Compare the Best Travel eSIMs for Costa Rica
Prepaid data eSIMs for visitors to Costa Rica, every plan ranked by real price per GB. This is not a Costa Rica contract or a local SIM. Updated daily.
Reviewed by Lee DobsonLast updated Ranked independently by real price per GBUpdated dailyFree to use, no account
The 3 best Costa Rica eSIMs right now
Hand-checked · ranked by price per GB
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Sim LocalOrange Holiday World 100 GBAll plans 139
What Costa Rica data actually costs
Costa Rica travel eSIM prices look random until you convert every plan to one number: the real cost per gigabyte. Here is what that reveals right now.
The cheapest plan at each size, 30 days
| Data | Cheapest provider | Total | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | Sim Local | $70.25 | $1.41/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| 25 GB | Ubigi | $29 | $1.16/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 20 GB | Nomad | $31 | $1.55/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 10 GB | Ubigi | $19 | $1.90/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 5 GB | Yesim | $15.16 | $3.03/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
| 1 GB | Yesim | $5.01 | $5.01/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
Cost per GB rises from $1.41/GB at 50 GB to $5.01/GB at 1 GB. Buying a little more data than you expect to use is almost always cheaper per gigabyte than buying exactly what you need.
The "unlimited" trap
The same words, unlimited for 30 days, cover a wide price range, and most plans slow down after a daily threshold that the label hides.
| Provider | Unlimited, 30 days | Fair-use cap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya | $49.99 | 3 GB/day, then 10 Mbps source | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Ubigi | $69 | Not published | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| GigSky | $74.99 | 2.5 GB/day, then reduced, but not below 100 kbps source | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM |
| Airalo | $89 | 3 GB/day, then 1 Mbps source | Get plan ↗ |
| Yesim | $91.21 | Not published | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
Unlimited 30 day plans run from $49.99 to $91.21, a spread of about 82 percent, for a label that means the same thing on paper. Check the daily cap before you buy, especially if you plan to tether a laptop.
Do not overpay for coverage you will not use
If your whole trip is in Costa Rica, a Costa Rica only plan is far cheaper per gigabyte than a North America or global plan carrying the same data. Same provider (Sim Local), same 20 GB, 30 days:
| Sim Local plan | Price | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica only | $36.25 | $1.81/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| North America | $35 | $1.75/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Global | $35 | $1.75/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
A Costa Rica only plan costs much less per gigabyte than a regional or global plan with the same data. Only pay for the wider plan if you are actually crossing borders on this trip.
Which network does your Costa Rica eSIM use?
This is the question that decides your real signal, and almost no comparison site answers it. Your travel eSIM connects to one or more local networks as a visitor, and that choice matters the moment you leave the big cities, because rural coverage varies a lot between them.
| Provider | Host network | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| GigSky | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Ubigi | Liberty | Confirmed |
| Nomad | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Saily | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Yesim | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
Only Ubigi publicly names its Costa Rica partner, Liberty; Airalo, GigSky, Nomad, Saily, and Yesim do not state which Costa Rican network they use, so for parks and remote areas favor a plan you can confirm runs on Kolbi, which reaches furthest into rural terrain.
Coverage by where you are going
- Kolbi (state-owned ICE) holds roughly 60% of the market and has the widest reach in national parks, volcano zones, and rural areas, with towers in remote regions private carriers skip.
- Liberty has about 40% mobile share and is strongest in San Jose, the airport corridor, and coastal towns such as Jaco and Tamarindo, having absorbed the former Movistar (Telefonica) network in 2023.
- Claro remains a separate third operator owned by America Movil and focuses on urban and main-road coverage.
- 5G is early. The spectrum auction closed in early 2025 and Kolbi, Liberty, and Claro are still building out, so most of the country runs on 4G/LTE.
- Beach regions including Guanacaste, Nicoya, and Manuel Antonio, plus rainforest around Monteverde and Osa, can have dead zones on any carrier.
- Deep interior areas such as Corcovado, the Tortuguero canals, and high Talamanca have little to no signal on any network.
