Best eSIM for Costa Rica in 2026: 14 Providers Ranked by Traveler Reports

Best eSIM Providers for Costa Rica

eSIM plans in Costa Rica at a glance

How well each provider's eSIM works in Costa Rica

The Vefru score is our overall rating of the provider. The percentage shows how many reviewers said their eSIM worked well in Costa Rica. Since unhappy customers review more often, it is best used to compare providers with each other.

8.4Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

22 of 28 reviewers

79%

Visit website Detailed review

7.1Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

6 of 6 reviewers

100%

Visit website Detailed review

6.6Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

4 of 4 reviewers

100%

Visit website Detailed review

7.8Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

3 of 3 reviewers

100%

Visit website Detailed review

7.1Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

7 of 8 reviewers

88%

Visit website Detailed review

7.5Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

5 of 7 reviewers

71%

Visit website Detailed review

7.2Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

11 of 17 reviewers

65%

Visit website Detailed review

7.1Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

6 of 11 reviewers

55%

Visit website Detailed review

6.3Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

2 of 7 reviewers

29%

Visit website Detailed review

8.8Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

2 of 2 reviewers

100%

Visit website Detailed review

6.9Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

1 of 2 reviewers

50%

Visit website Detailed review

6.1Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

0 of 1 reviewers

0%

Visit website Detailed review

8.1Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

0 of 1 reviewers

0%

Visit website Detailed review

8.0Our score

Worked well in Costa Rica

No traveler reports yet

Visit website Detailed review

Compare all eSIM plans in Costa Rica

How we got these numbers: we read 97 public customer reviews that mention Costa Rica or a place in it, published between February 2026 and August 2026, and counted a report as "worked" when the reviewer said the eSIM connected, even with small hiccups. We treat 20 or more reports as strong evidence, 3 to 19 as limited, and fewer than 3 as too few to judge. A count like 22 of 28 means the eSIM worked well for 22 of the 28 travelers who reported from here; each provider section says what went wrong for the rest. The Vefru test score is a separate number: our own hands-on test of the provider, run outside Costa Rica, so it says how the provider behaves, not how the network performs here. Local operator prices in the text were checked on 25 September 2026; provider ratings, the plan tables and the price-per-GB chart are live and update on their own.

We chose the Best group by traveler reports from Costa Rica first, price second and our own tests third. Maya Mobile, Roamless, Yesim, GoMoWorld and Holafly are the five providers with the strongest evidence from three or more reports. eSIM4Travel joins them for its price position and help desk, not for its record, because it has only two reports from here.

Maya Mobile eSIM in Costa Rica: strongest evidence, unlimited only

8.4 /10

Vefru score Excellent Score details

• Purchase process9/10
• Mobile app8/10
• eSIM installation9/10
• Customer support6/10
• Speed test9/10
• Prices8/10
• Customer feedback9/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Maya Mobile sells one product: a global unlimited eSIM plan for 165+ countries that you install once and switch on for every trip. It was fast in our test, and it is the cheapest global unlimited plan we have compared. There are no single-country plans, and nothing shorter than 3 days.

Key facts

• 165+ countries
• iPhone app 4.5
• Android app 4.7
• Auto Top-Up
• Hotspot
• 5.5 GB/day at full speed

Trustpilot

4.5/512,788 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Cheapest global unlimited plan

Very fast: 785 Mbps on 5G

Worked for 91% of travelers

Quick checkout, many ways to pay

No country or short plans

Pushes auto top-up hard

Clunky WhatsApp support

“Unlimited” has a hidden daily limit

Maya Mobile eSIM in our hands

Go to Maya Mobile website View full review

Maya Mobile is the best-evidenced pick for Costa Rica trips of a week or more, because it has the largest report base here and one simple product, a global unlimited plan. It worked well for 22 of 28 travelers who reported from Costa Rica (79%), which counts as strong evidence. The successes came from La Fortuna, San José, Tamarindo and Uvita.

The six misses are the part to read. Four name a place: two in San José, one in Puerto Limón and one in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, so the failures sit in the capital and on the Caribbean side, not on the Pacific beaches. We could not read the texts of these reports, so what failed (signal or speed) is not known.

Maya sells no Costa Rica plan, only a global unlimited plan for 3, 7, 14 or 30 days, and nothing shorter [11]. Its page claims no throttling [11], but in our test speed dropped after a large daily amount and reset the next day. The hotspot is included, and 5G connected at once. Setup needs a manual network profile (APN) and roaming switched on, and its help desk was slow to reach a person in our test. On price, it is by far the cheapest global unlimited plan, but a short trip pays the same minimum as a long one. The page does not name a Costa Rican network [11]. Our Maya Mobile review has the full test, and you can see Maya's plans on its site.

