Costa Rica SIM Card for Tourists (2026): Prices, Registration & Where to Buy

A Kölbi SIM Turista is the most straightforward physical local SIM for a visitor, because it is explicitly sold for people visiting Costa Rica. Claro and Liberty also have prepaid service that can work for foreign visitors, but their public pages do not give the same clear tourist-specific starter price.

If you mainly want mobile data without visiting a store or replacing your primary SIM, a travel eSIM is the simpler alternative. For the wider connectivity picture beyond local SIMs, see internet options for Costa Rica.

Costa Rica SIM card prices at a glance

Prices and terms checked August 17, 2026. Operator offers can change. Kölbi's current product card displays ₡12,095, while its official conditions also describe the underlying plan as ₡12,000 plus taxes; confirm the amount charged when you buy.

If avoiding local registration and store availability matters more than having a Costa Rican phone number, see Costa Rica eSIM plans.

Can tourists buy a prepaid SIM card in Costa Rica?

Yes. Costa Rica's prepaid registration system allows foreign users to identify themselves with a passport, so you do not need to be a Costa Rican citizen simply to register a prepaid mobile line.

The important distinction is between a plan being prepaid and a plan being designed specifically for tourists. Kölbi has a dedicated visitor product, while Claro and Liberty primarily advertise their normal prepaid offers.

Costa Rica's telecom regulator, SUTEL, maintains the official prepaid registration system, where passport is listed as an identification option.

Before buying, make sure that:

• your phone is unlocked for use with another mobile operator;

• you have your passport available for registration;

• the seller confirms the complete amount required for a new SIM, not the package price;

• the selected plan's validity covers your trip;

• you understand whether it renews automatically when sufficient balance remains.

A physical local prepaid SIM normally gives you a Costa Rican mobile number. That can be useful for local calls, SMS, reservations or businesses that prefer a domestic number.

Which local prepaid SIM should you choose?

Costa Rica's main choices are Kölbi, Claro and Liberty, but they are not directly equivalent tourist products. The best comparison is therefore based on how easily a visitor can buy the service, what the first purchase includes and how long the allowance lasts.

Kölbi SIM Turista: the clearest visitor product

Kölbi is the of the three operators with a product explicitly called SIM Turista. Its official tourist SIM page currently lists a bundle intended for people visiting Costa Rica.

The package includes:

• 5GB of general internet data;

• an additional 5GB benefit for selected apps;

• 100 minutes for national calls;

• 30 national SMS;

• 30-day validity, or until the included resources are exhausted.

Kölbi's conditions state that the tourist plan does not require a contract. They also exclude roaming from the included resources.

There is pricing detail worth checking at the counter: the current product card and the underlying conditions do not phrase the tax calculation in exactly the same way. The displayed price is therefore more useful than attempting to reconstruct the final amount yourself, but asking the seller to confirm the total before payment is sensible.

After the initial tourist bundle ends, Kölbi provides prepaid renewal options rather than requiring a postpaid commitment.

Claro: useful prepaid service, but not a dedicated tourist bundle

Claro's Costa Rica prepaid page promotes rechargeable packages rather than a separate tourist SIM.

A current practical example is M@s 10. It provides 2GB of national data for 10 days, with the package price shown as tax-inclusive. That shorter validity may suit a brief stay, but it should not be compared with a 30-day tourist bundle on headline price.

The main uncertainty for a new arrival is starter cost. Claro clearly publishes package pricing, but its public prepaid pages do not give a dependable all-in total covering a new physical SIM plus the selected package for a foreign tourist.

Ask the seller separately for:

• the cost of the new SIM, if any;

• the minimum first recharge;

• the package that will be activated;

• the exact total you will pay before the line is usable.

That prevents a low package price from being mistaken for the complete cost of getting connected.

Liberty Prepago Ultra: strong 30-day prepaid allowance

Liberty's Prepago Ultra is a normal prepaid product rather than a tourist-branded SIM, but its terms are unusually clear.

The current package includes:

• 5GB for general browsing;

• selected social and mobility apps without consuming the main allowance;

• 70 minutes and SMS to Costa Rican networks;

• unlimited minutes to Liberty numbers;

• 20 international minutes to specified destinations;

• 30-day validity.

Liberty states that a new Prepago Ultra SIM can be obtained through authorized points of sale. The plan automatically renews after 30 days when sufficient balance is available, so travelers who do not want another cycle should avoid leaving unnecessary balance on the line.

As with Claro, the public product price should not automatically be treated as the total cost of opening a new tourist line because a separate new-SIM charge is not clearly disclosed on the product page.

Registration, passport and activation

Costa Rica requires prepaid mobile lines to be registered. SUTEL's system specifically includes passport as an identification type for foreigners.

For a visitor, the practical process is:

1. Bring your passport when buying the physical SIM.

2. Ask the seller to register the prepaid line correctly in your name or explain the official registration step.

3. Insert the SIM into an unlocked phone.

4. Complete the operator's activation process.

5. Check that the package you paid for is active before leaving the store.

Do not rely on an exact activation time unless the operator or salesperson confirms it for your purchase. The official sources do not establish universal activation time for every tourist, sales channel and operator.

Liberty publishes a specific first-use process for Prepago Ultra, including inserting the SIM and calling its activation number. Claro also provides activation guidance for prepaid SIMs bought through its channel. Kölbi provides prepaid activation and assistance through its own channels and stores.

