Cell Phone Service in Costa Rica

Traveler Information
Cell Phone system explained and recommendations
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which phones works where!

Visitors to Costa Rica often ask if their cell phones from their home country will work here. Cellular phones from Europe will sometimes work here, but I have no idea of the roaming charges.

Cell phones from the USA generally do not work here and when they do, roaming charges can easily run to $4.00 per minute. I'd suggest calling your carrier, but the feedback I get is that even the customer service personnel often have no idea what are the roaming charges. You find out when you get the bill! I recommend that if you need reliable communications here in Costa Rica, rent from a cell rental company actually IN Costa Rica as they know what works where and can handle service issues or other problems. Be VERY wary of renting phones from companies who mail them to you at your home or business in your home country! First, they have no way of testing the phones before they mail them to you as they are usually in the same country as you are! A Costa Rica phone cannot be tested in the USA for example. Further, they could be damaged in transit regardless of the service used to ship them and again, you will not know until you arrive. That means it is possible that you could get off the plane with a phone that does not work. Finally, should you have a cell phone problem while in Costa Rica, there is no easy way to assist you! For satellite phone info, click here.

Important: Some folks ask me if they can just buy a phone here with a number installed. Sadly, no. While anyone can buy and own a cell phone in Costa Rica, only a legal resident with ID or cedula can purchase a cell phone line i.e. a phone number. A phone with no line is also known as a paperweight.  There IS a way around this, though not cheap.  A corporation in Costa Rica is considered to be a citizen and thus may own the line.   Therefore, if you are opening a business or perhaps buying property that will be held in a corporation, the corporation can then buy the phone and own the line. This presumes that there are lines available. Commonly, there are, but not always.

Pre-Paid SIMS

Pre-paid SIM can be purchased at the San José airport and some other locations. PrePaid SIMs require a quad band unlocked cell phone. The vast majority of US cell phones are NOT unlocked. They are locked to the company providing the cell service and a pre-paid SIM will not work.

iPhones and iPads

Pre-paid SIMs work just fine in iPads and iPhones )the iPhone must be hacked or otherwise unlocked), but Apple uses a mini-SIM, so if you buy a pre-paid SIM here, the vendor must cut (trim) the SIM. While not hard (if you know what you are doing), one slip and the SIM is destroyed. I suggest not paying until you see that it is working. Internet plans vary by vendor. I will be blogging on this shortly, but choosing with of the several companies is not easy. ICE probably has the best coverage but their Internet is far and away the most expensive. I use Fullmovil in my iPad 3 as I can turn off the Internet service and thus not pay when not in use.

Other Stuff

Cell phones are extremely popular here in Costa Rica.  Nearly everyone has one and generally they work well.  Service is also very cheap at just over $7.00 per month. Probably one of the reasons that everyone has a cell phone is that it is difficult and sometimes impossible to obtain home phone service, so this is their only solution.

There are two cell phone systems in use:  GSM and 3G.

The new 3G system was launched in 2010, and I use it. It is the superior system, and I have had no issues. Check out the blog for recent information or updates. Click here for the RCR Blog 4G is not here yet as of mid 2012.

I would avoid the old GSM (rent or buy) system completely. It works poorly. NOTE:  Some cell rental companies ONLY rent the old GSM phones.  This is especially true of car rental companies.  As the old GSM system is generally substandard, you should insist on aa new 3G phone or rent from a reliable cell phone rental company.

Buying a Cell Phone and Line in Costa Rica

If you are fortunate to have an unlocked quad band cell phone, you can simply purchase a pre-paid SIM at dealers all over Costa Rica.

If you do not have an unlocked cell phone... no worries! You can buy one here in Costa Rica and then get a pre-paid SIM. All phones sold here, by decree must be unlocked.

CAUTION! Be real careful buying real cheap cell phones sold by ICE and other companies as they often just plain have lousy service. You get what you pay for. If you really need reliable service, get a reliable phone with 3G SIM installed. One reputable dealer is Cell Phones Costa Rica.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Cell Phones

Can I bring my phone from the US and use it there?
Is there cell service all over Costa Rica?  Where is there cellular service?
What about satellite phones?
What is the availability of phone lines to buy?
I am a resident.  Can I just go to a cell store and buy a phone and line?

Can I bring my phone from the US and use it there?

You can bring it, but probably it won't work.  Recently though, a few phones (3G) have worked here, BUT the travelers were shocked to find a roaming charge of up to $4.00 per minute on their bills!  Also, as the only phones from the USA or other countries that will work at all are GSM or 3G, and because in general the old GSM phones have terrible service in Costa Rica, it is often better to just rent a cell phone for a visit if 3G is not available.  Some cell phone rental companies offer line rental plans at great discounts for those permanently moving or who will be here for many months but who do not have residency.

If renting, do NOT rent a satellite phone or a cell phone from your home country! First, satellite service here is not great and second, non Costa Rica companies have no idea what works here and what does not. Further, if the phone has problems, you can get no local assistance.

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Is there cell service all over Costa Rica?

No.  About 85% of Costa Rica has 3G cell service. This number drops to maybe 60% if GSM is used.

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What about satellite phones?

Besides being expensive to use, you generally must be line-of-site to the satellite.  As the satellite is in low orbit here, that can be a problem as mountains and trees can interfere.  Generally, stay away from satellite phones.

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What is the availability of phone lines to buy?

Currently, 3G lines are available. I just cannot update this all the time, so your best bet is to contact ICE. Pre-paid's from several other companies, Fullmovil, Claro, Moviestar, and TuYo are always available.

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I am a resident.  can I just go to a cell store and buy a phone and line?

Yes.... but!... First, in dealing with ICE, you must be a legal resident, and you must HAVE your cedula and not just to have applied for residency. A needless hassle.

Just go out and buy a GOOD (not cheap) 3G phone and get a pre-paid SIM and you are in business.

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