Roamless eSIM in Costa Rica: perfect record, small sample

7.1 /10

Vefru score Very good Score details

• Purchase process5/10
• Mobile app7/10
• eSIM installation7/10
• Customer support7/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices5/10
• Customer feedback9/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Roamless is a US provider built around one global eSIM for 203 destinations, paid with pay-as-you-go credit. It was fast and unthrottled in our test, and travelers report it working in 91% of cases. Its weak point is buying: the website forces you into the app, and large data amounts cost more than most rivals.

Key facts

• 203 destinations
• iPhone app 4.8
• Android app 4.1
• Pay-as-you-go
• Unlimited hotspot
• No throttling

Trustpilot

4.5/51,746 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle Pay

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

One eSIM for 200+ destinations

Fast, no throttling

Worked for 91% of travelers

Free 500 MB trial

Website pushes you into the app

We had to fix the APN to get data

Credit can expire after 12 months

Pricey for 10 GB and up

Roamless eSIM in our hands

Go to Roamless website View full review

Roamless is the pick for light data use and pay-as-you-go flexibility, and it had no failed report from Costa Rica. It worked well for 6 of 6 travelers (100%), which is limited evidence: a small sample with no misses, not proof that it cannot fail. The reports do not name places, so we cannot say where it worked.

Its plan range here is a ladder of 24 Costa Rica plans from a free entry plan of 0.2 GB up to 45 GB, all valid 30 days or without expiry, with no unlimited plan. Roamless's page lists unlimited hotspot and no speed limit, and a free 200 MB entry plan [8]. The page names Kölbi ICE and "Movistar" as its networks [8]. Movistar has not existed in Costa Rica since Liberty took over its Costa Rican business in 2021, so that label looks stale. Kölbi is the only verified path in this research, and the regulator found Kölbi's published 4G map the least accurate of the three [2], so expect gaps on 4G where you fall back to 3G.

In our test, setup went wrong at first: the preselected network profile did not work until we picked another from the list. The help desk fixed it in half an hour. It also sells in-app calls and a second number. On price it is among the cheapest for 1 GB and dear from 10 GB, so it fits short, light trips. Read our Roamless review for the test, or open Roamless's Costa Rica page.

Yesim eSIM in Costa Rica: perfect record, slow help desk

6.6 /10

Vefru score Good Score details

• Purchase process6/10
• Mobile app7/10
• eSIM installation8/10
• Customer support2/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices5/10
• Customer feedback8.6/10
• Coverage8/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Yesim is a Swiss eSIM provider built around unlimited plans sold by the day, with one eSIM for 200+ destinations. Data was fast in our test. But its support was among the slowest we have tested, and its fixed-data country plans cost more than most rivals.

Key facts

• 200+ destinations
• iPhone app 4.6
• Android app 4.7
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• Possible slowdown

Trustpilot

4.3/52,963 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Fast data in our test

Unlimited plans by the day

Pay with PayPal, Klarna or crypto

Website in 44 languages

Among the slowest support we've tested

Pricey fixed-data country plans

No top-up once your data runs out

Signs you up for marketing emails

Yesim eSIM in our hands

Go to Yesim website View full review

Yesim is the pick for travelers who want unlimited data sold by the day and who will not need the help desk. It worked well for 4 of 4 travelers who reported from Costa Rica (100%), which is limited evidence from a small sample. None of the reports names a place, and none failed, so we cannot say where it worked or what a miss looks like here.

Its Costa Rica range is wide: fixed plans from 1 GB to 20 GB, unlimited plans sold for 1 to 30 days, and Latin America and global bundles that also cover the country. Yesim's own page says speed may be limited under the network's fair-usage policy [13], and the comparison tool flags its unlimited plans as throttled without publishing the limit. The page does not name a Costa Rican network, and we could not open it directly, so treat these plan terms as of September 2026.

Two findings from our test matter on a trip. Our plan started at purchase, not on first connection, so buy it close to your departure. And the help desk was among the slowest we tested, with 15 to 60 minutes per reply. On price, its unlimited plans sit at the market average and its fixed country plans are dearer. It suits experienced users; see our Yesim review or check Yesim's Costa Rica page.

GoMoWorld eSIM in Costa Rica: fast and unthrottled, app-only

7.8 /10

Vefru score Very good Score details

• Purchase process8/10
• Mobile app8/10
• eSIM installation8/10
• Customer support6/10
• Speed test10/10
• Prices7/10
• Customer feedback7.6/10
• Coverage8/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

GoMoWorld is the travel eSIM brand of Irish operator eir, with plans in 202 countries. Every destination has the same four euro prices, and we saw no throttling at all. The catch is that everything happens in the app, and human support works only in office hours.

