Puerto Rico: Best Tourist eSIMs Reviewed (2024)

Puerto Rico – known for its beaches, coral reefs & the Spanish culture with an American twist.

The island is an unincorporated and organized United States territory.

What that means is beyond the scope of this guide, but it is somewhat part of the US.

But what can you even do in Puerto? A lot.

El Yanque National Forest is a fantastic trail with various waterfalls.

The Castillo de San Cristóbal is a large Spanish fort.

And you have nothing to do at night, visit Bahía Bioluminiscente to see glowing fish or organisms in the bay.

Quite some exciting things to do in Puerto Rico, huh?

But you should know that international roaming can be expensive.

That is why you can be better off with a travel eSIM to save on data costs abroad.

How much will you pay for a travel eSIM for Puerto Rico?

You can get an eSIM for Puerto Rico for as little as 4.50 USD and up to 79 USD from Airalo (Boricua Mobile) and Holafly.

I will also introduce you to a few global eSIMs that be used in Puerto Rico and 110+ other countries, including Puerto Rico's (indirect) neighbors, for competitive rates.

Original publication: 20^th of January 2023. Last updated: 8^th of March 2024.

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Table of Contents

In a Hurry? A Quick Introduction

I will write about five eSIM options in Puerto Rico (and explain why they are included).

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

• Airalo Puerto Rico Boricua Mobile eSIM with six choices between 1 GB and 20 GB (cheapest)
• Holafly Puerto Rico eSIM with unlimited data for 5 to 30 days (unlimited data eSIMs) – use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for 5% off)
• Airalo Island Hopper eSIM with one 1 GB option (covers 24 Caribbean countries at higher prices and just 1 GB of data)
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (formerly Discover Global) with 12 choices between 1 GB and 20 GB (extensive global coverage (125+ countries) at attractive prices) + ability to make and receive calls & send and receive SMS (new) – read my ongoing Airalo Discover(+) (Global) eSIM review too!
• Nomad Global eSIM with six choices between 1 GB and 5 GB (extensive global coverage (109 or 139 countries) at high(er) prices – use code ADU123 for 3 USD off)

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 (Puerto Rico-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 Puerto Rico 😜).

Let's truly get started, shall we?

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Airalo Boricua Mobile eSIM for Puerto Rico

If you have looked for travel eSIMs before, you have undoubtedly read or heard of Airalo – the largest, oldest & most popular eSIM platform out there, covering around 190 countries (more than any other eSIM platform out there).

Airalo is so popular and loved, even by myself, because Airalo's eSIMs are often the most affordable while using (one of) the best local networks while also offering plenty of data options so that you can pick the one that suits your needs.

The latter does not really apply to Puerto Rico or the Caribbean in general, but let's not get ahead of ourselves 😏.

Anyway, the Airalo eSIM for Puerto Rico is called Boricua Mobile and uses the T-Mobile Puerto Rico network (on 4G/LTE – no 5G NR because there is no 5G NR in Puerto Rico yet 🗿).

Wait… why does the Boricua Mobile eSIM use the T-Mobile Puerto Rico network?

Travel eSIM providers like Airalo set up roaming agreements with local mobile operators.

And that is not an Airalo-specific thing – basically all mobile operators do, allowing their customers can still stay connected when abroad (at high prices).

Otherwise, they would need to build their own networks in 190 countries, which is $$$.

For example, 2degrees in New Zealand claims it spent more than a billion (New Zealand) dollars on its network, and New Zealand is not even that big.

Imagine how much it would cost to build your own network in every country out there 😳.

Anyway, you may have been distracted by the term roaming because you may have read stories of travelers going back home facing a 7000 USD roaming bill or something.

Worry not; that will not happen when you use the Boricua Mobile eSIM (or any other travel eSIM mentioned in this guide), as long as you make sure to turn data roaming off on your main SIM card.

Okay, that is enough background information – let's check what Airalo's options are in Puerto Rico.

1. Puerto Rico/Boricua Mobile 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 4.50 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Puerto Rico/Boricua Mobile 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 8 USD
3. Puerto Rico/Boricua Mobile 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 11 USD
4. Puerto Rico/Boricua Mobile 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 16 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Puerto Rico/Boricua Mobile 10 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 25 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
6. Puerto Rico/Boricua Mobile 20 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 40 USD

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only). The (promotional) prices were updated on the 31st of January.

(the prices has been decreased by about 40% recently – awesome!)

Be aware: most travel eSIMs, including Airalo's Puerto Rico Boricua Mobile eSIM, are data-only eSIMs, so you cannot call or text with them (nor can you receive any calls or SMS).

Hopefully, that is not a dealbreaker because the Boricua Mobile eSIM is the cheapest eSIM mentioned in this guide.

And you know that I would purchase multiple top-ups because I use a lot of data when traveling and testing eSIMs 🤪.

But… do I not often say that local SIM cards or eSIMs are cheaper than any other option, including travel eSIMs?

Yep, that is true (and you have a good memory!) – but you will have to deal with Puerto Rican 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)).

