TravelDatakit

Best eSIM for Costa Rica

Costa Rica has solid 4G coverage in San José and main tourist areas. Inside national parks — Corcovado, Monteverde, Tortuguero — signal drops in the jungle interior regardless of operator.

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Roaming applies on all foreign SIMs Kolbi — widest rural coverage 5 providers compared

Last checked: October 2026. Plans and prices change — verify before purchase.

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Field tip — National parks and cloud forest have gaps

San José, Liberia, Jacó and main coastal towns have strong 4G. National parks — Corcovado, Tortuguero, Monteverde cloud forest, Manuel Antonio — have coverage at visitor centres and main entrances but no signal in deep jungle. Osa Peninsula and Tortuguero's canals have very limited coverage. Download offline maps before any national park or jungle visit.

Prices sourced from provider websites. Network information sourced from provider documentation and independent travel guides (2026).

eSIM — Costa Rica

Our selection of providers for Costa Rica — data-only plans, install before arrival. Use the calculator above to compare more options for your specific trip.
Yesim
Prepaid tiers (1–20 GB, 30-day validity) and a day-by-day unlimited ladder (1–30 days). 7-day unlimited plan available. Carrier not disclosed.
From $5.16 Check plans on Yesim
Airalo
Prepaid tiers (1–20 GB). Routes via Kolbi (ICE) / Claro CR (4G). Unlimited tiers available.
$1.93 per GB Check plans on Airalo
aloSIM
Prepaid tiers (1–20 GB). Routes via Kolbi (ICE). Unlimited tiers available.
Unlimited from $20.50
Unlimited up to 2 GB/day at full speed, then throttled to 512 Kbps.
Check plans on aloSIM
More options — aggregators
MobiMatter Not reviewed
Marketplace aggregating plans from 30+ eSIM providers.
30+ providers
Browse plans on MobiMatter
SimOptions Not reviewed
Multi-provider aggregator with coverage across 200+ destinations.
200+ destinations
Browse plans on SimOptions

Network coverage in Costa Rica

Three operators run Costa Rica: Kolbi (widest national coverage including national parks and remote Pacific/Caribbean coasts), Claro (strong in San José, Liberia, Jacó and main resort corridors) and Liberty. All three deliver 4G; 5G is only just emerging — essentially limited to central San José — so nationwide coverage remains 4G.

For Corcovado, Monteverde, Tortuguero and the Osa Peninsula, Kolbi has the most reliable signal at park edges — deep jungle has no signal on any network. Provider routing on this page: Airalo routes via Liberty only. aloSIM routes via Claro or Liberty. Roamless, Saily and Yesim do not publicly disclose their Costa Rican carrier. For specific park coverage gaps, see the field tip above.

Where are you travelling from? Does your plan cover this destination?

