List of Famous people born in San José, Costa Rica

Joel Nathaniel Campbell Samuels is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a forward and winger for Liga MX club León and the Costa Rica national team.

Bryan Jafet Ruiz González is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays for Alajuelense and the Costa Rica national team, whom he also captains. A left-footed attacking midfielder, he can also play as a second striker.

Giannina Facio, Lady Scott, is a Costa Rican actress and producer who has appeared in a number of films, especially those of her husband, British film director and producer Sir Ridley Scott. She first worked with Scott on White Squall and has been his partner since Hannibal. Gladiator was the first of two films in which she plays the wife of Russell Crowe's character, the other being Body of Lies. Since White Squall, Facio has made appearances in all of Scott's films except for American Gangster, The Martian and Alien: Covenant.

Carlos Andrés Alvarado Quesada is a Costa Rican politician, writer, journalist and political scientist, who is currently serving as the 48th President of Costa Rica. A member of the center-left Citizens' Action Party (PAC), Alvarado was previously Minister of Labor and Social Security during the Presidency of Luis Guillermo Solís.

Daniel Zovatto-Blanco is a Costa Rican American film and television actor. Since 2012, he has starred in films of the horror genre, Beneath (2013), It Follows (2014), and Don't Breathe (2016), as well as the romantic comedy Laggies (2014). Zovatto made his television debut in 2014, guest starring in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He has since held recurring roles as Gideon LeMarchal in Revenge (2014), and Jack in Fear the Walking Dead (2016). In 2018 he appeared in one of the lead roles in HBO's Here And Now, and a year later he was cast in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as the series protagonist, which premiered in 2020.

José María Zeledón Brenes was a Costa Rican politician, poet, journalist and writer under the pen name Billo Zeledón. He is known as the author of the Costa Rica's national anthem.

Teodoro Picado Michalski was the President of Costa Rica from 1944 to 1948.

Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia was a Costa Rican doctor and politician, who served as President from 1940 to 1944.

José María Figueres Olsen is a Costa Rican businessman and politician. After he left the presidency of Costa Rica in 1998, Figueres has also been involved in global issues such as climate change, sustainable development, and technology. He started his career as an engineer working in agribusiness. After a decade, he entered public service as Minister of Foreign Trade and then Minister of Agriculture. In 1994, he was elected President of Costa Rica, as the nation's youngest elected president of the 20th century. In 2000, he joined the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and later he worked with Concordia 21 in Madrid. Since 2010, he has been Chairman of the Carbon War Room, an independent non-profit organization focused on the global transition to a low-carbon economy. On 27 March 2012, Sir Richard Branson announced that he was appointed as the new President of the Carbon War Room.

José Joaquín Antonio Trejos Fernández was 35th President of Costa Rica from 1966 to 1970. His parents were Juan Trejos Quirós and Emilia Fernández Aguilar. As a student he obtained degrees in mathematics and economics from the University of Costa Rica. During Mario Echandi's administration he was part of Costa Rica's delegation in the United Nations. Trejos defeated Daniel Oduber in the election that secured him the presidency. Trejos died on 10 February 2010.