Internet in Costa Rica: Speeds, Mobile Plans and Coworking
Guides · Costa Rica
Key Facts
- The country — Costa Rica ran telecoms as a state monopoly until the market opened last decade, and the state utility still competes directly with private operators under the brand kölbi.
- The standing rule — the Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones, the sector regulator known as SUTEL, licenses operators, publishes the market data and runs the voluntary prepaid line register. Three operators carry the mobile network.
- What matters now — fibre has become the majority technology, and symmetric upload speeds rather than headline download speeds are what make the country workable for remote employment.
- What happened — this guide records measured speeds, published prices, mobile rules and coworking rates for internet in Costa Rica as they stand in September 2026.
- The numbers — 71 percent of households have a fixed connection, median fixed download is 212 Mbps, a symmetric 200 Mbps line costs ¢23,900 (about US$53) a month, and coworking runs US$100 to US$250.
- What it means for you — in the Central Valley the connection is not your problem; on the coasts the electricity supply is, and one circuit loses 48 hours a year.
- Still open — whether registering a prepaid SIM is legally compulsory, and what document a foreigner is supposed to use if it is.
A median upload of 171 Mbps beats much of the United States. The thing that will stop you working is not the line, it is the power going off.
The internet in Costa Rica is better than its reputation and better than most of Central America. Fibre now carries the majority of connections, uploads are symmetric, and a fast home line costs about the same as a restaurant dinner. The catch is not bandwidth. It is electricity, and it varies enormously by region. This guide covers speeds, prices, mobile plans, power reliability and coworking.
What internet in Costa Rica actually delivers
Seven in ten households now have their own fixed connection, up from 64 percent in 2021, and fibre reaches 45 percent of all homes. The national fibre network passed 129,000 kilometres in 2025, roughly double the 2021 figure. More than 65 percent of subscriptions are for speeds above 100 Mbps.
Measured results back that up. The Speedtest global index for April 2026 puts the median fixed download at 212.24 Mbps, the upload at 171.35 Mbps and latency at 12 milliseconds. That ranks the country 55th in the world. Mobile medians are 131.64 down and 25.25 up.
The upload number is the one that matters if you work here. A median of 171 Mbps up beats much of the United States, and it comes from symmetric fibre rather than cable. Video calls and heavy uploads are simply not an issue in the Central Valley.
Home fibre: who sells it and what it costs
The market will surprise you. Telecable, not the state operator, is the largest fixed provider, with about 24 percent and 312,000 subscribers. Liberty holds 22 percent, the state operator 20 percent, Tigo 12 percent and Claro 8 percent. Starlink has reached roughly 39,000 subscribers, or 3 percent.
Prices are easiest to pin down for the state brand. A symmetric 200 Mbps line is ¢23,900 (about US$53) a month, 300 Mbps is ¢25,900 (about US$58) and 500 Mbps is ¢27,900 (about US$62), all including tax and levies. Colón figures here are converted at ¢450 (about US$1) to the dollar, the reference rate on 23 September 2026.
Add a modem rental of ¢1,130 (about US$2.50) a month and a mesh unit at ¢2,858 (about US$6.35) each. A fixed internet address costs ¢3,706 (about US$8.24) more, which matters if you run a server or a company network. Liberty’s published plans run ¢25,217 (about US$56) to ¢54,666 (about US$122) with taxes.
We could not obtain current published price tables for Claro or Telecable, so ask them directly. In the established beach towns a good line costs US$60 to US$100 a month and is genuinely usable. Between Dominical and Uvita, on parts of the southern Caribbean and in the Northern Zone, it may still mean mobile data or satellite. Test any line in person.
Mobile, SIM cards and the registration question
Three operators cover the country: the state brand kölbi, Liberty and Claro. Kölbi has the widest raw signal, which matters in national parks and isolated valleys. Claro measures best for speed and overall quality in cities and tourist areas. Fifth generation service is rolling out, but coverage is still limited.
