“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?

There are more than 120 travel eSIM brands and over 3600 prepaid data plans available for Costa Rica, giving travelers a wide variety of options to find an eSIM that suits their needs.

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

Unlimited data eSIM plans are available for Costa Rica through several providers. Firsty offers a 1‑day unlimited plan for free, though it includes ads and a speed limit of 256 kbps; its traffic may also be throttled. Truely, abesteSIM, Yesim, Yoho Mobile, and Roamify provide unlimited data for 1‑to‑30‑day periods, all allowing tethering and potentially throttling traffic. AbesteSIM and Yoho Mobile specifically cap speeds at 5 Mbps, while the others have no explicit speed limits listed. Plan prices range from $0.00 for Firsty to about $314.32 for Yoho Mobile, with most providers offering options in the $6 to $200 USD bracket.

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 eSIM plans that give a spare phone number with SMS capability are available in Costa Rica. Airalo’s Hot Telecom+ bundles, for example, provide a local number with dialing code +506 and allow both inbound and outbound voice calls and SMS messages. Prices for these plans start around $12 USD for 1 GB of data, with validity ranging from 7 days to 30 days. Roamify also offers eSIMs that include a phone number—though its numbers use the US dialing code +1, so they are not local Costa Rica numbers. Roamify’s global premium options allow inbound and outbound voice and SMS, with pricing beginning at roughly $15 USD for a 1 GB plan and validity of 7 days, extending to larger packages that can last up to a month. Other providers may offer data‑only options or local numbers but either lack outbound SMS support or use different dialing codes, so the above two vendors are the primary choices for travelers seeking a fully functional local or globally reachable phone number and SMS in Costa Rica.

Summarized by AI, Last updated: Mar 1, 2026