Time Difference Between United States and Costa Rica
As of 31 August 2026, Costa Rica is 2 hours behind United States. That number is not constant. Over the course of a year, because of daylight saving changes, San Jose, Costa Rica ranges from 2 hours behind to 1 hour behind relative to New York, United States. The calculator below is always up to date.
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New York, United States
18:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-4 · EDT · America/New_York
San Jose, Costa Rica
-2h16:34
Mon, Aug 31, 2026
UTC-6 · CST · America/Costa_Rica
Costa Rica is 2 hours behind United States.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Monday, August 31, 2026 | EDTAmerica/New_York | UTC-4 | Active now |
| Costa Rica | Monday, August 31, 2026 | CSTAmerica/Costa_Rica | UTC-6 | Not observed |
United States: The United States spans six main time zones. This page uses Eastern Time; Pacific Time is 3 hours behind it.
Hour by hour: United States to Costa Rica
Every hour of today in United States and what it is in Costa Rica. Highlighted rows fall inside Costa Rica working hours (09:00–18:00).
| United States | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 22:00prev day |
| 01:00 | 23:00prev day |
| 02:00 | 00:00 |
| 03:00 | 01:00 |
| 04:00 | 02:00 |
| 05:00 | 03:00 |
| 06:00 | 04:00 |
| 07:00 | 05:00 |
| 08:00 | 06:00 |
| 09:00 | 07:00 |
| 10:00 | 08:00 |
| 11:00 | 09:00 |
| United States | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | 10:00 |
| 13:00 | 11:00 |
| 14:00 | 12:00 |
| 15:00 | 13:00 |
| 16:00 | 14:00 |
| 17:00 | 15:00 |
| 18:00 | 16:00 |
| 19:00 | 17:00 |
| 20:00 | 18:00 |
| 21:00 | 19:00 |
| 22:00 | 20:00 |
| 23:00 | 21:00 |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
11:00–18:00 in United States (09:00–16:00 in Costa Rica)
Both places are inside 09:00–18:00 for 7 hours a day. Anything in this window works without asking anyone to stay late.
Reasonable calling hours
10:00–21:00 in United States (08:00–19:00 in Costa Rica)
Both people are awake and available between 08:00 and 21:00 local time during this window.
When this difference changes
United States puts its clocks back on Sunday, November 1, 2026
The local offset moves from UTC-4 to UTC-5. After that date, Costa Rica is 1 hour behind United States — instead of 2 hours behind, as it is today.
Planning something with more than two places?
Adding a third city usually kills the obvious answer. The Meeting Time Finder takes up to five cities at once and shows only the hours that work for everybody.
United States and Costa Rica: common questions
What is the time difference between United States and Costa Rica?
As of 31 August 2026, Costa Rica is 2 hours behind United States. The gap is not fixed: across the year, Costa Rica ranges from 2 hours behind to 1 hour behind relative to United States, as clocks change. The calculator on this page always shows the difference for right now.
When it is 9:00 AM in United States, what time is it in Costa Rica?
It is 07:00 AM in San Jose, Costa Rica. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is Costa Rica ahead of or behind United States?
Costa Rica is behind United States by 2 hours at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in Costa Rica starts and ends later in United States terms.
Do United States and Costa Rica observe daylight saving time?
United States changes its clocks twice a year; Costa Rica does not. The difference therefore shifts by an hour when United States switches: across the year, Costa Rica ranges from 2 hours behind to 1 hour behind relative to United States.
What is the best time to call Costa Rica from United States?
Working hours overlap between 11:00 and 18:00 United States time, which is 09:00 to 16:00 in Costa Rica. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for New York, United States (UTC-4) and San Jose, Costa Rica (UTC-6) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.