Comparing the two navigation apps to help you pick the right one for Costa Rica.
| Google Maps | Waze | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Excellent for finding businesses, reading reviews, and using offline maps when you have no data signal in remote areas. | The navigation app of choice for Costa Ricans with real-time community alerts for potholes, flooding, fallen trees, and road closures. |
| Essential? | Yes | Yes |
| Pro Tip | Download the offline map of Costa Rica before your trip. Rural areas have patchy data coverage. | Switch Waze's language to Spanish to see local road names the way Costa Ricans refer to them. |
| App Store | Download | Download |
| Play Store | Download | Download |
We recommend Waze for navigation in Costa Rica. Switch Waze's language to Spanish to see local road names the way Costa Ricans refer to them.
Waze is our top recommendation for navigation in Costa Rica. The navigation app of choice for Costa Ricans with real-time community alerts for potholes, flooding, fallen trees, and road closures.
Google Maps vs Waze in Costa Rica