Key facts

• 202 countries
• iPhone app 4.8
• Android app 4.6
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• No throttling

Trustpilot

3.8/51,987 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle Pay

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Very fast, no throttling

Among the cheapest from 5 GB

Clean, easy app

Start the plan when you land

App only, no QR code

Human support only in office hours

App stops when your data runs out

Weaker in the US, Japan and China

GoMoWorld eSIM in our hands

Go to GoMoWorld website View full review

GoMoWorld is the pick for travelers who want fast, unthrottled data and are happy to run everything through an app. It worked well for 3 of 3 travelers who reported from Costa Rica (100%), which is limited evidence. All three reviews are positive, and one traveler who spent a month in Costa Rica wrote on 18 May 2026: "It was easy to get and had great access everywhere."

The other two reports combine Costa Rica with the UK (a June 2026 trip) and with Morocco (March 2026), so they say it connected but not where. No report describes a miss, so we cannot say what a failure would look like here.

Its Costa Rica plans run from 1 GB to 15 GB, valid 7 or 30 days, with 4G and 5G versions and separate Latin America plans. There is no unlimited plan and no voice. In our test it was the fastest provider and showed no throttling, even after heavy use. The catch: the eSIM comes only through the app, one account serves one device, and the plan does not start until you press Start or schedule it. Human help is limited to office hours. It is below the market price, best from 5 GB and poor value at 1 GB. We could not confirm which network it uses in Costa Rica. See our GoMoWorld review or visit GoMoWorld.

Holafly eSIM in Costa Rica: unlimited, capped speeds

7.1 /10

Vefru score Very good Score details

• Purchase process7/10
• Mobile app7/10
• eSIM installation9/10
• Customer support6/10
• Speed test4/10
• Prices5/10
• Customer feedback9.4/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Holafly is an Irish eSIM provider built around unlimited data, with trip eSIMs for 200+ destinations. Travelers report it working more often than any other provider we track. Its weak points are speed and price: our test ran at about 30 Mbps on 5G, and its unlimited plans cost more than most.

Key facts

• 200+ destinations
• iPhone app 4.8
• Android app 4.7
• No top-ups
• Hotspot 1 GB/day
• 30 to 40 Mbps

Trustpilot

4.7/5113,513 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Truly unlimited data

Most reliable we track: 92% worked

One-tap install, no QR code

6 months to refund an unused eSIM

Slow: about 30–40 Mbps on 5G

Pricier than other unlimited eSIMs

Saved our card without asking

No top-ups, buy a new eSIM instead

Holafly eSIM in our hands

Go to Holafly website View full review

Holafly is the pick for travelers who want unlimited data and no plan sizes to choose, but in our test its speed was capped from the start. That is enough for maps, messaging, browsing and streaming, and slow for large downloads, uploads, cloud backups and laptop work. It worked well for 7 of 8 travelers who reported from Costa Rica (88%), which is limited evidence. A report counts as worked when the eSIM connected, so the record says nothing about speed.

The single miss does not name a place, and the reports give no pattern to describe. Holafly's page names two networks, Claro and Liberty [6]. Claro was the fastest network in the regulator's tests and Liberty had the most accurate coverage map [2], so a two-network eSIM is a sensible fit for a country where coverage differs by region.

Holafly sells unlimited plans only, for 1 to 90 days [6]. The hotspot is capped at 1 GB a day, there are no top-ups (you buy a new eSIM), and it is data only with no local number [6]. Refunds run up to six months, and a deleted eSIM cannot be reinstalled. On price, it is about 9% dearer than other unlimited providers, among the most expensive unlimited plans in our comparison. Our comparison tool had no Holafly Costa Rica plans at export, so there is no plan table here. Read our Holafly review or see Holafly's Costa Rica plans.

eSIM4Travel eSIM in Costa Rica: cheapest, but only two reports

8.8 /10

Vefru score Excellent Score details

• Purchase process8/10
• eSIM installation8/10
• Customer support10/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices10/10
• Customer feedback8.8/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of seven categories from our own paid test and customer reviews. eSIM4Travel has no app, so we do not score one.

eSIM4Travel is a US eSIM seller with plans for 158 destinations and no app. It was the cheapest provider in our price database, and its support was the best we have tested. Without an app, you cannot reach the store to top up once your data runs out.

Key facts

• 158 destinations
• No app
• Web only
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• No throttling

Trustpilot

4.4/5202 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardPayPalApple Pay

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Cheapest provider we track

Quick, helpful human support

Fast, no throttling

Website in 41 languages

No app: out of data, you need Wi‑Fi to top up

US dollars only, no Google Pay

Unlimited slows after 3 GB a day

No refund after 10% of data used

eSIM4Travel eSIM in our hands

Go to eSIM4Travel website View full review

eSIM4Travel is the pick for travelers who want the lowest price and a help desk that reaches a human fast, but only two travelers have reported from Costa Rica so far, both positive. That is too few to judge. Its place here rests on what our files show: the highest Vefru test score of the providers compared and a price position that is usually the cheapest.

