Bolivia: Buy the Best eSIMs | 2024 Guide

Bolivia – known for its plenty of mountains, llamas & for having 37 official languages.

It is also known for being one of, if not the, cheapest travel destinations in South America.

But what can you do in this country?

You could head to the North Yungas Road, a popular cycling trail with stunning views.

If you have never seen a red lake before, be sure to visit Laguna Colorada. It also has plenty of flamingos wandering around.

Or visit Parque Nacional Madidi – an incredible part.

As you can see, there is no reason to be bored in Bolivia

While it is comparatively an inexpensive travel destination, it is always a good idea to find ways to keep your travel expenses even lower.

Before you share your colorful Bolivia experiences online, be aware that international roaming can be expensive.

Travel eSIMs can be a much more affordable way to stay connected, even in Bolivia.

How much will a travel eSIM for Bolivia cost?

You can get an eSIM for Bolivia for as low as 8.50 USD and up to 36 USD from Airalo and Alosim offering between 1 GB and 5 GB to be used locally, in the Americas, or globally.

While this may sound a bit pricey but international roaming will be even more expensive.

So yeah, these travel eSIMs can be worth it – especially if you favor convenience

In this guide, I will go over the travel eSIM options offered by Airalo and Alosim. Let's go.

Original publication: 2nd of September 2022. Last updated: 19th of October 2023.

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Table of Contents

In a Hurry? A Quick Introduction

I will write about three eSIM options in Bolivia (and explain why they are included).

But if you want to quickly check out what the best eSIMs are for Bolivia without my analysis and explanations, here is an overview of the eSIMs covered in this guide:

• Airalo WA Mobile eSIM with four choices between 1 GB and 5 GB (best value for money)
• Alosim Bolivia eSIM with four choices between 1 GB and 5 GB (priced roughly the same as Airalo with a bit more options – use code PTW for 5% off)
• Airalo Latamlink eSIM with four choices between 1 GB and 5 GB (best value for money for 19 American countries)
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global) with 12 choices between 1 GB and 20 GB (extensive global coverage (130+ countries) at attractive prices) + ability to make and receive calls & send and receive SMS (new) – read my ongoing Airalo Discover(+) (Global) eSIM review too!

Note: the promo codes mentioned above can also be used for regional and global eSIMs (they are not restricted to country-specific eSIMs only). In other news, the eSIM providers are in alphabetical order per grouping (Bolivia-only, regional & global) – not in order of preference (you would have to read the complete guide to find out which eSIMs I love the most for Bolivia 😜).

Let's truly get started, shall we?

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eSIMs offered by Bolivian Mobile Operators

Suppose you want to get the best service and reception available in Bolivia.

In that case, it is better to get a SIM card or travel eSIM from the local mobile operators, which in this case would be the Bolivian ones.

Not only will you not have to deal with latency, but you also get a higher priority on the network because you are a direct customer of the mobile operator instead of a roamer.

And with most travel eSIMs, you are roaming on the network(s) of the local mobile operator(s).

But that is not always the case – the slow speeds part, that is.

Some mobile operators throttle the speeds of prepaid customers because they want more people to get a postpaid plan.

Unfortunately, travelers cannot get postpaid plans – so one way to avoid throttling is by using a travel eSIM.

Yes – travel eSIMs sometimes have faster speeds than native prepaid customers because of throttling.

So, which Bolivian mobile operators offer eSIMs to prepaid customers?

At the moment, no Bolivian mobile operator offers eSIMs to prepaid customers.

However, you have these two options for getting an eSIM for your trip to Bolivia: Airalo (with WA Mobile) and Alosim.

One of the main advantages of getting a travel eSIM for Bolivia is that (1) you do not have to try to speak (broken) Spanish to get a local eSIM, (2) you can set up the eSIM before arriving in Bolivia and activate it upon landing (with most eSIMs listed in this guide) & (3) you do not have to deal with Bolivia's SIM card registration laws.

(Why does this matter? Because hackers can steal your (critical) personal data if the mobile operator does not secure your data properly, like what happened in Australia (10 million Optus customers were affected, where info, like passport numbers, were stolen (including mine – luckily not my passport number but my boyfriend was not as lucky) or Indonesia (1.3 billion SIM card-related data was hacked)).

I have to mention that travel eSIMs will be more expensive than local eSIMs and SIM cards, but they are more convenient.

Moreover, I have plenty of experience with the eSIMs from Airalo and Alosim so I can vouch for them – so can many Phone Travel Wiz readers!

So let's go over what the travel eSIMs offer for Bolivia!

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Airalo eSIMs for Bolivia (WA Mobile)

If you have read any of my eSIM or SIM card buying guides before, then you know I am a big fan of Airalo.

