The Best eSIMs & SIM cards for Traveling in Guatemala

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Using a SIM card is the best way to keep your phone connected and up to speed in Guatemala! 

Luckily, getting a SIM card for Guatemala is fairly easy. Whether you decide to purchase a prepaid SIM card or use an eSIM, you have plenty of options to choose from. 

The main providers of physical SIM cards in Guatemala are Tigo, Claro, and Movistar.

Movistar is convenient if you often travel between Guatemala and Mexico, as their cell phone service will follow you between the countries.

For the best eSIMs, I highly recommend Airalo! You can purchase a plan for Guatemala alone or for the Latin America region. Another eSIM option is Holafly

As globetrotting digital nomads, we typically switch SIM cards in each new country we visit.

Airalo makes it extremely easy to purchase and install new eSIMs for every new destination, but you’ll also typically be able to find physical SIM cards too. 

This means that we always have access to the fastest 4G LTE/5G internet, which is super helpful for having GPS, WhatsApp, and social media whenever we aren’t connected to the WiFi in our apartment or Antigua’s cafes and co-working spaces.

This handy little guide will tell you exactly how to get a SIM or eSIM card for Guatemala.

How to Get a SIM Card (eSIM & Physical) in Guatemala

Travel blogger, Bucketlist Bri, on the streets of Antigua, Guatemala.

Physical SIM Card vs. eSIM Card for Guatemala

Physical SIM cards and eSIMs have pros and cons. I’ll explain them below to help you decide which option is right for your adventures in Guatemala!

eSIM Cards

Pros

  • eSIMs can be installed before you even arrive! 
    • Worried about landing in a new country without phone service? Your eSIM could be installed and activated before you arrive, so you can use it as soon as you land.
  • They’re easy to top up and add extra data.
  • You don’t have to keep track of a tiny SIM card.

Cons

  • eSIMs are often a little more expensive than physical SIM cards.
  • Certain eSIM options (like Airalo) don’t allow traditional calling. You’ll still be able to communicate via WhatsApp, but you won’t be able to call or send SMS messages in the traditional sense. Holafly does allow calls and texting.
  • To install an eSIM, you’ll need an iPhone XS, a Samsung Galaxy S23, or a newer phone that is unlocked and eSIM compatible.

Cost of an eSIM Card + Data Packages

Airalo’s Guatemala eSIM, also called the Tikal Mobile plan, comes in 1, 2, 3, and 5 GB plans. The cost varies depending on the plan, ranging from $6.50 to $25.50.

Be sure to pay extra attention to when these plans expire. The more GBs you purchase, the more time you have to use them, up to 30 days. 

With Airalo, you can also purchase a regional package, like the Latin America package, that covers most of Central and South America. This is another good option if you’re traveling from country to country quickly, like Mexico to Guatemala.

Example of Airalo’s “Tikal Mobile” 2GB eSIM for $12.00 USD.

The Latin America regional package costs $15 to $60, depending on the number of GBs you want, from 1GB to 5GB.

Holafly is another eSIM provider, although its prices are significantly higher. For its Guatemala eSIMs, packages range from $29 to $79. Holafly has unlimited data and quantifies usage by time instead of GBs. 

You can choose from a 5-day package to a 30-day package. Holafly’s benefit is that you can call and text using their eSIMs, which explains the higher charges.

Guatemala’s SIM card providers, like Claro, also offer eSIMs that might be worth checking out!

How to Activate Your eSIM

Activating an eSIM is slightly tricky, but Airalo makes it fairly easy. 

To start, you’ll need a strong internet connection. This is one reason why it’s a good idea to install your eSIM ahead of time if possible. 

Download the Airalo app, choose your destination and package, and it will walk you through the installation and activation steps. It’s extremely simple, and activating your eSIM should only take a few minutes.

After installation is complete, you should be good to go! 

If you need help, fast customer support is available, but you’ll need WiFi to contact them.

Physical SIM Cards

Pros

  • If you’re in the old phone club, you might be unable to install an eSIM. In that case, a physical SIM card will work perfectly fine!  
  • Do you need to make local or international phone calls and send text messages? This is your best option, as many eSIMS aren’t compatible with these functions.
  • Most physical SIM cards have a longer expiration date.

Cons

  • You’ll have to find a shop that sells physical SIM cards and install them manually. You cannot install them ahead of time.
    • This isn’t difficult, but it’s an extra headache, considering you can install eSIMs anywhere, anytime!
  • It can be difficult to keep track of the tiny, physical SIM cards, especially if you plan on visiting multiple countries.
blue tigo store in panajachel guatemala
Getting a physical SIM card at a Tigo store in Panajachel, Guatemala

Where to Get a Physical SIM Card

SIM cards are available throughout Guatemala.

Whether you choose Tigo, Claro, or Movistar, you can easily find them along popular streets in almost every major town and city.

We picked ours up on the main street in Panajachel, the biggest town around the beautiful Lake Atitlán.

Note that you cannot buy a SIM card in the little mini supers (markets/tiendas) with Tigo pre-paid signs on them; Those are just for recharging your Tigo SIM once you have it and want to replenish your data.

If you type the names of these SIM card companies into your GPS, you will find the nearest agency and suppliers near you. Alternatively, you can check this website to find agencies nationwide.

Cost of a Physical SIM Card + Data Packages

tigo mobile sim card

A physical SIM card costs around 100Q in Guatemala.

To activate it, you must buy a minimum internet package of 10Q (we chose the cheapest package). The package lasts only two days and comes with 300 MB + WhatsApp, so it’s not much.

Once the two days are up, you can refill online or in person with a plan that lasts 30 days and comes with 8GB of data (enough for getting around/browsing) and unlimited social networks.

