If you’re like most people, your phone is an important extension of your daily life. And while you may be able to turn off work emails during your vacation, you still want to be able to connect to the internet while abroad. After all, you don’t want to miss posting those gorgeous photos or chatting with family and friends while away. In this post, we’ll give you details on how to get a prepaid SIM card for travel in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s Mobile Network
Costa Rica has an extensive network of 3G, 4G, and 4.5G cell phone towers. This allows you to connect to the internet or make a local call in most places around the country.
Of course, with Costa Rica’s rugged terrain, there are still places where the towers don’t reach. They can be partially blocked by mountains or trees. If you are traveling to known tourist destinations, though, you will likely find good coverage.
Major highways and most popular secondary roads usually have good coverage too. However, you’re likely to find some spotty zones along the way.
Important: The mobile networks in Costa Rica will not work if your phone is locked by a cell phone provider in your home country. This is the most common problem people have when trying to insert a foreign SIM card. If you have a contract with a cell phone carrier, contact them first to see if you can get the phone unlocked for international travel. If not, they may be able to offer you a temporary international calling/data plan.
Costa Rica Mobile Providers
There are several cell phone networks in Costa Rica. The biggest is the government-owned Kolbi. This has the most extensive coverage (see coverage map here) and is also the most popular.
Others that are growing in popularity are Claro and Movistar. These companies have been expanding their coverage but are newer to the market.
Tip: If you will be in Costa Rica for a long-term visit and staying in one place, be sure to ask your host/property manager which company has the best coverage in that area. In some rural areas, for example, Kolbi doesn’t work well, but Claro does. This can be key to getting fast, reliable internet in parts of the country without a cable or fiber option connection.
Prepaid vs. Postpaid SIM Cards
When getting a new SIM card in Costa Rica, there are two options, prepaid (prepago) and postpaid (postpago).
Prepaid SIM cards are the easiest to get and anyone with a passport can buy one.
Prepaid SIMs are sold for around 1,000 colones (about $1.50) plus a certain amount of money for minutes and data. These are pay-as-you-go plans, so once you use the balance, you won’t be able to make calls or use the internet until you recharge it with more money (details below). You can add as much money as you want to a SIM card. It is very affordable. 5,000 or 10,000 colones (about $8 or $16) will last you a long time.
Postpaid SIM cards that give you a certain amount of data and minutes are billed monthly (the month after you use the services). You need to be a legal resident with a cedula or DIMEX card to get one. When doing so, you will sign a contract with the mobile provider.
Getting a SIM Card in Costa Rica
Getting your cell phone set up with a Costa Rica SIM card is easy. Just make sure you are using a phone that is unlocked or allows a dual SIM card. We’ll cover the rest of the process below.
Buying SIM Cards at the Airport
Previously, you could purchase a Kolbi SIM card at either SJO or LIR Airports. However, these desks have since been closed. There is a Claro desk at the baggage claim of SJO Airport, but it isn’t always open.
If you need a SIM card right away, there are some options only a 5 to 10-minute drive from each international airport.
If arriving at SJO Airport, you can go to City Mall in Alajuela (map). It’s about 5 minutes away. Kolbi, Claro, and Movistar all have storefronts inside the mall.
If arriving at LIR/Guanacaste Airport, you can go into downtown Liberia. There is a Kolbi store (map), Claro (map), and Movistar (map) right in town. These are about 10-15 minutes from the airport, depending on traffic.
Where Else to Get a SIM Card?
Besides the locations near the airports, there are plenty of other places to get a Costa Rica SIM card.
ICE Offices
ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) is Costa Rica’s government-run electric and telecommunications agency.
They have offices in most larger towns and some rural locations as well. Their buildings are usually white, blue, and yellow. People often go here to pay their electric and phone bills, so sometimes lines are long.
Most ICE offices have staff that will help you set up a new Kolbi SIM card. Kolbi is the mobile provider branch of ICE and is also government run.
Kolbi Retail Locations
In addition to the ICE offices, there are some Kolbi storefront locations around Costa Rica. You can find a searchable list here. You’ll just need to know the province and canton (county) where you are going.
The list will give you both the ICE offices that offer SIMs and Kolbi store locations. Most of the storefronts are in the San Jose area, but there are some random ones around Costa Rica.
