# Costa Rica eSIM — Instant Data from $7.00/GB Jetogo eSIM data plans for Costa Rica (ISO CR). ## Pricing - Price per GB: $7.00 - Pricing tier: 7 - Live price per GB (eSIMAccess-cached): $7.00 ### Estimated cost by usage - Light traveler (2 GB): $14.00 - Average traveler (6 GB): $42.00 - Heavy traveler (15 GB): $105.00 ## Network & carriers - Claro — 4G - Data exit route: United Kingdom — this is where your data traffic breaks out to the internet; it does not affect coverage or speed in-country. - Hotspot/tethering: unlimited. Speed limit: none. Activation: instant, auto-connects on arrival. ## Major cities - San José — local time 2026-08-24T19:47:34-06:00, sunrise 2026-08-25T11:27:29.298Z / sunset 2026-08-25T23:49:12.167Z - Liberia — local time 2026-08-24T19:47:34-06:00, sunrise 2026-08-25T11:32:18.948Z / sunset 2026-08-25T23:55:08.037Z - La Fortuna — local time 2026-08-24T19:47:34-06:00, sunrise 2026-08-25T11:29:16.310Z / sunset 2026-08-25T23:51:49.814Z - Tamarindo — local time 2026-08-24T19:47:34-06:00, sunrise 2026-08-25T11:34:10.873Z / sunset 2026-08-25T23:56:28.398Z - Manuel Antonio — local time 2026-08-24T19:47:34-06:00, sunrise 2026-08-25T11:28:08.367Z / sunset 2026-08-25T23:49:01.176Z ## Data situation Locals in Costa Rica pay around $1.86 per gigabyte on average for mobile data, ranking the country 152nd of 237 in the Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing study — solidly mid-pack globally and notably pricier than Central American neighbors with more competitive mobile markets. Free Wi-Fi helps offset that: most hotels, many restaurants, and shopping malls offer it to guests, and the state telecom regulator SUTEL runs the "Zonas de Internet Inalámbrico (Zii)" program, a free public Wi-Fi network with more than 500 hotspots in parks, plazas, and libraries distributed nationwide across all seven provinces. Coverage thins out fast once you leave those hubs, though — the Osa Peninsula and other remote southern regions have limited connectivity options. Paid standalone Wi-Fi has largely disappeared from hotels, but relying on scattered free hotspots still means gaps in rural areas, on rainforest excursions, and between towns — exactly where a dependable eSIM data plan matters most for maps, ride-hailing, and translation apps. - Local price per GB: $1.86/GB average for locals (rank 152 of 237 countries, cable.co.uk / BestBroadbandDeals Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing study) - Free Wi-Fi: Widely available — most hotels, many restaurants and cafés, shopping malls, and airports offer complimentary Wi-Fi to guests, and the government-run "Zonas de Internet Inalámbrico (Zii)" program, part of SUTEL's Espacios Públicos Conectados initiative, provides free public Wi-Fi at over 500 parks, plazas, libraries, and community centers distributed nationwide across all seven provinces. - Paid Wi-Fi: Rare as a standalone product — hotels have largely stopped charging separately for internet access, bundling Wi-Fi free with a room or purchase instead. ## International airports - SJO — Juan Santamaría International Airport (San José (Alajuela)) — https://www.sjoairport.com/ - LIR — Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (Liberia) — https://www.guanacasteairport.com/ ### Travel advisories - Advisory data not currently available for this country. ## Local SIM / phone number situation Buying a tourist SIM in Costa Rica is straightforward but has one formal step most countries skip: every prepaid SIM must be registered with SUTEL, the national telecom regulator, not just the carrier — a passport is required for that registration, and Costa Rica limits registration to 5 prepaid SIMs per passport. In practice the process is fast, typically 10-20 minutes at a staffed counter or carrier store. Airport availability is inconsistent: guides report Kolbi/ICE counters have operated at both Juan Santamaría (SJO) and Daniel Oduber Quirós (LIR) arrivals areas, but other recent reports say those specific desks have closed, leaving Claro or Movistar kiosks as the fallback at the terminal, or a short trip to a nearby mall or downtown storefront. Basic SIMs run roughly $4-5, with tourist data bundles in the $18-30 range — not dramatically marked up versus in-town pricing, but airport convenience carries a modest premium. - KYC requirements: Passport required to buy and register any prepaid SIM — registration is filed with SUTEL, the national telecom regulator, not just the carrier, and is capped at 5 SIMs per passport. - Wait time: Fast where staffed — roughly 10-20 minutes for purchase, registration, and activation at a carrier counter or store. - Jetogo Local SIM Hassle Score: 3.5/10 Wi-Fi calling lets you keep receiving calls and texts on your home phone number over an internet connection — including the data connection from your Jetogo eSIM — without needing a local SIM or number. Turn it on in your phone's settings