Payment rules may also differ by sales channel. The operators do not publish a universal rule guaranteeing that every foreign bank card will work with every recharge platform, so in-person purchase is useful if your priority is getting the line fully working before you leave the shop.

Where to buy a SIM card in Costa Rica

An official operator store is the safest first choice when registration or the total starter cost is unclear. Staff can also tell you whether the specific plan you want is currently available.

Kölbi: Its tourist SIM purchase link directs customers toward Kölbi/ICE sales locations. Kölbi also sells standard prepaid chips through a broad network of authorized retailers, but availability of the tourist bundle should not be assumed at every general prepaid seller.

Claro: Claro offers prepaid sales and recharge channels and through its retail network. Confirm that you are buying a new prepaid line, not simply adding a package to an existing number.

Liberty: Prepago Ultra is available through authorized sales points according to Liberty's own product instructions.

Airports can be convenient, but seller availability, hours and stock are location-specific. Rather than assuming the same setup at both major gateways, check SIM card options at SJO and LIR airports.

Local SIM or Roafly eSIM?

A physical Costa Rican prepaid SIM has a clear advantage when you specifically want a local mobile number, domestic calls or SMS. Kölbi's tourist bundle and some standard prepaid packages also combine data and voice benefits in local service.

Roafly takes a different approach. Its Costa Rica service is data-only and lists access through ICE (Kölbi), so it does not replace a Costa Rican phone number.

The main practical differences are:

• Before arrival: Roafly can be set up before the trip on a compatible eSIM phone.

• Physical SIM: there is no card to collect, insert or swap.

• Primary SIM: you can keep your normal physical SIM in place where your phone configuration allows it.

• Registration/store visit: there is no dependency on local SIM stock or operator-store opening hours.

• Hotspot: tethering is supported across the purchased Roafly data allowance.

• Calls and SMS: Roafly's Costa Rica plans are data-only.

For travelers who specifically want to compare travel-eSIM choices rather than physical local SIMs, use the Costa Rica eSIM comparison.

What about coverage and phone compatibility?

The three local operators have their own network footprints, so a plan's price alone does not tell you how it will perform on every route through Costa Rica.

This article does not reproduce a city-by-city or operator-by-operator coverage ranking. For that deeper decision, see Costa Rica mobile operators and coverage.

Whichever option you choose, phone compatibility matters first. A physical Costa Rican SIM needs an unlocked handset, while Roafly requires an eSIM-compatible device.

If you are unsure about bands, locking, eSIM support or roaming settings, check whether your phone will work in Costa Rica before departure.

Best choice for different Costa Rica trips

Choose Kölbi SIM Turista if: you want the most clearly tourist-oriented physical SIM and value a local number with national calls and SMS.

Choose Claro prepaid if: a shorter prepaid package fits your trip and you can confirm the SIM starter cost at the point of purchase.

Choose Liberty Prepago Ultra if: you want a 30-day local prepaid plan with voice/SMS benefits and are comfortable managing its automatic renewal behavior.

Choose Roafly if: mobile data is the priority and you would rather arrive with connectivity prepared instead of shopping for and registering a physical SIM.

For longer stays, unusually heavy usage or anyone who needs a Costa Rican number for regular calling, a local prepaid line can make more sense. For a normal tourism trip centered on maps, messaging, transport and browsing, the convenience difference may matter as much as the headline data price.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a passport to buy a SIM card in Costa Rica?

Foreign prepaid users can register with a passport through Costa Rica's SUTEL prepaid registration system. Bring the physical passport when buying a local SIM so the seller can complete or assist with the required registration.

Does a Costa Rica tourist SIM include a local phone number?

A physical local prepaid SIM provides local mobile service and a Costa Rican number. Kölbi's tourist product also includes national calling and SMS allowances.

Roafly's Costa Rica eSIM is data-only and does not provide a local number, calls or SMS.

Is Kölbi the tourist SIM in Costa Rica?

Among the three major local operators reviewed here, Kölbi is the currently marketing a product specifically as SIM Turista. Claro and Liberty sell standard prepaid services that can also be relevant to visitors.

Can I buy the cheapest package and assume that is my total cost?

No. Package price and the cost of opening a new prepaid line are not always the same thing.

For Claro and Liberty in particular, the official product pages do not reliably disclose a complete new-tourist-line total including any SIM/starter charge. Confirm the complete first payment before buying.

Should I buy a SIM at the airport or later?

Buying on arrival can be convenient if the operator and package you want are actually available. Stock, seller presence and opening hours can differ between airports and dates, so airport availability should be checked separately rather than treated as guaranteed nationwide.

Final recommendation

For a physical Costa Rica tourist SIM, Kölbi is the easiest option to understand because it has a dedicated 30-day visitor product with data, a local number, national minutes and SMS. Liberty is a credible 30-day prepaid alternative, while Claro can work well when of its shorter prepaid packages matches the length of the trip.

The main price trap is comparing the advertised package amount. Always ask for the complete first-payment total for a new SIM, especially where the operator does not publish the starter-card cost.

Roafly is the better fit when you mainly need data and prefer to prepare connectivity before arrival without swapping SIM cards or depending on a local store. Roafly publishes this guide and offers the travel-eSIM alternative discussed above.