Anyway, the Airalo Puerto Rico Boricua Mobile eSIM is an affordable option to stay connected in the country.

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Holafly eSIM for Puerto Rico

Holafly is one of the many travel eSIM resellers out there, but it is one of the few that I recommend.

It started with selling, in my opinion, overpriced travel SIM cards before entering the eSIM market with (reasonably priced) eSIMs.

But any resellers pop up every week trying to sell the same service for more cash for themselves while offering zero customer service (which is why you only see me recommend a handful of eSIM providers… ones I have tested myself).

So why do I recommend Holafly?

Mostly because it started offering unlimited data plans for popular travel destinations as of June 2022, giving it some uniqueness.

Those eSIMs can be used in various East– and Southeast Asian countries, almost all European Union member states (except for Liechtenstein) & a few other countries, like Canada and the United States.

Fortunately, unlimited data eSIMs are available in Puerto Rico.

You have the following six Holafly Puerto Rico eSIM options:

1. Puerto Rico unlimited data eSIM for 5 days, costing 27 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Puerto Rico unlimited data eSIM for 7 days, costing 34 USD
3. Puerto Rico unlimited data eSIM for 10 days, costing 37 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Puerto Rico unlimited data eSIM for 15 days, costing 47 USD
5. Puerto Rico unlimited data eSIM for 20 days, costing 57 USD
6. Puerto Rico unlimited data eSIM for 30 days, costing 79 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only).

The Holafly Puerto Rico eSIM uses the Claro Puerto Rico network, the best in the country.

As expected, you cannot use 5G NR (yet) with the Holafly Puerto Rico eSIM, nor can you call and text (it is a data-only eSIM).

Moreover, you cannot top up or extend the validity with the Holafly Puerto Rico eSIM – so you need to buy another eSIM when you are out of data, or the eSIM expires; you have to purchase a new one.

Holafly is working on top-ups, but it has been working on it for a while now… so keep your expectations low

On the other hand, you can use your phone as a hotspot with your Holafly Puerto Rico eSIM (which you cannot do in countries with unlimited data eSIMs).

On top of that, you can get 5% off each and any Holafly purchase (so it does not have to be the Puerto Rico eSIM) when you use code PHONETRAVELWIZ 😏.

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International eSIM for Puerto Rico & More Caribbean Countries

Okay, I went over the Puerto Rico travel eSIM options offered by Airalo and Holafly.

As expected, these eSIMs can only be used in Puerto Rico and not in neighboring Dominican Republic or Haiti.

So what if you plan on visiting any of those countries, or you are on a world tour and wish to use one eSIM in multiple countries – do you have any other options?

Yes, you do. Airalo and Nomad have regional, global & international eSIMs covering at least 80 countries; some include Puerto Rico too.

If you see names that you do not recognize because they have not been mentioned in this guide, it is because they either do not cover Puerto Rico or the prices are criminal – I want you to save money, not get robbed 🗿

So let's see which multi-country eSIMs can be used in Puerto Rico and other countries, including Puerto Rico's neighbors.

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Airalo Island Hopper eSIM for Puerto Rico

Airalo also has the Island Hopper eSIM covering 24 countries with 1 GB of data for 7 days, costing 15 USD.

Like the Lucnet eSIM, top-ups are available if you need more data.

The Island Hopper eSIM is not as valuable as other Airalo regional eSIMs (like Asialink for Asia, Eurolink for Europe, Latamlink for Latin America & Menalink for the Middle East).

This is why I recommend the Holafly Caribbean eSIM over the Island Hopper one because you get much more data for the same money.

However, the Holafly eSIM does not cover as many countries as the Island Hopper eSIM.

I am working with Airalo to turn the Island Hopper into a -link eSIM so that it offers you better value (the -link eSIMs have at least four variants, up to 100 GB of data for 180 days, making top-ups often unnecessary).

But do not get the Island Hopper eSIM just for Saint Lucia because the Lucnet eSIM is more than half the price of Island Hopper.

For now, you still have an eSIM covering almost all of the Caribbean, which is neat :).

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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 125+) 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 125+ countries:

• Åland Islands ³
• Albania
• Argentina
• Armenia (new)
• Australia ⁵
• Austria ³
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain (new) ³
• Bangladesh (new)
• Belarus ¹
• Belgium ³
• Bolivia (new)
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Botswana (new) ²
• Brazil ⁵
• Brunei (new) ¹
• Bulgaria ⁵
• Cambodia
• Canada ⁵
• Central African Republic (new) ¹
• Chad (new)
• Chile
• China ³
• Colombia
• Congo, Democratic Republic of (new)
• Congo, Republic of (new)
• Costa Rica (new)
• Croatia ³
• Cyprus ⁵
• Czech Republic ³
• Denmark ⁵
• Dominican Republic ¹
• Ecuador
• Egypt (new)
• El Salvador (new) ¹
• Estonia ⁵
• Eswatini (new) ¹
• Finland ⁵
• France ³
• French West Indies (new) ³
• Gabon (new)
• Georgia
• Germany ³
• Ghana (new)
• Gibraltar ¹
• Greece ³
• Greenland (new) ¹
• Guatemala (new) ¹
• Guernsey (new)
• Guinea-Bissau (new) ¹
• Honduras (new) ¹
• Hong Kong ³
• Hungary ⁵
• Iceland ³
• India
• Indonesia ³
• Ireland ³
• Isle of Man (new)
• Iraq ¹
• Israel ⁵
• Italy ⁵
• Ivory Coast
• Japan ³
• Jersey
• Jordan (new)
• Kazakhstan (new)
• Kenya (new)
• Kosovo