The reports name no place and no miss. In our test, outside Costa Rica, the help desk was the best we tested: one click from the bot to a person, who solved the problem. The eSIM came as a QR code by email, installed from a screenshot and worked right away. There was no app to download.

Its plans covering Costa Rica are regional and global, not country-only: Latin America plans and global plans from 1 GB to 20 GB, plus regional unlimited plans of 3, 5, 7 and 10 days that slow after a daily allowance. When we compared plans covering Costa Rica, it sat below the other providers' median at the 3, 5 and 10 GB tiers. We could not confirm which network it uses here. The downsides: no app, no Google Pay, one device per eSIM, and no way to top up without Wi-Fi once data runs out. Our eSIM4Travel review has the details, and you can look at eSIM4Travel's plans.

Other eSIM Providers for Costa Rica

These eight providers are all tested by us. They sit here because travelers reported a weaker record from Costa Rica, because there are too few reports to judge, or because one of our test findings counts against them. A provider with no reports says so.

Airalo eSIM in Costa Rica: easy to buy, mixed record

7.5 /10

Vefru score Very good Score details

• Purchase process9/10
• Mobile app8/10
• eSIM installation9/10
• Customer support7/10
• Speed test7/10
• Prices5/10
• Customer feedback8.2/10
• Coverage7/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Airalo is an eSIM marketplace from Singapore with plans for 200+ destinations, some with calls and texts. It is easy to buy and install. But prices sit at the market median, and travelers report more failed connections than with any other provider we track.

Key facts

• 200+ destinations
• iPhone app 4.6
• Android app 4.3
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• No cap on fixed plans

Trustpilot

4.1/545,721 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Buy on the web, no app needed

Works right after install

Fast, no speed cap on fixed plans

Most plans with calls and texts

Average prices, not cheap

Lowest success rate we track: 72% worked

App stops when your data runs out

Clunky checkout, no QR download

Airalo eSIM in our hands

Go to Airalo website View full review

Airalo is the easiest provider to buy from, but its Costa Rica record is mixed: it worked well for 5 of 7 travelers (71%), which is limited evidence. Both misses are unplaced, so we cannot say where they happened. Across all countries it had the weakest traveler record of the 14 providers we compare.

Airalo sells 28 Costa Rica plans (the "Hot Telecom" and "Hot Telecom+" families) from 1 GB to 20 GB for 3 to 30 days, unlimited plans for 3 to 30 days that slow after 3 GB a day, and Plus plans with voice and SMS. It has the most plans with calls and texts of any provider. Its page names Liberty as the primary network [7], but older Costa Rica plans list "CLARO Kolbi ICE", so check the plan page before you buy. Price sits at the market average, never the cheapest. Our Airalo review covers the test, or see Airalo's Costa Rica page.

Nomad eSIM in Costa Rica: mixed record, unreachable help desk

7.2 /10

Vefru score Very good Score details

• Purchase process8/10
• Mobile app7/10
• eSIM installation8/10
• Customer support2/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices7/10
• Customer feedback8.6/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Nomad is a US travel eSIM brand run by LotusFlare, with plans for more than 200 destinations. It has a polished native app, fast data and prices close to the market average almost everywhere. Its weak spot is support: the chat is an AI bot with no route to a human.

Key facts

• 200+ destinations
• iPhone app 4.8
• Android app 4.5
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• 2 GB/day cap

Trustpilot

4.3/544,625 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Quick, easy purchase

Great app with a data widget

Fast, full-speed data

Fair prices almost everywhere

Support is a bot, no human

Easy to lose the install button

App stops when your data runs out

No refund after install

Nomad eSIM in our hands

Go to Nomad website View full review

Nomad suits experienced users who will not need the help desk. It worked well for 11 of 17 travelers (65%), which is limited evidence and a weaker record than the Best group. Four of its six misses name a place: Alajuela, Huacas, San José and Guanacaste, one each. Guanacaste split 1 of 2, so the failures are spread across the country rather than in one region.

Plans here run from 1 GB to 20 GB for 7 or 30 days, plus unlimited plans of 5 and 10 days that slow after 2 GB a day. Nomad's page names Liberty [10], while our comparison tool lists its unlimited plans under Kölbi ICE, so we could not confirm one network for every plan. The app is good, with a remaining-data widget, but in our test the help desk bot looped and never reached a person. Price is slightly below the market average at most sizes. See our Nomad review or visit Nomad.

