Our Testing in Costa Rica
Our Costa Rica assessment evaluated 5 eSIM providers across 1 carrier network. Kolbi handles 4G LTE routing for all providers in this market. We compared 6 plans ranging from $6.99 to $51. Speed data indicates 25 Mbps average download.
Kolbi is the sole eSIM-accepting carrier in Costa Rica. All five providers route through this single network, which means coverage depends entirely on Kolbi's infrastructure.
The pricing ladder spans from 1GB at $6.99 ($6.99/GB) to 20GB at $51 ($2.55/GB). Best per-GB value sits at 20GB for $51 ($2.55/GB), our recommended tier for most Costa Rica travelers. Holafly adds an unlimited daily option at $7.56/day, which suits heavy data users on trips of 5+ days. All fixed-data plans deliver full 4G LTE speed until the data cap is reached, with no mid-plan throttling.
Kolbi's 4G LTE coverage spans Costa Rica's main population centers and tourist corridors. Rural coverage depends on Kolbi's tower density in less populated areas.
HelloRoam scores 9.5/10 for Costa Rica, the highest among 5 ranked providers. Airalo trails at 9.3/10. These scores reflect Costa Rica-specific conditions: Kolbi routing, 6 available plans, and 4G LTE as the network standard. Rankings may differ for neighboring Central America destinations where carrier partnerships and plan availability change.
What We Tested
We ranked 6 eSIM plans from 5 providers for Costa Rica across five dimensions: Coverage (25%), Pricing (25%), Speed (20%), App Quality (15%), Support (15%). Each provider was scored 1-5 per dimension with a weighted total converted to a /10 display score.
How We Scored
Scores for Costa Rica use our standard weighted formula: Coverage (25%), Pricing (25%), Speed (20%), App quality (15%), and Support (15%). Each dimension receives a raw score from 1 to 5. The composite multiplies by 2 for a 0-10 display scale. Coverage and Pricing carry equal top weight because for travel eSIMs, network reach and cost matter most.
Country-specific adjustments for Costa Rica: Single-carrier markets like Costa Rica receive a ceiling of 4.0/5 on Coverage, since no failover redundancy exists. Unlimited plan availability in Costa Rica adjusts the Pricing dimension to weight per-day unlimited rates alongside per-GB fixed rates. These calibrations keep scores comparable across the 185+ destinations in our database.
The scoring spread across 5 providers for Costa Rica is 1.5 points (HelloRoam at 9.5/10 down to Nomad at 8.0/10). A spread under 1.5 points indicates that all providers deliver comparable service for this destination. The wider gap here reflects meaningful differences in pricing, coverage, or support quality.
Read our full testing methodology.
We measured download speeds at 25Mbps average across test sessions on Kolbi.
Costa Rica Network Landscape
Costa Rica has 1 mobile network: Claro (4G). Kolbi delivers the strongest coverage combination. All 5 providers route through these carriers.
Carrier Partnerships
Costa Rica operates 1 mobile network: Claro (4G). Kolbi serves as the primary routing partner for travel eSIMs in this market. All five ranked providers route exclusively through Kolbi. Single-carrier markets offer no failover, which affects the Coverage dimension of our scoring.
Kolbi delivers 25 Mbps average download in Costa Rica. This speed handles standard travel tasks including maps, messaging, and photo uploads. Single-carrier coverage means no automatic failover. Coverage quality depends entirely on Kolbi's tower infrastructure and geographic reach in Costa Rica.
Carrier selection in Costa Rica is largely predetermined by Kolbi's dominant roaming agreements. Providers compete on plan structure, pricing, and service quality rather than network access. Coverage scores correlate directly with Kolbi's tower density.
Review Timeline
Plans and pricing for Costa Rica were last verified in May 2026. All 6 plans confirmed active on Kolbi's 4G LTE network. Provider scores reflect the most recent data available for this destination.
We review Costa Rica rankings quarterly and after any major network change (carrier merger, 5G rollout, new provider entry). Price updates are checked monthly. If Kolbi launches a new network tier or a provider adjusts Costa Rica plan pricing, scores are recalculated within 2 weeks.
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