Americas
AmericasCosta Rica eSIM
Landmarks · San José
From $3.79 on 6 Nov 2026. No app and no account: pay here and the QR arrives by email. Data only; your home number keeps working. 5 GB lasts 30 days, so one pack covers a 1-, 2- or 4-week trip.
Not sure which size? Work it out
7 days at about 600 MB a day ≈ 4.2 GB. 5 GB fits, $18.99.
Same 5 GB / 30 days: $18.99 here, $26.50 at Airalo. Checked 6 Nov 2026.
- Refund if unusedNot installed? 30 days to cancel.
- QR by emailInstall on Wi-Fi, switch on when you land.
- Secure checkoutStripe. Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Pay in your own currency.
- A person, not a botWrite any hour: a reply in minutes.
- Networks
- ClaroYour phone picks the strongest of these on its own. No setting to change.
- Internet via
- United States
- Top-up
- Same profileAdd more GB to this same eSIM later, from your order page. No new QR, nothing to install.
Prices checked 6 Nov 2026, in US dollars.
54 brands’ prices for Costa Rica, side by side →
Also visiting Panama? Plan the whole trip, one payment →
QR mail in about a minute
Tap Add eSIM on Wi-Fi
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Not buying today?
Get the setup steps for Costa Rica by email, and we can tell you if your pack gets cheaper.
Costa Rica eSIM in numbers
- No app and no account: pay on this page and the QR code arrives by email in about a minute. The cheapest way in is 1 GB for 7 days at $3.79. How buying without an app works.
- 5 GB for 30 days costs $18.99, which is $3.80 a GB; the 20 GB pack brings it to $2.29 a GB.
- For 5 GB lasting 30 days, ours is number 31 of the 48 brands we compare for Costa Rica; the lowest is nadanada at $7.99 (prices read 3 Nov to 6 Nov 2026). Every brand side by side.
- Each pack on its own page, with the same data at other brands: 1 GB, 7 days, 3 GB, 30 days, 5 GB, 30 days, 10 GB, 30 days, 20 GB, 30 days.
eSIM, local SIM or pocket Wi-Fi in Costa Rica?
A local SIM is often cheaper per GB. The difference is where you get it and what it asks for. Prices from each operator’s own page, read 4 Nov 2026. kölbi sells this as its SIM for visitors. Internet beyond its allowances is charged by the kilobyte.
Compare 2 options: price, where to get it, ID
| Option | What you get | Price | How you get it | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inbox eSIM | 5 GB / 30 days | $18.99 | Online before you fly; QR by email, installs on Wi-Fi | None |
| kölbi SIM Turista | 5 GB for social networks and 5 GB for other named apps, 100 national minutes and 30 SMS | ₡12.095 with taxes (about $26.63) | The shops listed on kölbi's page | Not stated |
Before you land in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica our plan uses Claro's 4G network. Coverage is densest around San José and the main towns, so download offline maps before heading into national parks or along rural roads.
5 things to know, each with its source
- The official tourism board suggests adding roaming to your home plan or buying a prepaid SIM at the Kölbi booth at the airport or in a phone company store; Kölbi is the brand of the national telecom company. Visit Costa Rica, Travel and safety tips
- Costa Rica's emergency number is 9-1-1. Visit Costa Rica, Important phone numbers
- Claro launched the first stage of its 5G network in Costa Rica on 18 September 2025. Claro Costa Rica, Claro lanza la red 5G más veloz y de mayor cobertura en Costa Rica
- By July 2026 Claro's 5G reached more than 2.1 million people across all seven provinces, with most users in the Greater Metropolitan Area and steady growth in Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón. Claro Costa Rica, Claro amplía su cobertura 5G y supera los 2,1 millones de personas
- Claro reports that Ookla named it Costa Rica's fastest mobile internet for the fifth year in a row in 2026. Claro Costa Rica, Claro amplía su cobertura 5G y supera los 2,1 millones de personas
Read before you go: eSIM for a Central America trip
Questions
What is the best eSIM for Costa Rica?
For most trips, 5 GB for 30 days is enough: $18.99 here, against $26.50 at Airalo for the same data (read 6 Nov 2026). It is data only and needs no app: the QR code and a one-tap install link arrive by email. Every brand's price for Costa Rica, dated and sourced, is on our comparison page.
Which Costa Rica eSIM for a month?
Every one of these lasts 30 days: 3 GB $9.09, 5 GB $18.99, 10 GB $26.90, 20 GB $45.90. The 30 days start when the eSIM first connects to a network there, so you can buy before the trip.
Can I buy a Costa Rica eSIM without an app?
Yes. You pay on this page and the QR code and a one-tap install link arrive by email: no app and no account. It is data only, with no phone number, so your home SIM keeps your calls and SMS.
Does the Costa Rica eSIM come with a phone number?
No. It is data only: no local number, calls or SMS on this eSIM. Your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts (your carrier's roaming rates apply to them), and WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal calls run over the eSIM's data. If you need a local number in Costa Rica, for example for a service that texts a code, buy a local SIM there.
Which Costa Rica eSIM for a week or two?
For 7 days: 1 GB $3.79. The 30-day packs cover one or two weeks too: 3 GB $9.09, 5 GB $18.99.
Will WhatsApp keep my number with a Costa Rica eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp stays on your home number: this eSIM is data only and has no number. Leave your home SIM in the phone with its data roaming off, use the Costa Rica eSIM for mobile data, and do not re-register WhatsApp.
11 more questions
Is a Costa Rica eSIM cheaper than roaming?
Usually, for a trip of more than a day or two. US carriers charge $12 a day for roaming (AT&T International Day Pass, Verizon TravelPass, read 4 Nov 2026) where they cover Costa Rica, so a week costs $84. Here 5 GB for 30 days is $18.99 in total.
How much is the Costa Rica eSIM?
From $3.79 in USD, and the price on this page is the price you pay. Sizes run from the 1 GB pack up; pick one in the list above.
When does the Costa Rica plan start?
First attach to a covered network. Install on Wi-Fi before you fly. After you land, turn data roaming on for this line.
Can I hotspot in Costa Rica?
Yes, it uses the same GB. We never block it; rarely, a local network limits it.
Which networks in Costa Rica?
Claro. Your phone joins whichever of these is strongest where you are.
Is this 5G in Costa Rica?
This pack runs on 3G/4G/5G. You get 5G where the local network offers it to visitors, otherwise 4G.
What APN do I use in Costa Rica?
Automatic unless the QR mail names one
Can I use this Costa Rica eSIM in another country?
No. This pack is Costa Rica. A new country is a new QR. Keep this one if you return.
Can I top up the Costa Rica plan?
Same profile, same coverage. Extra GB is a top-up, not a new QR.
How long do I have to install the Costa Rica eSIM?
Start using within 180 days of purchase. After that an unused pack can expire. Scan on Wi-Fi before you fly.
What if I buy the wrong plan?
QR not scanned and not on the phone? Email within 30 days of issue. We cancel and refund. Installed? Buy the right country and keep this QR for later.