Best Colombia Sim Card For Tourist Compared – How To Buy A Prepaid Sim Card in Colombia (Updated 2023)

Last updated on January 7th, 2023 at 10:04 pm

Best Colombia Sim Card For Tourists Compared – Claro Colombia sim card is our favorite for coverage and data packages and we will tell you how to buy a sim card in Colombia. Click here to book online tours in Bogota and Medellin Day Tours

What’s the Cheapest Sim Card in Colombia?

You can buy the cheapest sim card in Colombia with Claro prepaid sim card Colombia for 31000 COP= $8 USD with 20 GB and valid for 30 days if you buy from Claro official street sellers. Read here best Colombia eSim and Cartagena itinerary

Claro street sellers are helpful and they will activate for you and your prepaid sim card in Colombia will be valid up to 90 days if you travel long in Colombia. Read here Medellin vs Bogota, Santa Marta vs Cartagena and Cartagena vs Medellin

You can find the cheapest Colombia eSim with Airalo Colombia eSim prepaid for $8 USD with 1 GB data valid for 7 days. For $15 USD with 2 GB data valid for 15 days. For $21 USD with 3 GB data and for $32 USD with 5 GB data valid for 30 days. (USING DISCOUNT CODE GAMINTRAVELER 10%).

Holafly Colombia eSim for $44 USD if you use our code GAMINTRAVELER coming with 6 GB data valid for 15 days

Read here Colombian food, vegetarian food in Colombia, Colombia travel tips, Colombian drinks, Colombian breakfast, budget travel in Colombia, most instagrammable places in Colombia, what to wear in Colombia, best restaurants in Medellin and Colombia backpacking guide.

WHERE TO STAY IN BOGOTA

The accommodation price can take you around $10-12 USD if you sleep in a dorm. For mid-budget accommodation starts at $40-60 USD and for more than $100 USD you will find luxury accommodation in Bogota.

BOOK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

You can read Heymondo Vs Safetwing cheapest travel Insurance. You can get for $135 USD your Heymondo Travel Insurance with Heymondo discount code valid for 90 days. Read our full Heymondo Travel Insurance Review

You can get Safetywing Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads valid for 28 days Safetywing for $50 USD per month with kids until 10 years old included

Click here to book online tours in Bogota and Medellin Day Tours

COLOMBIA TOURIST SIM CARD AND PREPAID SIM CARD IN COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA SIM CARD BACKGROUND

First thing we have to say about Colombian sim card, internet and data connection in Colombia is great especially in the cities. There are a few places off the beaten path like mountains, beaches and dessert where the connection will be weak.

Obviously the best thing you can do to connect online is to buy a prepaid sim card in Colombia. It will be efficient and it will allow you to connect anytime. We recommend you to get outside the airport when getting to the city in an official phone shop.

There are 3 phone operators in the country: Claro, Movistar and Togi Une. You can buy your Colombia tourist sim card at Bogota airport when you arrive or at the small gift shop inside the airport.

I would not recommend you to buy your sim card at Bogota airport or buying your sim card at Medellin airport because prices tend to be higher compared to the stores in town.

Sometimes is hard to connect your laptop to the VPN and you have to be patient. If you go for a week you will find VPN with free trials. We used Atlas VPN, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN. When connecting the VPN to your device will make it slower than usual.

Read here Atlas VPN vs Surfshark VPN, Atlas VPN full review, Atlas VPN vs Proton VPN, Nord VPN vs Surfshark VPN, PIA VPN vs Surfshark VPN, Proton VPN vs Surfshark VPN, ExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN, IPVanish vs Surfshark VPN, Atlas VPN vs ExpressVPN and Atlas VPN vs Nord VPN

BUYING PREPAID SIM CARD COLOMBIA AIRPORT (SIM CARD BOGOTA AIRPORT AND SIM CARD MEDELLIN AIRPORT)

Buying a Colombia sim card in Bogota airport and sim card at Medellin airport is simple and easy. You can get your sim card in Bogota airport with Claro but the packages that they will offer aren’t so good as you will find at the stores in the city.

