SIM Cards in Cuba: The Best Prepaid Plans | 2024 Guide

Cuba – known for its cigars, rum & music.

The country itself is also known for its incredible beaches, colorful houses & classic (read: old) American cards.

So, what to do in Cuba?

Of course, you should explore Havana, especially the Malecon esplanade.

You can also get world-famous mojitos from La Bodeguita Del Medio.

Or you can just ~~get sunburnt~~ enjoy your time on the many beaches throughout Cuba.

Being bored in Cuba? No way!

But before you post your amazing Cuba-related photos online, be aware that international roaming can be expensive.

That is why local SIM cards are recommended so that you can enjoy local rates – much cheaper than international roaming.

So, how much do Cuban SIM cards cost?

You can get a Cubacel SIM card for 1000 CUP (41.50 USD) in ETECSA stores. You can also rent SIM cards for 75 CUP a day (mimumum of 3 days, 225 CUP + 250 CUP recharge = 475 CUP (19.70 USD)). Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV) has SIM cards too, including the Cubacel Tur tourist SIM card for 25 USD.

The Cubacel Tur tourist SIM card includes 2.5 GB of data, 20 local minutes & 20 local SMS – it may be better to get that SIM card instead of a regular (expensive) SIM card.

But that is just the SIM card price – there is much more to know.

In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Cuba. Let's do this.

Original publication: 14^th of November 2021. Last updated: 15^th of January 2024.

In This Guide Show

Can You Buy a SIM Card in Cuba?

You can buy a Cuban SIM card from Cubacel by ETECSA as a tourist if you are 18 years old or older. There is nothing preventing travelers from buying a SIM card in Cuba.

You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations, which also means you can have up to 3 active SIM cards.

Moreover, our phone has to support the frequencies used in Cuba.

Finally, your phone needs to be unlocked (SIM-lock free) to use a Cuban SIM card.

Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Cuba?

You can get a Cuban SIM card in ETECSA stores. SIM cards are also available at Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV).

You can expect to pay the following for Cuban SIM cards:

Cubacel by ETECSA: 1000 CUP or 75 CUP a day + 250 CUP recharge

The following mobile operators also have SIM cards targeting tourists:

Cubacel by ETECSA: 25 USD (Cubacel Tur)

Can You Use Your Phone in Cuba?

Cuba uses GSM technology for mobile communications. CDMA phones will not work in Cuba. If your phone has a SIM card slot, then it supports GSMA (99% of the phones do support GSM nowadays).

Traditional European frequencies are used in Cuba, which are mostly used in ITU Regions 1 and 3 (Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe & Oceania).

The Americas (North-, Central– & South America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2) use American frequencies, which differ from the European ones.

If you bought your phone in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania (ITU Regions 1 and 3), you should not experience any issues with using your phone in Cuba.

If you purchased your phone in the Americas (ITU Region 2) and have a low/medium-end device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band) support, then there is a possibility you cannot use your phone when in Cuba or can only use slower networks (3G or 2G).

If you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, you can use your phone in Cuba (to some extent) – also on 4G/LTE.

Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Cuba

Cellular Connectivity Illustration by Phone Travel Wiz

Cuba has only one mobile operator offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:

Cubacel by ETECSA (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba)

The following frequencies are used in Cuba:

2G: 900 MHz
3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)

You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.

To check whether your phone will work in Cuba, check out this page by Kimovil or this one by Will My Phone Work (outdated, unfortunately, but extremely user-friendly – useful for phones launched in or before 2019. It does not check for 5G NR compatibility).

Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).

If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains the hidden reason they do not want you to know.

VoLTE & VoWiFi in Cuba

Both VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also known as HD Voice) and VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi – also known as WiFI calling) are not offered by Cubacel/ETECSA (yet).

This means that when you make a call, your phone will downgrade to 3G (or 2G when 3G is not available) instead of staying connected to 4G/LTE.

This is also why you often cannot use mobile while calling if not connected to WiFi.

VoWiFi is, as the name implies, calling on a WiFi connection as opposed to on a cellular network.