Here are a few Kolbi stores worth mentioning, which are near popular tourist destinations:
- La Fortuna (Arenal), right in downtown, across from the Red Cross (Cruz Roja)
- Huacas (on the way to many Guanacaste beaches like Tamarindo and Flamingo)
- Limon on the Caribbean coast (across from the post office, Correos de Costa Rica)
Claro and Movistar Retail Stores
Similar to the Kolbi storefronts, you’ll find retail stores for Claro and Movistar that also sell SIM cards. These are actually more widespread, with locations in many tourist destinations.
You can find the list of Claro stores here and the list of Movistar locations here.
Setting Up Your Costa Rica SIM Card
When you purchase your SIM card, the mobile provider will help set up your phone and test it to make sure it works. They will give you the phone number that corresponds to the SIM so that you can save it.
Each provider is different, but they all have certain packages that include phone minutes, data, and usually some free usage for things like WhatsApp, Waze, and Facebook.
Kolbi, for example, has a tourist package that includes 5GB of internet, 5GB for specific apps (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Waze), plus 100 minutes for national calls. The price is 12,000 colones plus 4% VAT. That’s around $20, depending on the exchange rate.
This, along with connecting to Wifi at your accommodations, should be plenty for a short vacation.
Adding More Data/Minutes to Your SIM
If you do run out of data or phone minutes, you can easily add more money to your balance.
Most grocery stores (also called supers or mini-supers) can either add minutes using their computer or sell you a card with a code to add minutes.
With the card, you need to call the toll-free number and enter some numbers from the back and follow instructions. Cell phone stores (repair shops, accessories, etc.) also usually can help add minutes.
When looking to recharge, just ask if they sell Kolbi, Claro, or Movistar, whichever you have a SIM card for. You can also usually see the logos for each provider either at the register or on a sign outside.
After you have successfully recharged, you will receive a text message with your new balance.
Kolbi users can check their balance by calling *888*1*1#
Conclusion
Getting a SIM card in a foreign country may seem intimidating, but we hope this article has helped you navigate the process. Now that you are connected, you can rest easy and enjoy your trip to Costa Rica!
Have a question about getting a SIM card in Costa Rica or want to share a tip? Leave a comment below.
Looking for more information to help you plan? Check out these posts:
Rental Car Discount – Get a discount on your rental car through Adobe, one of the country’s best companies. Add a Wi-Fi stick too if you think you’ll need even more data for your trip.
Packing for Costa Rica: The Essentials – If you are getting all those final items together, make sure to read this post. It may remind you of something you forgot.
Best Hotels Near SJO Airport – Looking for a comfortable place to stay that doesn’t feel like your typical airport hotel? Check out this handpicked list of our favorites near SJO.
Thanks for another wonderful, informative post. It was such a convenience to buy a SIM card at the airport when I visited about 3 yrs ago, it’s too bad they aren’t there any more. Is this a COVID precaution or perhaps not enough business to justify.
Coleen
When we visited in Feb. 2020 the store was closed,
so it wasn’t covid related.
We just bought a temporary plan from Verizon.
They charge by the 24 hour period so if you mostly use wifi it was reasonable and very easy to do.
We only used the phone on cell service 3 days out of 8.
How does it work. If I get a text or call from Canada/US will it automatically forward to the new SIM card?
Hi Joe, The SIM card is a different phone number so you won’t get text messages or calls to your Canada/US number. But you can set up WhatsApp to still work with your regular number and things like Facebook that use internet will work too.
Hi,
Do you know if a prepaid package that has a specific WhatsApp allowance will still work if you keep your international number attached to the WhatsApp, rather than switching to the number from the Costa Rican SIM?
Hi Cloe, we aren’t exactly sure if that will work. It could be that it knows which App is using the data or it may be associated with the new Costa Rica number itself, we don’t know. If you ended up trying it, please let us know how it worked out.
6/22/2022 DO not buy any SIM cards from Claro at the baggage claim SJO Airport. The workers there are thieves and scammers. They install old, used SIM cards that will only work a couple hours and then you will have to recharge. They only accept cash and give no receipts. $20 lost and Claro mobile main company will not take no responsibility when place the complaint. BE AWARE VISITORS TO COSTA RICA.
Are eSIM cards available in Costa Rica?
Hi Mark, We have never heard of eSIM cards here so don’t think they are available.
