Getting in touch with family, friends, or business while inside of Costa Rica has never been easier. If you’re visiting just for a week, or your plan is to stay for a month or longer there are plenty of options to choose from thanks to our cellphone carriers Kölbi, Movistar, and Claro.
Kölbi is the biggest and oldest company in Costa Rica. It still belongs to “Grupo ICE” and since it was the pioneer company here in Costa Rica, it is known for having the best coverage around the country. You can even purchase your prepaid card and/or telephone at the Airport, so as soon as you step out you are fully connected and ready to enjoy your stay. One of the most popular prepaid internet packages of Kölbi is the “En Todas y Mas”. For only 9000 Colones per month (around $19), you get 2GB of internet usage with unlimited WhatsApp services.
Unlike Kölbi, Movistar has been working with Costa Rica for only 5 years. It’s generally known for having faster internet than Kölbi in the central valley and for the same price as Kölbi’s “En Todas y Mas Package” you get 1 extra GB of internet usage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with unlimited WhatsApp services and due to its little time, it’s been here in the country the coverage isn’t as good as when you’re traveling.
And finally, we got Claro. Founded in 2003 and working in Costa Rica since 2010, Claro has been a success in the central valley. Like Movistar it gets great coverage and internet in San Jose and the central valley, but as soon as you leave the area it may become patchy. However, Claro does have an interesting package compared to Movistar and Kölbi. For double the price of Movistar’s Weekly Internet Package, you get 3 GB of internet capacity, which is 3X more than what Movistar has to offer.
In conclusion, with these three companies, there are many options to choose from. Whether you’re staying for a couple of days, or a good while, staying fully connected in Costa Rica has never been so simple and smooth.