Guatemala SIM Card for Tourists (2026): Claro vs Tigo, Prices & Registration

Checked August 17, 2026. Claro package prices and terms may change, and the figures above are package prices rather than guaranteed complete physical-SIM purchase totals.

Both SuperPacks include national/USA calling benefits and selected unlimited social apps during the validity period. Claro also advertises Centroamérica browsing under its Claro sin Fronteras benefit for these packages.

Recurrence deserves attention. Claro provides an SMS cancellation method for both listed SuperPacks, so visitors wanting only one package should check that recurrence is stopped rather than assuming the package will simply expire without another purchase attempt.

Tigo or Claro: which SIM is better for tourists?

Tigo has the stronger case when price transparency matters. Its Q10 SIM price is publicly documented, so the main first-purchase components can be calculated before visiting a store.

Claro remains competitive on package pricing. Its Q50 6GB/15-day and Q100 10GB/30-day offers are easy to understand, but the physical new-line cost is the missing part of the calculation.

Trip length creates a useful dividing line:

• Around one week: Tigo’s Q35 5GB/7-day package is the clearest fit among the selected benchmarks.

• Around two weeks: Tigo offers 8GB/15 days for Q65, while Claro offers 6GB/15 days for Q50.

• Around one month: Tigo lists 15GB/30 days for Q120 and 17GB/30 days for Q150; Claro lists 10GB/30 days for Q100.

• Local number or calls matter: either local operator can make more sense than a data-only travel eSIM.

• Store and registration convenience matter more: Roafly avoids the physical local-SIM purchase process.

Price alone does not identify a universal winner because Claro’s new-line/SIM amount still needs to be confirmed at purchase.

What is the real upfront cost of a Guatemala SIM?

Advertised package price and total amount paid on day one are not always the same thing.

Tigo makes the calculation relatively transparent. Someone buying a new Q10 SIM and the Q120 30-day package has Q130 in documented components. Choosing the Q35 weekly package instead gives Q45 in documented components.

Claro’s calculation stops one step earlier. The operator clearly publishes Q50 and Q100 package prices, yet a standard nationwide physical-SIM/new-line price is not reliably disclosed alongside those packages.

That uncertainty should remain visible rather than being filled with an assumed fee.

Check these items before paying:

• physical SIM or starter-card price;

• selected package price;

• mandatory first recharge, if one applies to your purchase;

• activation or service charge, if quoted;

• retailer-specific charge;

• final amount due.

Third-party sellers may structure the transaction differently from an operator store, so ask what the quoted price actually includes.

Where to buy a SIM card in Guatemala

Official operator stores or properly authorized sellers are the safest starting point because the purchase requires identity verification.

Tigo says its chips/SIMs are sold through Tigo points of sale and Tigo stores. Claro prepaid packages can be purchased through the operator’s channels and points of sale.

Good buying choices include:

• official Tigo stores;

• official Claro stores;

• authorized operator sales points able to register a new line.

Airport stock, individual counter locations and opening hours are too location-specific to generalize nationally. Availability can also change, so this guide does not promise that a particular airport seller will have the SIM or package you want.

Broader connectivity choices are covered separately in ways to get internet in Guatemala.

SIM registration: what tourists need

Guatemalan law requires the buyer of a SIM to identify themselves to the seller. Foreign buyers use a valid passport.

The practical process is:

1. Present your passport.

2. Choose the prepaid line and package.

3. Ask for the SIM price and package price separately.

4. Let the seller complete the required registration.

5. Confirm the final amount before paying.

6. Check that the line is active before leaving.

No reliable official source checked for this guide provides one universal activation time. Promising “instant activation” or a fixed number of minutes would therefore be misleading.

Registration also explains why buying an unidentified loose SIM from an informal source is a poor shortcut. Proper sale and activation depend on the required buyer information being recorded.

Local SIM vs Roafly eSIM in Guatemala

Local prepaid service is the stronger choice when a Guatemalan phone number or included local calling benefits matter. Longer trips may also benefit from the larger local packages available from Tigo and Claro.

Roafly targets a different trade-off: mobile data without visiting a local SIM seller or swapping out a physical SIM.

Owner-verified Guatemala options are:

• 5GB — $14.90 — 30 days

• 10GB — $24.90 — 30 days

• Listed local network: Claro

• Hotspot/tethering: supported across the purchased data allowance, with no separate hotspot quota

Roafly’s Guatemala plans are data-only. No local phone number, calls, SMS, 5G availability, guaranteed coverage or exact activation time is claimed here.

