There are several options for cell phone coverage while traveling to Costa Rica, depending on your provider, budget, and connectivity needs.

International Roaming with Your Carrier

Check with your current provider to see if they offer international roaming plans for Costa Rica. Common U.S. carriers have the following options:

• Verizon: TravelPass ($12/day) or pay-per-use rates.
• AT&T: International Day Pass ($12/day) or pay-per-use rates.
  • With the Unlimited Premium plan, you can connect across 20 Latin American countries with unlimited high-speed data, talk, and text at no extra cost.
• T-Mobile: Free text and data with most plans, but speeds may be slow. Calls are typically $0.25/min.
• Google Fi: Free text and data in Costa Rica with standard rates for calls.

eSIM (Digital SIM Card)

• Convenient for newer phones that support eSIMs.
• Options include Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, and local providers. Keep in mind that using a local SIM card requires your phone to be unlocked, which typically means it must be fully paid off.
• Data plans start at around $5–$30 depending on the amount of data needed.

Wi-Fi and Messaging Apps

• Free Wi-Fi is common in hotels, restaurants, and tourist areas.

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Wi-Fi will be unreliable in parts of Costa Rica and some hotels may not have a functional Wi-Fi or may charge for Wi-Fi.

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• Apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and FaceTime can be used for calls and texts over Wi-Fi.

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Travelers are strongly encouraged to download WhatsApp for easy communication with family and friends back home. WhatsApp enables free calls and text messaging over Wi-Fi or cellular data, eliminating the need for traditional call minutes or SMS charges.

Click here for more info on apps to download.

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