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It takes about 3.5 hours to get from Managua to the border, and then 1.5-2 hours from the border to Liberia. You can take Transnica or Tica if you want, like she said, and if you're considering a plane, then Transnica would be the way to go. If I recall, taking local buses, the bus from Managua costs $2-3 or so, and the bus in Costa Rica (some are local, others are San Jose bound but stop in Liberia) costs a couple bucks. So it wouldn't be an enormous savings, and you'd have less comfortable seats and no A/C.

Bus From Liberia To Managua

I had a conference in Liberia months ago in May. I took TransNica with my partners. All you have to do is notify them in advance that you plan on stopping in Liberia. You have a couple other bus options, one of them being TicaBus, however, it is always crowded, service is terrible and it is more expensive. Taking TransNica from Managua to Liberia will cost you a little over $10 (or $20 if you choose executive).

I prefer TransNica for the quality of the seats, more space and they always have friendly drivers. They also have reclinable seats, television and video, sanitary service, a snack on board, and cellular telephone service. All bus depart in the morning.