Colombia eSIM providers at a glance

ProviderDataDurationPriceHotspot
Airalo Top pick1 – 20 GB7 – 30 days$4.50 – $24YesDetails →
Yesim Cheapest1 – Unlimited3 – 30 days$1.50 – $50YesDetails →
Saily1 – 20 GB7 – 30 days$3.49 – $22YesDetails →
DrimsimPay-as-you-goNo expiry~$4.00/GBYesDetails →

Cheapest published tiers shown; promotional bundles and longer plans appear only at provider checkout.

Detailed provider reviews for Colombia

Airalo

Recommended

Airalo's Colombia plan ('Cafecito') runs on Claro Colombia, which has the broadest national footprint and is the right pick for trips that extend beyond Bogotá or Medellín. The 5 GB / 30-day plan is the practical choice for a typical week-and-a-half Colombia trip combining a city, the coast, and the Coffee Triangle. Airalo also offers a SouthAm regional plan if your itinerary includes Ecuador, Peru, or Brazil.

1 GB
$4.50 · 7 days
3 GB
$8.50 · 15 days
5 GB
$11.50 · 30 days
10 GB
$16.00 · 30 days
20 GB
$26.00 · 30 days
Pros
  • Runs on Claro Colombia — broadest national footprint
  • Skips cédula requirement for local SIMs
  • SouthAm regional plan for Latin America loops
  • Activation works at Bogotá and Medellín airports on landing
  • Hotspot enabled for tethering laptops in cafés
Cons
  • Yesim is significantly cheaper for digital nomad use
  • Saily's 1 GB is $1 cheaper on similar Claro coverage
  • 20 GB plan overpriced vs Yesim equivalents
  • No unlimited tier for month-long Medellín stays
Visit Airalo →

Yesim

Cheapest

Yesim is exceptional value in Colombia, particularly for the digital nomad crowd in Medellín and Bogotá. The $12 / 10 GB / 30-day plan covers most remote workers' needs and the unlimited plan is the best choice for anyone doing a month-long Medellín stay. SwitchLess between Claro, Movistar, and Tigo works well in the cities though Claro is dominant enough that the network-hopping benefit is smaller than in some countries.

1 GB
$1.50 · 3 days
5 GB
$7.50 · 14 days
10 GB
$12.00 · 30 days
Unlimited
$27.60 · 7 days
Pros
  • $12 / 10 GB is the best value plan in Colombia
  • Unlimited plan supports month-long Medellín nomad stays
  • $1.50 / 3-day plan good for a quick Bogotá trip
  • $7.50 / 5 GB / 14 days covers most short Colombia visits
Cons
  • May favour Movistar where Claro would be the right pick rurally
  • iOS-only VPN feature
  • Unlimited has a soft cap around 70 GB
  • Less established brand than Airalo
Visit Yesim →

Saily

Privacy-focused

Saily uses Claro Colombia, matching Airalo's network choice at $1 cheaper entry pricing. The ad blocker is meaningful in Colombia because Spanish-language news sites (El Tiempo, Semana, El Espectador) and the various tour booking apps run heavy advertising. The 3 GB / 30-day plan at $7.99 is fair for a typical Colombia week, though Yesim's pricing wins at the 5 GB and 10 GB tiers.

1 GB
$3.49 · 7 days
3 GB
$7.99 · 30 days
5 GB
$11.99 · 30 days
20 GB
$22.99 · 30 days
Pros
  • Same Claro Colombia coverage as Airalo for less money
  • Ad blocker noticeably trims data on Colombian news sites
  • 30-day window on 3 GB is generous
  • Nord Security parent for privacy
Cons
  • Yesim still cheaper at the 5 GB and 10 GB tiers
  • No regional Latin America plan
  • No 10 GB option in the lineup
  • Ad blocker can interfere with Colombian banking apps
Visit Saily →

Drimsim

Backup only

Drimsim's pay-as-you-go in Colombia is around $4/GB, roughly 3x more expensive than Yesim's larger plans. As a primary plan it's not the right pick. Where it makes sense: a multi-country Latin America loop combining Colombia with Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, or Mexico where the single eSIM avoids juggling separate plans. The no-expiry balance suits irregular travellers.

Pay-as-you-go
~$4.00/GB
No expiry
Balance never expires
Pros
  • Single eSIM for a multi-country South America loop
  • Balance never expires — convenient for repeat visitors
  • Pay only for actual usage in Wi-Fi-heavy city stays
  • Reliable backup if your primary fails on arrival
Cons
  • ~3x the per-GB cost of Yesim for Colombia-only use
  • Not recommended as a primary plan for a focused trip
  • Network choice depends on what Drimsim parks on
  • Top-up flow more dated than alternatives
Visit Drimsim →

How much data do you need in Colombia?

