José →

Other cities with flights to San Salvador

From Los Angeles (LAX) $241From Houston (IAH) $252From Washington DC (DCA) $275From Washington DC (IAD) $275From Miami (MIA) $329From New York (LGA) $340

Ready to fly?

Book Copa SJO → SAL · $261 →