Not only does Airalo have eSIMs for most countries (200+) of any eSIM platform, but they are also often one of the cheapest while offering fantastic service in terms of speeds and reception.

That is because Airalo usually partners up with the mobile operator with the best coverage, the fastest speeds, both, or even multiple operators.

That way, you get the best bang for your buck 🤑.

Wait… you have no idea who or what Airalo is? I have an in-depth review explaining how Airalo works and all its options, based on four years of using Airalo eSIMs – you can read it now or later (I will briefly introduce Airalo anyway in this guide).

Back to Bolivia, the Airalo WA Mobile uses the Viva Bolivia network.

Tip: I recommend manually selecting the Viva Bolivia network instead of Viva Bolivia for the best network performance (best coverage and fastest speed).

You have four Airalo Chorro Fon eSIM options:

1. Bolivia/WA Mobile 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 8.50 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Bolivia/WA Mobile 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 16.50 USD
3. Bolivia/WA Mobile 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 23 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Bolivia/WA Mobile 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 36 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in October based on data up to the 11^th of October (2023 data only).

I can already tell you that Airalo has the cheapest eSIM options for Bolivia in this guide.

Moreover, you will have one of the, if not the best, best network experience with the Airalo WA Mobile eSIM compared to some/most other travel eSIMs because of the network the eSIM uses.

What makes things even more pleasant is that you can top up your eSIM when it is expiring or when you are out of data without the need to purchase a new eSIM.

But you may think that a local SIM card or eSIM will (still) be cheaper than Airalo or any other travel eSIM.

And you are right – that is true in most cases.

But with some countries making getting a prepaid SIM card a hassle, involving long queues, excessive registration requirements, and long activation periods, the (slightly) higher prices for an Airalo eSIM can be worth it.

• Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)

So while you technically could get cheaper plans, the question is whether you can actually get them or not.

Most mobile operators will only sell you (overpriced) tourist SIM cards or the most expensive plans because of “mandatory top-up requirements” (which are often lies to take more of your money anyway).

Anyway, you should be aware that while you can get up to 4G/LTE connection with the Airalo WA Mobile eSIM, your speeds will most likely not be faster than someone using a local SIM card.

That is because you are roaming on the Viva Bolivia network instead of being a native customer.

But that does not mean you will have (extremely) slow speeds – just slower than native customers.

In the Americas, mobile data speeds are not that fast as other regions (East Asia and Europe) anyway, so the difference is small.

Anyway, the Airalo WA Mobile is an eSIM LOVED by many Phone Travel Wiz readers, and the complaints about it are minimal.

The eSIMs are affordable, the data allowances can be tailored to your needs (1 GB to 5 GB + top-ups are available) & you will have a smooth network experience (in most cases).

I test and use Airalo's eSIMs in every country I go to, so you better check out my Airalo eSIM reviews and see if I have written a review for the eSIM you are interested in.

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Alosim eSIMs for Bolivia

Alosim is a young eSIM provider covering 130+ countries.

Not only have I only started using its eSIMs, but they have been up and running for more than a year.

For the eSIM industry… that makes Alosim a veteran 🗿.

One thing I like about Alosim is that its eSIMs have 5G NR access in popular destinations.

Unfortunately, that is not the case for Bolivia yet… but that could change soon 😏.

I include Alosim in my eSIM guides for the Americas because they are reasonably priced.

The Americas, except for Canada, Mexico & the United States, is a difficult region for eSIM providers to enter and to offer reasonably priced eSIMs, I have been told by many eSIM providers.

There is an eSIM provider, Instabridge, charging 515 USD for 5 GB for Honduras… yeah… and they wonder why I do not want promote them 🤡.

Luckily, that is not the case with AloSIM, which uses the Viva Bolivia network.

You have four Alosim Bolivia eSIM options:

1. Bolivia 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 8.50 USD
2. Bolivia 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 16.50 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
3. Bolivia 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 23 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Bolivia 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 36 USD

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in October based on data up to the 11^th of October (2023 data only).

And as I am always looking out for you, use code PTW for 5% off your Alosim eSIM purchase!

Getting an Alosim eSIM is straightforward and so is installing it.

Just note that you have to manually change the Access Point Name (APN) to alosim instead of the default one, as in the screenshot below.

Fortunately, the installation page mentions this too, but it is still something that does not have to be done often with most eSIM providers.

Resulting in you thinking the eSIM does not work, even though it will when you change the settings.

But besides that, Alosim has one of the cheapest eSIM plans for the Americas!

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Best eSIMs for the Americas & the World (including Bolivia)

So what if you plan to visit a neighboring country of Bolivia?

Unfortunately, you cannot use your Airalo, Alosim, Holafly, or Nomad eSIMs in any country than Bolivia

Luckily, some of the eSIM providers mentioned so far do have eSIMs that can be used throughout most or all of the Americas.

