Central America: 10 Best Prepaid SIM Cards Buying Guide (2023)

Central America – known for beaches, weather & Mayan pyramids.

The region is also host to well-reserved colonial sites.

And let's not forget about the natural wonders.

Many travelers visit Central America because it is a relatively affordable travel destination.

Especially compared to North America and the Caribbean.

But South America may be cheaper than Central America.

While your intention of visiting this region will differ from other travelers, you probably want to stay connected.

Else you would not have clicked on this guide 😏.

But as you probably know, international roaming can be expensive – also in Central America.

That is why you should get a local SIM card per Central American nation you visit to save the most money.

And unlike in North America and the Caribbean, you can get SIM cards for just 1 USD or 2 USD – aka pocket change.

Moreover, the cost of mobile data is low in Central America too.

So, what are your options in Central America? Which SIM card is the best? How much do they cost? And what plans are available?

This guide will answer all these questions for every individual Central American country.

Yes, this is the ultimate guide to buying a SIM card in Central America. Let's do this.

Original publication: 17th of November 2019. Last updated: 29th of August 2023.

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Table of Contents

Best Prepaid SIM Cards in Central America

With only seven countries in Central America, it is quite easy to summarize which SIM card is the best for a particular country.

This is mainly because two mobile operators, Claro and Tigo, are active in almost all Central American countries.

So, which SIM cards are the best in Central America?

In Guatemala, Honduras & Nicaragua, Tigo (sometimes formerly Movistar) is the best. In Belize, Digi (formerly DigiCell) and Smart! are both fine. Go with Claro in El Salvador (and Costa Rica, but Kölbi will be better than Claro). In Panama, +móvil (Cable & Wireless) will rock (but Digicel is faster).

Okay, that is all you need to know. You can close this guide (lmao – no, but it is quite an impressive summary, right?).

For your convenience, there is a table of the best SIM cards in all Central American countries:

Country	Recommended SIM Card(s)
Belize	Digi Belize (formerly DigiCell) & Smart! Belize
Costa Rica	Kölbi Costa Rica & Claro Costa Rica
El Salvador	Claro El Salvador
Guatemala	Tigo Guatemala
Honduras	Tigo Honduras
Nicaragua	Tigo Nicaragua (formerly Movistar)
Panama	+móvil (Cable & Wireless) & Digicel Panama

Why are the mobile operators mentioned above the best in the stated countries?

You will have to read along to find out – imagine if you closed the guide already; you would have missed out on the golden nuggets 🤪.

Best eSIMs in Central America

Unfortunately, none of the Central American mobile operators offer eSIMs at all – not even to postpaid customers.

Moreover, there is no eSIM covering all of Central America (or the Americas in general, unlike Africa, Asia, the Caribbean & Europe).

But I do have eSIM recommendations for every country from Airalo (most affordable in every Central American country) or Nomad (more data and longer validity in most countries in the region).

Why should you get an eSIM instead of a Central American local SIM card?

Most Central American countries require some sort of SIM card registration when buying a local SIM card, which requires capturing your personal details.

And in some countries, the bureaucratic hassle of obtaining a SIM card may be a reason enough to avoid the inconveniences and just purchase an eSIM on an app.

Below are the eSIMs I recommend:

Country	Airalo eSIMs	Nomad eSIMs
Belize	Belize/Cho! – 1 GB/7 days	N/A
Costa Rica	Costa Rica/Hot Telecom – 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days	Available, but much more expensive than Airalo
El Salvador	El Salvador/Cerrocom – 1 GB/7 days	Truphone – 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days
Guatemala	Guatemala/Tikal Mobile – 1 GB/7 days & 3 GB/30 days	Truphone – 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days
Honduras	Honduras/Honnet – 1 GB/7 days	Truphone – 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days
Nicaragua	Nicaragua/Nicarcell – 1 GB/7 days	Truphone – 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days
Panama	Panama/Pancell Digital – 1 GB/7 days & 3 GB/30 days	Truphone – 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps).

SIM Card Prices in Central America

Earlier, we learned that mobile data rates are low in Central America.

Fortunately, the same can be said about SIM card prices in the region.

So, how much do SIM cards cost in Central America?

It is hard to say because various currencies are used throughout Central America.

But I will give it a try:

You can get a Central American SIM card for between 1 USD (in El Salvador and Honduras (24.75 HNL) to 23.80 USD (186.89 GTQ in Guatemala). However, you will often spend around 1.50 USD per SIM card per country (but the average is 4.80 USD). Tourist SIM cards are available too, at much higher prices (up to 50 USD (!), especially at airports.

HNL? GTQ? What do those symbols mean?

Those are just the ISO 4217 symbols for the currencies used in Honduras (Honduran Lempira) and Guatemala (Guatemalan Quetzal).

So, why not convert everything into US Dollars/Euros/(British) Pound Sterling/*insert your currency here*?

Currencies fluctuate every day – even every 15 minutes. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to keep track of all currency changes.

Instead, I want to keep track of SIM card offerings worldwide 🤓.

Worry not, Wise has a nifty tool keeping track of currencies worldwide in real-time.

So if you want to know how much 100 GTQ is in US Dollars, Euros, or (British) Pound Sterling, simply select the currencies on the Wise currency converter tool.

