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Costa Rica vs Mexico eSIM

Costa Rica vs Mexico eSIM — Latin America travel compared. Both destinations have very competitive entry-level pricing right now.

See Costa Rica plans →See Mexico plans →

Side-by-side

	Costa Rica	Mexico
From price	$1.20	$1.20
Plans available	20	20
Top carriers	Kolbi (ICE), Movistar Costa Rica, Claro Costa Rica	Telcel, AT&T Mexico, Movistar Mexico
Network type	LTE	LTE
Region	americas	americas

Which one is right for your trip?

Pick Costa Rica if…

Your itinerary is mostly inside Costa Rica, you want strong urban LTE on Kolbi (ICE), and you value lte as your primary network.

See Costa Rica plans →

Pick Mexico if…

Your itinerary leans toward Mexico, you want Telcel as your primary carrier, and lte matches your data needs.

See Mexico plans →

Visiting both?

Buy a single regional plan (e.g. Asia, Europe, or Americas) and use one eSIM across both countries — usually cheaper than two single-country plans.

See americas regional plans →

Which is cheaper for an eSIM — Costa Rica or Mexico?

Both destinations have very competitive entry-level pricing right now. Pricing is volatile, so the table on this page is updated automatically. Pro and Premium subscribers save up to 12% on either destination.

Can I use one eSIM for both Costa Rica and Mexico?

Yes — most LTE.app travelers visiting both buy a regional plan that covers them in one purchase. If you only need one country, a single-country plan is usually the cheapest option per gigabyte.

Which has better LTE coverage — Costa Rica or Mexico?

Costa Rica runs primarily on Kolbi (ICE) and Movistar Costa Rica. Mexico runs primarily on Telcel and AT&T Mexico. Both deliver strong urban coverage; rural penetration depends on the destination's terrain — see the country pages for full coverage maps.

Should I install my eSIM before flying to Costa Rica or Mexico?

Yes — install at home on Wi-Fi for both. Activation deferred to first connection means the validity clock only starts when you land. There is no advantage to waiting until you arrive.

Will my phone work with both an Costa Rica and a Mexico eSIM?

Any iPhone XS or newer, Pixel 3 or newer, and most modern Samsung Galaxy devices support eSIM. You can store both eSIMs on the same phone and switch between them in Settings without removing anything.