Best eSIM for Costa Rica

Prices in Costa Rica

Expect roughly three times Thailand’s prices from every provider. How the three providers compare across all fifteen destinations is in our main eSIM comparison.

Which network you get

Liberty and Claro carry the travel eSIMs; kölbi (ICE) carries none of the three:

• Airalo shows Liberty as its network, and its package panel states “To purchase this eSIM, please have a valid ID ready for identity verification” plus a speed cap of 1 Mbps after 3 GB a day on its unlimited plans. We previously read a 45-day activation window on the same panel.
• Holafly lists Claro and Liberty, with 5G where available and hotspot sharing capped at 1 GB a day.
• Saily does not name its network; it states 5G depending on the local provider and limitless hotspot sharing, with no identity check.

Buying a local SIM instead

Registration with the regulator (SUTEL) is mandatory for prepaid lines, and the state operator’s document list is the obstacle.

• kölbi’s prepaid requirements page lists, for foreigners, a residence card, provisional refugee or work cards, a special-category card or a diplomatic card. A foreign passport is not on that list. kölbi’s tourist SIM page, which once sold a passport-friendly product, returned “not found” when we checked.
• Liberty’s prepaid page states that SUTEL registration is mandatory to activate a prepaid mobile service, and gives no price on the page.
• Claro’s prepaid page shows top-up information only. We found no operator or airport page stating a SIM counter at San José airport.

Before you land

For most visitors the choice is between Airalo’s price with its identity check and Saily’s 49 cents more without one.

• Airalo: complete the identity verification before you travel, and start the eSIM within 45 days of purchase. Saily allows 180 days.
• These are data-only plans. Keep your home SIM active for the text messages your bank and your airline send, with data roaming switched off on it.
• Carry your onward reservation in a form that opens without a connection: the check-in desk asks for it before the eSIM is on. Costa Rica’s onward-ticket rules are on their own page, and the free checker covers your passport.