Moreover, if your credit/debit card charges you foreign exchange fees, get yourself a Wise Borderless Account and Debit Card.

Their fees are MUCH lower than banks, and credit card companies charge you (and Wise is transparent about their fees, unlike banks).

I have saved literal THOUSANDS of Euros, my main currency, when using Wise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards. Open a Wise account FREE!

With that out of the way, let's see how much SIM cards cost throughout Central America:

By the way: mobile operators marked in bold are the recommended mobile operators for said country.

Country	Operator 1	SIM Card Price	Operator 2	SIM Card Price	Operator 3	SIM Card Price	Operator 4	SIM Card Price
Belize	Digi Belize (formerly DigiCell)	22.50 BZD with 10 BZD credit and 1 GB (10 days) | Tourist SIM card: 20 USD (40 BZD) with 5 BZD credit, 4 GB, 300 local minutes & 300 local SMS for 14 days	Smart! Belize	15 BZD (with 10 BZD credit and 1 GB during promotions) | Tourist SIM cards: 20 BZD with 11 BZD credit, unlimited data & 25 local SMS for 24 hours | 45 BZD with 35 BZD credit, unlimited data & 130 SMS for 7 days
Costa Rica	Kölbi Costa Rica	1000 CRC with 6000 CRC credit (2000 CRC/month over 3 months – valid for 7 days each month) and unlimited WhatsApp data for 12 months if you recharge at least 3000 CRC	Movistar Costa Rica	1500 CRC	Claro Costa Rica	790 CRC with 50 MB, unlimited WhatsApp data, 20 local minutes & 10 local SMS | 1500 CRC with 1500 CRC credit
El Salvador	Claro El Salvador	1 USD	Movistar El Salvador	1 USD	Tigo El Salvador	1 USD to 5 USD	Digicel El Salvador	1 USD
Guatemala	Claro Guatemala (including Movistar & Tuenti)	10 GTQ (Kit Gama Básica) with 150 GTQ credit (7 days), 250 MB (30 days) & 300 SMS (30 days) | 10 GTQ (Kit Gama Smartphones 4G LTE) with 10 GTQ credit, 10 GB (15 days) & unlimited social media data (Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram & WhatsApp – 15 days) | 199 GTQ (15 GB Llamadas Ilimitada) with 15 GB and unlimited social media (Deezer, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Uber, Waze & WhatsApp) unlimited local minutes & unlimited local SMS all for 30 days	Tigo Guatemala	10 GTQ with 100 GTQ credit, 200 MB & unlimited WhatsApp data for 3 days if you recharge at least 25 GTQ
Honduras	Tigo Honduras	50 HNL with 1 GB, unlimited WhatsApp texting, unlimited on-net minutes & 150 minutes to Canada and the United States for 5 days	Claro Honduras	25 HNL with 200 MB and 75 local minutes for 7 days
Nicaragua	Claro Nicaragua	50 NIO with 1 GB (2 days)/2 GB (7 days) and unlimited Facebook, Facebook Messenger & WhatsApp data (2 days/7 days)	Tigo Nicaragua (formerly Movistar)	50 NIO with 375 MB and unlimited WhatsApp for 2 days (if you text SUPERCHIP to 7000)
Panama	+móvil (Cable & Wireless)	5 PAB with 1 GB and unlimited on-net minutes for 7 days | 15 PAB with 3 GB, unlimited WeChat and WhatsApp & unlimited on-net minutes for 30 days	Claro Panama	free, but a plan purchase is required (1 PAB to 15 PAB)	Digicel Panama	free, but a plan purchase is required (5 PAB, 10 PAB, or 20 PAB)	Tigo Panama (formerly Movistar)	free, but a plan purchase is required (3 PAB, 5 PAB, or 10 PAB)

VoLTE & VoWiFi in Central America

Both VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also known as HD Voice) and VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi – also known as WiFi calling) are available in Central America.

However, both features do not exist in most Central American nations.

Below is a (short) list of countries with VoLTE and VoWiFi, and which mobile operator offers the features:

• Panama: +móvil (Cable & Wireless) & Digicel Panama (VoLTE & VoWiFi)

5G NR in Central America

5G NR is not available in Central America as of 2022, and none of the Central American governments have not made any indications of when they will auction 5G licenses.

Honestly, some Central American countries are still working on providing nationwide 4G/LTE coverage, so do not expect 5G NR to launch, or be extensive, anytime soon.

Mobile Data Prices in Central America

Central America is known for being a relatively affordable travel destination.

Sure, it may not be as cheap as South Asia or Southeast Asia, but it could be worse (like in North America or the Caribbean).

What is also quite cheap in the region are mobile data rates (if you are used to higher prices, like in Canada).

In fact, it is quite common to pay only 1 USD or 2 USD for a data plan featuring 1 GB of data.

And the more data you buy, the lower the effective price per GB becomes.

So, how much does mobile data cost in Central America?

1 GB, on average, costs 2.40 USD in Central America. The world average is 4.07 USD.

Cable.co.uk classifies Mexico as Central America. This is why the image above says 8 in Total number of countries in region. However, I use the World Population Review/Wikipedia definition of Central America, which excludes Mexico.

But in most countries, you will pay (much) less than that, so you will be in good hands in Central America.

So, how much can you expect to pay for 1 GB of data in each Central American nation?

