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FairSIM

eSIM for Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a driving country. You land at San José or Liberia, pick up a 4x4, and spend two weeks moving between La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and a beach town whose access road is gravel. Waze and Google Maps do the navigating, because street addresses barely exist here and directions are given in metres from a landmark. Without data on your phone, you are guessing at junctions in the dark.

There is one rule worth knowing before you go: the busiest national parks now sell entry online and in advance. Manuel Antonio, Poás Volcano and Chirripó all work on timed reservations through the SINAC system, and rangers check the QR code at the gate. Tour pickups, shuttle confirmations and boat transfers to Tortuguero or Drake Bay also land in WhatsApp rather than email. All of that needs a live connection, not hotel Wi-Fi from the night before.

A FairSIM eSIM roams onto Kölbi (ICE), Claro or Liberty, the three networks that cover the country. Liberty runs 5G in San José and other larger towns; Kölbi and Claro carry 4G LTE, and Kölbi's reach into rural valleys and along the Pacific coast is the reason it is the network most Ticos use outside the Central Valley. You install the eSIM at home, switch it on when you land, and skip the counter queue at the airport.

Costa Rica eSIM plans

Wholesale rates in US dollars, with nothing added at checkout. Buy in the FairSIM app and the plan is on your phone in seconds.

How long is your trip?

All plans. Pick a trip length to narrow the list.

Coverage in Costa Rica

  • 4G LTE
  • 5G
  • Kölbi (ICE)The state operator and the widest network, with 4G LTE reaching small towns, mountain roads and most of the Pacific and northern lowlands. The most useful signal in rural Costa Rica.
  • ClaroStrong 4G LTE in the Central Valley, Guanacaste and the main tourist corridors, with good speeds in San José, Liberia, Jacó and Tamarindo.
  • LibertyFormerly Movistar and Telefónica Costa Rica, now Liberty. The only network here with 5G, concentrated in San José, Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago and other larger towns, with 4G LTE elsewhere.

Typical speed: Comfortable 4G speeds for maps, WhatsApp, streaming and hotspot work in populated areas. Liberty's 5G in the Central Valley is noticeably faster where your phone supports it.

The Central Valley, Guanacaste beach towns, La Fortuna, Monteverde village, Jacó, Quepos, Puerto Viejo and both airports are well covered. Expect dead zones on the Osa Peninsula and in Corcovado, on the canals to Tortuguero, inside the cloud forest reserves, on the Cerro de la Muerte pass and on many gravel access roads. Download offline maps before you leave pavement.

How much data do you need in Costa Rica?

It depends on how you travel. Find your trip below, then pick the plan that matches. You can always top up in the app.

  • Two-week road trip loop

    San José, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and back, in a rental 4x4.

    Why data matters: Waze for every junction, offline maps for the gravel, park reservations on the SINAC site, lodge check-ins over WhatsApp and toll and fuel stops along Route 27.

    7 days
    10 GB
    14 days
    20 GB
    30 days
    Unlimited

  • Guanacaste beach and resort week

    Liberia airport, Tamarindo, Nosara or Papagayo.

    Why data matters: Surf forecasts, shuttle bookings, restaurant maps in towns with no street names, and video calls home from the beach instead of patchy resort Wi-Fi.

    7 days
    5 GB
    14 days
    10 GB
    30 days
    20 GB

  • Wildlife and rainforest trip

    Corcovado, Tortuguero, Sarapiquí and guided night walks.

    Why data matters: Boat and guide confirmations before you lose signal, weather radar for the afternoon storms, and large photo and video uploads once you are back in a covered town.

    7 days
    5 GB
    14 days
    10 GB
    30 days
    20 GB

  • Digital nomad or remote work stay

    A month in Santa Teresa, Nosara, Escazú or Puerto Viejo.

    Why data matters: Personal Hotspot when the café Wi-Fi drops, Zoom and Slack all day, and a backup line for the days the fibre in town goes out.

    7 days
    20 GB
    14 days
    Unlimited
    30 days
    Unlimited

  • Central America multi-stop

    Costa Rica with Panama or Nicaragua by bus or short flight.

    Why data matters: Border crossings, onward tickets, and maps in two countries. Buy a second plan in the same app, or a regional plan, without hunting for a SIM shop at the border.