So according to another website I found, Apple (iPhone) says there’s no eSim carriers in Costa Rica. However, you can get an International eSim provider that will work in Costa Rica. There’s one called holafly. Looks like $45 for 6GB for 2 weeks.
I posted on NextDoor, saying I was going to CR and asking for people’s tips. Someone responded that their daughter had gotten an eSIM. I believe this report was post-trip, and I think they would have told me if it didn’t work, so I assume it did.
Why on earth would they close SIM card shops at the airport. Real shame as I like to support local economy when travelling so this a new one for me. Congrats EE your crazy £6.90 a day will win over no shops at the airport
Follow-up to my previous reply: Here is what I was told: “Melinda, here is what my daughter wrote:
An e-sim works pretty much exactly the same way as a physical sim, you just don’t have to actually put anything into your phone. The app I used to purchase is called Airalo (just search on the app store and download to your phone), and they have options for various data amounts – only data, no calls or texts included (but with wifi you can make calls and all that, and I definitely would recommend sticking with WhatsApp for texting internationally, so data works for that). This app also has the ability to ‘top up’ if you run out of data.”
Make sure your cell phone can take a sim card. A few years ago I tried buying one, and found my phone didn’t take a sim card. So I ended up buying a phone that I could use .
My wife and I spent 3 weeks in the Dominical area in February 2021 and bought a basic Kolbi SIM/data package before leaving Alajuela. We didn’t even use a fraction of it over the whole trip, and the cost was $10. Good coverage everywhere along the central Pacific coast. Very helpful people at the Kolbi office.
Thanks for this information Matt & Jen – we are coming to Cost Rica Jan 13, 2022 landing in Liberia. Do you know if the Kolbi store / office closest to the airport is open with Covid ? It is the Tienda Kolbi Liberia store.
Hi Marcel, Yes, it does look like that location in downtown Liberia is open.
Hi Jen & Matt,
great artice- I ‘ve read in another article that you have to activate the local sim card once you bought it. Otherwise you can’t use it. As a costa rican citizen you can do that online but how what do you have to do as a foreigner to active and then properly use the sim card?
Many thanks!
Hi Sandra, They will activate the SIM card for you when you buy it.
We have a few trips to Costa Rica planned that are each six months apart. How long will a prepago SIM remain active if it isn’t being used?
Hi Tucker, We aren’t sure but it’s probably around 3 months.
Wir haben bei kölbi Multi Plaza keine Quittung ( receipt ) für 12.000 und 5.000 Colones erhalten Wir sind über den Service sehr unzufrieden, Personal unfreundlich und keine Englischkenntnisse ! Können sie helfen ?tel. 8506851-
Great article and great information. We will be close to Tamarindo. Can we get sim cards for any of those three providers there?
HI Carlo, There is a Kolbi store in Huacas, near Tamarindo. It’s in Centro Comercial Plaza Huacas near Banco Popular.
Do you need to show your passport or driver’s license to get a SIM card?
Hi Roger, Yes, they have asked for our passport or cédula (for legal residents) when we have gotten a SIM card.
Hi Jenn and Matt,
I’m having trouble trying to find out the balance on my Kolbi SIM card while back in Canada – I wanted to make sure it was topped up before I return to CR again on April 2. Purchased at ICE in Parrita. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Hi Adrienne, We’re not exactly sure how you could check the balance from Canada. Have you tried the Kolbi app?
Maybe try texting Saldo to 8888 from your Kolbi line?
I am headed to Drake Bay. Is there a way to buy a SIM there? If the Claro shop at the airport isn’t open, I may not have time to go search for a SIM card before my connecting flight from SJO leaves.
Hi Anne, Drake Bay is super small. We don’t think there’s anywhere to buy a SIM card, unfortunately.
Hey Jen and Matt
I’m in costa rica now and I bought a prepago kolbi sim and I managed to call my dad once (who lives in canada) but now whenever I try and call him a prerecorded message in spanish comes up. My friend and I have only been in Costa Rica a couple days now so sadly my spanish isn’t great and I’m not sure what the prerecorded message is saying. So I was just wondering if you knew what this message might be saying or if you have run into similar problems
Thanks, Leith
Hi Leith, It could be that you used all your minutes with the call to Canada? That’s usually the reason for the prerecorded message when trying to place a call.
Hi,
where can I buy a prepaid SIM next to Jan Jose airport?