I will show you in the table below:

Country	Average Price of 1 GB
Belize	2.97 USD
Costa Rica	2.39 USD
El Salvador	1.33 USD
Guatemala	1.94 USD (median)
Honduras	1.56 USD
Nicaragua	0.94 USD
Panama	4.49 USD

Central American Prepaid SIM Cards

I will be covering seven countries in this guide.

While I would love it if you read this whole guide, it has more than 8k words.

Moreover, you may not even visit all these countries, so I do not blame you for just wanting to focus on the country you will go to.

Therefore, I created this index so that you can jump to the country you are interested in (instead of having to scroll for ages).

If you are done reading about a country and want to read another one, you can easily do so by jumping back to the index.

There will be a Jump back to the Index button at the end of each country section.

• Belize
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama

In this guide, I will:

• introduce you to the mobile operators in each country
• give my SIM card recommendation(s) for each country
• give you eSIM recommendations
• show you the coverage map(s) of the recommended mobile operator(s)
• tell you how much SIM cards cost and where to get them
• explain where to get top-up vouchers, how to top-up & how to check your balance
• give you the recommended plan(s) by the recommended mobile operator(s)
• provide a short recap of what you need to know about SIM cards in the country

With that being said, let's see what Central America has to offer to us

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Belize Prepaid SIM Cards

In Belize, you have two mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• Digi by Belize Telemedia Limited/BTL (formerly DigiCell)
• Smart! by Speednet

Recommended Prepaid SIM Cards in Belize

I recommend going with Digi Belize (formerly DigiCell) or Smart! Belize. Digi has the best coverage and fastest speeds. If you do not mind sacrificing speed and coverage for lower prices, go with Smart!.

Recommended eSIM in Belize

I recommend going with the Belize (Cho!) eSIM from Airalo with 1 GB of data valid for 7 days.

Coverage Maps of the Recommended Mobile Operators in Belize

Below are Digi Belize (formerly DigiCell) or Smart! Belize's coverage maps produced by Speedtest:

Prepaid SIM Card Prices & Availability in Belize

You can get a Belizean SIM card for 15 BZD (7.50 USD) from Smart! or 22.50 BZD (11.25 USD) from Digi (formerly DigiCell) in their stores. Tourist SIM cards are sold from 20 BZD (10 USD) to 43 BZD (21.50 USD). SIM cards are not Belize City-Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE).

Short-term visitors and travelers can also take advantage of the Digi Tourist SIM card or Smart! Tourist SIM cards.

The Digi Tourist SIM card costs 20 USD (or 40 BZD) and features 5 BZD credit, 4 GB of data, 300 local minutes & 300 local SMS – all valid for 14 days.

The thing is… this offer vanished from the Digi website when I updated this guide in April 2022.

If you know whether this offer is still available or not, let me know.

The Smart! Tourist SIM cards cost 20 BZD or 45 BZD. Below is an overview:

Price	Credit	Data	Local SMS	Validity
20 BZD	11 BZD	Unlimited	25 SMS	24 hours
45 BZD	35 BZD	Unlimited	130 SMS	7 days

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check in Belize

Digi Belize (formerly DigiCell) and Smart! Belize top-up vouchers are sold in Digi stores and Smart! stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.

To top up your Digi SIM card, dial *100# and follow the instructions. For ePIN, dial *200.

For Smart!, call 120 and enter the VoucherCode.

You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

Recharging online with international debit and credit cards is possible for Digi and Smart!.

Checking your balance can be done by dialing *201#, call 100, or text bal to 100 with Digi. For Smart!, call 122.

Recommended Prepaid Plans in Belize

Digi Belize (formerly DigiCell) has five data-featured plans. But the PrePaid Data Plans are recommended.

They are, as the name suggests, data bundles.

The following PrePaid Data Plans are available, which can be activated by dialing *100#:

Price	Plan	Data	Validity
1 BZD	XS Plan	130 MB	6 hours
2.50 BZD	S Plan	330 MB	1 day
5 BZD	M Plan	680 MB	3 days
12 BZD	L Plan	1700 MB	7 days
20 BZD	L+ Plan	3000 MB	15 days
35 BZD	XL Plan	5500 MB	30 days
45 BZD	XXL Plan	7500 MB	30 days
69 BZD	Work From Home Data Plan	25 600 MB	30 days

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Smart! Belize has only one data-featured plan: Mobile Data. It is, as the name suggests, a data bundle.

The following Mobile Data are available, which can be activated by calling the Activation Code:

Price	Data	Validity	Activation Code
1.25 BZD	165 MB	24 hours	638
2 BZD	340 MB	24 hours	638
4 BZD	680 MB	3 days	638
7 BZD	1250 MB	3 days	638
14 BZD	2500 MB	7 days	3282
25 BZD	4500 MB	15 days	3282
40 BZD	7200 MB	30 days	3282
60 BZD	11 000 MB	30 days	3282
110 BZD	20 500 MB	40 days	3282
160 BZD	32 000 MB	40 days	3282

