Staying in Touch in Costa Rica
Communication in Costa Rica revolves almost entirely around one app: WhatsApp. Understanding how locals communicate — and setting yourself up before you arrive — will make everything from booking a taxi to reserving a restaurant table dramatically easier.
How do people communicate in Costa Rica?
WhatsApp is the default communication channel for nearly everything in Costa Rica — personal messages, business inquiries, restaurant reservations, taxi bookings, and customer service. If a business has a phone number listed, sending a WhatsApp message to that number almost always gets a faster response than calling.
For video calls, WhatsApp Video, FaceTime, Zoom, and Google Meet all work reliably over good Wi-Fi or mobile data. For calling home affordably, WhatsApp calls and FaceTime Audio are free over data and the most popular choice. Traditional SMS and voice calls are rarely used for local communication.
WhatsApp — The Essential App
Download WhatsApp Before You Arrive
If you don't already have WhatsApp, download it and set it up on your home Wi-Fi before departing. You'll need it to: message hotels and guesthouses, book tours, contact local taxi drivers and shuttles, reach businesses for hours and reservations, and communicate with locals you meet. It is genuinely indispensable.
WhatsApp for Business
Most Costa Rican businesses — from sodas to surf schools to large tour operators — use WhatsApp as their primary customer communication channel. Many have a WhatsApp Business account with an automated greeting and quick replies.
Sending a WhatsApp message to a business number will nearly always get a response faster than calling or emailing. Response times are typically within a few hours during business hours.
WhatsApp Groups
Group chats are extremely common in Costa Rica for family communication, neighborhood groups, work teams, and social circles. If you're staying at an Airbnb or rental property, expect to be added to a WhatsApp group for property management. Tour companies and activity groups often coordinate through WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Voice & Video Calls
Free voice and video calls over WhatsApp work excellently over Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE. This is the most common way to call home for free. Quality is generally very good over a solid internet connection — which Costa Rica increasingly offers, even in more remote tourist areas.
WhatsApp Status
WhatsApp Status (similar to Stories on other platforms) is widely used by Costa Ricans for personal updates and by small businesses to advertise daily specials, new products, and promotions. If you add a local business contact, check their Status to see what they're offering.
SINPE Móvil — Mobile Payments
SINPE Móvil: Costa Rica's Mobile Payment System
SINPE Móvil is Costa Rica's national interbank mobile payment platform, operated by the Central Bank. It allows instant bank transfers between individuals and businesses using just a phone number — no account number needed. Think of it as Costa Rica's answer to Venmo or Zelle, except it's used by virtually everyone.
You'll see "Aceptamos SINPE" (We accept SINPE) signs at small restaurants, farmer's markets, taxis, and street vendors across the country. It has replaced cash in many day-to-day transactions.
How SINPE Móvil Works
To use SINPE Móvil, you need a Costa Rican bank account and a local phone number registered with that bank. You link your phone number to your account through your bank's mobile app or online banking, then you can send and receive money instantly by phone number. Transfers are processed in real time and available 24/7.
Do Tourists Need SINPE?
For a standard vacation, no. Tourists pay with cash (colones or USD) and credit/debit cards. However, if you're a long-term visitor, digital nomad, or resident, getting a SINPE-enabled local bank account is transformative — it allows you to pay vendors at local markets, split bills with friends, and integrate fully into the local payment ecosystem. You will need a local bank account and a Costa Rican phone number to use it.
Getting a Local Number for SINPE
To register for SINPE Móvil, you'll need a Costa Rican SIM card with an active number, plus a bank account at one of the participating banks (BAC Credomatic, BCR, BN, Scotiabank, and most other local banks). See our Mobile & SIM Cards guide for how to get a local number affordably.
Calling Home — Options and Costs
| Method | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp Call | Free (over data/Wi-Fi) | Calling anyone on WhatsApp. Best overall option — universal and free. |
| FaceTime Audio / Video | Free (over data/Wi-Fi) | Apple-to-Apple calls. Excellent quality. Works great in Costa Rica. |
| Zoom / Google Meet | Free (basic plan) | Group video calls, work meetings. Reliable on good internet. |
| Google Voice | Free calls to US/Canada | Keep your US number active. Calls to US/Canada landlines and mobiles are free. |
| Google Fi | $20+/month base plan | US mobile plan with international data included. Seamless transition; no local SIM needed for short trips. |
| International Plan (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) | $10–$15/day or add-on plan | Keep your existing number active abroad. T-Mobile includes basic international data free on most plans. |
| Local SIM + VoIP | $10–$30 for SIM + data | Best for longer stays. Local data plan + WhatsApp calls home. See mobile guide. |
| Skype (calling landlines) | ~$0.02–$0.05/min | Cheap for calling landlines or non-WhatsApp users in your home country. |
T-Mobile Users Have an Advantage
T-Mobile's Magenta and Magenta Max plans include free unlimited data (at 2G speeds) and texting in 215+ countries including Costa Rica, plus discounted call rates. If you need full-speed data, their daily high-speed international pass ($5/day) is more economical than many alternatives for short trips.
