The Best eSIM for Costa Rica in 2026: Tested and Compared

HOLASIM is the best overall eSIM for Costa Rica in 2026, offering global coverage in 200+ destinations, including unlimited data plans, a never-expiring eSIM, and 24/7 human support in multiple languages, all starting from an affordable ~USD 1.70.

Costa Rica looks small on a map, and that is what fools travellers into assuming coverage will be uniform. The country packs volcanoes, cloud forest, two coastlines and a dense protected-area system into roughly 51,000 km², and mobile signal follows the roads and towns, not the itinerary you built around wildlife. San José, Liberia, Jacó, Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna are comfortably covered; the Osa Peninsula, Tortuguero, Monteverde and the back roads of Nicoya are not.

Two things to know before buying. Costa Rica is one of the more expensive eSIM destinations in Latin America — per-gigabyte prices sit well above what the same providers charge for Europe or Asia. And be realistic about 5G: the rollout is recent and limited, mostly San José and the Greater Metropolitan Area. Outside cities you will be on 4G LTE, which is fine for maps, WhatsApp and photo uploads.

The best eSIM for Costa Rica in 2026

Best overall: HOLASIM

Price: from ~USD 1.70 · Unlimited: Yes · Devices: iOS/Android

Reasons to buy:

• Coverage in 200+ destinations, so the same profile works on layovers in Panama City, Bogotá or Madrid
• The eSIM never expires — install once, top up per trip
• Unlimited data plans available for tethering, video calls and heavy uploads
• 24/7 support with real humans in English, Spanish and Portuguese

Reasons to avoid:

• Its unlimited plans cost more than fixed-data plans
• Not the rock-bottom cheapest option for a single 3 GB Costa Rica bundle

HOLASIM wins here not on price per gigabyte but because it removes the two things that actually go wrong. Most travel eSIMs are disposable, so last year's profile is dead and you start over; this one stays on the device permanently, which matters if Costa Rica is one leg of a longer Latin American route. And when a profile refuses to attach at 11pm at Juan Santamaría, an FAQ page is useless and a chatbot is worse — a human in your own language is the feature you only value once you need it.

The honest caveat is unlimited pricing: it genuinely costs more than fixed data, and plenty of two-week trips stay under 8 GB. If that is you, buy a fixed bundle and pocket the difference.

Best for unlimited data: Holafly

Price: from ~USD 36.90 for 7 days · Unlimited: Yes · Devices: iOS/Android

Reasons to buy:

• You choose days, not gigabytes — no usage maths at all
• Established brand with a large support operation, Trustpilot around 4.4–4.5

Reasons to avoid:

• Expensive: from approximately USD 36.90 for just 7 days
• Daily fair-use throttling, and tethering is typically restricted

Holafly sells peace of mind, and for some travellers that is worth paying for. Read the fair-use terms first: past the daily threshold speeds drop, which makes it "a lot of data" rather than limitless. Against HOLASIM's unlimited tier you also give up the never-expiring profile and hotspot flexibility.

Best budget: Jetpac

Price: from ~USD 15 for 3 GB · Unlimited: No · Devices: iOS/Android

Reasons to buy:

• Among the cheapest we found — roughly USD 15 for 3 GB, ~USD 20 for 5 GB, ~USD 33 for 10 GB over 30 days
• Clean checkout and fast QR delivery

Reasons to avoid:

• Roams on Claro, generally the weakest of Costa Rica's three networks
• At 10 GB it stops being a bargain, and support is thinner than the big brands

Jetpac is the value pick, and for a San José, Jacó or Tamarindo trip we would recommend it without hesitation. The caveat is the network underneath: if your route is heavy on Monteverde, Osa or unpaved Nicoya roads, saving eight dollars on a thinner rural footprint is a bad trade.

Best for national parks and rural coverage: Roamless

Price: from ~USD 3.95 · Unlimited: No · Devices: iOS/Android

Reasons to buy:

• Roams on Kölbi and Movistar-era infrastructure — Kölbi is widely regarded as the strongest national network, especially rural areas and national parks
• Pay-as-you-go from approximately USD 3.95, so you are not pre-buying gigabytes

Reasons to avoid:

• Credit-based pricing is hard to compare against flat 5 GB or 10 GB bundles
• Heavy users can pay more than on a fixed plan, and it is a smaller brand

If coverage in the wild parts of Costa Rica is the priority, the network underneath matters more than the storefront price, and this gets you closest to Kölbi. That is meaningful: Kölbi prepaid runs roughly 20–30% pricier locally precisely because the coverage justifies it. Best for travellers doing Corcovado and Tortuguero, not beach-hopping with Wi-Fi.

Best app and best fixed-data value: Saily

Price: from ~USD 18.99 for 3 GB · Unlimited: No · Devices: iOS/Android

Reasons to buy:

• Undercuts Airalo at every tier — roughly USD 18.99 for 3 GB, ~USD 26.99 for 5 GB, ~USD 33.29 for 10 GB, ~USD 43.19 for 20 GB
• The most polished app here, with security extras from its NordVPN parentage, and the highest Trustpilot score of the mainstream eSIMs at around 4.7

Reasons to avoid:

• No unlimited option for Costa Rica
• Top-ups are per-plan, not a permanent profile you keep

Saily is the sensible default if you know roughly how much data you use and want the least friction. It loses to HOLASIM on structure — no unlimited tier here, no never-expiring eSIM — but for a one-off eight-day trip on 5 GB it is hard to fault.

