On this page 14 sections
- Costa Rica at a glance
- Why Costa Rica is different
- Quick picks
- Step 1: Size your plan for Costa Rica
- Step 2: Compare published prices
- Step 3: Check the fine print
- The seven providers
- Will your phone work?
- Install before you fly
- Entry: passport, stay and departure tax
- Our take
- Before you fly
- FAQ
- Sources and method
Recommended plans for Costa Rica
Cheapest in each category from this guide’s price tables · checked
Best value
Ubigi
10 GB · 30 days
$19
Lowest 10 GB price in our table, for most one- to two-week trips.
See Ubigi plans (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)Unlimited week
Ubigi
Unlimited · 7 days
$26
Lowest 7-day unlimited price among the plans in our table.
See Ubigi plans (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)Light use
Ubigi
3 GB · 15 days
$8
Lowest 3 GB price in our table, for a short stay or light use.
See Ubigi plans (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Prices in USD from each provider’s official page; confirm at checkout. Some buttons are affiliate links. Compare every plan below.
Plan size
Not sure how much data you need? Try our free eSIM data calculator — maps, messaging, streaming, hotspot and hotel Wi‑Fi, sized to a common plan. Or weigh a carrier day pass on the eSIM vs roaming comparator.
Costa Rica at a glance
Checked 5 November 2026- Cheapest plan listed
- $41 GB / 7 days, Ubigi (Yesim: 1 GB / 30 days for $5.16)
- 7 days unlimited
- $19.99Maya’s global plan; Ubigi’s Costa Rica plan is $26
- 10 GB for 30 days
- $19Ubigi on Liberty (Nomad: $21; Airalo: $34.00)
- Before you fly
- Passport valid for your stay; departure tax usually in the fare
These Costa Rica plans are data-only, with no local phone number. Keep your home SIM on for bank and app SMS codes.
Why Costa Rica is different
Big price gaps. 10 GB for 30 days is $19 at Ubigi and $21 at Nomad, but $34.00 at Airalo and $36.99 at Saily. Check before you buy from your usual provider.
Two networks appear. Airalo and Ubigi list Liberty, and Nomad lists Kölbi (ICE) and Liberty.
Unlimited is cheapest outside the country plans. Maya’s global plan is $19.99 a week; the lowest Costa Rica plan is Ubigi at $26, then Airalo at $36.50.
Quick picks
One to four weeks, normal use
A 10 GB / 30-day plan: $19 at Ubigi on Liberty, or $21 at Nomad. Ubigi’s 25 GB is $29.
A few days, no counting
Nomad’s Costa Rica unlimited: $21 for 5 days, $35 for 10, on Kölbi and Liberty.
Heavy use or tethering
Maya’s global plan: $19.99 a week, $49.99 for 30 days. Among Costa Rica plans, Ubigi is lowest ($26 a week, $69 for 30 days).
Two countries
Combining Central America with Mexico? Our Mexico guide compares the same providers.
Step 1: Size your plan for Costa Rica
Maps, ride-hailing, transit apps and messaging use little data. Uploading photos and videos and making video calls use much more. As a rough guide, maps and messaging use hundreds of megabytes a day, while video and video calls can use several gigabytes. These are general estimates, not measurements.
Under a week, maps, messages and transport apps
3–5 GB fixed plan
1–2 weeks, photos, social apps and video
10–20 GB fixed, or unlimited
Remote work, video calls, tethering a laptop
Unlimited, after checking its fair-use and hotspot rules
Step 2: Compare published prices
Unlimited plans by trip length
| Days | Airalo | Nomad | Holafly | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $19.50 | — | $19.90 | — | $18.00 (lowest listed) |
| 5 days | $28.50 | $21 (lowest listed) | $29.90 | — | $30.00 |
| 7 days | $36.50 | — | $37.90 | $26 (lowest listed) | $42.00 |
| 10 days | $38.00 | $35 (lowest listed) | $40.50 | — | $48.30 |
| 15 days | $49.00 | — | $51.50 | $45 (lowest listed) | $58.80 |
| 30 days | $89.00 | — | $99.90 | $69 (lowest listed) | $94.80 |
Lowest listed price in the row — means no plan of that length was listed. Holafly ($6.90) and Yesim ($6.00) also sell a single day. Holafly lets you share data as a hotspot (a 7-day plan includes 7 GB). Nomad sells Costa Rica unlimited only for 5 or 10 days. Maya sells one global unlimited plan at the same price for every country: $9.99 for 3 days, $19.99 for 7, $27.99 for 14 and $49.99 for 30 (see Maya). Official pages, checked 5 November 2026.