Recap of the Best Prepaid SIM Cards in Belize

• Both Digi Belize (formerly DigiCell) and Smart! Belize are recommended
• Belizean SIM cards cost 15 BZD (Smart!) or 22.50 BZD (Digi)
  • Digi has the Digi Tourist SIM card for tourists costing 20 USD (40 BZD). Smart! has two Smart! Tourist SIM cards cost 20 BZD or 45 BZD
• Unfortunately, SIM cards are not sold at Belize City-Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE)
• Topping up can be done in Digi and Smart! stores, through top-up partners & online
• Digi's PrePaid Data Plans range from 1 BZD to 69 BZD. Smart's Mobile Data plans range from 1.25 BZD to 160 BZD
• Read my Belize SIM Card Buying Guide for (much) more about Belizean SIM cards

Jump back to the Country Index. | Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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Costa Rica Prepaid SIM Cards

In Costa Rica, you have three mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• Kölbi Costa Rica by Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE)
• Movistar Costa Rica
• Claro Costa Rica

Recommended Prepaid SIM Cards in Costa Rica

I recommend going with Kölbi Costa Rica or Claro Costa Rica. Kölbi has the fastest speeds and the best 4G/LTE coverage experience. Claro has the best overall network performance and is the better option in select rural locations.

Recommended eSIM in Costa Rica

I recommend going with the Costa Rica (Hot Telecom) eSIMs from Airalo.

You have the following three options:

1. Costa Rica/Hot Telecom 1 GB eSIM for 7 days
2. Costa Rica/Hot Telecom 3 GB eSIM for 30 days
3. Costa Rica/Hot Telecom 5 GB eSIM for 30 days

Coverage Maps of the Recommended Mobile Operators in Costa Rica

Below are Kölbi Costa Rica and Claro Costa Rica's coverage maps produced by Speedtest:

If you want to see the coverage maps of Movistar Costa Rica, head to my Costa Rica SIM Card Buying Guide.

Prepaid SIM Card Prices & Availability in Costa Rica

You can get a Costa Rican SIM card for 790 CRC (1.20 USD) or 1500 CRC (2.30 USD) from Claro, 1000 CRC (1.50 USD) from Kölbi, or 1500 CRC from Movistar in their stores. SIM cards are also sold at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) but not at Liberia-Guanacaste Airport (LIR) anymore.

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check in Costa Rica

Kölbi Costa Rica and Claro Costa Rica top-up vouchers are sold in Kölbi stores and Claro stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.

To top up your Kölbi SIM card, dial *888# and follow the instructions.

For Claro, dial *10 and follow the instructions.

You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

Recharging online with international debit and credit cards is possible for Kölbi and Claro.

Checking your balance can be done by dialing *888# with Kölbi. For Claro, dial *30.

Recommended Prepaid Plans in Costa Rica

Kölbi Costa Rica has four data-featured plans. But the Planes Dominio Prepago (Prepaid Domain Plans) are recommended.

They are combo bundles with data, minutes & SMS.

The following Planes Dominio Prepago are available, which can be activated by dialing *888#:

Price	Plan	Data	Social Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
5040 CRC	Dominio Prepago 1	2 GB	3 GB 1	35 minutes	30 SMS	30 days
8065 CRC	Dominio Prepago 2	4 GB	3 GB 1	50 minutes	30 SMS	30 days
12 095 CRC	Dominio Prepago 3	5 GB	5 GB 2	100 minutes	30 SMS	30 days

¹ for WhatsApp
² for Facebook, Instagram, Waze & WhatsApp

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Claro Costa Rica has two data-featured plans. But the Paquetes Prepago M@s (Prepaid M@s Packages) are recommended.

They are combo bundles with data, minutes & SMS.

The following Mobile Data are available, which can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 111 or by dialing *555#:

Price	Plan	Data	Social Data 1	Local/International Minutes 2	Local SMS	Validity	Activation Code	Deactivation Code
1000 CRC	Paquete M@s 3	300 MB	500 MB	10 minutes	20 SMS	3 days	planmas3	finplanmas3
2000 CRC	Paquete M@s 7	1 GB	500 MB	20 minutes	50 SMS	7 days	planmas7	finplanmas7
3000 CRC	Paquete M@s 10	2 GB	500 MB	30 minutes	100 SMS	10 days	planmas10	finplanmas10
4500 CRC	Paquete M@s 15	3 GB	700 MB	45 minutes	200 SMS	15 days	planmas15	finplanmas15
6000 CRC	Paquete M@s 15+	4 GB	700 MB	70 minutes	200 SMS	15 days	planmas15p	finplanmas15p
10 000 CRC	Paquete M@s 30	5 GB	700 MB	85 minutes	300 SMS	30 days	planmas30	finplanmas30

¹ for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter & Waze – WhatsApp data is unlimited
² to Canada, Central America, Panama & the United States

Paquetes Prepago M@s auto-renew. To disable auto-renewal, text the Deactivation Code to 111. The plans can also be deactivated on the app.

Recap of the Best Prepaid SIM Cards in Costa Rica

• Both Kölbi Costa Rica and Claro Costa Rica are recommended
• Costa Rican SIM cards cost 790 CRC/1500 CRC (Claro), 1000 CRC (Kölbi), or 1500 CRC (Movistar)
• SIM cards are also sold at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) but not at Liberia-Guanacaste Airport (LIR)
• Topping up can be done in Kölbi and Claro stores, through top-up partners & online
• Kölbi's Planes Dominio Prepago (combo) range from 5040 CRC to 12 095 CRC. Claro's Paquetes Prepago M@s (combo) range from 1000 CRC to 10 000 CRC
• Read my Costa Rica SIM Card Buying Guide for (much) more about Costa Rican SIM cards

Jump back to the Country Index. | Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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El Salvador Prepaid SIM Cards

In El Salvador, you have four mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• Claro El Salvador
• Movistar El Salvador
• Tigo El Salvador
• Digicel El Salvador

Recommended Prepaid SIM Cards in El Salvador

I recommend going with Claro El Salvador. It has the best (overall) coverage and the fastest speeds – even though Tigo El Salvador has the most extensive 4G/LTE coverage.