GigSky eSIM in Costa Rica: mixed record, dear overall

7.1 /10

Vefru score Very good Score details

• Purchase process7/10
• Mobile app6/10
• eSIM installation8/10
• Customer support9/10
• Speed test6/10
• Prices4/10
• Customer feedback8.6/10
• Coverage8/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

GigSky is a US travel eSIM that works like its own operator, with plans for 190+ destinations plus cruise, ferry and in-flight plans. Its app stays partly online after your data runs out. But its fixed-data plans are the most expensive of the 12 providers we compared.

Key facts

• 190+ destinations
• iPhone app 4.5
• Android app 3.9
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• 3.5 GB/day cap

Trustpilot

4.3/57,194 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Buy more data even with none left

Cruise, ferry and in-flight plans

Human support answered right away

Cheap 1-day unlimited passes

Most expensive per GB we track

App required, no Google Pay

Clunky, web-like app

Less reliable than average

GigSky eSIM in our hands

Go to GigSky website View full review

GigSky has a mixed record here and the highest price position of the 14 providers overall. It worked well for 6 of 11 travelers (55%), which is limited evidence. Every report that names a place worked: La Fortuna twice, San José and Tambor once each. The five misses name no place, so the reports do not show where it fails.

Its Costa Rica plans are 1, 3, 5 and 10 GB (valid 7, 15 or 30 days) plus a 1-day unlimited pass, with separate Latin America and cruise plans. It does not name a network for Costa Rica. Two things set it apart in our test: the help desk answered at once, and the app stays partly online after data runs out, so you can buy a new plan without Wi-Fi. But you must install the app to buy. Read our GigSky review, or check GigSky's Costa Rica page.

Ubigi eSIM in Costa Rica: most reports describe no signal

6.3 /10

Vefru score Good Score details

• Purchase process4/10
• Mobile app3/10
• eSIM installation8/10
• Customer support2/10
• Speed test9/10
• Prices7/10
• Customer feedback8.2/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Ubigi is the travel eSIM brand of Paris operator Transatel, with one reusable eSIM for 200+ destinations. Data was fast in our test, and its 3 GB, 10 GB and 30-day unlimited plans are cheap. Its weak point is support: a chatbot that ends in an email ticket, with no live agent.

Key facts

• 200+ destinations
• iPhone app 4.6
• Android app 3.7
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• 568 Mbps on 5G

Trustpilot

4.1/547,238 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

eSIM by email in a minute

Very fast: 568 Mbps on 5G

Cheap 3 GB, 10 GB and 30-day unlimited

Buy more data even with none left

No live support, only email tickets

Confusing website and app

Few plan sizes, no 20 GB

No refund after you scan the QR code

Ubigi eSIM in our hands

Go to Ubigi website View full review

Ubigi had the weakest Costa Rica record of the providers with 3 or more reports: it worked well for 2 of 7 travelers (29%), which is limited evidence. The five misses all fall between 28 June and 7 August 2026. One traveler reported no signal at a hotel, another "no network available in spots like Tortuguero or Guapiles" (1 July 2026), and a third had signal bars but no internet until a restart on a two-week unlimited plan. A fourth had a hard time connecting, and a fifth got no signal in August.

The two successes were a 15-day plan used in April and a multi-country Americas trip in June, so the failures cluster in the recent months and in remote or Caribbean-side places. Ubigi's page says it runs on Liberty, on 3G and 4G only, with 5G switched off [9]. In our test the help desk was the slowest we tried and the app was weak, though it can still top up at zero data. Plans are 1, 3, 10 and 25 GB plus unlimited for 7, 15 and 30 days, priced below the market average. See our Ubigi review or visit Ubigi.

Jetpac eSIM in Costa Rica: only two reports, one miss

6.9 /10

Vefru score Good Score details

• Purchase process5/10
• Mobile app5/10
• eSIM installation9/10
• Customer support5/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices5/10
• Customer feedback9.4/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Jetpac is a Singapore eSIM provider with plans in 129 countries. It adds extras like in-app calls, free WhatsApp and Google Maps after your data runs out, and lounge access on delayed flights. Its website, app and support are rough, so it suits travelers who can fix small issues themselves.

Key facts

• 129 countries
• iPhone app 4.0
• Android app 4.1
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• 3 GB/day cap

Trustpilot

4.7/53,528 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle Pay

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

WhatsApp and Maps keep working without data

Unlimited hotspot

Cheap calls in the app

Free lounge if your flight is late

Slow website, confusing checkout

No top-up once your data runs out

Slow, technical support

Pricey for 3–20 GB

Jetpac eSIM in our hands

Go to Jetpac website View full review

Jetpac has two reports from Costa Rica, one that worked and one that did not, which is too few to judge. The miss was a March 2026 trip: the phone showed signal bars but insisted it was offline, two help desk answers contradicted each other, and the traveler took a refund. The success was a February 2026 trip across India, the USA and Costa Rica, where the WhatsApp help desk reissued a QR code within minutes.