5G NR in Cuba

5G NR Connectivity Illustration by Phone Travel Wiz

5G NR is not available in Cuba as of 2022, and the Cuban government has not made any indications of when it will auction 5G licenses.

Best SIM Card in Cuba

SIM Card Registration in Cuba

SIM card registration, with the use of your passport information, is mandatory in Cuba. This will be done at the point of sale.

Moreover, you can have up to three active prepaid SIM cards in Cuba.

Cuba Mobile Speeds, Mobile Internet Prices & Insights

Traveling and living in the Caribbean is not cheap.

Yet, it is still a popular region for travelers.

That is why every method to save some cash is appreciated.

Somewhat unfortunately, the cost of mobile data is not the cheapest in Cuba.

The average price for 1 GB of data in Cuba is 7.50 USD, much more than the Caribbean average of 4.44 USD. The world average is 4.07 USD.

Luckily, the costs have decreased significantly compared to 2020. Hopefully, that trend will continue.

Caribbean Mobile Data Rates Stats 2021 — Source

Cuba has never been known for its fixed broadband speeds, as it is one of the slowest in the world (currently the slowest of the reported countries).

But with the introduction of mobile data (3G) in 2018 and 4G/LTE in 2019, mobile data speeds have instantly surpassed broadband data speeds.

So, how fast is it?

Cuba's average mobile download speed is around 25 Mbps, less than half the global average.

Cuba Average Mobile Data Speeds — Source

Global Mobile Internet Speeds 2021 — Source

While this does not sound impressive, do not forget that Cuba has not had mobile data for a long time.

Many other countries with 4G/LTE for years still have much slower data speeds than Cuba.

So the country is doing just fine.

Cuba Average Mobile Data Speeds Compared 2020 2021 — Source

But, coverage is not as widespread yet. 3G reception can mostly be found in urban areas.

4G/LTE is mainly available in cities like Havana.

With expensive SIM cards, fair nationwide coverage, decent mobile download speeds, and high mobile data rates, you should have a fair network experience in Cuba.

Currency in Cuba

200 Cuban Peso Bank Note — © Central Bank of Cuba/Banco Central de Cuba

Cuba uses the Cuban Peso with the symbol CUP (which will be used throughout this article).

The Cuban Convertible Peso (Peso Cubano Convertible), also known as CUC($), is no more since January 2021.

Prices in CUP are often listed as $, $MN or ₱. For example, 25 CUP = $/$MN/₱ 25.

For reference, below are some exchange rates between CUP and USD (US Dollars):

1 CUP = 0.40 USD
10 CUP = 0.40 USD
100 CUP = 4.15 USD
1000 CUP = 41.50 USD

For up-to-date CUP:USD exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

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 Australian Dollars and Euros, my main currencies, when using Wise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards.

Open a Wise account for FREE!

Cuban Prepaid SIM Cards

Below, I will guide you through Cubacel by ETECSA & go through:

Background information
Mobile coverage
SIM card types, prices & availability
Recharge/top-up information
Combo plans, data plans & special packs (such as social media packs)

With that being said, let’s see what Cuba to offer to us.

Cubacel by ETECSA

Cubacel by ETECSA, standing for Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba, is the only mobile operator in Cuba.

Somewhere in the last century, ETECSA did not exist, and Cuba was home to 14 (tele)communications companies.

From 1994, the number of telecommunications companies went down from 14 to two to one.

It took until 2018 before Cubacel started offering 3G services. 4G/LTE was launched in 2019.

Cubacel by ETECSA uses the following frequencies:

2G: 900 MHz
3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)

This is what you will learn about Cubacel by ETECSA:

* Coverage
* How to Get a Cubacel SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Cubacel by ETECSA ETECSA

Cubacel has decent coverage throughout Cuba.

You should be aware that 3G was only launched in 2018.

This made Cuba one of the last countries to offer mobile data services.

