Best eSim for South America (A Detailed Guide)
Traveling to South America and you want an eSim for Internet access while you’re there? Then you’ve come to the right place because this detailed guide will tell you all about the best providers for a South America eSim.
At A Glance: Best eSim for South America
- CHEAPEST ESIM Maya Mobile
- Best esim latin america Airalo
- BEST UNLIMITED ESIM Holafly
- BEST VALUE FOR MONEY Flexiroam
I’ve included the top international eSim providers, with plans that range from 100 MB to unlimited data. There’s a decent option for everyone in this South America eSim guide, and if you keep scrolling you’ll find at least a couple of data plans that are perfect for your travel needs!
ESIM Product Comparison
Maya Mobile180 Days
$9.99/GB
Maya Mobile180 Days
$6.63 /GB
Maya Mobile180 Days
$5.58 /GB
Maya Mobile180 Days
$4.89/GB
Maya Mobile180 Days
$3.54/GB
Holafly1 Day
/GB
Holafly7 Days
/GB
Holafly14 Days
/GB
Holafly30 Days
/GB
Airalo7 Days
$15/GB
Airalo15 Days
$14/GB
Airalo30 Days
$13/GB
Airalo30 Days
$12/GB
Flexiroam3 Days
$6/GB
Flexiroam3 Days
$6/GB
Flexiroam8 Daysa
$5.67/GB
Flexiroam24 Days
$5.8/GB
Flexiroam15 Days
$5.7/GB
Flexiroam24 Days
$5.6/GB
Ubigi30 Days
$14/GB
Ubigi30 Days
$12.6/GB
Maya Mobile
Maya Mobile is another great option for Central and South America eSims, especially if you want unlimited data plans. This provider has five data plans for Latin America, which include coverage in 17 different countries.
The eSim data plans from Maya Mobile are:
The full list of 17 countries covered by their eSims for Latin America are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
Perhaps the best thing about Maya Mobile is that they allow data sharing with their eSims. That makes the unlimited data plan excellent value for money, especially if you’re traveling with friends and family and you can split the cost of the eSim with others.
On the other hand, Maya Mobile also offers eSim plans with a smaller data allowance, which is suitable for solo travelers, shorter trips, and people who don’t use too much cellular data. It’s also great that all their data plans are valid for 30 days, but that also makes them a little more expensive than data packs from other providers.
Pros
- Unlimited data plan
- Data sharing allowed
- Coverage in 16 countries
Cons
- Pricey
Airalo
Airalo is a South America eSim provider worth considering, whether you’re looking for an eSim with coverage throughout South America or an individual-country eSim. Their regional eSim plans for South America are:
All these Latin American eSim plans offer coverage in 19 countries in Latin America, which is pretty great. If you’re planning to visit just one country in South America, just browse Airalo’s individual-country plans because they’re often cheaper than their regional plans.
Airalo makes it super easy to top-up your eSim if you ever want to purchase more data. You can do it through their website or through the Airalo app, which is very convenient.
Pros
- Excellent coverage in the region
- Internet access through the best providers
Cons
- Expensive
Holafly
Holafly is an eSim provider best known for its unlimited data plans.
They offer an eSIM for Latin America that covers Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Paraguay.
They have from 1-90 Days with some example prices below:
The most significant limitation on the Holafly plans is that it does not cover as man countries as other plans and you can only share data up to 500 MB per day.
So, if you are looking for a broader plan then try Airalo or Maya Mobile or get the single country you need on their website.
Pros
- Coverage in 15 countries
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- Data sharing is limited to 500MB
Flexiroam
Flexiroam is one of the best providers for regional eSims, South America included. This provider offers 13 data plans with coverage in 12 South American countries. The plans range from $3 for 500 MB to $200 for a 50GB plan valid for three months, and you’ve got loads of options in between. Here are all the Flexiroam plans for South America:
- 500 MB / 3 Days for $3
- 1 GB / 3 Days for $6
- 1 GB / 8 Days for $6.5
- 1 GB / 15 Days for $7
- 3 GB / 8 Days for $17
- 3 GB / 15 Days for $17.50
- 5 GB / 15 Days for $28
- 5 GB / 24 Days for $29
- 7 GB / 15 Days for $40
- 7 GB / 24 Days for $41
- 10 GB / 24 Days for $56
- 20 GB / 30 Days for $100
- 50 GB / 90 Days for $200
It’s worth noting that the provider also has plans with coverage in the Americas, as well as a global plan. However, those two plans are significantly more expensive, and not worth it if you have no plans to travel outside South America.
Flexiroam’s eSims automatically connect to the network with the strongest signal, and you can manually switch providers if you want. Their South America eSim plans are some of the best value for money you will find, especially if you need an eSim that doesn’t include too much data, something that’s good for shorter trips.
Pros
- Lots of options
- Coverage in 12 countries
- Good value for money
Cons
- No individual-country plans
Ubigi
Ubigi is one of the best providers of eSims with regional coverage. They offer quite a few individual country eSims as well, but their regional data plans are usually much better value for money. Ubigi has two plans that cover South America specifically, and the region is also included in their Global and Americas plans.
Latin America eSim plans from Ubigi are:
That’s hardly great value for money, especially considering that they only include coverage in 7 countries in the region. Ubigi also has an Americas plan that offers coverage in both South and North America, and it includes just 1 GB, valid for 30 days, for $39.