Tourists may buy prepaid SIM cards, while only residents may take a monthly contract. A prepaid card starts at about US$1.50 without credit and takes five to ten minutes to set up at an airport, a carrier shop or a supermarket. A plan with 10 GB and 150 domestic minutes costs about US$16, and an unlimited plan about US$60.
One question here is genuinely unresolved. The regulator runs a free prepaid line register, modernised in June 2026 with biometric checks. Its own wording describes registering as a way to secure your rights over the service, which reads as voluntary. The form asks for a national identification code, which a passport holder does not have.
We could not confirm from any primary source that prepaid registration is legally compulsory in 2026, nor what document a foreigner should use. In practice tourists buy prepaid cards with a passport. Ask at the point of sale, and keep the receipt.
Power cuts, the number that decides where you base yourself
The national average time without electricity per customer in 2025 was 8 hours and 6 minutes. That is an improvement on the 9 hours and 55 minutes recorded in 2024, and it is spread over an average of 6.29 interruptions. The regulator counts more than two million subscribers.
The regional detail is the real story. The Santa Rita to Nosara circuit recorded 19.08 interruptions and 48.62 hours without power in a single year. Cóbano and Palmar Sur were close behind. A remote worker in Nosara should plan for roughly six times the national outage time, or about two full working days a year.
That is an argument for a battery backup, and for keeping the Central Valley as your base if your income depends on being online. The regulator blames long circuits with difficult access in coastal and rural areas.
Coworking, from the capital to the Caribbean
In San José, Impact Hub near Barrio Escalante is widely described as the best-run space in the country. Memberships are quoted from about US$150 a month and day rates near US$14, though those figures come from third-party guides rather than the space itself. Republic Workspace in San Pedro runs around the clock at about US$100 a month.
In Escazú the corporate operators dominate. A Regus desk is US$5 an hour, US$35 a day or US$209 a month before tax, and a private office for one starts near US$225. Spaces quotes desks from US$7 to US$8 per person per day on longer contracts. Beeworking is the independent alternative, with sites in Escazú, Heredia and Los Yoses.
On the coast, Tamarindo has the deepest scene, at roughly US$10 to US$20 a day or US$150 to US$250 a month. Nosara has Outpost, purpose-built with adjustable desks throughout, which publishes no rates at all. One budget model puts it near US$220 a month, but treat that as an estimate. Guides still anchoring either town on Selina are out of date.
The cheapest serious coworking is on the Caribbean. Puerto&Co in Puerto Viejo charges US$15 a day, US$40 a week or US$150 a month, and opens 84 hours a week. BOA Coworking, in the same town, starts at US$7 a day, US$30 a week and US$100 a month. That is about a third of what an Escazú corporate desk costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the internet in Costa Rica good enough for remote work?
In the Central Valley and the main beach towns, yes. The median fixed download measured 212 Mbps in April 2026 and the median upload 171 Mbps, which is better than much of the United States, because the fibre is symmetric.
What does home fibre cost each month?
A symmetric 200 Mbps line from the state brand is about US$53 a month including taxes, rising to roughly US$62 for 500 Mbps. Add about US$2.50 for the modem, and expect US$60 to US$100 a month in the beach towns.
Can a tourist buy a SIM card?
Yes. Prepaid cards are sold to anyone at airports, carrier shops and supermarkets from about US$1.50 without credit. Only residents may take a monthly contract plan, so a visitor uses prepaid or an eSIM.
Where are the power cuts worst?
On the long coastal and rural circuits. The Santa Rita to Nosara line lost 48.62 hours over 19.08 interruptions in 2025, against a national average of 8 hours and 6 minutes, so a battery backup is a real purchase there.
Connected Coverage
- Cost of Living in Costa Rica: Budgets and Rent
- Moving to Costa Rica: The Full Relocation Guide
- Costa Rica Residency Guide for Expats
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