A Costa Rica mission trip budget should cover the whole journey: flights, lodging, meals, airport transfers, ministry preparation, and personal expenses. For teams serving in Jacó with Divergent Life, the total depends on your dates, group size, hotel, room arrangements, and confirmed activities.

There is no confirmed per-person price in this guide yet. It is a planning framework, rather than a package quote. We are currently waiting on written group-rate quotes from Bird of Paradise Hotel and South Beach Jacó Hotel. Airfare, hotel rates, and transportation must be checked for your actual travel dates before anyone books, and this guide will be updated as confirmed pricing is received.

See our Costa Rica mission trips page for service opportunities, hotel options, the sample week, and the trip-details form.

Start with a seven-night sample trip

Our working example is a group of 15 traveling from Atlanta to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), arriving Saturday and leaving the following Saturday. June or July is a starting point for planning; your team chooses its actual dates.

The ministry itinerary begins Monday morning. Saturday arrivals may attend Horizon Church on Sunday if we know ahead of time. Wednesday is your team’s independently planned fun day. Travel days, ministry days, and free time all belong in the budget.

Include these costs in your mission trip budget

Compare the hotels using the same room assumptions

Bird of Paradise Hotel and South Beach Jacó Hotel are the two lodging options featured on our Mission Trips page. Ask each hotel for the same seven nights, the same group size, and rooms with two separate beds for two people. More people in a room can be considered if your team prefers it, but confirm both occupancy and actual beds.

For 15 travelers, the initial calculation is eight rooms for seven nights: 56 room-nights. One room would have a single occupant under that arrangement. Room availability, leader supervision, and team room assignments may require a different number of rooms.

Hotel cost per traveler = the full group lodging quote ÷ 15. For identical room rates, the starting calculation is 56 × the nightly room rate, plus any taxes or fees not already included, divided by 15. Use the hotel’s full quote when room types or single-occupancy rates differ.

Confirm breakfast in writing with the selected hotel, including whether it is included in the quoted rate. Your team arranges and pays for lunch and dinner. Hotel quotes should also identify deposits, payment deadlines, and cancellation terms.

Price airfare and airport transfers separately

Use a current round-trip Atlanta–SJO fare for your selected Saturday-to-Saturday dates. Southwest is our starting airline for the sample comparison. Record the exact fare and what it includes, then add the baggage and other options your travelers choose. This sample does not assume a particular flight duration, routing, or fare.

Request a round-trip airport transfer quote for all 15 travelers and their luggage. Confirm vehicle capacity, both pickup times, and the full price. Divide shared transportation costs by the number of travelers paying for them.

For departure, work backward from the flight time: the airline’s required airport arrival time, the transfer provider’s drive-time estimate, and a traffic allowance determine when the group leaves Jacó. Confirm that pickup before finalizing the itinerary. Add local transportation if agreed ministry locations require it.

Plan lunch, dinner, and Wednesday’s free day

Set a daily lunch-and-dinner allowance that suits your team, and account for meals while traveling. A Saturday-to-Saturday trip includes seven nights and parts of eight calendar days; the number of meals you need depends on your arrival and departure times.

Wednesday’s activities are organized by your team. Decide whether those costs are part of the amount collected by the leader or paid individually. Keep optional excursions and personal spending separate from the shared ministry-trip budget so travelers can understand the choices.

Prepare materials and leave room for changes

For agreed teaching opportunities, prepare the provided lessons and bring the printed notes or materials you need. Supplies for renovation work or another specific project are determined separately when the project is confirmed; do not assume a standard supplies charge.

Travel insurance is arranged by your team or individual travelers. Include the cost of the policy you choose. Set a contingency allowance your leader considers appropriate and explain who holds it and how unused funds will be handled.

Calculate the per-person total

Per-person estimate = airfare and individual charges + share of hotel and group transport + meals + chosen insurance + agreed materials + included activities + contingency. Keep personal purchases outside that total unless the team explicitly includes them.

Before collecting payments, label each amount as quoted, estimated, or optional. Check what is already included so breakfast, taxes, transfers, or supplies are not counted twice. Update the estimate when written quotes arrive.

Send us your team’s dates and room needs

Share your dates, traveler count, hotel preference, separate-bed needs, service interests, and questions through Submit Your Team’s Trip Details. We work with your leader on proposed ministry arrangements and the options to confirm before booking.

For the rest of the planning process, read how to plan a Costa Rica church or youth mission trip.