And there are also some global eSIMs with attractive prices that can be useful if you visit the Americas and another continent or region.

I highly recommend these Americas or global eSIMs if you plan to visit multiple American countries to save money!

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Airalo Latamlink eSIM

Following Airalo's popular Eurolink eSIM, which can be used in 39 European countries, Airalo introduced the Asialink eSIM, which can be used in 14 East- and Southeast Asian countries ¹ a bit later.

Eventually, it also launched the Latamlink eSIM, which can be used in 19 countries in the Americas.

There is not much to say about this eSIM because it is straightforward, except that the data allowances are not as generous as the Asian and European counterparts.

But as I said in the Alosim section, it is difficult for eSIM providers to enter the Latin American market, let alone selling eSIMs at reasonable prices, so we gotta take what we have, I guess.

The Airalo Latamlink eSIM can be used in the following 19 countries:

¹ on 3G only

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Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global)

Airalo was probably the first eSIM provider to introduce a global eSIM – it was called Discover Global.

I have had decent to good experiences with that eSIM, but I felt it could improve.

Such as extending the validity of most plans (maximum used to be 180 days) and having 5G NR access in popular destinations (like many regional Airalo eSIMs do nowadays, even country-specific ones).

In August 2023, Airalo made a radical change to its global eSIM.

Until then, the eSIM could be used in about 85 countries – always up to 4G/LTE (with some networks on 3G only).

This eSIM was powered by FL1 Telecom Liechtenstein (network name can be Mobilkom (Liechtenstein) at times).

This mobile operator worked well in Europe and some Asian countries, but it was often one of the slowest performing (Airalo eSIMs).

Now, Airalo's global eSIM is called Discover(+).

It is powered by eSIM Go (which is basically Drei Austria).

The difference between the Airalo Discover and Airalo Discover+ eSIMs is that the latter has calling and texting functionalities (with an Austrian +43 phone number).

Because of this, Discover+ eSIMs can be up to 20 USD more expensive than regular Discover eSIMs.

For the previous Airalo Discover Global eSIMs, you paid the same prices as the Discover+ eSIMs for worse availability (85+ countries instead of 130+) and no calling or texting at all.

So… it is an upgrade 😎.

Not only that, but you (finally) get 5G NR access in quite some countries (55+)¹ as well.

¹ click here, press select the variant you want & click on network to see which network(s) allow for 5G NR access. You often have access to multiple local networks, but not all have 5G NR access (and some do not even give you 4G/LTE access)

Moreover, the most expensive option is now valid for a whole year (365 days) instead of 180 days.

The Airalo Discover(+) eSIM can be used in the following 130+ countries:

You have these 12 Airalo Discover Global eSIMs:

1. Discover 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 9 USD
2. Discover+ 1 GB (with 10 minutes and 10 SMS) eSIM for 7 days, costing 15 USD
3. Discover 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 17 USD
4. Discover+ 2 GB (with 20 minutes and 20 SMS) eSIM for 15 days, costing 27 USD
5. Discover 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 24 USD
6. Discover+ 3 GB (with 30 minutes and 30 SMS) eSIM for 30 days, costing 36 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
7. Discover 5 GB eSIM for 60 days, costing 35 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
8. Discover+ 5 GB (with 50 minutes and 50 SMS) eSIM for 60 days, costing 50 USD
9. Discover 10 GB eSIM for 180 days, costing 59 USD
10. Discover+ 10 GB (with 100 minutes and 100 SMS) eSIM for 180 days, costing 79 USD
11. Discover 20 GB eSIM for 365 days, costing 69 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
12. Discover+ 20 GB (with 200 minutes and 200 SMS) eSIM for 365 days, costing 89 USD

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in October based on data up to the 11^th of October (2023 data only).

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Overview of the Best eSIMs for Bolivia

So, we reviewed some eSIMs that can be used in Bolivia.

I will give you a quick recap of each and link to their product pages in case you need more info or want to purchase an eSIM already:

• Airalo WA Mobile eSIM (best value for money)
• Alosim Bolivia eSIM (priced roughly the same as Airalo with a bit more options)
• Airalo Latamlink eSIM (best value for money for 19 American countries)
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (reasonable extensive global coverage (84+ 130+ countries) at attractive prices + calling and texting options (new))

Remember to use code the relevant discount codes for (ADU123 (Nomad), PTW (Alosim), or PHONETRAVELWIZ (others)).

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Buying a SIM Card in Bolivia

Want to just use a SIM card but not your current one because roaming will be criminally expensive?

Consider getting a Bolivian SIM card instead – local SIM cards are the cheapest way to stay connected abroad.