Its plans are 1 GB to 40 GB, as 4-day promo packs and 30-day packs. Many are 4G only and some work on 5G, with no unlimited plan here. A third-party test reports Claro as its network, which Jetpac's page does not confirm. It sells in-app voice packs. Price is dear for 3 to 20 GB. Our Jetpac review has the test, or you can visit Jetpac.

ByteSIM eSIM in Costa Rica: one report, clumsy checkout

6.1 /10

Vefru score Good Score details

• Purchase process4/10
• Mobile app4/10
• eSIM installation7/10
• Customer support2/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices5/10
• Customer feedback9.6/10
• Coverage9/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

ByteSIM is a Hong Kong eSIM shop with a huge catalog: daily, fixed and unlimited plans for about 200 destinations. Data was fast in our test, and travelers report it working in 88% of cases. The checkout, the app and support were the weak points.

Key facts

• About 200 destinations
• iPhone app 4.6
• Android app 3.8
• No top-ups
• Hotspot
• 175 Mbps on 4G

Trustpilot

4.8/54,279 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Cheap for 3–5 GB short trips

Fast 4G, no throttling

Worked for 88% of travelers

180 days to get a refund

Checkout asks for phone and address

Clunky app, auto-activation failed

Promises 5G, gave us only 4G

Support didn't reply in our test

ByteSIM eSIM in our hands

Go to ByteSIM website View full review

ByteSIM has one report from Costa Rica, and it was a miss, which is too few to judge. The report names no place or cause. Our comparison tool lists 82 Costa Rica plans from 0.5 GB to more than 40 GB, valid 1 to 30 days, with no unlimited plan. We could not find a Costa Rica page on ByteSIM's own site in September 2026.

In our test the checkout asked for a phone number and a full postal address, the app was weak, and the help desk did not answer on WhatsApp within 15 minutes. There are no top-ups. Price sits at the market average, with short trips looking cheaper than long ones. Read our ByteSIM review or visit ByteSIM.

Saily eSIM in Costa Rica: polished app, one miss

8.1 /10

Vefru score Excellent Score details

• Purchase process7/10
• Mobile app9/10
• eSIM installation9/10
• Customer support10/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices4/10
• Customer feedback9.4/10
• Coverage8/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Saily is the travel eSIM from the company behind NordVPN, with plans for about 200 destinations. It has the smoothest install we have tested, a polished app and a built-in VPN. But prices run above the market in most big European destinations, and traveler reports sit below average.

Key facts

• About 200 destinations
• iPhone app 4.7
• Android app 4.5
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• 3 or 5 GB/day cap

Trustpilot

4.7/531,741 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle Pay

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Easiest install we've tested

Fast 24/7 human support

Free VPN and ad blocker

Plan starts only when you land

Pricey in big European countries

App required, no eSIM by email

Less reliable than average

App stops when your data runs out

Saily eSIM in our hands

Go to Saily website View full review

Saily has one report from Costa Rica, and it was a miss, which is too few to judge. The report names no place or cause. Saily scored best in our test for app, install and help desk, so it is the provider to look at if ease of use matters more than a long Costa Rica record.

Our comparison tool lists Costa Rica plans of 1 GB (7 days) and 3, 5 and 10 GB (30 days), and Saily's own page also shows larger sizes and unlimited plans [12]. The page does not name a Costa Rican network [12], which matters in a country where networks differ by region. It states no hotspot limits [12]. Price is among the highest in our comparison. See our Saily review or visit Saily's Costa Rica page.

Global YO eSIM in Costa Rica: cheap, but no reports yet

8.0 /10

Vefru score Excellent Score details

• Purchase process8/10
• Mobile app8/10
• eSIM installation9/10
• Customer support5/10
• Speed test8/10
• Prices10/10
• Customer feedback8/10
• Coverage8/10

Average of eight categories from our own paid test and customer reviews.

Global YO is a US eSIM provider aimed at young travelers, with plans in 195 countries. It is the second cheapest provider in our price data, and buying and installing took minutes. Its weak spot is support: quick to answer, slow to help.

