eSIM and SIM cards in Costa Rica

The three operators

• Kolbi, run by the state utility ICE, has the widest coverage by a distance, including in the mountains, the Osa Peninsula and the national parks.
• Claro is competitive in the cities and on the main tourist corridors.
• Liberty is the cheapest and the thinnest outside towns.
• If you are going anywhere remote, buy Kolbi. In Monteverde, Corcovado and the Caribbean interior the others simply stop.

Prices and where to buy

• A prepaid SIM costs about USD 2 to USD 5. Data bundles are cheap: roughly USD 10 for a week of data and calls, USD 19 for unlimited on Claro.
• The airport situation has changed. The Kolbi and Claro desks that used to sit at baggage claim in SJO have largely been replaced by SIM vending machines in Terminal A and the rental car lobby. A Claro desk sometimes opens near baggage claim but the hours are unreliable.
• Buying in town is cheaper and easier: operator shops in any mall, electronics chains such as Gollo, and many pulperias.
• You need your passport to register the line, and that is the whole formality.

eSIM

• Costa Rica is one of the more expensive eSIM markets. Saily covers it at USD 7.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, USD 26.99 for 5 GB over 30 days and USD 36.99 for 10 GB over 30 days.
• That is several times the local price, so the trade is clearer here than elsewhere: buy the eSIM if you value landing connected and want to skip the vending machine, and buy local if you are staying more than a week.
• A middle path works well. Land on an eSIM, use it for the first day, and pick up a Kolbi SIM in town when you have time.

Coverage in practice

• The Central Valley, Guanacaste beaches and the main highways are well covered.
• Monteverde, Corcovado, Tortuguero and the Talamanca mountains have real gaps on every network.
• Download offline maps before you leave San Jose. Waze and Google Maps both work here and Waze is what locals use, but neither works without signal.
• WhatsApp is how everything is arranged: shuttles, tours, lodges, taxis.