Best eSIM for Guatemala (2026): Prices, Networks and Which Plan to Buy

The best eSIM for Guatemala for most trips is Wayfarro: it ties Nomad at 1GB ($6), 5GB and 10GB, is cheaper at 3GB ($14 against Nomad's $15), and its 7-day unlimited plan costs $35 against Airalo's $39. Nomad is the better buy at 20GB, and Airalo's unlimited plans allow more full-speed data each day. Nomad's plans use Claro and Tigo, Guatemala's two networks, and Airalo's use Tigo. Wayfarro's prices come straight from its store; Nomad's and Airalo's were checked in November 2026.

US and Canadian carriers often charge daily fees in Guatemala, and European SIMs pay full roaming rates. A travel eSIM installed at home is usually the cheaper way to have data from the moment you land at La Aurora.

Guatemala eSIM prices compared

Prices for the plans travelers actually buy, read from each provider's Guatemala page. Providers run sales often, so check before you buy.

Plan	Wayfarro	Nomad	Airalo
1GB · 7 days	$6	$6	—
2GB · 15 days	$12	—	—
3GB · 30 days	$14	$15	—
5GB · 30 days	$19	$19	—
10GB · 30 days	$29	$29	—
20GB · 30 days	$63	$39	—
50GB · 30 days	$128	—	—
Unlimited · 1 day	$7	—	—
Unlimited · 3 days	$18	—	$19.50
Unlimited · 5 days	$25	—	$31
Unlimited · 7 days	$35	—	$39
Unlimited · 10 days	$44	—	$46.50
Unlimited · 15 days	—	—	$63
Unlimited · 30 days	—	—	$99
Networks	Not named on the plan page	Claro, Tigo	Tigo

How to read this table: Wayfarro and Nomad are level at 1GB, 5GB and 10GB, Wayfarro is cheaper at 3GB, and Nomad is clearly cheaper at 20GB. On unlimited, Wayfarro's prices are lower than Airalo's on every length both sell, but Wayfarro's Guatemala plan stops at 10 days; for 15 or 30 days, Airalo is the only one of the three. Nomad sold no unlimited Guatemala plan when we checked, and Airalo's page showed only unlimited plans. A dash means the provider doesn't sell that exact plan, or we couldn't confirm its US-dollar price.

Wayfarro's unlimited rows are its Unlimited Lite plans: 1GB a day at full speed, then 512 kbps until the next day. Airalo's page states full speed for the first 3GB each day, up to 20 Mbps, then 1 Mbps, so it gives more each day for the extra money. Wayfarro also sells Unlimited Essential (1GB a day, then 1.25 Mbps) at $42 for 7 days and Unlimited Plus (2GB a day, then 2 Mbps) at $84.

Which is the best eSIM for Guatemala for your trip?

The classic loop is Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Tikal, and most people do it in one to two weeks:

• A long weekend in Antigua: 1GB at $6, level with Nomad, covers maps and messages, since almost every guesthouse and café has Wi-Fi. For more photos and video, 3GB at $14 is cheaper than Nomad's.
• A week of Antigua and Atitlán: 5GB at $19, the same as Nomad, or the 7-day unlimited at $35 if you'd rather not count. Lake Wi-Fi is often slow, so many people lean on mobile data there.
• Two weeks including Tikal and Flores: 10GB at $29, level with Nomad, or the 10-day unlimited at $44. For a full fortnight of unlimited, Airalo's 15-day plan at $63 is the only option of the three.
• A month studying Spanish in Antigua or Xela: Nomad's 20GB at $39 is the best value here. If you need more, Wayfarro sells 50GB at $128, or Airalo's 30-day unlimited is $99.
• Guatemala plus Mexico, El Salvador or Honduras: Wayfarro's Central America plan covers Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama on one eSIM, and its 3-day unlimited at $16 is priced close to the Guatemala plan's. It also sells 15- and 30-day unlimited plans. It doesn't cover Belize, so for a Tikal-and-Belize trip add a Belize plan in Trip Builder.

Networks and coverage in Guatemala

Guatemala has two mobile networks, Tigo and Claro, and both run 4G. Tigo, owned by Millicom, is the larger, with 11.7 million subscribers at the end of 2025; Millicom runs its regional operations from Plaza Tigo in Guatemala City. Claro, owned by América Móvil, absorbed Movistar's Guatemala network after buying it in 2019, which is why you'll no longer see a Movistar signal here.

Nomad's plans can use both networks and Airalo's run on Tigo. Wayfarro's plan page doesn't name its partner, so the network shows on your phone when you land.

• Guatemala City: La Aurora International Airport is 6.4 km south of the centre, inside the city, and both networks cover the terminal and the zones most visitors stay in, Zona 10 and Zona 4.
• Antigua: the old colonial capital, 25 km from the airport, has coverage throughout its cobbled grid. It was the capital from 1543 to 1773, and most visitors base themselves here.
• Lake Atitlán: at 340 m, it's the deepest lake in Central America. Panajachel, San Pedro, San Marcos and San Juan have signal; it can drop on the boat crossings and on the trails between villages.
• Volcano hikes: the overnight climbs from Antigua, such as Acatenango, leave the towns far below. Don't count on mobile data at the summit camp, and tell someone your plan before you go.
• Tikal and Flores: Flores, on its island in Lake Petén Itzá, has coverage. Tikal, the Maya city in the Petén rainforest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, is an hour or more by road; signal is limited inside the park, so download a site map before you go.
• Semuc Champey and the Verapaces: Lanquín and Cobán have signal, but the road in and the pools themselves are patchy.

Shuttles, chicken buses and offline backups

Most visitors get around Guatemala by tourist shuttle, booked through their hostel or an app, and a working phone makes pickups much easier. Pickup details often come by WhatsApp and times can shift, so you'll want data in the morning even if your guesthouse Wi-Fi is down. The colourful "chicken buses" are cheaper and slower, and a map with live location helps you know when to get off.

Before you head to Atitlán, Semuc Champey or Tikal, download offline maps of the area and your booking confirmations. Those are the places where coverage drops, and no eSIM, even the best eSIM for Guatemala, can fix a valley with no tower.

How to set up an eSIM for Guatemala

Install at home on Wi-Fi, then switch it on when you land.

1. Check your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM. iPhone XS and later, Google Pixel 3 and later, and most recent Samsung Galaxy phones do.
2. Install before you travel. Scan the QR code or tap the install link; the step-by-step install guide covers iPhone and Android.
3. Label it "Guatemala" so you can find it in settings.
4. On arrival at La Aurora, set the Guatemala eSIM as your mobile-data line and turn on Data Roaming for it. Travel eSIMs technically roam, so data won't connect without it.
5. Keep your home SIM on for calls and texts with its data roaming off, so you don't pay your carrier's daily roaming fee.

Wayfarro's validity starts on first connection in Guatemala, not at install, and top-ups go onto the same eSIM without reinstalling.

Bottom line

The best eSIM for Guatemala on a one- or two-week trip is Wayfarro: level with Nomad at 1GB, 5GB and 10GB, cheaper at 3GB, and the lowest unlimited prices up to 10 days. Nomad wins at 20GB, and Airalo is the choice for 15 or 30 days of unlimited or for more full-speed data each day. If the trip continues into Mexico, the Mexico eSIM guide compares plans there, and the Central America plan covers both. See Wayfarro's Guatemala eSIM plans.