Chile SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know

Visiting Chile soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Chile SIM card.

In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Chile in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.

Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Chile. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.

That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Spanish – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Chile.

Best SIM Cards In Chile

If you’re traveling in Chile, we recommend using a SIM card from Claro, Moviestar, Entel, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)

That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to South America, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other South American countries.

How To Buy A SIM Card In Chile

You can either buy a Chile prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.

Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport. That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.

For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.

Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a South American prepaid SIM card online.

Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Claro, Movistar, and Entel.

Claro SIM Cards

Claro offers three different types of tourist plans:

• 100 MB, valid for 1 day for CLP 200 ($0.21)
• 500 MB, valid for 1 day for CLP 500 ($0.52)
• 1.5 GB, valid for 3 days for CLP 1.500 ($1.55)

Movistar SIM Cards

Movistar has two different prepaid plans available:

• 40 GB, valid for 20 days for CLP 3,990 ($4.11)
• 70 GB, valid for 30 days for CLP 6,990 ($7.20)

As you can see, it offers more data than Claro, which can be helpful.

Entel SIM Cards

Entel offers a variety of SIM-only plans for tourists:

• 600 MB, valid for 2 days for CLP 500 ($0.52)
• Unlimited data, valid for 1 day for CLP 890 ($0.92)
• 1.5 GB + unlimited social media, valid for 3 days for CLP 1,000 ($1.03)
• Unlimited data, valid for 3 days for CLP 2,490 ($2.56)
• 4 GB + unlimited social media, valid for 7 days for CLP 2,500 ($2.58)
• Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for CLP 5,290 ($5.45)

Overall, we think Movistar is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!

How To Buy A Chile Prepaid SIM Card Online

If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.

You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the OneSimCard works in more than 200+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. Chile is included.

But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.

Browse your options on Amazon

Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Chile or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for South America.

How To Buy An eSIM Card For Chile

eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Chile.

Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.

I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo. Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for Chile.

Airalo Chile

If you want to buy an eSIM for Chile, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for South America and Chile.

I’ve been using Airalo for several years, and it works fine.

Here are the options available:

• 20 GB, valid for 30 days for $23 (includes calls and SMS)
• 15 GB, valid for 10 days for $18 (includes calls and SMS)

Here’s an overview of the options available for South America:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $15
• 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $28
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $39
• 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $60

The options mentioned above are part of Latamlink and offer coverage in 19 countries, including Chile.

Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 124 countries, including Chile.

Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:

• 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
• 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $17
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $24
• 5 GB, valid for 60 days for $35
• 10 GB, valid for 180 days for $59
• 20 GB, valid for 365 days for $69

Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.

Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.

When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.

Go to Airalo

Holafly Chile

Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.

Here’s an overview of the plan for Chile:

• Unlimited data, valid for 5 days for $19
• Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for $27
• Unlimited data, valid for 10 days for $34
• Unlimited data, valid for 15 days for $47
• Unlimited data, valid for 20 days for $54

Go to Holafly

Nomad Chile

Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider. Here’s an overview of the plans available for Chile:

• 1GB, valid for 7 days for $20
• 3GB, valid for 30 days for $48
• 5GB, valid for 30 days for $54

Nomad also has Global, an eSIM plan for 111 countries worldwide. This plan offers coverage in Chile. Here’s an overview:

• 1GB, valid for 7 days for $20
• 3GB, valid for 30 days for $38
• 5GB, valid for 30 days for $54

Go to Nomad

Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Chile

As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Chile or even an eSIM for your travels in Chile is pretty straightforward. You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in South America without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase a South American or global plan.

I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Chile if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card. Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.

Traveling to South America soon? Read one of the following blog posts:

• Best places to live in Chile
• SIM cards in Brazil
• SIM cards in Colombia