Fixed-data plans
| Data | Airalo | Nomad | Saily | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $7.503 days | $77 days | $7.997 days | $47 days (lowest listed) | $5.1630 days |
| 3 GB | $19.007 days | $1430 days | $18.9930 days | $815 days (lowest listed) | $9.3630 days |
| 5 GB | $26.5030 days | $1630 days | $26.9930 days | — | $15.6030 days (lowest listed) |
| 10 GB | $34.0030 days | $2130 days | $36.9930 days | $1930 days (lowest listed) | $25.2030 days |
| 20 GB | $40.5030 days | $2630 days (lowest listed) | $47.9930 days | — | $37.8030 days |
Lowest listed price in the row Validity differs, so compare the small print as well as the price. Where a provider sells the same data amount for several lengths, we show the longest. Airalo also lists shorter versions (for example 10 GB for 7 days at $32.00). Ubigi also lists 10 GB for 7 days ($17) and 25 GB for 30 days ($29). Official pages, checked 5 November 2026.
Step 3: Check the fine print
- Networks. Airalo: Liberty. Nomad: Kölbi (ICE) and Liberty. Ubigi: Liberty. Holafly, Saily, Yesim and Maya didn’t name one.
- Unlimited isn’t always unlimited. Ubigi says a fair-use policy may apply. Holafly’s Costa Rica page limits hotspot sharing to 1 GB a day (a 7-day plan includes 7 GB to share).
- Activation windows. Nomad starts a plan automatically 60 days after purchase if you haven’t used it. Saily says all plans have a 180-day activation period; after that the plan starts automatically. Ubigi’s plan starts when you arrive.
- Hotspot. Yesim says hotspot depends on the operator, and gives 180 days from purchase to activate.
- Saily unlimited. Saily sells unlimited plans here, but we couldn’t read a price for each length, so check at checkout.
- No local number. These plans are data-only. Saily sells an optional US phone number, and Yesim offers a 20-minute calling add-on.
The seven providers
Airalo
- Costa Rica from
- $7.501 GB / 3 days
- Unlimited
- $36.507 days; $89.00 for 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $34.00
What stands out
Lists Liberty, with unlimited from 3 to 30 days.
What to watch
Expensive here: 10 GB for 30 days is $34.00 and a week of unlimited $36.50.
Nomad
- Costa Rica from
- $71 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $21
- Unlimited
- $215 days; $35 for 10
What stands out
Lists Kölbi (ICE) and Liberty. 10 GB for 30 days is $21 and 20 GB $26, the lowest 20 GB here.
What to watch
Unlimited is only sold for 5 or 10 days, and plans start automatically 60 days after purchase.
Holafly
- Costa Rica from
- $6.901 day unlimited
- Unlimited
- $37.907 days; $99.90 for 30 days
- Fixed data
- Not sold
What stands out
Unlimited by the day from $6.90, with hotspot sharing (a 7-day plan includes 7 GB).
What to watch
No network named, and the highest prices here: $37.90 a week and $99.90 for 30 days.
Saily
- Costa Rica from
- $7.991 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $36.99
- Unlimited
- Sold; check current price
What stands out
Fixed plans with 180 days to activate.
What to watch
The highest fixed prices here (10 GB for $36.99), and we couldn’t read its unlimited prices.
Ubigi
- Costa Rica from
- $41 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $19
- Unlimited
- $267 days; $45 for 15; $69 for 30
What stands out
Lists Liberty. The lowest prices here for 1 GB ($4), 10 GB over 30 days ($19), 25 GB ($29) and Costa Rica-only unlimited ($26 a week).
What to watch
Ubigi says a fair-use policy may apply to unlimited plans.
Yesim
- Costa Rica from
- $5.161 GB / 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $25.20
- Unlimited
- $42.007 days; $94.80 for 30
What stands out
Fixed plans valid for 30 days (1 GB for $5.16, 10 GB for $25.20).
What to watch
No network named, and a week of unlimited is $42.00.
Maya
- 3 days
- $9.99unlimited data
- 7 days
- $19.99unlimited data
- 30 days
- $49.99unlimited data
What stands out
The lowest price we found for 7 or 30 days of unlimited data. It’s one global plan, so the same eSIM keeps working if Costa Rica is one stop of several. Maya’s page says "No caps, no throttling."