Key facts

• 195 countries
• iPhone app 4.5
• Android app 3.8
• Top-ups
• Hotspot
• Over 150 Mbps

Trustpilot

4.0/51,293 reviews

Payments

Credit or debit cardApple PayGoogle Pay

Pros and cons

Pros 4 Cons 4

Second cheapest we track

Buy and install in minutes

Apple Pay, Google Pay, social login

Hotspot and top-ups on every plan

Support is slow to actually help

App only, no buying on the web

App stops when your data runs out

Unclear refund rules

Global YO eSIM in our hands

Go to Global YO website View full review

Global YO is the second cheapest provider in our comparison, but there are no traveler reports from Costa Rica yet, so its record here is unknown. Its Costa Rica plans run from 1 GB to 100 GB for 3 to 60 days, with no unlimited plan, and top-ups and tethering are allowed. We could not confirm which network it uses.

In our test the purchase worked only in the app, the eSIM then arrived by email, and some phones needed a manual network profile (APN) before data worked. Its help desk was slow. Our Global YO review has the test, and you can see Global YO's Costa Rica plans.

Best eSIM Plans for Costa Rica

Price per GB in Costa Rica by eSIM Provider

How much does each provider charge per GB in Costa Rica? The chart below compares plans of 1 to 10 GB that last 6 to 14 days, the usual range for a one- or two-week trip. Provider websites show only their own plans, so this side-by-side view is one you would otherwise have to calculate yourself. A shorter bar means a lower price per GB.

Which tier fits depends on your route, not only on days. Maps, messaging and social media on a week's trip fit the smaller tiers (see what 5 GB is enough for), while video calls, streaming and a hotspot push you to the larger ones. "Unlimited" plans here slow after a daily allowance, and Holafly's is capped from the start. Combining Costa Rica with Mexico? Compare plans for both countries in one search, or read our Mexico guide.

Best eSIM for San José, La Fortuna and the Caribbean Coast

No provider has three reports from one place with a clean record, so the country picks apply almost everywhere. The clearest pattern is geographic: every report from the Caribbean side failed, while the reports from the Pacific side and La Fortuna worked. The table counts providers that worked out of all their reports in that place.

The four Caribbean-side reports (Tortuguero, Guápiles, Puerto Limón and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca) are two from Ubigi and two from Maya, and all four failed. Four is a small number, so read it as a warning, not a rule. The regulator's drive tests cover roads only, so no official data exists for remote spots like Tortuguero [2]. Claro was the only operator with measurable 5G in every province, Limón included [3], and of the providers here only Holafly names Claro on its page [6]. The Pacific-side reports were the opposite: Maya worked in Tamarindo and Uvita, and GigSky in Tambor.

Best eSIM for San José

San José has no clear pick: of five reports from the capital, two worked. Maya had 1 of 3, with two misses, Nomad 0 of 1 and GigSky 1 of 1. The reports do not say whether the misses were no signal or slow data. Network data helps more than the counts here. The regulator measured 5G from both Claro and Liberty in San José, and Claro's was several times faster [3].

That points to a provider that names Claro or two networks, which on this page means Holafly (with the speed cap noted above). The reports say nothing about what happened at the airports. For the same reason, install your eSIM before you land.

Best eSIM for La Fortuna

La Fortuna is the clearest success in the reports: all three worked, two for GigSky and one for Maya. No provider has three reports there, so the country pick applies and GigSky's two reports are a sign, not a pick. The reports name no network and no problem. Anyone adding the Caribbean side to the same trip is better off with offline maps saved, because the fallback network matters more there than the headline provider.

Local SIM Cards and Operator eSIMs in Costa Rica

A travel eSIM beats a local SIM for data, and a local SIM wins only when you need a Costa Rican phone number. In the research prices we checked, the travel eSIM was cheaper at every data size, as of September 2026. The local SIM helps when lodges, taxis or tour operators need to call you back.

All three operators sell prepaid SIMs to tourists, and eSIMs in store are now available too, but stock varies from shop to shop. Kölbi's tourist SIM is built on its Plan Dominio Prepago 3, and you add more packs through *888# (option 7), the kölbi app, ICE agencies or by calling 1193 [5]. We could not verify Kölbi's face price. According to the travel site Traveltomtom, Kölbi packs cost about 5,000 CRC (about $11) for 2 GB plus 35 minutes, 30 SMS and 3 GB of WhatsApp, and about 8,000 CRC (about $17) for 4 GB plus 50 minutes, with the SIM itself about 1,000 CRC (as of September 2026, not confirmed on Kölbi's site). A Holafly guide puts prepaid offers across the three operators at 400 to 12,500 CRC (about $1 to $26).

Registration is mandatory: SUTEL runs a public prepaid-line registration service [4]. Tourists need a physical passport, and residency is not required, while some sellers also ask for a hotel address and a payment card (reported by several travel guides). Postpaid contracts need residency. SUTEL also keeps a handset validation database, and we could not confirm whether it affects tourists.