before you travel (Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling on iPhone, or Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi Calling on Android), and your carrier will route calls to your regular number through data instead of a local cell signal, so friends and family can reach you exactly as they always have. ## Practical travel info - Power sockets: types A, B — 120V, 60Hz - No alternative plugs will also fit in type A sockets - Type A plugs will also fit in type B sockets - Emergency numbers: police 911, ambulance 911, fire 911 - Calling code: +506 - Driving side: right - Tipping: Generally not expected — but appreciated _Data via CountryWise._ ## FAQ **Does my Jetogo eSIM work in remote areas like the Osa Peninsula or Monteverde?** Coverage reaches most populated areas and main tourist routes, but Costa Rica's remote southern regions, including the Osa Peninsula, have limited connectivity generally — a known gap for any carrier, local or international, not specific to eSIMs. **Do I need to register my Jetogo eSIM with SUTEL like a local SIM card?** No. Costa Rica's SUTEL registration and 5-SIM-per-passport limit apply to prepaid SIM cards issued by local carriers in-country. Your Jetogo eSIM is provisioned before you fly and isn't a Costa Rican carrier SIM, so it falls outside that local registration process. **Can I buy a local SIM at Juan Santamaría or Liberia airport if I still want one?** It depends on the day — reports on Kolbi/ICE counters at both airports are mixed, with some travelers finding them open and others finding them closed in favor of a Claro desk or nearby storefront. Bring your passport either way, since any prepaid SIM purchase requires it. **How does an eSIM actually work?** An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone — instead of inserting a physical card, you install a small profile (usually by scanning a QR code) and your phone connects to a local or partner network for data. There's nothing to pick up at a store or swap in your device; the whole process happens over Wi-Fi in a couple of minutes. **Is my phone compatible with eSIM?** Most phones from the last 4-5 years support eSIM, including iPhone XS and later, most Google Pixel models from the Pixel 3 onward, and many recent Samsung Galaxy, and other Android flagships. Check Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Network) for an "Add eSIM" or "Add Cellular Plan" option — if it's there, you're set. Your phone also needs to be carrier-unlocked. **When does my eSIM activate — do I need to already be in the country?** You can install your Jetogo eSIM before you fly, but the data plan itself only starts counting once it connects to a network in your destination country — so there's no risk of burning through your allowance early. For most plans, connectivity kicks in automatically the moment you land and your phone finds a signal. **Can I use my eSIM as a personal hotspot?** Yes — hotspot and tethering are included on Jetogo eSIM plans at no extra cost, so you can share your connection with a laptop, tablet, or a travel companion's phone. **What happens when I run out of data? Can I top up?** You can top up directly from your Jetogo account in a couple of taps, without needing to buy a whole new plan or visit a store. Many travelers also use Jetogo's PayGo option, which lets you pay only for the data you actually use instead of committing to a fixed bundle. **Do I need a local phone number to use my eSIM?** No — Jetogo eSIMs are data-only, so there's no local phone number involved. If you need to make calls or send texts, you can use an internet calling app (like WhatsApp or FaceTime) over your eSIM data, or rely on Wi-Fi calling to keep using your existing home number (see below). **What is PayGo and why does it start at $5?** PayGo is Jetogo's pay-as-you-go option: you load a small starting balance — as low as $5 — and only pay for the data you actually use, with no expiration pressure or unused-data waste. It's a low-commitment way to try Jetogo or to cover shorter trips where a full data bundle would be overkill. **Will adding a Jetogo eSIM affect my existing phone number or home plan?** No. Your eSIM runs alongside your regular SIM (physical or eSIM) as a second, independent profile — your home number, texts, and voicemail keep working exactly as before. You simply choose which profile handles data while you're on Jetogo, and switch back anytime after your trip. ## Trust _Content coming soon._ ## Why Jetogo _Content coming soon._ ## Why Choose Jetogo _Content coming soon._ ## Practical travel info _Content coming soon._ ## Other countries pricing _Content coming soon._ --- Weather and air quality data © OpenWeatherMap, licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL): https://openweathermap.org/full-history Exchange rates via Frankfurter (European Central Bank reference rates): https://www.frankfurter.dev