You can buy a Colombia sim card in Medellin airport but there aren’t so many options and prices will be more expensive.

If you aren’t in a hurry you can wait until get to the city to get your Colombia prepaid sim card. There are kiosks and phone shops and street sellers where to buy your Colombia tourist sim card.

Click here to book online tours in Bogota and Medellin Day Tours

WHERE TO BUY COLOMBIA SIM CARD FOR TOURIST

You can buy a Colombia sim card almost anywhere from the airport to cities to the street sellers as we did in Bogota getting a Claro prepaid sim card. There are phone kiosks and local shops willing to sell a Colombia prepaid sim card. Just make sure that you present your foreign passport.

The main operators in Colombia are Claro, Movistar and Togi Une. If you are getting to Colombia by bus from Ecuador you can also get your Colombia tourist sim card in the Bus Station or around the city in kiosks and phone shops.

BEST PREPAID SIM CARD COLOMBIA COMPARED

We will focus in this prepaid sim card Colombia with Claro the most popular one in Colombia. We will tell you about Movistar and Tigo the second and third largest in Colombia. If you stay in Bogota maybe you can check Avantel with affordable packages.

Claro Sim Card Colombia

Claro sim card Colombia is the largest phone operator in the country and the most reliable talking about coverage. You can get a Claro prepaid sim card for 5000 COP which is $1 USD. Check here prices and packages in Claro website!

There are a few packages of data 10000 COP= $2.5 USD with 1 GB and valid for 7 days. You can also get for 15000 COP= $3 USD with 500 MB and unlimited Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter valid for 7 days.

You can get for 30 000 COP= $8 USD with 20 GB and valid for 30 days from oficial Claro street sellers around the cities in Colombia can give you the best rates. They activated for me and after 30 days you can add other packages since the Claro prepaid sim card is valid 90 days.

Movistar Sim Card Colombia

Movistar Colombia sim card is the second largest phone operator in the country. It works great in the big cities. Check here prices and packages in Movistar website!

You can get these prices and packages: you can get for 5000 COP=$1 USD with 500 MB and valid for 3 days. For 14000 COP=$3 USD with 1.4 GB and valid for 7 days. If you prefer longer 25000=$6 USD with 2.5 GB and valid for 15 days. For 30 days you can get 3 GB for 50000=$12 USD with extra 500 MB for Whatsapp.

MORE PREPAID SIM CARD IN COLOMBIA

Tigo Sim Card Colombia

Tigo sim card Colombia is the smallest phone operator in the country. These are the best packages: 5000 COP=$1 USD for 500 MB and valid for 3 days. You can get for 20000 COP=$5 USD with 10 GB and valid for 15 days. Check here prices and packages in Tigo website!

Avantel Sim Card Colombia

Avantel sim card Colombia can be your option if you are planning to stay only in Bogota when visiting Colombia.

You can buy Avante sim card for 10000 COP=$2.5 USD 1 GB valid for 10 days. Also if you are staying longer for 30000 COP with 4 GB and valid for 30 days.

HOLAFLY COLOMBIA ESIM DISCOUNT CODE

Holafly Colombia eSim is data plans don’t have unlimited data for Colombia as usually in Europe and other countries. You can get with Holafly eSim Colombia for $44 USD with 6 GB data in Colombia valid for 15 days and use our discount code GAMINTRAVELER.

AIRALO COLOMBIA ESIM DISCOUNT CODE

Airalo Colombia eSim prepaid for $8 USD with 1 GB data valid for 7 days (USING DISCOUNT CODE GAMINTRAVELER 10%). For $15 USD with 2 GB data valid for 15 days. For $21 USD with 3 GB data and for $32 USD with 5 GB data valid for 30 days.

UBIGI COLOMBIA ESIM

Ubigi Colombia eSim for $14 USD with 1 GB data valid for 30 days and for $38 USD with 3 GB data valid for 30 days. (USING DISCOUNT CODE GAMINTRAVELER 10%).

GIGSKY COLOMBIA ESIM

GigSky Colombia eSim for $11 USD with 1 GB data valid for 15 days. For $40 USD with 5 GB data valid for 30 days.