Recommended eSIM in El Salvador

I recommend going with the El Salvador (Cerrocom) eSIM from Airalo with 1 GB of data from Airalo valid for 7 days.

If you need more data or a longer validity, you can get El Salvador eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps).

Coverage Maps of the Recommended Mobile Operators in El Salvador

Below is El Salvador's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

If you want to see the coverage maps of the other mobile operators, head to my El Salvador SIM Card Buying Guide.

Prepaid SIM Card Prices & Availability in El Salvador

You can get a Salvadoran SIM card for 1 USD from Claro El Salvador, Movistar El Salvador, Tigo El Salvador & Digicel El Salvador in their stores or resellers, like convenience stores. SIM cards are also sold at San/El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (SAL).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check in El Salvador

Claro El Salvador (recommended option) top-up vouchers are sold in Claro stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.

To top up your Claro SIM card, dial *106*VoucherCode#.

You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

You can also recharge online (1/2) with (international) debit and credit cards.

Checking your balance can be done by texting SALDO to 72536 or CONSUMO to 4777 with Claro.

Recommended Prepaid Plans in El Salvador

Claro has only one data-featured plan: Superpack de Internet (Internet Superpacks).

They are combo bundles with data, minutes & SMS.

The following Superpack de Internet are available, which can be activated by dialing *555# and following the sequence of the options:

Price	Plan	Data	Social Media Data	On-Net Minutes	Local Minutes	On-Net SMS	Validity	Activation Code
0.50 USD	200 MB	200 MB	Unlimited 1	N/A	N/A	N/A	1 day	*555# – 1 – 2
1 USD	500 MB	500 MB	Unlimited 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	1 day	*555# – 1 – 2
1 USD	Superpack Express $1	1 GB	Unlimited 3	Unlimited	10 minutes 4	Unlimited	2 days	*555# – 1 – 1
1 USD	Superpack Xtreme 2 Días	1 GB	2 GB 7 + Unlimited 5	N/A	N/A	N/A	2 days	*555# – 2 – 1
2 USD	1 GB	1 GB	Unlimited 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	5 days	*555# – 1 – 2
2 USD	Superpack Xtreme 4 Días	2 GB	5 GB 7 + Unlimited 5	N/A	N/A	N/A	4 days	*555# – 2 – 1
2 USD	Superpack Express $2	2 GB	500 MB 8 + Unlimited 3	Unlimited	20 minutes 4	Unlimited	4 days	*555# – 1 – 1
2 USD	2 GB	2 GB	Unlimited 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	7 days	*555# – 1 – 2
2 USD	3 GB	3 GB	Unlimited 6	N/A	N/A	N/A	3 days	*555# – 1 – 2
4 USD	Superpack Express $4	3 GB	2 GB 9 + Unlimited 3	Unlimited	40 minutes 4	Unlimited	8 days	*555# – 1 – 1
4 USD	Superpack Xtreme 8 Días	3 GB	6 GB 10 + Unlimited 5	N/A	N/A	N/A	8 days	*555# – 2 – 1
5 USD	Paquete Sin Vigencia 1 GB	1 GB	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	No expiry	*555# – 2 – 1
5 USD	5 GB	5 GB	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	10 days	*555# – 1 – 2
7 USD	Paquete Sin Vigencia 2 GB	2 GB	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	No expiry	*555# – 2 – 1
7 USD	Superpack Express $7	4 GB	2 GB 9 + Unlimited 3	Unlimited	50 minutes 4	Unlimited	16 days	*555# – 1 – 1
10 USD	Paquete Sin Vigencia 3 GB	3 GB	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	No expiry	*555# – 2 – 1
10 USD	Superpack Express $10	5 GB	2 GB 9 + Unlimited 3	Unlimited	60 minutes 4	Unlimited	30 days	*555# – 1 – 1
10 USD	9 GB	9 GB	Unlimited 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	20 days	*555# – 1 – 2
15 USD	12 GB	12 GB	Unlimited 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	30 days	*555# – 1 – 2

¹ for Instagram & WhatsApp
² for Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram & WhatsApp
³ for Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Twitter & WhatsApp
⁴ also to Canada & the United States
⁵ for WhatsApp
⁶ for Instagram
⁷ for Instagram, TikTok & Twitch
⁸ forYouTube
⁹ for Spotify & YouTube
¹⁰ for Instagram, TikTok, Twitch & YouTube

Recap of the Best Prepaid SIM Cards in El Salvador

• Claro El Salvador is recommended
  • While Tigo El Salvador has the best extensive 4G/LTE coverage, Claro is still significantly faster (1.5x faster).
• Salvadoran SIM cards cost 1 USD (Claro, Movistar, Tigo & Digicel)
• SIM cards are also sold at San/El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (SAL)
• Topping up can be done in Claro (and Movistar, Tigo & Digicel) stores, through top-up partners & online
• Claro's Superpack de Internet (combo) range from 0.50 USD to 15 USD.
• Read my El Salvador SIM Card Buying Guide for (much) more about Salvadoran SIM cards

Jump back to the Country Index. | Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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Guatemala Prepaid SIM Cards

In Guatemala, you have two mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• Claro Guatemala (including Movistar & Tuenti Guatemala)
• Tigo Guatemala

Recommended Prepaid SIM Cards in Guatemala

I recommend going with Tigo Guatemala. It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds in the country.