Colombia is a heavy data destination for most travellers, particularly the digital nomad crowd that has made Medellín one of the most popular remote-work bases in Latin America. Even non-nomad tourists burn through data quickly — the country's geography (coastal, Andean, and Amazonian regions all in one trip) means lots of Maps usage, weather checks, and constant tour booking. Bogotá and Medellín have abundant café Wi-Fi but neighbourhoods like El Poblado or La Candelaria see Wi-Fi degrade in the evenings when everyone is using it.

Cartagena's old town and beach areas have decent Wi-Fi in restaurants and hotels but cellular is more reliable for navigation in the chaotic streets of Getsemaní. The Coffee Triangle (Salento, Manizales, Pereira) and Tayrona National Park have spotty Wi-Fi at best.

Our recommendation: 5 GB for a 10-day Colombia tourist trip. 10 GB for a typical two-week itinerary including the coast and the Coffee Triangle. 20 GB or unlimited for any digital nomad stay over a month in Medellín.

Network coverage in Colombia

Colombia has three main carriers: Claro Colombia (the largest, owned by América Móvil), Movistar Colombia (Telefónica), and Tigo Colombia (Millicom). All three have 4G LTE in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla, and the major regional cities. 5G has launched on Claro and Movistar in central Bogotá and Medellín but is still rolling out elsewhere.

Claro has the broadest national footprint and is generally the strongest in rural areas, including the Coffee Triangle and Tayrona's gateway towns. Movistar is competitive in Bogotá and Medellín. Tigo has slightly weaker rural coverage. Most international eSIMs use Claro Colombia, including Airalo and Saily.

Tips for using an eSIM in Colombia

Colombian eSIM pricing is excellent. Yesim's $1.50 / 1 GB / 3-day plan and the $7.50 / 5 GB / 14-day plan are some of the best values in Latin America. Local Colombian SIMs are similarly cheap on paper but the registration process and cédula (national ID) requirements make them annoying for tourists.

Tayrona National Park has limited coverage. The park entrance and the gateway town of El Zaino have 4G on Claro, but the trails into Cabo San Juan and the more remote beaches lose signal. The hike from El Zaino to Cabo San Juan takes 2-3 hours through jungle and coastal trails with intermittent coverage at best. Plan to be offline for any deep park exploration.

Medellín's metro and metrocable have signal throughout. The metro is one of the best urban transit systems in Latin America and the metrocable cars going up to Comuna 13 and Santo Domingo have full cellular signal — you can stream the views in real time. All three Colombian operators cover the system.

The Coffee Triangle valleys have variable signal. Salento itself has good 4G but the famous Cocora Valley hike loses signal in the forested sections. The drive from Manizales to Salento has long stretches with only 3G or no signal. Download offline maps before any rural Eje Cafetero exploration.

Why eSIM is the best choice in Colombia

Colombia requires a cédula (national ID) for local prepaid SIM registration. Tourists technically can buy SIMs through some kiosks where staff register on your behalf, but the process is informal, prices vary, and there's no English support. An eSIM bought in USD before flying activates the moment you land in Bogotá or Medellín with no paperwork.

The other reason: Colombia is a major digital nomad destination, and remote workers benefit hugely from the larger data plans on international eSIMs. Yesim's $12 / 10 GB / 30-day plan is significantly cheaper than equivalent Claro Colombia tourist plans and works the moment you arrive.

Frequently asked questions

At the park entrance (El Zaino) yes, deeper in the park mostly no. El Zaino and the immediate area around it have 4G coverage from Claro Colombia. The trails to Cabo San Juan, Playa Cristal, and the more remote beaches lose signal in the jungle sections — expect 2-3 hours of being offline if you hike to Cabo San Juan. Plan to be offline for any extended park visit and don't rely on cellular for navigation.
30-50 GB is typical for remote workers doing video calls, file sync, and standard web work. Café Wi-Fi in El Poblado is decent but degrades during peak hours, so most nomads rely on cellular as a primary backup. Yesim's $12 / 10 GB / 30-day plan covers light remote work. For heavier use, Yesim's unlimited plan or stacking two 10 GB plans is cheaper than a local Colombian post-paid plan.
In Salento, Manizales, and Pereira yes — all three have full 4G coverage from Claro and Movistar. The Cocora Valley hike has signal at the trailhead and at the parking area but loses coverage in the forested sections of the loop trail. The drives between coffee farms have variable signal depending on the road and altitude. Download offline maps before any rural Eje Cafetero exploration.
No — international eSIMs from Airalo, Yesim, Saily, and Drimsim don't require any Colombian documentation. They're sold to you outside Colombia and activate automatically. The cédula requirement only applies to physical local SIMs from Claro, Movistar, or Tigo, which is the main practical reason most tourists choose international eSIMs over local options.
Yes, but it's still rolling out. Claro Colombia and Movistar both have 5G live in central Bogotá and Medellín, with limited coverage in Cali and Cartagena. Coverage outside the major cities is 4G LTE. 5G support is built into all four eSIM profiles automatically, but in practice you'll be on 4G for most of your Colombia trip — which is consistently fast in the cities anyway.