By the gates in SJO, Mini Market is the snack fallback
Mini Market sits airside near the gates in terminals A/B at Juan Santamaría International Airport, and it runs on the simple formula of bottled drinks, packaged snacks, and a few travel essentials. Think water, chips, candy, and grab-and-go items at a solid airport markup, with a rating pegged at 5 from travelers who accept the tradeoff of price for speed.
Prices land firmly in the $$ bracket: expect to pay noticeably more colones for a 500 ml water or a small bag of chips than you would in a supermarket in Alajuela or San José. Multiple flyers mention Mini Market specifically when complaining that even “just chips and water” feel expensive here, but they still use it because the sit-down restaurants cost even more.
The main use case: stocking up for a 3–6 hour flight when you didn’t bring anything from outside. Parents mention grabbing multiple snack packs for kids, plus gum and candy, so they don’t have to rely on airline catering. Options skew heavily toward packaged items and sodas; travelers call out the lack of fresh, healthy choices beyond maybe a few cereal bars.
Regulars flying out of SJO often buy snacks and drinks at local supermarkets like Mas x Menos or Walmart in Alajuela before heading to the airport, then use Mini Market only if they miscalculated or got through security with extra time. One trick people mention: buy one large bottle of water at Mini Market and share it instead of buying several small ones at the higher per-liter price.
What to get: bottled water in 1–1.5 liter sizes, chips, cookies, candy, and basic sundries like tissues or mints if you forgot them. Watch out for: sticker shock on drinks and snacks, and the thin selection of healthier items. Tip: if you’re already past security with no supplies, buy just the essentials here and eat a real meal either before arriving at SJO or on the plane if your airline serves food.