Recommended eSIM in Guatemala

I recommend getting the Guatemala (Tikal Mobile) eSIMs from Airalo with 1 GB of data for 7 days or 3 GB of data for 30 days.

If you need more data or a longer validity, you can get Guatemala eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps).

Coverage Maps of the Recommended Mobile Operators in Guatemala

Below is Tigo Guatemala's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

If you want to see Claro Guatemala (including Movistar and Tuenti)'s coverage map, head to my Guatemala SIM Card Buying Guide.

Prepaid SIM Card Prices & Availability in Guatemala

You can get a Guatemalan SIM card for 10 GTQ from Claro Guatemala (including Movistar & Tuenti) or Tigo Guatemala in their stores. For 199 GTQ (26 USD), you can purchase a Claro SIM card with additional perks. SIM cards are also sold at Guatemala City-La Aurora International Airport (GUA – Claro only).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check in Guatemala

Tigo Guatemala (recommended option) top-up vouchers are sold in Tigo stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.

To top up your Tigo SIM card, dial *333VoucherCode (so do not add a * or # between *333 and the VoucherCode).

You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

Checking your balance can be done by dialing *256# or texting SALDO to 256 with Tigo.

Recommended Prepaid Plans in Guatemala

Tigo has two data-featured plans. But the Paquetigos de Internet (Internet Packages) are recommended.

They are combo bundles (yes, really – even though the name implies they are combo plans) with data, minutes & SMS.

The following Paquetigos de Internet are available, which can be activated on the Tigo en Línea (antes Tigo Shop y Mi Tigo) app:

Price	Data	Local/USA Minutes	Local/USA SMS	Validity
5 GTQ	300 MB 1	N/A	N/A	1 day
10 GTQ	800 MB 1	N/A	N/A	2 days
10 GTQ	1.5 GB 1, 2	N/A	N/A	1 day
15 GTQ	1.6 GB 1	N/A	N/A	3 days
30 GTQ	3.3 GB 1	60 minutes	60 SMS	7 days
30 GTQ	4.5 GB 1	N/A	N/A	7 days
33 GTQ	3.3 GB 1	150 minutes	N/A	7 days
40 GTQ	4 GB 1, 2	N/A	N/A	7 days
50 GTQ	5 GB 2	100 minutes	100 SMS	15 days
50 GTQ	6.5 GB 3	N/A	N/A	15 days
99 GTQ	10 GB 3	200 minutes	200 SMS	1 month
99 GTQ	13 GB 3	N/A	N/A	1 month
120 GTQ	12 GB 2, 4	N/A	N/A	1 month
199 GTQ	18 GB 2,4	N/A	N/A	1 month
499 GTQ	45 GB 3	N/A	N/A	1 month

¹ +unlimited Facebook & WhatsApp data
² +unlimited Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Free Fire, Pokemon Go & Roblox data
³ +unlimited Facebook, Instagram & WhatsApp data
⁴ +unlimited Deezer, Facebook, Instagram & WhatsApp data

Recap of the Best Prepaid SIM Cards in Guatemala

• Tigo Guatemala is recommended
  • While Claro Guatemala (including Movistar & Tuenti) is not bad at all, Tigo is just a far better option
• Guatemalan SIM cards cost 10 GTQ (Tigo & Claro)
• SIM cards are also sold at Guatemala City-La Aurora International Airport (GUA – Claro only)
• Topping up can be done in Tigo (and Claro) stores, through top-up partners & online
• Tigo's Paquetigos de Internet (combo – yes, really) range from 5 GTQ to 499 GTQ. (Claro's Superpack Todo Includio (combo) range from 10 GTQ to 100 GTQ)
• Read my Guatemala SIM Card Buying Guide for (much) more about Guatemalan SIM cards

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Honduras Prepaid SIM Cards

In Honduras, you have three mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• Tigo Honduras
• Claro Honduras
• Honducel

Recommended Prepaid SIM Cards in Honduras

I recommend going with Tigo Honduras. It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. Moreover, it is only marginally more expensive than Claro Honduras.

Recommended eSIM in Honduras

I recommend going with the Honduras (Honnet) eSIM from Airalo with 1 GB of data valid for 7 days.

If you need more data or a longer validity, you can get Honduras eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps).

Coverage Maps of the Recommended Mobile Operators in Honduras

Below is Tigo Honduras's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

If you want to see Claro Honduras' coverage map, head to my Honduras SIM Card Buying Guide.

Prepaid SIM Card Prices & Availability in Honduras

You can get a Honduran SIM card for 25 HNL from Claro or 50 HNL from Tigo in their stores. SIM cards are also sold at Tegucigalpa-Toncontín (Teniente Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía) International Airport (TGU).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check in Honduras

Tigo Honduras (recommended option) top-up vouchers are sold in Tigo stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.

