Best Prepaid Sim Cards For Peru (Easy & Affordable Data)

Is A Sim Card Essential When Traveling to Peru?

A sim card is essential when traveling to Peru in my eyes. In fact, having a sim card when I travel anywhere is essential for me.

I depend on my phone for a lot of things in both my day-to-day life and when I travel too. Finding my way around a new city, or driving around a new country without Google Maps would be a nightmare.

Making bookings for hotels/flights/restaurants, finding train or bus routes and schedules, and booking outdoor activities, etc, all happen from my phone.

Now, you could try and live off WiFi alone hopping on to free WiFi networks at hotels, cafes, restaurants, and more where they are available. But, there is no guarantee you will find WiFi when you need it.

Another reason to have a sim card is so that you can use your phone when you need it. Staying in touch with loved ones at home is important and being able to make a call in an emergency is also important.

Having a phone that works through a Peruvian sim card adds an element of safety to your mindset. I walk around new places way more comfortable when I have a mobile phone that works in my pocket.

Overall, it is essential to have a sim card so you can use mobile services while you are in Peru. Also, for the small price of $12 max to stay connected everywhere you go, it is a no-brainer in my eyes.

Things to Know Before Buying A Sim Card in Peru

Is Your Phone Unlocked?

For mobile phones to work with physical sim cards in Peru and the rest of South America, they need to be unlocked.

Most phones these days come unlocked allowing you to use sim cards in Peru and all other countries in the world. But, some phones will still be locked to your home mobile provider, especially if you live in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.

If you got your phone for free as part of a contract, chances are it will be locked. To unlock it simply call your provider and ask them to unlock it, the process should only take a few minutes.

Are You Using A GSM Phone?

There are two types of sim cards and networks that work with mobile phones, GSM and CDMA. Peru and most of the world use a GSM network and sim card and therefore you will need a GSM phone to use Peruvian sim cards.

If you have a CDMA phone, you will not be able to use a sim card in Peru. The only places in the world that still use CDMA are the United States and Canada, but not all networks use it.

If you have a contract with Verizon or Sprint, you might have a CDMA phone. If this is the case, you will need to buy an unlocked GSM phone for Peru.

How to Buy A Sim Card in Peru

Buying A Sim Card Before Traveling to Peru

You can buy a sim card before you travel to Peru but it will not be a prepaid sim card from any of the local networks.

You can, however, buy international sim cards or eSim cards online which provide you with international roaming. The benefits of this are that you can have your sim card ready to go the moment you land in Peru and be connected as soon as you turn your phone on.

You won’t have to go to a sim card shop, queue, activate the sim, top it up, or any of that hassle. But, eSims and international sim cards cost a lot more than the packages that come with local sims in Peru, you will be paying a lot more per GB.

Buying A Sim Card in Peru

Buying a sim card in Peru is very easy as they sell prepaid sim cards in a lot of places. You can go to an official Movistar, Claro, Entel & Bitel store which is the best way as they will help you top up and activate your sim card.

You can also find sim cards at grocery stores, kiosks, and pharmacies around Peru. Do not buy your local sim card at the Airport as the sim cards are way more expensive.

How Much Does A Sim Card in Peru Cost?

Sim cards do cost money in Peru and are not free like they are in other countries. The price of a sim card is different with each provider and luckily they are super affordable. You will only have to pay between $1 and $2.5 for a sim in Peru.

How to Activate & Top Up Your Peruvian Sim Card

Activating your sim card in Peru is super easy. When you buy the sim card, bring your passport with you so the sim can be registered to you, after this, they will activate the sim for you in the store.

You can top up your sim card at a mobile store, kiosk, grocery store, or pharmacy, it is very simple.

Internet Speed & Coverage in Peru

Peru has a 5G and 4G network with good coverage in most of the country. 5G services are not available all over the place and are limited to large cities such as Lima but the 5G network is slowly expanding.

You will have good 4G coverage pretty much everywhere you go and be able to upload and download quite easily as you go.

Here is an in-depth report about internet speed and coverage in Peru, it also breaks things down by provider so you can choose the fastest most reliable one if you need it.

Managing Your Mobile Data in Peru

If you are traveling on a budget in Peru, you might want to go for the most affordable prepaid package with the least data. If you do this, the game is to conserve that data as much as you possibly can.

Here are some tips for how to conserve your data while you are traveling around Peru.

• Keep your phone in airplane mode when you are not using it. This ensures apps are not using your data allowance in the background while you are traveling. It will also conserve your battery and you can still take photos with it too
• When you have a WiFi connection, download the areas you intend to visit for on Google Maps. You can then use Google Maps in airplane mode without having to use any data for navigation – here is how to do it
• Avoid using data-heavy apps until you get on WiFi. A data-heavy app is anything that shows you photos or videos so this includes Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Netflix, etc
• Log onto free WiFi networks every time you have the opportunity to

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get a sim card at Lima airport?

You can buy a sim card at Lima airport but do not do it. Firstly, there is only the option to buy a Claro sim card in the airport and I have heard that they can charge over $50 for the sim card in the airport.

This is incredibly expensive for a sim card in Peru, as outside of the airport the most you will pay is $10 and that comes with more than enough data, unlimited local calls, and more.

Can I get unlimited data in Peru?

Yes, you can get unlimited data in Peru with Entel sim cards. You have the option of 7 days for $17 or 15 days for $34. Sadly, there is not an unlimited data plan that lasts 30 days for longer trips.