CarrierCosta RicaVerdict
AT&T
Unlimited Elite, Unlimited Premium PL, AT&T Elite 2.0, AT&T Premium 2.0Included in the plan.Keep your plan.
AT&T
Other AT&T plans (Unlimited)Plan data / 1 day: US$12; plan data / 30 days: US$120.Get an eSIM.
Verizon
Unlimited UltimateIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Verizon
Unlimited Plus, Unlimited Welcome5 GB / 1 day: US$12; 20 GB / 30 days: US$100.Get an eSIM.
T-Mobile
Experience Beyond (Go5G Next) · Experience More (Go5G Plus, Magenta MAX)Included in the plan.Keep your plan.
T-Mobile
Essentials2 GB / 1 day: US$10; 15 GB / 10 days: US$50; 30 GB / 30 days: US$75.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierCosta RicaVerdict
EE
All EE plans500 MB / 1 day: £8.Get an eSIM.
O2
Ultimate Plans · Plus, VoltIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
O2
Other O2 plansPlan data / 1 day: £7.Get an eSIM.
Vodafone
All Vodafone plansPlan data / 1 day: £8.Get an eSIM.
Three
EssentialIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Three
AdvancedPlan data / 1 day: £5.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierCosta RicaVerdict
TELUS
5G+ Complete ExploreIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
TELUS
Other TELUS plansPlan data / 1 day: CA$18; plan data / 7 days: CA$60.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Bell
All Bell plans5 GB / 1 day: CA$16; plan data / 14 days: CA$100; plan data / 30 days: CA$120; plan data / 30 days: CA$320.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Rogers
All Rogers plansPlan data / 1 day: CA$18; plan data / 3 days: CA$45; plan data / 7 days: CA$75; plan data / 14 days: CA$100; +1 more.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Vidéotron
Forfait Canada et InternationalIncluded in the plan.Keep your plan.
Vidéotron
Forfait Canada, États-Unis et Mexique · Forfaits Canada et États-Unis · Forfaits Canada et France · Other Vidéotron plansNo pass: pay as you go. (figure not confirmed by an official source)Get an eSIM.
Prices exclude tax.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierCosta RicaVerdict
Telstra
All Telstra plansPay as you go: A$3/MB.Get an eSIM.
Optus
Choice Plus, Plus Family, Plus Promo5 GB / 1 day: A$5.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Optus
Other Optus plans1 GB / 1 day: A$10.Get an eSIM.
Vodafone (TPG)
All Vodafone (TPG) plansPlan data / 1 day: A$5.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
CarrierCosta RicaVerdict
Vodafone Ireland
Vodafone Unlimited (RED Roaming)500 MB / 1 day: €4.99.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Vodafone Ireland
Other Vodafone Ireland plans500 MB / 1 day: €5.Compare: the pass may be enough.
Three Ireland
All Three Ireland plans2 GB / 1 day: €5.99; 6 GB / 3 days: €14.99; 14 GB / 7 days: €34.99.Compare: the pass may be enough.
eir
All eir plansPay as you go: €4.99/MB.Get an eSIM.
Carrier rates checked on 2026-10-21
Check whether this destination is in your plan's included zone.If not, an eSIM is almost always cheaper than pay-per-MB roaming.

Arrival protocol in Costa Rica

Before departure from home
Check your phone supports eSIM — dial *#06#, look for an EID number.
Install the eSIM before your flight — activation is automatic on landing at Juan Santamaría (SJO) or Liberia (LIR).
Save QR code and setup instructions offline.
Download offline maps for all destinations — essential for Corcovado, Monteverde, Tortuguero and Osa Peninsula where signal drops.
Keep home SIM active for calls and SMS.
After landing in Costa Rica
Go to Settings → Mobile data → select the eSIM as your data line.
Turn off data roaming on your home SIM.
Test with a page load. If nothing loads, toggle airplane mode for 30 seconds or manually select Kolbi or Claro.
Do not delete the eSIM if it does not connect immediately — check settings first.

VPN, passwords and documents

On hotel or café Wi-Fi, a VPN can be useful to keep your browsing private from the network operator. A password manager is also worth having for managing account access on the road. A secure cloud backup of your passport, visa and accommodation details can also be useful — keep an offline copy too. None of these are mandatory.

Mistakes to avoid in Costa Rica

Leaving data roaming on your home SIM. Background apps will generate charges; Costa Rica has no regional roaming agreement so most foreign SIMs are billed at international rates.
Choosing an eSIM that does not route via Kolbi for a national-parks trip. Kolbi (ICE) reaches furthest into Corcovado, Monteverde, Tortuguero and the Osa Peninsula, while Claro and Movistar drop sharply outside San José and the resort corridors.
Not downloading offline maps before park visits. Deep jungle has no signal on any network — download maps and accommodation contacts before leaving the city.
Buying an eSIM when home roaming is already favourable. If your carrier includes Costa Rica at a clear rate, use it — verify before buying.
Complete your travel kit
eSIM for mobile data
VPN for public Wi-Fi
Password manager
Cloud + offline docs
See the full checklist →

Continuing your trip in Central America?

Many travellers combine Costa Rica with neighbouring countries. See our guides for eSIM in Panama, eSIM in Nicaragua and eSIM in Guatemala. For multi-country trips combining Costa Rica with neighbouring Central America destinations, our North America regional plan comparison may be useful.