Free eSIM in Costa Rica — free data for first-time users, claimed in the Wanderly app.
How many days?
Choose your validity to narrow the plans.
Choose your package
Start with a travel style or fine-tune the sliders.
Total plan price
Price per GB
$3.60
- Coverage
- Single country
- Plan type
- Data only
- Top-up
- Unavailable — buy another plan
- Activation
- On network connection
What's Included
Costa Rica eSIM plans at a glance
Wanderly lists 6 fixed-data Costa Rica plans, ranging from 1GB up to 20GB over 7 to 30 days. Prices start at $4.99, and the lowest cost per gigabyte is $2.45/GB on the 20GB 30-day plan.
Unlimited day-passes are also available from $5.99 per day, billed per day rather than per gigabyte. 3 of the 9 Costa Rica data-only plans can be topped up without reinstalling the eSIM.
Calls and SMS depend on the selected plan. Install using the supplied QR code and keep your home number on its own line. Activation timing varies by plan; check your selected plan's terms before purchasing or installing.
How much does a Costa Rica eSIM cost?
A Costa Rica eSIM from Wanderly costs $4.99 for 1GB (7 days), $17.99 for 5GB (30 days) and $48.99 for 20GB (30 days), as a one-off price with no subscription. Larger plans cost less per gigabyte: $4.99/GB at 1GB against $2.45/GB at 20GB.
| Data | Validity | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7 days | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| 3GB | 15 days | $9.99 | $3.33 |
| 5GB | 30 days | $17.99 | $3.60 |
| 10GB | 30 days | $26.99 | $2.70 |
| 20GB | 30 days | $48.99 | $2.45 |
Cheapest current data-only plan at each size, as charged at checkout. Prices follow the live catalogue. Compare Costa Rica with every country in the eSIM Price Index.
Choose a Costa Rica eSIM for your itinerary
San José and a beach stay
Compare validity for the full stay and data for navigation, messages and transport. Include arrival and departure days when deciding how long the plan needs to last.
National parks and remote roads
Check network details for your route and download maps before leaving reliable Wi-Fi. Country coverage does not guarantee a connection throughout a park, rainforest or mountain drive.
Costa Rica plus Panama or Nicaragua
Open the country list of a regional or global offer and confirm each border crossing. Compare its total cost and activation rule with separate plans for each leg.
Open the current plan's details before buying: check validity, activation timing, coverage, hotspot rules and any fair-use limits. Calls and texts are included only when stated for that plan.
🇨🇷 About eSIMs in Costa Rica
Costa Rica coverage is strongest on Kolbi (ICE), the state carrier, with Liberty and Claro filling in the cities. Wanderly Costa Rica eSIMs use these tier-1 networks, so you get solid 4G in San José, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio, and usable signal on most of the Pacific coast road network.
Plan for gaps rather than being surprised by them: dense cloud forest, the Osa Peninsula and parts of the Caribbean side around Tortuguero have thin or no coverage regardless of carrier. Download offline maps for any drive between regions — the mountain routes to Monteverde and Rincón de la Vieja are where travelers most often lose signal.
For a typical 7–10 day trip with maps, WhatsApp and photo uploads, 5–10 GB is the sweet spot. Everything installs by QR code in about 90 seconds, so you land at SJO or LIR already connected.
How to activate your eSIM in Costa Rica
- 1Buy before you flyInstall on Wi-Fi at home. Your QR code arrives by email within a minute of purchase.
- 2Install the eSIMiPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Scan QR. Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add eSIM.
- 3Land and switch dataAt SJO or LIR, cycle airplane mode, set Cellular Data to the Costa Rica eSIM and enable Data Roaming on that line.
- 4Download offline mapsBefore driving to Monteverde, La Fortuna or the Osa Peninsula, save offline maps — coverage thins out in the mountains and rainforest.
Costa Rica eSIM FAQ
Which network will I connect to?
Kolbi (ICE) primarily, with Liberty as a fallback in urban areas. These are the two networks with the widest national reach.
Will I have signal in the rainforest?
Partly. Towns and main roads are covered, but dense cloud forest, the Osa Peninsula and remote Caribbean areas have gaps on every carrier. Offline maps solve most of it.
How much data should I buy for 10 days?
5–10 GB is enough for maps, WhatsApp, and daily photo uploads. Go higher if you plan to stream or work remotely.
Can I use it for tethering?
Yes, hotspot is enabled on all Wanderly Costa Rica plans.
Do I keep my home number?
Yes. Our Costa Rica plans carry data only, so your primary line stays active for calls, SMS and iMessage. We do sell plans that include calling, texting and a number of their own in many destinations, but not in Costa Rica yet.
Explore nearby destinations
Popular eSIMs travelers often pair with Costa Rica.