Travel eSIM vs a local Costa Rica SIM
A travel eSIM is the low-effort option: buy before you fly, install by QR code, and connect on arrival without swapping your physical SIM. The catch in Costa Rica is that most travel providers ride a single roaming partner, and only Ubigi says which one (Liberty). If your trip centers on national parks or remote lodges, that single-network dependence is the main risk, because Liberty and Claro thin out where Kolbi still has towers.
A local prepaid SIM gives you direct access to a chosen network. A Kolbi (ICE) prepaid SIM is the strongest pick for rural areas and parks, while Liberty is fine for cities and main beach towns. Local plans are usually cheaper per GB than travel eSIMs, and registration requires your passport.
Quick rule: For parks and rural lodges, prioritise Kolbi (ICE) coverage; for cities and main beach towns, Liberty is sufficient.
Costa Rica's networks are Kolbi (ICE), Liberty and Claro, and Kolbi prepaid SIMs with data are sold at Juan Santamaria (SJO) airport and shops nationwide, typically at a lower price per GB than most travel eSIMs, with Kolbi carrying roughly 60% of subscribers.
How a Costa Rica travel eSIM works
A travel eSIM replaces expensive roaming with a cheap local data plan you activate in seconds. There is no plastic SIM and no airport queue. Roaming with your home carrier can run 6 to 12 dollars a day, so a week easily tops 50 to 80 dollars for service you already pay for at home.
Three things to get right:
- Check your phone supports eSIM before you buy.
- Install the eSIM at home over WiFi, but wait to activate it until you land, because the validity period usually starts on activation.
- Keep your physical SIM in the phone for calls and texts on your normal number.
How we rank Costa Rica eSIMs
Every plan on this page is sorted by real price per GB (total price divided by included data, normalised to USD), so a cheap-looking 1 GB plan cannot outrank a better-value 10 GB one. We refresh prices daily and only list providers with a track record of activating on arrival. We earn a small affiliate commission when you buy through our links. It funds the price tracking and never changes the order you see.
Costa Rica travel eSIM FAQ
Which network has the best coverage in Costa Rica's national parks?
Kolbi, the state-owned ICE network, has the widest rural and park coverage. Its legacy infrastructure reaches remote areas that Liberty and Claro do not prioritise. If your trip focuses on volcanoes, rainforest, or remote lodges, a plan running on Kolbi is the safest choice. Even so, deep interior zones such as Corcovado and high Talamanca have gaps on every network.
Do these eSIMs work on 5G in Costa Rica?
5G is available but limited. The 5G spectrum auction closed in early 2025 and Kolbi, Liberty, and Claro are still expanding coverage through 2026. Most of the country, especially outside San Jose and the Central Valley, runs on 4G/LTE. Expect 4G speeds for most of a typical trip.
Which eSIM should I choose for a beach trip to Guanacaste or Nicoya?
Coverage in main beach towns like Tamarindo and Jaco is generally good, and Liberty performs well along the developed coast. More remote beaches in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula can still have dead zones on any network. Kolbi is the more reliable option once you leave the main tourist strips. Check that your chosen plan is not tied to a single urban-focused network if you plan to explore.
Can I make regular calls and send texts on a Costa Rica eSIM?
Most of these providers sell data-only plans, so calls and texts run through apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage over the data connection. Airalo is an exception, offering plans that include a local +506 number with inbound and outbound calls and SMS. If you need a real phone number, check the specific plan before buying. GigSky, Nomad, Saily, and Yesim are data-only for Costa Rica.
What do the unlimited plans actually give me?
None of these are truly unlimited at full speed. Airalo caps full-speed data at 3 GB per day then throttles to 1 Mbps, and Saily's unlimited plan gives 30 GB over 30 days before dropping to 1 Mbps. Nomad's unlimited plans allow 2 GB per day and are sold only for up to 10 days. Ubigi and Yesim sell 30-day unlimited plans with fair-use throttling but do not publish a specific daily figure.
Is Kolbi or Liberty the better network for a Costa Rica trip?
It depends on where you are going. Kolbi (ICE) has the broadest rural and national-park coverage and around 60% market share, making it best for nature-focused trips. Liberty holds about 40% share and is strong in San Jose, the airport corridor, and main coastal towns. For a mixed itinerary that includes remote areas, Kolbi is the safer default.