BEST COLOMBIA SIM CARD CONCLUSION (CHEAPEST SIM CARD IN COLOMBIA)

My Best Colombian Sim Card Conclusion is getting the cheapest sim card in Colombia with Claro prepaid sim card Colombia for 31000 COP= $8 USD with 20 GB and valid for 30 days since the coverage is better and prices are similar to Movistar and Tigo.

Unless you are staying in a city like Bogota and you can go for a small company like Avantel with better prices or packages that can offer at that moment.

The cheapest Colombia eSim with Airalo Colombia eSim prepaid for $8 USD with 1 GB data valid for 7 days. For $15 USD with 2 GB data valid for 15 days. For $21 USD with 3 GB data and for $32 USD with 5 GB data valid for 30 days. (USING DISCOUNT CODE GAMINTRAVELER 10%).

Holafly Colombia eSim for $44 USD if you use our code GAMINTRAVELER coming with 6 GB data valid for 15 days and you can activate with QR Code.

WHERE TO STAY IN BOGOTA DOWNTOWN: IBIS BOGOTA MUSEO

We decided to stay at IBIS Bogota Museo and we were so happy with the location jsut 20 minutes walking distance from La Candelaria. Around IBIS Museo there are a few bars, coffee shops restaurants to go out at night. If you are looking accommodation on a budget with a nice and quiet location check it out!

The breakfast was so delicious with Colombian (especially delicious fruits) and Western options. The staff was so helpful and friendly and internet working great! A perfect stay for the three of us avoiding the busy city center but at the same time walking distance!

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN IBIS MUSEO BOGOTA!

STREET FOOD TOUR BOGOTA (LA MESA BOGOTA FOOD TOUR)

We joined to a Bogota Food Tour experience with La Mesa Tours and we really loved it. We had a great cultural and food tour around La Candelaria. We tried the most typical Colombian street food, breakfast, drinks and with a great guide explaining about history, food and facts about Colombia. Check our Bogota Food Tour experience in Our Instagram Reels!

The street food tour had several stops from 5-7 depending how much time you want to stay and how hungry and thristy you are. We tried the delicious hot chocolate with cheese, empanadas and arepas as the most popualr street food in Colombia. We tried delicious fruits, juices, chicha (alcoholic drink). And to finish the tour we had the delicious Colombian Tamales and Obleas as dessert with Colombian coffee!

A total of $5-6 USD dollar can be your daily street food budget travel in Colombia. Local food in a local restaurant will start from $3-5 USD. And you can get snack like street foods for $1 USD. 

BEST TIME TO VISIT IN COLOMBIA

You can go to Colombia any time of the year. The months of December to February are the best time to visit Colombia because is the sunniest also the peak season. October to November are the months ideal for those working with a budget, because its is considered the low season in the country.

Click here to know more about the weather in Colombia.

ATMS AND CASH IN COLOMBIA

The official currency of Colombia is called Colombian Peso (COP). And $1 USD=5000 COP. ATMs are available all throughout the country but my advice to you is to use those inside the banks. And it is also advisable to withdraw as much as you can because fees for transactions tend to be higher for foreign cars. The maximum amount that you can withdraw will be around 600K COP depending on the bank.

Click here to check the exact change rate.

BANK FEES FOR FOREIGN CARDS IN COLOMBIA

Most of the banks in Bogota and Colombia will charge fees for foreign cards in Colombia. Check the list below with the exact fees for foreign cards in Colombia and how much money are you allowed to withdraw in Colombia with every bank.

Bank	Amount Allowed And Fees
Colpatria	900K COP Withdraw And No Fees
Pichincha	800K COP Withdraw And No Fees
Banco Caja Social	700K COP Withdraw And No Fees
BBVA	300K COP Withdraw And No Fees
CorpBanco	400K COP Withdraw And No Fees
Davidienda	400K COP Withdraw And No Fees
Citibank	1200K COP Withdraw And 15k COP Fees
Bancolombia	900K COP Withdraw And 15k COP Fees
ATH	400K COP Withdraw And 10k COP Fees
Servibanca	750K COP Withdraw And 15k COP Fees

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Happy Travels!