• Kuwait ³
• Kyrgyzstan (new)
• Latvia ³
• Liberia ¹
• Liechtenstein ⁴
• Lithuania ⁵
• Luxembourg ³
• Macau
• Madagascar (new)
• Malawi (new)
• Malaysia
• Mali
• Malta ³
• Mexico ⁵
• Moldova
• Monaco (new)
• Montenegro ⁵
• Morocco (new)
• Netherlands ⁵
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua (new)
• Niger (new) ¹
• Nigeria (new) ²
• North Macedonia
• Norway ⁵
• Oman (new)
• Pakistan (new)
• Panama
• Paraguay ¹
• Peru
• Philippines ³
• Poland ³
• Portugal ³
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar ⁵
• Réunion (new)
• Romania ⁵
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia ⁵
• Senegal (new) ¹
• Serbia
• Seychelles (new)
• Singapore
• Slovakia ³
• Slovenia ⁵
• South Africa
• South Korea ³
• Spain ⁵
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Sweden ⁵
• Switzerland ³
• Taiwan ³
• Tanzania (new)
• Tajikistan ¹
• Thailand ⁵
• Tunisia (new)
• Turkey ³
• Uganda (new)
• Ukraine (new)
• United Arab Emirates (new) ³
• United Kingdom ⁵
• United States ⁵
• Uruguay (new)
• Uzbekistan (new)
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Vietnam
• Yemen (new) ¹
• Zambia (new) ¹

* “(new)” is compared to the previous Discover Global eSIM (discontinued) or recently added countries
¹ on 3G only
² check the networks section on the Airalo website or app because at least one of the available networks is on 3G only (while the others are up to 4G/LTE)
³ 5G NR access for all available networks
⁴ even if your phone does not support 5G NR, select FL1 Telecom/Telecom Liechtenstein for 4G/LTE access because Salt Liechtenstein is restricted to 3G only
⁵ check the networks section on the Airalo website or app because at least one of the available networks is up to 4G/LTE (while the others are up to 5G NR)

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 December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only). The (promotional) prices were updated on the 31st of January.

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Nomad Global eSIM

Besides Nomad's eSIM for Puerto Rico, it also has a global eSIM that can be used in Puerto Rico and a total of 109/139 countries (including most European ones).

While Nomad's Global eSIM covers a few more countries than Airalo's Discover(+) eSIMs (109/139 vs. 130 (previously 85+)), it is significantly more expensive than Airalo (but not the most costly global eSIM in this guide).

Even so, Phone Travel Wiz readers have shown interest in this eSIM and have had positive experiences with it, especially after Nomad improved it (with its 139 Country Plan powered by eSIM Go (has 5G NR access in 50+ countries) instead of the 109 Country Plan by Truphone (4G/LTE only).

Anyway, you have these six Nomad Global eSIMs:

1. Global (109 Countries Plan) 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 25 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Global (139 Countries Plan) 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 19 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
3. Global (109 Countries Plan) 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 40 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Global (139 Countries Plan) 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 40 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Global (109 Countries Plan) 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 45 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
6. Global (139 Countries Plan) 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 57 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only).

The Nomad Global eSIM can be used in the following 109 (Truphone)/139 (eSIM Go) countries:

¹ 109 Countries Plan (Truphone) only
² 139 Countries Plan (eSIM Go) only
³ 5G NR access (if you have the 139 Countries Plan (eSIM GO) – does not apply to the 109 Countries Plan (Truphone)

Remember to use code ADU123 for 3 USD/2.75 EUR/2.35 GBP/4 CAD off your first Nomad purchase!

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Overview of the Best eSIMs for Puerto Rico (Airalo vs. Holafly)

I introduced you to various travel eSIMs that can be used in Puerto Rico.

While I have already informed you which eSIM(s) I recommend the most, I will list them once more for you

• Airalo Puerto Rico Boricua Mobile eSIM (cheapest)
• Holafly Puerto Rico eSIM (unlimited data eSIMs)
• Airalo Island Hopper eSIM (covers 24 Caribbean countries at higher prices and just 1 GB of data)
• Airalo Discover(+) eSIM (reasonable extensive global coverage (84+ 125+ countries) at attractive prices + calling and texting options (new))
• Nomad Global eSIM (extensive global coverage (109/139 countries) at high(er) prices)

Remember to use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for Holafly eSIMs, and code ADU123 for Nomad eSIMs – a code is unnecessary for Airalo eSIM purchases.

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Buying a SIM Card in Puerto Rico

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

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