Can I use my cell phone?
1. ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) - Kolbi:
ICE is the state-owned telecommunications company in Costa Rica and offers extensive coverage. Kolbi is their commercial brand and provides prepaid and postpaid plans.
2. Claro:
Claro is a popular choice among tourists due to its widespread coverage and the availability of prepaid SIM cards.
3. Movistar:
Movistar, a subsidiary of Telefónica, is another reliable option for cell phone services in Costa Rica.
4. Liberty
If you're traveling with an unlocked cell phone, getting a local SIM card is a cost-effective way to stay connected in Costa Rica.
Bring an Unlocked Phone: Ensure your phone is unlocked before arriving in Costa Rica. Unlocked phones allow you to use SIM cards from different carriers.
Purchase a SIM Card: SIM cards are readily available at the airport, official carrier stores, and various retail outlets. You'll need to present your passport for registration.
Choose a Plan: Select a prepaid plan that suits your needs, whether it's for calls, text messages, or data. Carriers offer various data packages to cater to tourists.
Insert the SIM Card: Insert the new SIM card into your phone and restart it. Your phone should automatically detect the local network.
Top-Up Your Plan: You can usually top up your plan at convenience stores, supermarkets, or online through the carrier's website or mobile app.
CELL PHONE BANDWIDTH AND INTERNET SPEED
Costa Rica's cell phone network offers 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE coverage in most urban areas. However, internet speed and network reliability may vary in remote or mountainous regions. Here are some tips for optimizing your internet experience:
Can I use my cell phone?
- To enable you to make phone calls during your stay in Costa Rica, you can contact your current homeland cell provider to find out what interntional plan/service they offer. Guests have told us the MOVISTAR service used via their provider worked quite well for $20/day.
- Another option is to stop at any ICE or Kolbi office and buy a local SIM card to use in an unlocked phone. Be sure to keep your receipt/s. Unless you make lots of international calls, you won’t need much on the card and they are easily rechargeable.
- To dial out from Costa Rica to another country, dial the three digit country code (001 for the US), then the phone number xxx xxx xxxx.
- To dial Costa Rica from the US, dial the three digit country code (011), then the phone number 506 xxxx xxxx.
- WhatsApp is a free smartphone app that works very well in our area and allows voice mail, photo/video and phone calls and usually has better connection than email and phone calls.
- WAZE is a free app that works very well in our area for providing directions, road alerts and rerouting to avoid traffic and accidents.
1. ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) - Kolbi:
ICE is the state-owned telecommunications company in Costa Rica and offers extensive coverage. Kolbi is their commercial brand and provides prepaid and postpaid plans.
2. Claro:
Claro is a popular choice among tourists due to its widespread coverage and the availability of prepaid SIM cards.
3. Movistar:
Movistar, a subsidiary of Telefónica, is another reliable option for cell phone services in Costa Rica.
4. Liberty
If you're traveling with an unlocked cell phone, getting a local SIM card is a cost-effective way to stay connected in Costa Rica.
Bring an Unlocked Phone: Ensure your phone is unlocked before arriving in Costa Rica. Unlocked phones allow you to use SIM cards from different carriers.
Purchase a SIM Card: SIM cards are readily available at the airport, official carrier stores, and various retail outlets. You'll need to present your passport for registration.
Choose a Plan: Select a prepaid plan that suits your needs, whether it's for calls, text messages, or data. Carriers offer various data packages to cater to tourists.
Insert the SIM Card: Insert the new SIM card into your phone and restart it. Your phone should automatically detect the local network.
Top-Up Your Plan: You can usually top up your plan at convenience stores, supermarkets, or online through the carrier's website or mobile app.
CELL PHONE BANDWIDTH AND INTERNET SPEED
Costa Rica's cell phone network offers 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE coverage in most urban areas. However, internet speed and network reliability may vary in remote or mountainous regions. Here are some tips for optimizing your internet experience:
- Use Wi-Fi: Many hotels, restaurants, and cafes in popular tourist destinations offer free Wi-Fi. Take advantage of these connections for data-intensive tasks like video calls.
- Download Offline Maps: Before venturing into areas with limited signal, download offline maps through apps like Google Maps. This allows you to navigate without an internet connection.
- Purchase Data Packages: If you plan to use mobile data extensively, consider purchasing a local SIM card with a data package. This provides a more reliable and cost-effective solution than international roaming.
- Costa Rica offers internet access to tourists through various means:
- Wi-Fi is widely available in hotels, restaurants, and public areas. It's a convenient way to stay connected without using mobile data.
- Cyber/Internet cafes: Many towns and cities have cyber or internet cafes where you can access the internet for a small fee.
- Hotspots: Some tourist hubs, especially in larger cities, have public Wi-Fi hotspots. Look for signs or ask locals for information.
- Cellular Data: Prepaid SIM cards with data packages provide reliable internet access across the country.
