Costa Rica eSIM Data Plans
8 data plans. Instant delivery, no physical SIM needed.
Auto-selects the best available partner network in Costa Rica, no manual APN or setup.
Most plans only start counting when you first connect in Costa Rica, install on home Wi-Fi today and fly whenever. See how it works →
You'll need Data Roaming on for this eSIM, that's normal for travel eSIMs and costs nothing extra. · Apple Pay · Google Pay · Card, what you see is what you pay.
Connectivity in Costa Rica
Your eSIM connects as an international roaming line on Kölbi, Claro or Movistar, three of Costa Rica's main networks, and it picks whichever gives the stronger signal where you are. Expect solid 4G and LTE, with 5G in a few areas, across San José, Liberia, Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio, plus the main roads and Pacific coast towns most travellers pass through. Kölbi, run by the state operator, has the widest reach and tends to hold up best once you leave the cities. Signal thins in the mountains, the cloud forest around Monteverde, the remote Osa Peninsula and parts of the Caribbean coast, where every network struggles.
Because this is a roaming line rather than a local SIM, you need to switch on Data Roaming for the eSIM line before it will connect. That is normal for a travel eSIM and costs nothing extra, as the plan price already covers it. It is data-only, with no Costa Rica phone number and no SMS, so keep your home SIM active in another phone for bank and login OTP codes. WhatsApp, iMessage and FaceTime all work as normal over the data connection.
Most plans start counting only when the eSIM first connects to a network in Costa Rica, so you can install it over Wi-Fi before you leave home and have it ready to go. If your phone shows No Service after you land at San José or Liberia airport, switch Airplane Mode on and off once to nudge it into registering with Kölbi, Claro or Movistar. Coverage can also dip briefly inside thick jungle, deep valleys and some concrete resort buildings, usually returning as soon as you move back into the open.
Because roaming traffic may leave through an internet gateway outside Costa Rica, the odd website or app can treat you as if you are browsing from another country. It is a minor quirk rather than a blocker, and everyday tools like maps, messaging and browsing work normally. Rules like this can change, so if that routing shifts we will say so plainly.
What a GB actually gets you
Realistic estimates, varies by app and signal.
Get your eSIM in three steps
About 90 seconds from search to installed, here's the whole journey.
Pick your destination among 190+ countries and regions, search knows the nicknames too.
- Validity
- 30 days
- Networks
- Zong 4G · Jazz 4G
- Top-up
- Available
- Starts
- First connection
Compare sizes with the “which size?” estimator, pay by Apple Pay, Google Pay or card.
Your eSIM arrives on screen and by email, one-tap install, QR, or manual codes.
Installed in minutes, before you fly
Do it on home Wi-Fi the day you buy. Three small steps:
The one-tap Install button on your delivery screen does it without any scanning. Prefer the QR? Open your email on a second screen. Samsung? Paste the manual code, it always works.
On Wi-Fi: set the eSIM as your data line, then turn Data Roaming ON for the eSIM line only, normal for travel eSIMs, costs nothing extra. Your home SIM stays untouched.
Your plan starts per the policy on its card, at purchase, or first connection in your destination. One rule forever: never delete the eSIM; top up instead.
Costa Rica eSIM FAQs
Which networks will I get in Costa Rica?＋−
Your data roams on Kölbi, Claro or Movistar, chosen automatically to pick up the stronger signal. You get solid 4G and LTE, with 5G in a few areas, across San José, Liberia, Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio. Kölbi has the widest reach, so coverage thins mainly in the mountains, cloud forest and remote coastal areas.
Do I get a Costa Rica phone number or SMS?＋−
No, this is a data-only plan with no local number and no SMS on the eSIM line. Keep your usual SIM active in another phone so bank and login OTP codes still reach you. WhatsApp, iMessage and FaceTime all work over the data connection, so you can still call and message as normal.
How much data do I get and when does the plan start?＋−
You choose the data allowance when you buy, and standard plans can be topped up with more data if you run low. Most plans start counting only when the eSIM first connects to a network in Costa Rica, not when you install it. That means you can set it up on Wi-Fi before you leave home and it will not begin until you arrive.
Will I have signal in the national parks and remote beaches?＋−
Around the main towns, resort areas and the entrances to popular parks like Manuel Antonio, usually yes. Deep in the cloud forest at Monteverde, on the remote Osa Peninsula and along quieter stretches of the Caribbean coast, every network thins out and you may lose signal entirely. Download offline maps before you set off so you can still navigate where coverage fades.
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