What to watch
It renews automatically while Travel Mode is on, so turn it off when you get home. The page we read doesn’t name the local networks or spell out a fair-use policy, and we haven’t tested the no-throttling claim.
Will your phone work?
- eSIM-capable and unlocked. Apple lists iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later. Settings → General → About should say "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock (full checklist).
- Bought in mainland China? Apple says that in China mainland only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM. Many older mainland models use two physical SIM cards instead, so check for Add eSIM in your settings before you buy a plan.
- Bought in Hong Kong or Macau? Apple notes that certain iPhone models sold there have two nano-SIM slots. Check for Add eSIM in your settings first.
- Install before you fly. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and leave the line switched off until you land (install guide).
Install before you fly
Set up the eSIM over home or hotel Wi-Fi before departure, so you have maps and messages from the moment you land in Costa Rica. Keep your home SIM switched on for bank and app SMS codes, but set the travel line for mobile data.
Before you pack
Check that your phone accepts eSIMs and isn’t carrier-locked in our eSIM compatibility checker. For sockets, WorldStandards lists types A and B sockets at 120 V, 60 Hz for Costa Rica; see our plug and voltage guide.
Entry: passport, stay and departure tax
- Passport. GOV.UK says it must have an expiry date at least 1 day after the day you plan to leave Costa Rica.
- Length of stay. GOV.UK says you can visit without a visa for up to 180 days under a tourist visa waiver; the exact period is at the immigration officer’s discretion. Overstaying can bring a fine of US$100 for each month.
- Departure tax. GOV.UK says you may need to pay US$29 when leaving by air, though most airlines include it in the ticket price.
- Yellow fever. You need a vaccination certificate if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
Leave the shells
GOV.UK says you could be fined if you try to remove wildlife from the country, including seashells.
Our take
For most trips, Ubigi’s 10 GB for $19 or Nomad’s 10 GB for $21 are the best value; Airalo and Saily cost much more here. For a week or more of unlimited, Maya’s global plan is lowest, then Ubigi’s Costa Rica plan.
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Before you buy: the free pre-trip checklist
The four checks to do before any trip, from phone compatibility to the moment your plan starts counting days. Sign up and it opens straight away.
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You’re on the list
Your checklist is ready: phone check, install, roaming settings and activation timing, on one page.
Open the checklistBefore you fly
Buy and install at home
Check your phone is unlocked and eSIM-capable (how to check), then install on Wi-Fi before departure. With Nomad, don’t buy more than 60 days ahead.
Switch on when you land
Turn on the travel line, enable data roaming for that line, and set it as your mobile-data line.
Check your ticket
Confirm the US$29 departure tax is included in your fare; GOV.UK says most airlines include it.
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Get the free pre-trip eSIM checklist
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Your checklist is ready: phone check, install, roaming settings and activation timing, on one page.
Open the checklistFrequently asked questions
What’s the cheapest Costa Rica eSIM?
On the official pages we checked (5 November 2026), Ubigi listed 1 GB for 7 days at $4. For 10 GB over 30 days, Ubigi was lowest at $19, then Nomad at $21.
Which network do Costa Rica travel eSIMs use?
Airalo and Ubigi list Liberty, and Nomad lists Kölbi (ICE) and Liberty. Holafly, Saily, Yesim and Maya didn’t name one.
What’s the cheapest unlimited eSIM for Costa Rica?
For a week or 30 days, Maya’s global plan ($19.99 and $49.99). Among Costa Rica-only plans, Ubigi was lowest ($26 a week, $69 for 30 days).
Is Airalo good for Costa Rica?
It works on Liberty, but it was one of the most expensive options we checked: $34.00 for 10 GB over 30 days, against $19 at Ubigi and $21 at Nomad.
Do I pay departure tax in Costa Rica?
GOV.UK says you may need to pay US$29 when leaving by air, but most airlines include it in the ticket price.
Sources and method
Last checked 5 November 2026
All prices and plan facts on this page were read from these official pages on 5 November 2026. We have not purchased or tested these plans ourselves; we summarize what the providers publish, in our own words. Read our method.
- Airalo — Costa Rica eSIMsChecked 5 November 2026
- Nomad — Costa Rica eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Holafly — Costa Rica eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Saily — Costa Rica eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Yesim — Costa Rica eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Maya — Costa Rica eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Ubigi — Costa Rica data plansChecked 5 November 2026
- GOV.UK — Costa Rica entry requirementsChecked 5 November 2026
- Apple Support — Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhoneChecked 5 November 2026
- SafetyWing: Nomad InsuranceChecked 5 November 2026