Keeping the primary SIM in the phone can also be useful for travelers who still need access to their usual number while using the Roafly eSIM for data.

See Guatemala eSIM plans to compare the currently available package choices.

Provider-level travel-eSIM comparisons belong on a different page; use best eSIM options for Guatemala when that is the decision you are making.

Does Claro offer a local prepaid eSIM?

Claro Guatemala advertises prepaid eSIM service for compatible devices.

Local operator eSIM and travel eSIM solve different problems. Claro’s version belongs to the local prepaid service: registration and operator-specific purchase requirements still matter even though there is no plastic card to insert.

Current public information does not justify claiming that every foreign tourist can complete the entire Claro prepaid eSIM purchase remotely before arrival. Visitors interested in this route should confirm the current new-line process directly with Claro.

Coverage and mobile network considerations

Coverage should be judged against the places on your itinerary rather than reduced to a nationwide “winner” claim.

Claro and Tigo both operate mobile networks in Guatemala. Urban routes and heavily visited destinations may present a different experience from mountainous or rural areas, so operator choice becomes more important when a trip includes remote locations.

No 5G promise is attached to the prepaid packages in this comparison. Network generation depends on the exact service, device and location, and an operator operating a 5G network does not prove that every prepaid user will receive 5G everywhere.

Roafly lists Claro as the local network for its Guatemala product. That fact does not imply guaranteed speed, priority or nationwide coverage.

Best choice by trip type

Short trip: Tigo’s Q35 5GB/7-day package gives a clearly published local option, with a documented Q45 in SIM-plus-package components for a new line.

Two-week trip: Claro’s Q50 6GB/15-day package has the lower headline package price among the selected 15-day benchmarks; Tigo offers more included data at Q65 for 8GB/15 days.

One-month trip: Claro publishes 10GB/30 days for Q100. Tigo publishes 15GB/30 days for Q120 or 17GB/30 days for Q150, plus the Q10 new-SIM price.

Need a Guatemalan number: choose a local prepaid SIM rather than a data-only Roafly plan.

Want data ready without a local shop visit: Roafly is more convenient when your phone supports eSIM and a local number is unnecessary.

FAQs

How much does a Guatemala SIM card cost?

Tigo officially lists a new SIM with an assigned number at Q10. Its prepaid data/calling packages are separate, with selected current benchmarks ranging from Q35 for 5GB/7 days to Q150 for 17GB/30 days.

Claro publishes prepaid package prices including Q50 for 6GB/15 days and Q100 for 10GB/30 days, but its complete new physical-SIM purchase total is not reliably published online.

Do tourists need a passport to buy a Guatemala SIM?

Yes. Guatemala’s mobile-terminal law requires foreign SIM buyers to present a valid passport to the seller.

How much is Tigo for 30 days?

Tigo currently lists 15GB for Q120 and 17GB for Q150, both valid for 30 days. Someone starting a new line should also account for the separately published Q10 SIM price.

How much is Claro for 30 days?

Claro currently lists its 10GB SuperPack Todo Incluido at Q100 for 30 days. The full first-purchase amount may be higher because the standard new physical-SIM/new-line cost is not clearly published with the package.

Can I get a local number?

Tigo explicitly lists its Q10 SIM as coming with an assigned number. Local prepaid service is therefore the more appropriate route when a Guatemalan number is part of your trip requirements.

Is a local SIM cheaper than Roafly?

The products are not directly equivalent. Local plans can provide more data and local calling benefits at their published package prices, while Roafly removes the local store, passport-registration and physical-SIM-swap steps.

Claro’s missing published new-line cost also prevents a clean complete-total comparison for every option.

Final recommendation

Tigo is currently the easiest Guatemala physical SIM to budget before arrival because both the Q10 SIM price and multiple prepaid package prices are publicly available. Its useful tourist benchmarks run from Q35 for 5GB/7 days to Q120 for 15GB/30 days and Q150 for 17GB/30 days.

Claro is still worth comparing, particularly at Q50 for 6GB/15 days and Q100 for 10GB/30 days. Confirm the new physical-SIM cost before paying because the package price is not a guaranteed complete first-purchase total.

Roafly makes more sense when the priority is data and pre-travel convenience rather than a Guatemalan number or local calling benefits.

Roafly publishes this guide and offers the travel-eSIM alternative discussed above.