eSpeedz Costa Rica eSIM plans start at $17.99 and give you prepaid data across the main towns, beaches and highways, from the Central Valley to Guanacaste. You buy online, get a QR code by email within minutes, install it at home, and it activates when you connect in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is a rental car country, and Waze is how everyone gets around. Pick up your car at SJO or Liberia with live navigation already working.
Most Costa Rica trips are a week or two of driving between volcanoes, cloud forest and beaches. US carrier day passes charge for every one of those days, which feels steep when most of your data goes to navigation and WhatsApp. A prepaid eSIM covers the trip with one upfront cost, and you can pick a plan size that matches how much you'll really use.
Live navigation matters more here than in a lot of places. Waze is the app locals and rental companies rely on, and it routes you around closures, construction and the occasional washed-out road during the rainy months. Tour operators, lodges and shuttle drivers mostly coordinate by WhatsApp, so you'll be checking messages all day. You can buy a local SIM at the airport, but an eSIM means you're not standing at a counter while the rental car shuttle waits.
Coverage is good in San José, La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and the Guanacaste beach towns. The far south is a different story. On the Osa Peninsula, signal is limited around Drake Bay and Puerto Jiménez and basically absent inside Corcovado National Park, where many lodges run on their own wifi instead. Data plans here cost more per gigabyte than in much of the world, so it's smart to save big uploads and video calls for your hotel wifi and keep mobile data for maps and messages.
Plans connect to leading local 4G/5G networks in Costa Rica. Data-only, prepaid, no contract. Prices in USD.
| Plan | Data | Validity | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica 3GB | 3GB | 30 days | $17.99 |
| Costa Rica 5GB | 5GB | 30 days | $39.99 |
| Costa Rica 10GB | 10GB | 30 days | $61.99 |
| Costa Rica 20GB | 20GB | 30 days | $112.99 |
Prices checked October 1, 2026. All prices in USD, one-time payment.
| Network | Leading local 4G/5G networks in Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Phone number | Not included. Data only, your regular number keeps working for calls and texts |
| Validity starts | When the eSIM first connects in Costa Rica, not when you buy or install it |
| Delivery | QR code by email, usually in about 3 minutes |
| Top-ups | Available |
| Phone needed | eSIM-compatible and carrier-unlocked |
Plans connect to leading local 4G/5G networks in Costa Rica. Popular stops for travelers:
Most travelers use their data for Waze, WhatsApp and checking reviews, which is light. A one-week trip is usually fine on 3GB if you back up photos on wifi. For two weeks of driving with daily navigation and some social media, 5GB is a sensible pick. If you're surfing in Santa Teresa and working remotely, or you want to post video regularly, 10GB or 20GB gives you room. Lodges in remote areas often have wifi even when there's no mobile signal.
The dry season, from about December to April, is peak time, especially on the Pacific side and in Guanacaste, with sunny beach days and the busiest roads. May to November is the green season, with afternoon rain, lush forests, fewer people and some rougher dirt roads. The Caribbean coast around Puerto Viejo runs on its own pattern and is often drier in September and October, when the Pacific side is at its wettest.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · entercostarica.com · costa-rica-guide.com · costarica.org · sinac.go.cr · copadearbol.com. Information checked October 2026. Entry rules and fees change, so confirm with official sources before you travel.