Best eSIM for Costa Rica

At a glance

• Cheapest we found: Nomad — $25 for 10 GB / 30 days on Liberty
• Best for Costa Rica plus Panama or Nicaragua: Airalo Latamlink
• Best for unlimited data: Holafly Costa Rica — from $37.90 for 7 days, but hotspot is capped at about 500 MB–1 GB a day
• Also worth comparing: Saily Costa Rica plans
• No-account option: Talisim — $37 on Claro, the most expensive plan we checked here

Prices we checked

10 GB of data for 30 days, from each provider’s own website on 17 October 2026.

Provider	Price	Networks
Nomad	$25.00	Liberty
Airalo	$34.00	Liberty
Talisim	$37.00	Claro

Holafly sells unlimited data instead: $37.90 for 7 days or $51.50 for 15 days.

Network notes

Kölbi, run by the state-owned ICE, has the widest coverage, especially in rural areas and national parks. Claro and Liberty are strong in towns and along the main roads.

None of the plans we checked use Kölbi: Nomad and Airalo run on Liberty, and Talisim on Claro. That’s fine for La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and the Guanacaste beaches. For Corcovado, Tortuguero or remote Caribbean beaches, expect weak signal or none.

Practical connectivity tips

• Install before you land. You’ll want data for the drive from San José or Liberia airport.
• Apps you’ll want online: Waze (widely used by locals, and good for traffic and road closures), Uber and DiDi (rides in the Central Valley), WhatsApp (tour operators and lodges use it), and Google Maps as backup.
• Download offline maps before heading to the Osa Peninsula, Tortuguero or the Nicoya back roads.
• Rental cars: some come with a Wi-Fi hotspot, but it uses the same networks, so it won’t help where your phone has no signal.

Watch out for

• Rainforest lodges often have slow satellite Wi-Fi and no mobile signal.
• River crossings and dirt roads in the rainy season can turn a short drive into a long one. Check conditions before you go.
• Border trips to Panama or Nicaragua need a plan that covers those countries.