San José Province · Costa Rica
San José in May
In May, San José averages a daytime high of 29 °C and a night-time low of 21 °C, with about 317 mm of rain over the month. It falls outside San José's most comfortable months, December to March.
- Average high
- 29 °C
- Average low
- 21 °C
- Rain in the month
- 317 mm
- Daylight on 15 May
- 12 h 40 min
- Comfortable month
- No
- Places to stay
- 113
When to go
How May compares with the rest of the year in San José
May is tied for the 2nd warmest month in San José by average daytime high; across the year the highs run from 27 °C to 30 °C and the lows from 19 °C to 21 °C. By day, May is 1 °C cooler than April, and June is 1 °C cooler than May.
May brings 317 mm of rain, more than the monthly average of 184 mm (2206 mm a year); it is the 3rd wettest month.
On 15 May the sun is up for about 12 h 40 min, against 11 h 30 min at the shortest and 12 h 40 min at the longest point of the year (calculated from the latitude, sunrise to sunset).
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28 °C | 20 °C | 7 mm | Yes |
| February | 28 °C | 20 °C | 7 mm | Yes |
| March | 29 °C | 20 °C | 23 mm | Yes |
| April | 30 °C | 21 °C | 93 mm | |
| May | 29 °C | 21 °C | 317 mm | |
| June | 28 °C | 21 °C | 284 mm | |
| July | 28 °C | 21 °C | 236 mm | |
| August | 28 °C | 20 °C | 266 mm | |
| September | 27 °C | 20 °C | 341 mm | |
| October | 27 °C | 20 °C | 436 mm | |
| November | 27 °C | 19 °C | 175 mm | |
| December | 27 °C | 19 °C | 22 mm | Yes |
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
When to go
Is May a good time to visit San José?
Not by the measure used here: about 317 mm of rain is 80 mm or more. The comfortable months in San José are December to March; the nearest are March, before, and December, after.
The measure is about weather for a city stay only; it says nothing about events, school holidays or prices.
Public holidays in Costa Rica in May
Nationwide public holidays; shops and offices may close on these dates.
Where to stay
Where to stay in San José
This guide lists 113 places to stay in San José: 1 chain property with its details and own websites, and 112 hotels recorded in Wikidata. By straight-line distance from the centre: under 1 km, 11; 1–3 km, 29; 3–10 km, 25; 10 km or more, 48.
Sources: climate from CRU TS v4.10 (Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia; Open Database License), 1991–2020 averages; day length calculated from the latitude; public holidays from python-holidays (MIT); places to stay from each operator's own public pages and Wikidata. How this guide is made.