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Roami was founded to serve as a trusted resource for travelers in need of reliable internet solutions abroad. Our team, comprising avid travelers, provides comprehensive reviews and guidance on data SIM cards, eSIMs, pocket WiFi devices, and free WiFi apps, drawing from firsthand usage during our travels.

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Best SIM Card for Costa Rica: Which one to buy?

Author: Brenda Beltrán

Published: September 29, 2023

Advertising Disclosure

Advertising Disclosure

Roami was founded to serve as a trusted resource for travelers in need of reliable internet solutions abroad. Our team, comprising avid travelers, provides comprehensive reviews and guidance on data SIM cards, eSIMs, pocket WiFi devices, and free WiFi apps, drawing from firsthand usage during our travels.

We are committed to offering unbiased and thorough recommendations. To support our website, we earn affiliate commissions from links to products on our site. While our reviews are independent and based on our own experiences and detailed product testing, these commissions allow us to cover costs and continue bringing valuable advice to travelers worldwide.

Our reviews and articles are updated regularly to ensure relevance and accuracy. Please note that we may not review every product in the market, but we strive to cover as many as possible to maintain a wide-ranging resource for our readers. Join us at Roami to stay connected wherever your travels may take you.

costa rica sim card

If you want to share the best moments of your trip to San Jose, Santa Teresa Beach, or the Celeste River on social media, do not worry about expensive roaming rates in Costa Rica, or wifi pocket rentals, because with the SIM card with data for Costa Rica you can access cellular at a much cheaper price.

With the prepaid SIM card for Costa Rica, you will be able to surf the internet as if you were at home, a very valuable feature that will help you stay in touch with your family during the whole trip. Also, if you are one of those who like to share your adventure on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. it is essential that you remain connected at all times! In this post, we are going to tell you about the prices and where you can buy a SIM card for Costa Rica.

Where to buy a prepaid SIM card in Costa Rica?

You can buy a data SIM card for your trip to Costa Rica through online stores, this way you can get the SIM card at home before traveling and avoid mishaps and headaches of having to wait at the destination to look for a local SIM. Here are the advantages of this option.

Buy before you travel – Advantages

Besides being able to have internet in Costa Rica, acquiring a SIM card before traveling will improve your travel experience and can save you some headaches. Here’s what’s good about this option.

  • Internet upon arrival

As we have said, the main benefit is the convenience and security that this option offers. When you arrive at your destination, all you have to do is insert your Costa Rica SIM card and you will be able to connect to the Internet right away, all shortly after landing. You can even get internet from minute zero if you insert the SIM card before getting off the plane.

  • Avoid waiting or waiting in line

Depending on the time you arrive in Costa Rica, the number of travelers inside the airport will vary. This may force you to wait in lines or wait for a service rep at local stores. Also, in these places you will be asked for formal documentation to purchase a SIM card and for its activation.

Online store to buy a Costa Rica digital SIM card

You can order your Costa Rica virtual SIM card through the Holafly store. This product is delivered to your email after purchase. Holafly offers unlimited data plans. This can be used for up to 20 days. Here are some other features of these prepaid SIM cards.

  • Unlimited data plans are available

If you are a data intensive traveler this is the best option. As long as you are within the usage period you will be able to use as much data as you need.

  • Automatic activation

When you purchase a virtual SIM card you receive a QR code in your email for scanning. Once you do this you just wait for the digital SIM card to download and install. You must have an internet connection for this first installation.

  • Recharge through top-ups

When you want more data or more days of use you can buy back any package for the same destination with a top-up.

How much does a SIM card cost to travel to Costa Rica?

The price of the SIM card with data for Costa Rica depends on the amount of data you want to have during your trip and the number of days you want to be connected to the internet. In order for you to have at hand all the SIM card rates for Costa Rica, below, we’ve set out a table below with the prices and features of all the cards available for Costa Rica.

Digital SIM card prices for Costa Rica

If you want to be connected to the internet only in Costa Rica for a certain period of time, Holafly virtual SIM cards have the following options for you.

Days of useAmount of mobile dataPrice (USD)
5Unlimited data 27
7Unlimited data 34
10Unlimited data 37
15Unlimited data 47
20Unlimited data 54
Table 1. Rates for Holafly’s embedded SIM cards with data for Costa Rica.

Buy on landing

If you wish to shop at an airport or shopping mall in Costa Rica, you will not have the same advantages offered by online stores, however, we will show you the main advantage of shopping upon landing so that you can compare and choose the option that suits you best:

  • More SIM card options

Once you are in a shopping mall in Costa Rica or in an international airport such as Daniel Oduber International Airport or Limon International Airport, you will find different stores, and therefore, a great variety of products, among which are SIM cards with data. As there are more varieties of SIM cards you will have more options to choose from.

Claro, Movistar and Tigo stores in Costa Rica

Coverage and signal quality are a few decisive factors in this country, keeping in mind that there are tourist areas where there is no signal available. The recommended networks for internet are those of Claro, since this company is known for being the pioneer in telecommunications in Costa Rica, and more than anything else, for being the vanguard company of internet in this country. You will find SIM cards in different places such as stores and customer service spots.

Besides Claro; Movistar, Tigo and Kolbi are also good telecommunication companies in Costa Rica. Holafly SIM cards use the Telefonica de Costa Rica TC network, in this destination to bring you the best connection. Therefore, if you don’t have coverage on one carrier’s network, it will connect to the other.

Frequently asked questions about the Costa Rica prepaid SIM card

What other options offer me internet in Costa Rica?

If you want to connect to the Internet through options other than a data SIM card, we recommend that you consider the many disadvantages these options have. Most of them tend to be very expensive or insecure, as in the case of Free Wifi in public spaces, which despite not costing anything, the security of their networks leaves much to be desired, being very vulnerable to hacking. Other options provide internet in Costa Rica, such as eSIM for Costa Rica, roaming data service, or Wifi Pockets, although these options are mostly quite expensive.

How much does roaming cost in Costa Rica?

The rates for roaming service in Costa Rica depend on the operator with which you are going to access this service since there are operators that charge more than others. However, the price per MB for roaming in this country is usually between 6.79 and 13.57 USD.

What do I need to know to choose the best SIM card with data for Costa Rica?

Among the things you should consider when choosing your ideal SIM card for your trip to Costa Rica are the number of days and the amount of data you want to have during your trip. It is essential to be clear about this, so you avoid buying SIM cards with many days of data that you will not use. Likewise, good customer service is essential for you to ask questions about the product and to help you configure the cell phone.

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Brenda Beltrán

EN: I am Brenda Beltrán, a Colombian content creator who loves travel, technology, and video games. Since 2019, I have been creating content about entertainment and technology, starting as a journalist for video games, eSports, and tech. Now, I focus on writing about travel, providing tips on how to stay always connected abroad. I hope that all the content I create helps you discover new places in the best possible way! | ES: Soy Brenda Beltrán, creadora de contenido colombiana amante de los viajes, la tecnología y los videojuegos. Desde 2019, he creado contenido sobre entretenimiento y tecnología, comenzando como periodista de videojuegos, eSports y tech. Ahora me dedico a escribir sobre viajes, dando consejos sobre cómo mantenerse siempre conectado en el exterior. Espero que todo el contenido que creo te ayude a conocer nuevos lugares de la mejor manera!

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