Hi Guy, There is a Kolbi in City Mall near the airport (map here). That is probably the closest option.
Hello Jenn and Matt,
My hotel gave me a Movistar SIM card but told me that it only lasts for 1 week and then I have to recharge it…Is there any provider that you mentioned offering a card that’s active as long as I have data? Thank you!
Hi Helen, we haven’t heard of the service expiring after a week, I wonder if the hotel just estimated how much data was on the SIM? Movistar also recently merged into a new company called Liberty, which might have changed their plans since your comment was posted.
Hello! We will be traveling to Costa Rica and I’m looking at a data sim card but if they are no longer at the airport Jan Jose we won’t have the time to go to another location. Can you purchase off the kolbi website?
Hi Lorri, we recently heard from a client that he was able to get a Claro SIM card near baggage claim at SJO. There is a small booth there. It might only be open during normal business hours. As far as we know, it is not possible to buy a SIM on the Kolbi website.
Jenn and Matt,
Do you need a sim card if you plan to use your cell phone for navigation? I’m not sure if getting the sim card or just going through my regular local provider (Verizon) would be better suited for our needs.
Thanks
Hi Dana, No, if you are going to have internet through Verizon, you don’t need a local SIM card for navigation. Your phone will work here.
Hello. Looking at the Kolbi website, it looks like you can buy the prepaid SIM online and then enter passport details when you checkout. Has anyone else done this? Its a $20USD gamble to skip the step once I land in the country. Thoughts? Big thing is I would like the phone to work immediately so I can use the navigation. Let me know if anyone else has tried this successfully.
https://www.kolbi.cr/wps/portal/kolbi_dev/personas/prepago/opciones-prepago/Chip-y-recargas
Hi Kris, We’ve never heard of anyone buying a Kolbi SIM card online in advance. I wonder how you would pick it up? There isn’t a Kolbi at the airport anymore.
Hi – really useful site, thanks for the information you publish – I will be arriving from UK end of this month and picking up a hire car at SJO – may seem a silly question, but how easy is it to get from airport to the City Mall and park up so I can get to the Kolbi shop – I will be on a tight timescale so hoping for a quick stop to get the SIM, then heading up to Poas before it gets too dark! Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark, City Mall is very close to the airport. There can be some traffic but it should still take less than 15 minutes to get there. Make sure you are using a navigation app. WAZE works well in the city. Good luck!
I have the same question as Mark. It sounds like the Claro stand at the airport may not be reliable so I’m hoping to land around 430 pm and get to the Kolbi store without too much trouble. Sounds like it shouldn’t be a problem.
Great article, thank you! Does Waze or google maps work as well as GPS for naviagation when driving from San Jose to/around La Fortuna and then from there to Nicoya Peninsula? I’d rather not pay extra to car rental company for GPS if my phone with a Kolbi SIM card and cell service works as well? Thank you
Hi Susan, Yes, Google Maps and WAZE both work well for those drives so it’s fine to use them.
I am just new to your site ( planning an extended stay this January 2023 in Ocotal) and am amazed and impressed how helpful and informative you and your site are. Many Thanks. Terry from Canada
Hi Terry, Thank you for the kind words. Hope you have a great visit to Ocotal next year!
I might have missed this in the comments, but I just purchased a new Verizon post paid phone. It is locked to Verizon with a single sim card slot. Will I be able to insert a Costa Rican sim card in it and have it work there?
Hi Michael, If it is locked to a US carrier, you won’t be able to use a Costa Rica SIM card. It needs to be unlocked. Verizon has international plans that many people use.
How long is the sim csrd good for ?
Hi Bill, we have had ours for 9 years, I don’t think they expire. You just have to keep it active by adding a little money every month or two. If you leave the country for a longer period, it is common to ask a local to add some colones to your sim’s number every so often.
I am visiting Monteverde & Playas del Coco, CR and Ometepe, Nicaragua. Total 19 days. Which prepaid SIM card is good for both countries? Which plan should I purchase?
I must pay cash in colones, is there an ATM inside Liberia airport?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Chris, We don’t think there is an option for a SIM card that will work in both countries. As far as we know, you’ll need to purchase one for Costa Rica and one for Nicaragua.
Yes, there is an ATM in Liberia Airport.
Hi Jenn and Matt,
Our trip to CR is coming up on 20 NOV 2022.