    7 days
    10 GB
    14 days
    20 GB
    30 days
    Unlimited

What your home carrier charges in Costa Rica

Daily roaming passes look small until you multiply them by the length of the trip. FairSIM plans for Costa Rica start at $5.99 and never bill per day.

Costa Rica sits outside the roaming zones of most European plans, so UK and EU travellers should check their carrier's rest-of-world pricing rather than assume a day pass applies.

CarrierRoaming chargeFairSIM
AT&T International Day Pass (US)$12 per day per line, $6 for each additional linefrom $5.99, no daily fee
Verizon TravelPass (US)$12 per day, high-speed data then slowedfrom $5.99, no daily fee
T-Mobile International Pass (US)$5 for 1 day and 512 MB, $35 for 10 days and 5 GBfrom $5.99, no daily fee
EE (UK)Costa Rica is not in EE's inclusive roaming zones; standard out-of-bundle data rates apply unless you buy an add-on. Check in the app before flying.from $5.99, no daily fee
Orange (France)Outside the EU roaming zone. Costa Rica falls in Orange's rest-of-world bands, where you buy a travel pass in the app. Confirm the current price.from $5.99, no daily fee
Telstra International Day Pass (Australia)A day pass with a daily data allowance where the destination is covered; confirm Costa Rica is on the current country list.from $5.99, no daily fee

Carrier prices as published on their roaming pages at the time of writing. They change often; check your own plan before you fly.

How FairSIM works

  1. 1

    Pick a destination and a plan

    Choose the country or region and the data you need. The price you see is the price you pay.

  2. 2

    Tap install

    On iPhone (iOS 17.4+) the eSIM installs in one tap, no QR code. Do it at home while you still have Wi-Fi.

  3. 3

    Land and connect

    Turn on data roaming for the FairSIM line when you arrive. Your plan starts when it first connects.

Read the full setup guide, including device compatibility

Connectivity tips for Costa Rica

  • Book Manuel Antonio, Poás and Chirripó tickets on the SINAC site days ahead; walk-up entry is limited or unavailable at the busy parks.

  • Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, then switch the line and data roaming on after you land. Validity typically starts at the first connection to a Costa Rican network.

  • Download offline maps for every region you will drive. Signal disappears on the Monteverde road, the Osa Peninsula and most gravel access roads.

  • Waze beats Google Maps for live road conditions here, but check the route type: it will happily send a 2WD car down a river crossing.

  • Save your hotel, guide and shuttle contacts in WhatsApp before you leave the city; that is the only channel most of them answer.

  • Carry a power bank and a waterproof pouch. Green season rain, boat transfers and long hiking days all drain a phone fast.

  • Dollars are accepted almost everywhere, but you get a better rate paying small amounts in colones. Keep small bills for tolls and parking watchmen.

  • Heading on to Panama or Nicaragua? Buy the next plan in the same app before you reach the border post.

Apps you will actually use

  • Waze the default navigation app in Costa Rica; locals use it for live police, closures and flooded roads.
  • Google Maps good for planning and reviews. Download the regions you will drive, since coverage drops on mountain and gravel roads.
  • WhatsApp how hotels, guides, shuttle companies and drivers actually talk to you. Calls and messages both work on the eSIM.
  • Uber widely used in San José and the Central Valley, cheaper than a street taxi, though it operates without a formal legal framework.
  • DiDi the main alternative to Uber in San José and some larger towns, often with lower fares.
  • SINAC reservations the official national park booking site. Manuel Antonio, Poás and Chirripó need a timed ticket bought in advance.
  • Windy or a weather radar app green season rain arrives fast in the afternoon; radar tells you whether to start the hike now or wait.
  • Uber Eats and Rappi food and grocery delivery in San José, Escazú and a few beach towns.

Official airport taxis at San José are orange and use fixed zone fares; rideshare pickups at both airports are restricted, so agree the plan with your driver in the app before you walk out. Outside the Central Valley, most transport is arranged by WhatsApp with shuttle companies rather than by app.

Can you rely on free Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is normal in Costa Rican hotels, cafés and restaurants, and in San José and La Fortuna it is usually fine for calls and email. In the places you came for, it is not: eco-lodges on the Osa Peninsula, in Tortuguero and high in Monteverde often run on satellite or a single stretched line, with speeds that fade when the lodge is full and outages during storms. Several lodges are proudly offline in the rooms. Treat Wi-Fi as a bonus and keep the eSIM as your working connection, especially for park bookings and shuttle changes.