The internet packages don’t come with voice or SMS. For that, check out the Tigo prepaid plans.

How to Activate Your Physical SIM

tigo agent activating tigo sim card
Getting a physical SIM always takes some time, which is why I prefer eSIMs!

If you travel a lot, you might be used to taking out your SIM card and replacing it with another one while in-country.

To activate it, turn your phone off, do the exchange, and turn it back on.

Navigate to your Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Operators and select TIGO or the name of your SIM card provider.

If you install it in person, the agent will do this for you. It should only take a couple of minutes.

Are Guatemala SIM Cards Fast?

From my experience, SIM cards in Guatemala are fast and reliable. 

With my Tigo SIM card, I had 4G LTE connectivity, which was fast enough for my needs as a digital nomad. You’ll be able to get 5G connectivity in Guatemala’s largest cities, like Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango, although more rural areas may only have 4G LTE. 

Claro has slightly better coverage overall than Tigo these days, but both are great options! You can check the network coverage for the cities you’ll be visiting ahead of time.

A SIM card or eSIM is extra convenient if you work remotely, as you can use your phone as a digital hotspot. 

If you plan on traveling around Guatemala, I highly recommend you try out the Airalo Guatemala eSIM to stay connected to the internet while you wander before getting a physical SIM.

While eSIMs are the fastest and most reliable option for digital nomads today, buying a physical SIM might be worth it if you plan to stay in Guatemala long term. 

If you have questions about SIM cards or life as a digital nomad in Guatemala, please comment below!

15 Comments

  1. Hello,
    Boy, am I glad I found you and all this great info! I will be spending about 5 weeks in Guatemala, mostly in Tzunana, Lake Atitlan. I will need excellent phone service as my company routes calls through an app called, “GoTo” where calls are automatically routed to my iPhone 15 Plus from clients who call the office on the weekend when I work. I am not sure how to keep my number so that calls come to me with a ESIM. Can I keep my number with a esim? I’m lead to believe the iphone 15 does not have physical SIM card capability? Should I just get an international plan through Verizon? (It looks expensive, like $10 a day)
    Or~ have a eSIM with new # and have calls routed to it, hoping this app works internationally. I tried talking to Verizon over chat and phone and got nowhere. Closest store is 2 hours away.

    1. Hi Anita! You’re in luck because with Airalo’s eSIMs you get to KEEP your number and use data. Also, note that you DON’T need a physical SIM slot to use an e-SIM since they are just electronic and you basically download it in a few steps from the app. It’s super easy! That said, note that calls won’t work or get routed BUT you can very easily get calls to your WhatsApp via data (using your same phone number). So people can call you through WhatsApp and it uses your data for the call (video chat too). Otherwise, you can pay $65+ per month for Google Fi which works internationally WITH your phone number but you will get booted off the international data plan after prolonged periods abroad (like 4-6+ months).

  2. Hello, and thanks so much for this information! I’m headed to Guatemala now, and would like to get a Sim card that supports data and SMS, and keep my US phone number. Is there such a thing? Thanks for your help!

    1. Hey Aimee! Do you have an iPhone or other phone with e-sim capability? If so, you can use a temporary esim 🙂 that’s what I do!

  3. I have been trying to figure this out for a while so bare with me. I just purchased a tigo e sim card for my phone since it doesn’t take an actual sim cards. i originally put on i think 5 gb of data on it and then the other day i wanted to put more one since i was about to run out. I don’t know when my other 13gb of data is supposed to come but i’m almost out of my original one. Thank you !

  4. I travel to Guatemala twice yearly, visiting Guatemala City, Antigua, Panajachel, Mixco, Rio Dulce, and other locations. For international travelers, T-Mobile offers free roaming (depending upon your T-Mobile plan) and the best coverage/roaming. IT-Mobile provides me in Guatemala with 5GB of Data (per month), Unlimited International Texting, and phone calls at .20 cents US, however I utilize WhatsApp for making all my phone calls so to not be charged the .20 cents US T-Mobile charges. However, T-Mobile offers roaming plans of 15GB per month internationally for around $50 USD. Also, because I have an iPhone 14, I utilize Facetime Voice to make my phone calls without any charges/costs, but it utilizes one’s data plan. T-Mobile uses CLARO I’ve found in Guatemala; however, I’m advised T-Mobile sometimes switches between CLARO and TIGO.

    1. Hallo 🙋‍♀️ wenn Sie gefragt haben, ob Sie es am Flughafen kaufen können, dann glaube ich nicht. Ich habe nur die Tigo-Läden in den Straßen der Stadt gefunden. Lol, I hope that made sense — I used translate 😂

  5. Just curious why you needed to buy a 2 day plan first—instead of just jumping straight into the 30 day plan? Thanks!

    1. We asked the Tigo staff the same thing, actually! They said it was necessary in order to activate the SIM, and that it wouldn’t work with a refill plan of 30 days.

      1. Hi! I’m returning to Canada after spending 6 months in Guatemala. I’d like to keep my Guatemala # for when I return to Guatemala next November. Do you know the easiest way to do this? Thanks.

        1. Hey Andrew! As long as you have the sim, you should be able to keep it! I have done this before for Mexico but I imagine it’d be the same for Guatemala.

  6. Can I buy/order a Tigo SIM card here in USA and then send it to my daughter who is in Guatemala for

    the summer?

    1. Hey Curtis! I don’t think you can buy a Guatemalan SIM in the USA. It would be much easier for your daughter to stop by one of the stores wherever she is in Guatemala and pick up one. The process takes about 5 minutes. Let me know if you have any more questions!

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