Internet in Costa Rica: SIM and eSIM Cards
Here you will find all the information to have mobile internet in Costa Rica
Regretabbly, we are no longer able to provide SIM cards directly in our Posada. Now our customers need to go to the office of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). There you show your Passport and pay for your SIM card ($5-10 should be enough for normal use of internet). If you would need to recharge, this can be done at (almost) every normal supermarket just by giving your phone number to the cashier
The ICE Agency is pretty close to our Posada and is reachable by Foot (600m). Here is how you can reach it.
A much simpler option, without replacing the physical SIM card your own phone, is the eSIM. An eSIM card is essentially a virtual SIM that allows you to go online without inserting a physical SIM card. A single phone can use 10 or more eSIM cards. With this, you get instant mobile internet - even better, you can activate it in your home country with an appointment. Once you arrive in Costa Rica, you automatically have internet.
However, not all devices are eSIM-compatible, only relatively newer models. If you use an iPhone, check under Settings> Mobile Service> and near the middle, you should a button called "Add eSim". For Android devices, look for: Settings> Connections> SIM cards or SIM Manager> Add mobile plan. If the option "Add mobile plan" exists, it means the device supports eSIM. Now, switch to the new SIM card and activate roaming. After a restart, it should work.
Updated: April 2026
