The best place to buy Costa Rican crafts in the city centre is the informal market along the western side of Plaza de la Democracia, where vendors sell jade replicas, painted oxcarts, wood carvings, hammocks, and coffee. The quality varies and prices are negotiable.
For higher-quality handicrafts, the artisan town of Sarchí (northwest of San José, about 45 minutes by bus) produces the hand-painted wooden oxcarts that are Costa Rica's most distinctive souvenir. The carts come in sizes from coaster to full scale.
Costa Rican coffee is one of the genuinely worthwhile things to bring home. The specialty coffee shops in Barrio Escalante stock single-origin beans from different growing regions; the Mercado Central also has vendors selling whole-bean coffee by weight. Look for Tarrazú, Naranjo, or Tres Ríos origins.
The Multiplaza, Lincoln Plaza, and other modern shopping malls in the suburbs stock the international brands if you need them. Most are accessible by bus or a short taxi ride.