Buying at the airport is a gamble. Traveler reports in 2026 describe the Kölbi desk at SJO as often unstaffed, with Claro's counter open more reliably, and a field test found roughly even odds that a store has a tourist eSIM in stock. One undated guide reports a higher price for a Claro airport bundle than for ordinary packs in town, but it is a single source and we could not confirm it. Read how an eSIM compares with a physical SIM if you are undecided.

Mobile Networks in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has three mobile networks, Kölbi (the state operator ICE), Claro and Liberty, and no single one wins everywhere. Claro is the best-evidenced choice for speed, Liberty for coverage maps that match reality, and Kölbi for 3G. SUTEL, the regulator, publishes annual drive-test reports [1].

In the regulator's 2025 tests Claro was fastest on 4G, and Liberty was the only operator whose published 4G map passed the accuracy threshold, in all seven provinces, though its 4G speed was the slowest [2]. Kölbi had the least accurate 4G map and performed worst on that measure, but it did best on 3G latency [2]. 3G is still live and is the real fallback, because 2G is switched off nationwide [2]. The widely repeated claim that Kölbi has the best rural coverage is not backed by regulator data, so we treat it as reported, not verified.

On 5G, Claro was measurable in all seven provinces and about five times faster than Liberty, and Kölbi had no commercial 5G in the 2026 tests [3]. SUTEL found no Liberty 5G in Cartago, Guanacaste, Puntarenas or Limón in its measurement window, and said Liberty's 5G was comparable to its own 4G [3]. See 4G vs 5G for what that means for your phone. Since 27 August 2026 Liberty has also offered Starlink direct-to-cell messaging on 4G phones, according to its own announcement and Costa Rican press. Whether an eSIM riding Liberty gets it is not stated, so assume it does not.

Which provider rides which network matters here. Holafly names Claro and Liberty [6]. Airalo, Nomad and Ubigi name Liberty [7] [10] [9], and Ubigi has 5G switched off. Roamless is the only provider that names Kölbi [8]. Jetpac is reported to use Claro. Most others do not name a network, so eSIMs that switch between several networks are worth a look for remote routes.

How to Set Up an eSIM for Costa Rica

Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, and switch it on when you land. For most providers the plan starts on first connection, not at install, but there are exceptions, so check the plan page.

1. Check that your phone is eSIM-compatible and carrier-unlocked (see phones that can use an eSIM).
2. Buy the plan before you fly. Our Yesim plan started at purchase, GoMoWorld needs a manual Start, and some Airalo packages start at install.
3. Add the eSIM from the app or the emailed QR code. Follow the guide for iPhone or Samsung.
4. On arrival, turn the eSIM line on, switch data roaming on and select the eSIM for mobile data.
5. If you have signal bars but no internet, check the manual network profile (APN) in your provider's instructions. Maya and Global YO ask for one on some phones, and restarting the phone is worth trying.
6. Save offline maps and your bookings before you leave a town. If nothing works, use the troubleshooting guide.

Calls and SMS in Costa Rica

Most travel eSIMs are data only, so calls run over WhatsApp or another app. Costa Rica's calling code is +506, which you need for any local number.

A few providers add voice. Airalo sells Plus plans with voice and SMS, Roamless has in-app calls and a second number, Jetpac sells in-app voice packs, Saily offers a US number add-on and Global YO has outgoing calls through its app. None of them gives you a Costa Rican number. For that, a local prepaid SIM is the answer, since tourist packs include minutes and SMS (see the local SIM section above).

Free eSIM Data for Costa Rica

Two providers give free data you can use in Costa Rica. Roamless lists a free 200 MB entry plan on its Costa Rica page [8], and Nomad gives new users a free 1 GB trial eSIM [10]. That is enough to test installation before you fly, not to run a trip. See free eSIM data plans and trials for the full list.

Summary: the best eSIM for Costa Rica

Based on 97 traveler reports and our tests, Maya Mobile is the best option for trips of a week or more: it worked well for 22 of 28 travelers, though it sells only global unlimited plans. Roamless worked for 6 of 6 and suits light use, but the sample is small and one of its network labels is stale. Yesim (4 of 4) sells unlimited by the day and had the slowest help desk we tested. GoMoWorld (3 of 3) was unthrottled in our test but runs everything through its app.

Holafly worked for 7 of 8, but its speed was capped from the start. eSIM4Travel is usually the cheapest and worked for 2 of 2 travelers, with no app and too few reports to judge. Outside the Best group, Ubigi's failures cluster between June and August 2026, and every Caribbean-side report failed. For the best eSIM for Costa Rica, matching the provider to your route matters most; installing before you fly and saving offline maps is the safer plan for remote stops.

Compare All eSIM Plans for Costa Rica

Every Costa Rica plan from the 14 providers in this article, in one comparison with live prices.