To top up your Tigo SIM card, dial *777*VoucherCode#.

You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.

Checking your balance can be done by dialing *123# with Tigo.

Recommended Prepaid Plans in Honduras

Tigo has three data-featured plans. But the Super Recargas (Super Refills) are recommended.

They are combo bundles with data and minutes.

The following Paquetigos de Internet are available, which can be activated by dialing *111# or #111#:

Price	Credit	Data	WhatsApp Data	On-Net Minutes	International Minutes 1	Validity
26 HNL	75 HNL	1.5 GB	Unlimited	“Unlimited”, 10 minutes per call	N/A	1 day
51 HNL	150 HNL	5 GB	Unlimited	“Unlimited”, 10 minutes per call	N/A	3 days
60 HNL	N/A	5 GB 2	Unlimited	“Unlimited”, 10 minutes per call	150 minutes 3	3 days
102 HNL	300 HNL	10 GB	Unlimited	“Unlimited”, 10 minutes per call	N/A	7 days
120 HNL	N/A	10 GB 4	Unlimited	“Unlimited”, 10 minutes per call 2	100 minutes	7 days
150 HNL	450 HNL	13 GB	Unlimited	“Unlimited”, 10 minutes per call	N/A	10 days
220 HNL	600 HNL	20 GB	Unlimited	“Unlimited”, 10 minutes per call	N/A	15 days

¹ to the United States
² + unlimited data for Clash of Clans & Free Fire
³ also for off-net use
⁴ + unlimited data for Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale & Free Fire

Recap of the Best Prepaid SIM Cards in Honduras

• Tigo Honduras is recommended
  • While Claro Honduras is not bad at all, Tigo is just a far better option. Stay away from Honducel by Hondutel
• Honduran SIM cards cost 25 HNL (Claro) or 50 HNL (Tigo)
• SIM cards are also sold at Tegucigalpa-Toncontín (Teniente Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía) International Airport (TGU)
• Topping up can be done in Tigo (and Claro) stores, through top-up partners & online
• Tigo's Super Recargas (combo) range from 26 HNL to 220 HNL. (Claro's Todo Incluido (combo) range from 15 HNL to 220 HNL)
• Read my Honduras SIM Card Buying Guide for (much) more about Honduran SIM cards

Jump back to the Country Index. | Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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Nicaragua Prepaid SIM Cards

In Nicaragua, you have three mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• Claro Nicaragua
• Tigo Nicaragua (formerly Movistar Nicaragua)
• CooTel Nicaragua

Recommended Prepaid SIM Cards in Nicaragua

I recommend going with Tigo Nicaragua (formerly Movistar). It has the best coverage in the country. Claro Nicaragua can be faster in some locations, but you will still be better off with Tigo.

Recommended eSIM in Nicaragua

I recommend going with the Nicaragua (Nicarcell) eSIM from Airalo with 1 GB of data from Airalo valid for 7 days.

If you need more data or a longer validity, you can get Nicaragua eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps).

Coverage Maps of the Recommended Mobile Operators in Nicaragua

Below is Tigo Nicaragua's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

If you want to see Claro Nicaragua's coverage map, head to my Nicaragua SIM Card Buying Guide.

Prepaid SIM Card Prices & Availability in Nicaragua

You can get a Nicaraguan SIM card for 50 NIO (1.40 USD) from Claro and Tigo in their stores or resellers, like convenience stores. SIM cards are also sold at Managua-Augusto C. Sandino International Airport (MGA).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check in Nicaragua

Tigo Nicaragua (recommended option) top-up vouchers are sold in Tigo stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.

To top up your Tigo SIM card, dial *123# and follow the instructions.

You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.

Checking your balance can be done by dialing *72536# or *72536# or texting SALDO to 611 with Tigo.

Recommended Prepaid Plans in Nicaragua

Tigo has four data-featured plans. But the Megapacks are recommended.

They are combo bundles with data, minutes & SMS.

The following Megapacks are available, which can be activated by dialing *123 or #123#:

Price	Plan	Data	Social Media Data	On-Net Minutes	Off-Net/International Minutes 3	Local SMS	Validity	Activation Code
20 NIO	Mega 1	450 MB	Unlimited 1	N/A	20 minutes	20 SMS	1 day	MEGA1
30 NIO	Mega 2	700 MB	Unlimited 1	N/A	30 minutes	30 SMS	2 days	MEGA2
50 NIO	Mega 4	2.2 GB	Unlimited 2	N/A	80 minutes	80 SMS	4 days	MEGA4
70 NIO	Mega 5	3 GB	Unlimited 2	Unlimited	60 minutes	60 SMS	5 days	MEGA5
100 NIO	Mega 7	4 GB	Unlimited 2	Unlimited	80 minutes	80 SMS	7 days	MEGA7
200 NIO	Mega 15	6.2 GB	Unlimited 2	Unlimited	150 minutes	150 SMS	15 days	MEGA15

¹ for WhatsApp
² for Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Spotify, Telegram, TikTok, Twitter & WhatsApp
³ to Tigo Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras & Panama – not Belize; no Tigo there) & the United States