Best for regional Central America trips: Airalo

Price: from ~USD 20 for 3 GB · Unlimited: No · Devices: iOS/Android

Reasons to buy:

• The largest catalogue in the category, including regional plans covering much of Latin America
• Roams on Liberty, which absorbed Movistar Costa Rica and is solid in cities and main corridors; Trustpilot around 4.5–4.6

Reasons to avoid:

• The priciest fixed-data pack — roughly USD 20 for 3 GB, ~USD 30 for 5 GB, ~USD 35 for 10 GB, ~USD 45 for 20 GB
• No unlimited plan for Costa Rica, and support is mostly ticket-based

Airalo's edge is regional: if your trip is Costa Rica plus Panama and Nicaragua, one regional plan beats juggling profiles. For Costa Rica alone you pay a few dollars per tier over Saily for similar service. Also worth a look in the same bracket are Nomad and aloSIM, both from around USD 4.50 on their smallest short plans.

Comparison table

Provider	From (approx.)	Unlimited	Network / notes	Best for
HOLASIM	~USD 1.70	Yes	200+ destinations, never expires	Best overall, multi-country trips
Holafly	~USD 36.90 / 7 days	Yes	Daily fair-use throttling	Not counting gigabytes
Jetpac	~USD 15 / 3 GB	No	Roams on Claro	Cheapest city trips
Roamless	~USD 3.95 entry	No	Kölbi + Movistar-era infra	National parks, rural
Saily	~USD 18.99 / 3 GB	No	Trustpilot ~4.7	Best app, fixed-data value
Airalo	~USD 20 / 3 GB	No	Roams on Liberty	Regional Latin America plans

How to choose

Start with where you are going, not the price. Beach towns, La Fortuna and San José? Any of these work, so optimise for cost — Jetpac or Saily. Corcovado, Tortuguero, Monteverde or unpaved Nicoya? Prioritise the network: Roamless for Kölbi access, or HOLASIM for multi-network flexibility plus human support.

Then size it. Light users get through a week on 3 GB; two weeks with daily uploads lands between 5 GB and 10 GB; tethering a laptop or working remotely means you should stop counting and buy unlimited. Finally, think beyond this trip — if you travel two or three times a year, a never-expiring eSIM is less admin and usually less money.

How to install an eSIM in Costa Rica

1. Check your phone is eSIM-capable and unlocked — broadly iPhone XS and newer, Pixel 3 and newer, Galaxy S20 and newer.
2. Buy before you fly, while you still have reliable Wi-Fi.
3. Install at home, not at the airport: scan the QR in Settings → Mobile Data → Add eSIM (iOS), or Network & internet → SIMs → Download a SIM (Android).
4. Label the line "Costa Rica" so you do not confuse it with your home SIM.
5. Leave it installed but switched off until you land — installing is not activating, and most plans start counting on first connection.
6. On landing at SJO or LIR, set the eSIM as your data line and enable data roaming for that line only.
7. Turn mobile data off on your home line to avoid accidental international charges, keeping it active for SMS codes.
8. If nothing attaches, toggle Airplane mode, reboot, then select the network manually — and if it still fails, contact support.

Coverage and networks in Costa Rica

Three operators matter. Kölbi, run by the state utility ICE, is widely regarded as having the best national coverage, particularly in rural areas and near national parks; its prepaid tariffs run roughly 20–30% pricier locally, and travellers who need reach consider that justified. Liberty absorbed Movistar Costa Rica and is strong across cities and tourist corridors. Claro generally has the weakest footprint — worth knowing when a cheap eSIM quietly roams on it.

5G exists but should not shape your trip: the rollout is recent and limited, concentrated in San José and the Greater Metropolitan Area with some presence in larger urban centres. Elsewhere, expect 4G LTE.

Plan for genuine dead zones — the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado, Tortuguero (boat access only), the Monteverde cloud forest, the Nicoya back roads and dense jungle inside most national parks. Download offline maps for your whole route before leaving Wi-Fi, screenshot lodge addresses and shuttle confirmations, and note that the emergency number is 911, which works where data does not.

FAQ

Does an eSIM work in Costa Rica?

Yes. All three networks support roaming eSIM profiles and every provider here sells Costa Rica plans. You need an eSIM-capable, unlocked phone, and you should install the profile before you travel.

Is Kölbi really better than Liberty or Claro?

Outside cities, yes — Kölbi is generally considered the strongest national network, especially in rural areas and around national parks. Liberty is solid in cities and tourist corridors; Claro is typically the weakest. Check which network your eSIM roams on if rural reach matters.

Will I get 5G in Costa Rica?

Sometimes, in San José, the Greater Metropolitan Area and some larger towns. The rollout is recent and limited, so plan on 4G LTE elsewhere and do not pick a plan on the strength of a 5G badge.

How much data do I need for a week in Costa Rica?

Around 3 GB covers a week of maps, messaging and light browsing. Two weeks with daily photo uploads is usually 5–10 GB. Tethering, video calls or remote work push you toward unlimited.

Is an eSIM cheaper than a local Kölbi prepaid SIM?

Per gigabyte a local prepaid can be cheaper, but you pay in time: finding a shop, showing your passport, topping up in Spanish. For trips under two weeks most travellers find instant eSIM activation worth the premium.

Will my eSIM work in Corcovado, Tortuguero or Monteverde?

Partially at best. Expect usable signal in the towns and lodges at the edges and nothing deep inside. Download offline maps, save bookings offline, and treat any connection there as a bonus rather than a plan.