Quick question regarding cell phones and CR sim cards.
I read the post and the above comments and my impression is that you have to have a CR sim card to use cell phone service in CR. Have I got that wrong? We have Verizon and will use a pay as you go program for communication back to the US but I’m worried about in country emergencies such as car break downs etc. Please let me know when you get a chance if a local sim card is a requirement for in country.
Thanks so very much for you website and posts. You guys are making this first trip much easier.
Cheers,
Jim Roberson
Hi Jim, as long as you sign up for the Verizon international plan before you come, you will be able to use your existing sim card. It will work off the towers here and you will get charged accordingly through Verizon’s plan. We have a close friend that does it that way. The rental car company you use should have an 800 number you can dial in case of an emergency. Also, if you use our Adobe discount, you can request an emergency cell phone with a local sim card (no internet, just calls) and it is free for our readers. Have a great trip.
Thanks for the info. We set it up with Verizon. WE also rented from Adobe through your site and it’s nice to know about the emergency phone.
Thanks for all.
Really appreciate your site.
Cheers
Some info for other travelers, last week we found the Claro store in the City Mall to be very helpful. I got a 2GB SIM card for less than $10.
Bought a Movistar (now rebranded to Liberty) SIM in La Fortuna at a small Telco Shop on the mainstreet for 8000 Colones. 4 GB for 30 days. The friendly seller also activated the SIM. Worked in Bijagua, Playa Junquillal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio. Had to find a workaround to install the Mi Liberty App on my Android to keep an eye on consumption – Google Playstore did not want to, I guess because of a Geofence. According to the app even free watching of YouTube videos for 60 days possible, but I am not sure about that because my Spanish is bad.
When using a SIM card, are you no longer connected to the US?
Hi Linda, That’s right. You would be connected to the phone and internet providers in Costa Rica.
Anyone know where the nearest place to buy a SIM card in Potrero?
Hi Marcel, I think the closest Kolbi/ICE office is in Huacas. Here’s a map link to the location.
This may be a sillyquestion. I have a local claro SIM card- I am here for 4 months and brought down an old iphone to use for a local SIM card. Still need my current Canadian iPhone active as my work outlook etc is on it and I’m working while here.
I want to use the old iPhone for the local SIM card really for google maps and translate when I’m out without wifi. When I put the local SIM card in to the old iPhone do I need to sign into my Apple ID to get maps a translate on the old iPhone and have them work? Won’t that mess up my canadian iPhone? If I try to create a new Apple ID on the old iPhone here it’s asking for a phone number to text verification to and I can’t receive a text. Should I put the SIM card in first and then use the sim number to text to? I’m confused if this will all actually work, to put it on a second phone.
I have an eSIM on the Canadian phone- should I just put it in that and could I use one as primary and other as secondary or something? Would that work or would that mess up my Canadian phone and what I can access on that? Thought I was being smart but now I’m
Confused…. 😊
Hi Ramona, not sure if this will help but we kind of have the opposite situation. We have an iPhone set up with Costa Rica SIM and when we travel to the USA, we either put in a different SIM (to get service there) or use an eSIM. All of our apps work perfectly like they do in Costa Rica, even WhastApp, which is connected to the Costa Rica number/SIM car (even if we have removed that SIM card). SO I think you could probably put the Costa Rica SIM into your Canadian phone and switch between the eSIM and local SIM whenever you want. Another note, we have an old iPhone that our kids play around with and the basic apps still work on there, even when it is not signed in to Apple or maybe it is signed in to both phones and we don’t even know. Hope this info helps you out as you try the different options.
Truly , Holafly , ( eSIM ) mentioned by someone earlier is brilliant . We have just come off 4 weeks in the USA and it was faultless and a short while ago I “ installed a Costa Rica “ one and it is working perfectly ( in Costa Rica ) . I switched off wifi from our hotel to test it and it’s working probably faster than the hotel WiFi was . About US$55 for 15 days , unlimited data , unlimited calls .
Hey Guys. Love the information on this site. Thank ya’ll for working so hard on it! Will be there the 2nd week of march for the 1st time. My question is about data and cell service just using Verizon’s CR plan. Is it reliable with the local carriers networks? Or is Whatsapp better? Thanks again, Rick
Hi Rick, We have friends who use their Verizon phones in Costa Rica and they work great. Verizon just connects to a local carrier here.