Getting a Local Phone Number
A local Costa Rican number is useful for longer stays. You'll need one to register for SINPE Móvil, to list on local business or rental platforms, and to avoid international roaming charges on calls within the country.
When You Need a Local Number
- Registering for SINPE Móvil (mobile payments)
- Opening a Costa Rican bank account
- Registering a business or getting permits
- Some apartment rental applications
- Long-term stays where local contacts expect a local number
- Reducing roaming costs on calls within CR
How to Get One
Prepaid SIM cards from Kölbi (ICE), Claro, and Movistar are sold at airports, Kölbi stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets for $2–$10. You'll need your passport. Top up with data and voice credit as needed.
Costa Rican phone numbers are 8 digits. All mobile numbers start with 6, 7, or 8. Landlines start with 2. See our Mobile & SIM Cards guide for a full comparison of carriers and plans.
Messaging Apps in Costa Rica
Dominance: Overwhelming. Used by virtually everyone in Costa Rica across all ages and demographics. If there's one app to have, this is it. The de facto standard for personal, social, and business communication.
Telegram
Secondary option. Growing in popularity, particularly among tech-savvy users and some business communities. Useful for large group chats and file sharing. Don't rely on it as a primary channel — always verify via WhatsApp.
Instagram DMs
Common for businesses. Many small businesses — tour operators, restaurants, hotels — have active Instagram accounts and respond promptly to DMs. A useful backup channel if WhatsApp isn't getting a response.
Facebook Messenger
Older demographic and rural areas. Facebook remains widely used in Costa Rica, particularly by businesses in smaller towns. Messenger is their contact channel. Less common in cities among younger users.
iMessage / SMS
Rarely used locally. Traditional SMS and iMessage are used by international travelers to stay in touch with home, but locals almost exclusively use WhatsApp for messaging. Don't expect SMS responses from local contacts.
Signal
Privacy-focused minority. A small but growing number of users prefer Signal. Not widely used for everyday communication — don't expect most local businesses to have it.
Mail & Receiving Packages
Mail Delivery Is Unreliable in Costa Rica
Costa Rica does not have a street address system in the same way as the US or Europe. Traditional addresses rely on landmarks ("200 meters north of the old fig tree") rather than numbered streets. The national postal service, Correos de Costa Rica, delivers to some areas but coverage is inconsistent and packages from abroad are often delayed, taxed, or lost. Do not rely on standard international mail for anything important.
Correos de Costa Rica
Costa Rica's national postal service. Sending postcards and letters home ($0.50–$2 per item) works reasonably well. Receiving packages from abroad is unreliable — customs can hold items for weeks and import taxes are applied to items valued over ~$200.
For sending items home: small packages and letters from the post office are the most economical option, though delivery times to North America are 2–4 weeks.
Aerocasillas & Jetbox — PO Box Services
These services give you a US-based mailing address in Miami. You shop from US online stores, ship to their Miami warehouse, and they forward packages to Costa Rica. They handle customs clearance and deliver to your Costa Rican address.
Aerocasillas and Jetbox are the most established. Typical costs: $3–$8/lb plus customs duties on eligible items. Essential for expats and long-term residents who want to order from US sites.
DHL / FedEx / UPS
International courier services operate in Costa Rica and are reliable but expensive. Use for documents, important items, or time-sensitive shipments. A document envelope from San José to the US costs $30–$60; larger packages can run $100+.
For receiving, they handle customs clearance directly and deliver door-to-door, which is far more reliable than the national post for valuable items.
Amazon CR
Amazon.com does ship some items directly to Costa Rica, but selection is limited compared to the US site and shipping takes 2–4 weeks. Many items show no CR shipping option at all. Aerocasillas or Jetbox are typically used to bridge this gap for US Amazon orders.
Business Communication Norms
Understanding how Costa Ricans communicate in a business context will save you frustration and help you get better results.
WhatsApp is the Business Channel
Email is used by larger corporations and international businesses, but for most small and medium businesses in Costa Rica — hotels, tour operators, restaurants, service providers — WhatsApp is the primary channel for inquiries, reservations, and customer service. Always send a WhatsApp message first; follow up with email only if you don't get a response within 24 hours.
Response Time Expectations — "Tico Time"
Costa Rica has a famously relaxed relationship with time. "Tico time" refers to the cultural norm of being flexible about schedules and sometimes slow on follow-through. For tourists, this means: don't expect an immediate response to a WhatsApp message (same-day is typical, next day is normal), don't be alarmed if a quoted arrival time is 20–30 minutes late, and build buffer time into any plans that involve multiple parties or services.
This isn't disrespect — it's simply a different cultural approach to time. A friendly follow-up message is always appropriate and well-received.
Language Considerations
Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica. In major tourist areas, most businesses have at least one English speaker. However, sending your WhatsApp messages in Spanish (even imperfect Spanish) is appreciated and often yields faster responses. Translation apps like Google Translate or DeepL work well for composing messages — locals are accustomed to this and respond positively. In rural or less-visited areas, English may be limited — having basic Spanish phrases is very useful.