Below is Cubacel's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

ETESCA Cuba Cubacel Coverage Map — Source

SIM Card Price – Cubacel by ETECSA

You can buy a Cubacel SIM card for 1000 CUP with 250 CUP credit in ETECSA stores and Havana-José Martí International Airport (HAV). You can also rent a SIM card for 75 CUP a day (with a minimum of 3 days/225 CUP + a mandatory 250 CUP top-up).

Short-term visitors and tourists can also get the Cubacel Tur SIM card – Cubacel's tourist SIM card.

ETESCA Cuba Cubacel SIM Card — © Cubacel by ETECSA

For 25 USD, you get 2.5 GB of data, 20 local minutes & 20 local SMS for 30 days.

Price	Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
25 USD	2.5 GB	20 minutes	20 SMS	30 days

ETESCA Cuba Cubatel Tur Tourist SIM Card Benefits — © Cubacel by ETECSA

You may have to dial *666 to activate the SIM card.

Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)

SIM Card Prices Worldwide Tool by Phone Travel Wiz

This SIM card can be purchased at Havana-José Martí International Airport (Terminal 3) or ordered and be delivered abroad from various resellers.

Unlike regular Cubacel SIM cards, the Cubacel Tur SIM card cannot be extended, not even when purchasing Paquetes Adicionales.

Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Cubacel by ETECSA

Cubacel top-up vouchers are sold in ETECSA stores, grocery stores, corner shops & electronics shops throughout Cuba.

The following top-up options are available:

120 CUP
250 CUP
500 CUP

To top up your Cubacel SIM card, you would dial *666 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.

While recharging online is possible, it all has to be done through third parties that charge a hefty premium for this privilege.

Dial *662# or *662*# to check your Cubacel balance.

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Cubacel by ETECSA

Cubacel has four data-featured prepaid plans:

Planes Combinados/Combo Plans (combo)
Bolsas/Bags (data)
Paquetes LTE/LTE Packages (data)
Cubacel Tur Paquetes Adicionales/Additional Packages for Cubacel Tur (data)

I will list all the prices in CUP (Cuban Peso).

To convert CUP to your currency (let's say USD) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Convert er tool.

Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.

Planes Combinados (Combo Plans) – Cubacel by ETECSA

The Planes Combinados (Combo Plans) are, as the name implies, combo bundles with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

Planes Combinados can be activated by dialing *133#, selecting option 1, and selecting option 5:

Price	Plan	3G Data ¹	4G/LTE Data	Local Minutes	Local SMS	Validity
125 CUP	Básico	600 MB	800 MB	15 minutes	20 SMS	30 days
250 CUP	Medio	1.5 GB	2 GB	35 minutes	40 SMS	30 days
500 CUP	Extra	3.5 GB	4.5 GB	75 minutes	80 SMS	30 days

¹ +300 MB (unmentioned if 3G or 4G)

ETECSA Cuba Planes Combinados Combo Plans

Bolsas (Bags) – Cubacel by ETECSA

The Bolsas, Bolsa Diaria LTE & Bolsa De Mensajeria, are data plans (without 5G NR access).

The Bolsas can be activated by dialing *133#:

Price	Plan	Data	Validity
25 CUP	Bolsa Diaria LTE	200 MB	30 days
25 CUP	Bolsa De Mensajería	600 MB	24 hours

Paquetes LTE (LTE Packages) – Cubacel by ETECSA

The Paquetes LTE (LTE Packages) are data plans (without 5G NR access).

Paquetes LTE can be activated by dialing *133#, selecting option 1, and selecting option 4:

Price	Data ¹	Validity
100 CUP	1 GB	30 days
200 CUP	2.5 GB	30 days
950 CUP	16 GB ²	30 days

¹ +300 MB (unmentioned if 3G or 4G)
² 4 GB for 3G & 4G/LTE and 12 GB for 4G/LTE only

Cubacel Tur Paquetes Adicionales (Additional Packages for Cubacel Tur) – Cubacel by ETECSA

The Cubacel Tur Paquetes Adicionales (Cubacel Tur Additional Packages) are data plans (without 5G NR access) for the Cubacel Tur SIM card. It has a basic package that is worth 25 USD and contains 6 GB of data, with 100 minutes and 100 SMS.