Recap of the Best Prepaid SIM Cards in Nicaragua

• Tigo Nicaragua is recommended
  • While Claro Nicaragua is not bad at all, Tigo is just a far better option. Stay away from Honducel by CooTel Nicaragua
• Nicaraguan SIM cards cost 50 NIO (Claro & Tigo)
• SIM cards are also sold at Managua-Augusto C. Sandino International Airport (MGA)
• Topping up can be done in Tigo (and Claro) stores, through top-up partners & online
• Tigo's Megapacks (combo) range from 20 NIO to 200 NIO. (Claro's Todo Incluido (combo) range from 20 NIO to 300 NIO)
• Read my Nicaragua SIM Card Buying Guide for (much) more about Nicaraguan SIM cards

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Panama Prepaid SIM Cards

In Panama, you have four mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• +movil (Cable & Wireless Panama)
• Claro Panama
• Digicel Panama
• Tigo Panama (formerly Movistar Panama)

Recommended Prepaid SIM Cards in Panama

I recommend going with +móvil or Digicel Panama. +móvil is regarded as the best mobile operator in Panama. Digicel has once won an award for being the fastest. Consider Claro Panama (and Digicel) for plans with unlimited 4G/LTE data.

Recommended eSIM in Panama

I recommend getting the Panama (Pancell Digital) eSIMs from Airalo with 1 GB of data for 7 days or 3 GB of data for 30 days.

If you need more data or a longer validity, you can get Panama eSIMs from Nomad.

Use code ADU123 for the best deals available when getting Nomad eSIMs (on the site or their apps).

If you plan on visiting the Caribbean, consider the Island Hopper eSIM with 1 GB of data (7 days) in Panama and 20+ Caribbean nations.

Coverage Maps of the Recommended Mobile Operators in Panama

Below are +móvil (Cable & Wireless) and Digicel Panama's coverage maps produced by Speedtest:

If you want to see the coverage maps of the other mobile operators, head to my Panama SIM Card Buying Guide.

Prepaid SIM Card Prices & Availability in Panama

You can get a Panamanian SIM card for 5 PAB or 15 PAB from +móvil (Cable & Wireless). Claro, Digicel & Tigo (formerly Movistar) SIM cards are free if purchased together with a plan. SIM cards are also sold at Panama City-Tocumen International Airport (PTY – at inflated prices).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check in Panama

+móvil (Cable & Wireless) and Digicel Panama top-up vouchers are sold in Cable & Wireless stores and Digicel stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.

To top up your +móvil SIM card, dial *166*VoucherCode#.

For Digicel, dial *121*VouchcerCode#.

You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.

Recharging online with international debit and credit cards is possible for +móvil and Digicel.

Checking your balance can be done by dialing *165# or *555# with +móvil. For Digicel, dial *120#.

Recommended Prepaid Plans in Panama

+móvil (Cable & Wireless) has only one data-featured plan: Planes de Data Prepago (Prepaid Plans).

They are combo bundles with data and minutes.

The following Planes de Data Prepago are available, which can be activated by dialing *456#:

Price	Plan	Credit	Data	On-Net Minutes	Off-Net Minutes	Validity
5 PAB	Todo, Todito x 7 Días	25 PAB	Unlimited	Unlimited	20 minutes	7 days
7 PAB	Todo, Todito x 10 Días	35 PAB	Unlimited	Unlimited	25 minites	10 days
10 PAB	Todo, Todito x 14 Días	50 PAB	Unlimited	Unlimited	30 minutes	14 days

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Digicel Panama also has only one data-featured plan. Planes Prepago (Prepaid Plans).

They are combo bundles with data and SMS.

The following Planes Prepago are available, which can be activated by dialing *111#:

Price	Plan	4G/LTE Data	3G Data	Prime Apps Data 1	On-Net Minutes	Off-Net Minutes	Validity
5 PAB	Plan Ilimitado 7 Días	Unlimited	3 GB	Unlimited	Unlimited	20 minutes	7 days
10 PAB	Plan Ilimitado 14 Días	Unlimited	6 GB	Unlimited	150 minutes	50 minutes	14 days
20 PAB	Plan Ilimitado 30 Días	Unlimited	12 GB	Unlimited	120 minutes	Shared with on-net call allowance	30 days

¹ for Billo, BiP, D'Music & GoLoud

Note that if your device supports the 4G/LTE frequency used by Digicel (700 MHz on Band 28), you will get unlimited LTE data (although subject to a fair use policy).

If not, the data allowance under the 3G data column applies.

Recap of the Best Prepaid SIM Cards in Panama

• Both +móvil (Cable & Wireless) and Digicel Panama are recommended
• Panamanian SIM cards are free if purchased with a plan (Claro Panama, Digicel Panama & Tigo Panama (formerly Movistar)). +móvil sells SIM cards for 5 PAB and 15 PAB
• SIM cards are also sold at Panama City-Tocumen International Airport (PTY – at inflated prices)
• Topping up can be done in +móvil/Cable & Wireless stores and Digicel stores (+Claro stores and Tigo stores), through top-up partners & online
• +móvil's Planes de Data Prepago (combo) range from 5 PAB to 10 PAB. Digicel's Planes Prepago (combo) range from 5 PAB to 20 PAB
• Read my Panama SIM Card Buying Guide for (much) more about Panamanian SIM cards

Jump back to the Country Index. | Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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