Just be careful because their South & Central America eSIMs have far fewer countries covered than Maya. For example. their Best Latam eSim only covers Costa Rica, Panama and Belize.
Many Latin American countries are also included in Ubigi’s global plans, but these are a good option only if you’re planning to travel to several worldwide regions. The global plans offer coverage in 190+ countries throughout the world, but it is quite expensive at $68 for a renewable monthly plan with 5 GB of data.
Pros
- Regional plans
- Access to multiple mobile operators
Cons
- Expensive
BNESIM
BNESIM is an interesting option for a South American eSim and one of the top providers if you’re staying in the region for a short time. They have daily and monthly eSim plans, as well as data packs that don’t expire. The daily packs range from 250 MB to 5 GB, the non-expiring plans are from 100 MB to 20 GB, and the monthly plans from 500 MB to 50 GB.
The main downside of BNESIM data plans is that they are very expensive, especially compared to the options from other providers. The cheapest you can get 1 GB from them is if you purchase the 50 GB monthly plan for 326 Euros – the cost of 1 GB turns out to be around 6.5 Euros. But that’s a very expensive plan and it’s still not cheaper than Flexiroam.
The upside of BNESIM eSims is that they offer them for 15 countries in South America, including Venezuela, which is often excluded by other providers. If you can manage your data usage, you could make good use of their non-expiring plans, but you would have to purchase a new plan for every different country you visited in the region.
Pros
- Wide variety of individual-country plans
- Coverage in 15 countries
Cons
- No regional plan for Latin America
Benefits of Using An eSim for South America
The main advantage of having an eSim you can use in South America is that you can access the Internet whenever and wherever you want. While you might have access to free WiFi in the bigger cities, if you plan to explore off-the-beaten path and visit the more remote regions, you won’t be able to rely on free WiFi to access the Internet.
There’s also the fact that you don’t have to walk around foreign cities in every new country you visit, looking for a place where you can purchase a local sim card. Instead, you can purchase a regional eSim for South America from the comfort of your home, and activate it once you arrive at your destination.
Devices Compatible with a South American eSim
All the devices that support embedded sim technology will be compatible with eSims in South America. This includes most smartphones released in the past 3-4 years, tablets, smartwatches, and some laptops. All iPhones from the XR onwards are compatible with eSims, as well as most flagship Android devices. But some mid-range and budget phones still don’t support the technology, and it’s smart to double-check whether your device is compatible with eSims.
If you’re not sure whether your phone supports an eSim, the quickest way to check is to just dial *#06#. This will bring up a list of serial numbers for your device; you’re looking for an EID number because that one indicates that your phone is compatible with eSims. If you don’t see an EID number, your device is most likely not compatible with a virtual sim card and you’ll need to look for a physical sim card instead.
Countries in South America that Support eSim
All countries in South America support eSims. That includes Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, and all the rest.
While you might not be able to purchase an eSim from the local providers in every single Latin American country, you will be able to access the Internet with a South American eSim you purchased online. Some eSims will even let you switch between different network providers so that you always have the best coverage and a stable connection while traveling in South America.
Data Needed When Traveling to South America
How much data you need for a trip to South America depends on a few factors. First, consider the length of your trip; if you’re traveling for two weeks or shorter, I think you should be fine with 3 GB of mobile data, as long as you don’t watch too many videos.
Consider plans with 5 GB or more for trips that are longer than two weeks, but also if you want to be able to stream as many videos as you want. Especially if you’re traveling with family or friends, and you intend to set up a hotspot so that others can access the Internet as well.
If you’re going on a longer trip with several other people and you want to create a hotspot with the eSim, I would highly recommend an unlimited data plan. That way you don’t have to worry about data usage at all, and everyone can browse the Internet as much as they like. Unlimited data plans are particularly great for travelers who plan to work during their trip to South America.
Tips for Using eSim in South America
Set up the eSim a few days before your trip, but don’t activate it until you’ve arrived at your destination. It’s easy to add the eSim plan to your device, and most of them are not activated until you turn on mobile data on the eSim.
Go for the unlimited data plan if you’re traveling with a family or a large friend group. Maya Mobile is the only provider that offers unlimited data on its embedded sim card. Share data with your friends and family, and split the cost of the data pack so that all of your travel buddies can have a fast and stable Internet connection at a fair price.
Don’t immediately purchase a large data pack. It’s better to have to top-up your data than to overpay for data that you’re never going to use. Start with 1 GB for trips up to two weeks, and 3 GB for trips of 15-30 days, and then just purchase more data when and if necessary.
If you’re traveling to just one country, consider a single-country eSim instead of a regional one. It’s usually cheaper, plus you can sometimes get it from local providers for very little money.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I activate my South American eSim
Activating your South American eSim should be as easy as turning on mobile data and connecting to the Internet. You need to set up the eSim first, and you can do this by either scanning the QR code provided by the eSim seller or by adding the data plan manually through the network settings.
How can I buy an eSim in South America?
You can buy an eSim for South America from one of the many international providers. You can also purchase prepaid sim cards and eSims for individual countries from the relevant network operators, but you would have to purchase a new sim card/eSim in every country you visit in South America. The local providers do not offer regional Latin America eSims.
