“I got the 2GB for 30 days(not sure about the duration of plan) and it was amazing. Honestly all there esim's are very close to the cheepest and the have a cash back wallet where you earn 10% of every purchase which can than be used to pay for future esim's with them. They use the liberty network in Costa Rica BTW and all their esims are routed through Poland but I didn't feel any slow speeds.”

Vic

Aug 21, 2025

Airhub Costa Rica

“After buying more than 20 sim cards from them, this one was a super bad experience after which I think I'd better pay more on other providers than use this one.
I bought a pretty expensive 40 day sim for $70, it said beforehand that it works only on Iphone, so I got an iphone specifically for this. After you order it says - esim will be activated in 12 hours (its the type where you give them your imei and they register you rather than scanning a QR).
12 hours later 2 CS agents contact me separately saying there is a problem activating. I spend 5 days corresponding with them (I needed the card next day after I bought it), customers support end up ghosting me. Asking for a refund finally got a response full week after failed activation. Now 50 days after the claimed refund I havn't got it and they do not respond via any channels.
And I am a recurring customer, I bought more than 20 sims from them already, some of them worked, some didn't, I'd say chance is around 70 working to 30 not working. Every time trying to get a refund is super painful, customer support is awful, but I got at least portion of the money (they refunded me the wrong purchase once). But this time they decided to just lie and hide. So be warned. Also amount of time you need to spend corresponding with them is just abysimal, it is not worth the money. Their voice plans are usually the best, but its a lottery with very high cost of losing. ”

morty

May 25, 2024

Costa Rica Travel eSIM FAQ

Everything you need to know about using eSIMs in Costa Rica

How many travel eSIM brands (providers) are available for use in Costa Rica, and how many prepaid data plans are there?

In Costa Rica, travelers can choose from over 210 travel eSIM brands and access more than 9, 200 prepaid data plans, offering a wide variety of options to suit different needs.

Are there any unlimited data eSIM plans available for Costa Rica?

Unlimited data eSIM plans for Costa Rica are offered by several providers. Roamify, Yesim, Truely, Earth Esim and Ohayu all list unlimited data options that work across 5G networks. Most of these plans include tethering and may throttle speed when data use is high; Earth Esim and Ohayu impose a cap of 1 Mbps on speed. The price ranges for unlimited plans span from as low as $5.00 to $210.00 USD, depending on validity and provider, so travelers can choose a plan within their budget while ensuring they have sufficient data for their trip.

What are the major mobile networks available for a travel eSIM in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica offers several major mobile network operators (MNOs) that provide extensive coverage and services suitable for travel eSIMs:

Liberty: A leading wireless carrier in Costa Rica, Liberty offers comprehensive mobile services, including voice and data, with extensive coverage across the country.
Kölbi: Operated by the state-owned Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), Kölbi provides a wide range of mobile services, including voice and data, with a strong presence throughout Costa Rica.
Claro: A subsidiary of the Mexican telecommunications giant América Móvil, Claro offers mobile services such as voice and data, with reliable coverage in urban and many rural areas.
Movistar: Owned by the Spanish multinational Telefónica, Movistar provides various mobile services, including voice and data, with good coverage, particularly in urban regions.

In addition to these MNOs, Costa Rica has Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) like Tuyo Móvil and Fullmóvil, which offer mobile services by leasing access from major carriers. However, most travel eSIMs rely on the infrastructure of the primary MNOs rather than MVNOs.

Can I get a travel eSIM with a phone number and SMS for Costa Rica?

Travel eSIMs that include a phone number with SMS capability are available for Costa Rica. The cheapest options come from Airalo, Orange Travel, Esimtofly, Airhub, Simbye and GlobaleSIM. Airalo’s 1 GB Hot Telecom+ plan ($8.50 USD for 3 days) provides a local Costa Rica number dialing +506 and supports inbound and outbound voice and SMS. Orange Travel offers a 2 GB plan ($14.99 USD for 7 days) that includes a foreign (+48) number with full voice and SMS support. Esimtofly gives 20 GB for $16.70 USD (31 days) and also uses a foreign (+33) number. Airhub’s 20 GB Costa Rica plan ($29.00 USD for 30 days) and Simbye’s 20 GB plan ($31.99 USD for 30 days) both include a foreign (+33) number with inbound and outbound voice and SMS. GlobaleSIM offers very low‑cost options such as 1 GB for $4.00 USD (7 days) with a foreign (+1) number that supports voice and inbound SMS.

All of these plans give you a real phone number, full telephone connectivity, and the ability to receive and send SMS. The only local‑Costa Rica numbered plan listed is the Airalo plan; the rest use foreign dialing codes, so the number will appear as a number from the United States/Caribbean (+1), France (+33), Poland (+48), or Costa Rica’s own code (+506 in the Airalo case). Prices for larger data volumes typically start around $16–$18 USD for 20 GB and rise to roughly $30–$35 USD for 50 GB, with validity periods ranging from a few days to a month.

Summarized by AI, Last updated: Sep 24, 2026