Local SIM card or eSIM in Costa Rica?

Kölbi is the easiest local option and has a counter in the arrivals area at San José, with stores in most towns and in the bigger supermarkets. Claro and Liberty sell prepaid chips in shopping centres and corner shops. You need your passport to register the line, the assistant activates it there, and you then top up data with a bundle. It works well if you have time to spare and want a local number for domestic calls, and it is worth it for long stays.

The trade-off is the first hour of the trip. Arrival halls get busy when several flights land together, a Liberia or San José counter may be closed late at night, and topping up with a foreign card is not always smooth. A FairSIM eSIM installs over Wi-Fi at home, roams on the same Kölbi, Claro or Liberty towers, and is live the moment you land, so you can call your rental car shuttle from the kerb. Keep your home SIM in the phone for bank codes, with its data roaming switched off.

Good to know before you land in Costa Rica

Currency
Costa Rican colón (CRC); US dollars are widely accepted for tours, hotels and park fees
Plug type
Type A and Type B (US style)
Voltage
120 V, 60 Hz
Emergency number
911 for all services
Language
Spanish; English common in tourist areas and lodges
Time zone
UTC-6, no daylight saving
Capital
San José

Costa Rica eSIM questions

Does eSIM work in Costa Rica?

Yes. An unlocked eSIM phone connects to Kölbi (ICE), Claro or Liberty with a travel eSIM. On iPhone that means XS, XR or newer, and iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install.

Which network will my Costa Rica eSIM use?

Kölbi (ICE), Claro or Liberty. Kölbi has the widest rural reach, Claro is strong in the Central Valley and Guanacaste, and Liberty is the only one with 5G. The app shows the network for each plan.

Is there 5G in Costa Rica?

Yes, on Liberty, mainly in San José and other larger towns. Kölbi and Claro run 4G LTE. Outside urban areas expect 4G, which is enough for maps, WhatsApp and streaming.

Will I have signal in the national parks?

Often not. Corcovado, the Tortuguero canals, the cloud forest interiors and Chirripó have little or no coverage. Download maps and your park QR codes before you set off, and expect full signal again in the nearest town.

Can I use Personal Hotspot in Costa Rica?

Yes. FairSIM plans support Personal Hotspot with no separate cap, which is useful when a lodge's satellite Wi-Fi stalls.

Do WhatsApp calls work in Costa Rica?

Yes. There are no restrictions on internet calling here, so WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom all work over the eSIM and over Wi-Fi where the connection holds up.

How much data do I need for Costa Rica?

A beach week runs about 5 GB. A two-week driving loop with heavy navigation and photo uploads is closer to 15 to 20 GB. If you work remotely, take unlimited.

Should I install the eSIM before or after landing?

Before. Install it on home Wi-Fi, keep the line off, then enable it and turn on data roaming at San José or Liberia. There is nothing to buy or register on arrival.

Local SIM or eSIM for Costa Rica?

A Kölbi or Claro prepaid chip is cheap and gives you a local number, but it means a passport, a counter and a queue. A travel eSIM is ready before you fly, roams on the same networks, and works from the moment you switch it on.

What is an eSIM?

A SIM card built into your phone. Instead of a plastic chip, you download a profile. Every iPhone since the XS has one next to the physical SIM slot, so your home number stays put while FairSIM supplies the data.

Is my phone compatible?

FairSIM works with eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked iPhones: the XS, XR and everything newer, on iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install with no QR code. iPhones bought in mainland China do not support eSIM at all, even when unlocked. Not sure yours is unlocked? Check Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock, or ask your carrier. The full list is on the How it works page.

When should I install my eSIM?

Before you travel, while you still have Wi-Fi. Installing does not start your plan; the validity typically starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.

Do FairSIM eSIMs come with a phone number?

No. FairSIM eSIMs are data-only by design, which keeps costs low. For calls and texts, your physical SIM stays active so you keep your existing number, and WhatsApp, FaceTime and iMessage work over data.

Traveling beyond Costa Rica?

Get your Costa Rica eSIM in the app

Plans from $5.99. Install before you fly, track your data live, and top up in seconds if you need more.

Download on theApp Store

iPhone XS or later · iOS 17.4+ for one-tap install