Top 10 eSIM providers for Santiago in 2026
Airalo is our pick for the best eSIM in Santiago in 2026, with Chile plans starting at US$4.50. You install it via QR code before landing at Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL), and it runs on a major Chilean network that holds signal along Metro Line 1. What keeps it at the top is the low price per GB, with no reported hidden fees, and for most stays under two weeks it beats Holafly's unlimited plans on cost.
We scored each provider on three things that matter in Santiago: coverage first, because the Chilean carriers Entel, Movistar, Claro and WOM differ most in the Andes foothills and in the deeper Metro stations; price per GB second; and activation ease third, where a QR install ranks above an app-only setup or a queue at a carrier counter. We took points off where travellers reported top-up fees or unannounced throttling. At roughly 981 pesos to the US dollar, a peso-priced local plan can look cheap, but a foreign handset on a Chilean SIM may need its IMEI registered with Subtel for longer stays, and that paperwork tends to cost an afternoon in a Providencia shop. Santiago's digital-nomad suitability is 6.2/10 (sourced from TTDI's editorial rubric), so a remote worker on a Lastarria café terrace should weigh data caps more heavily than a weekend visitor would.
The most common mistake happens at SCL: visitors clear customs in Pudahuel and then try to install an eSIM over patchy airport Wi-Fi while taxi touts circle the arrivals hall. Install the QR code at home and switch the line on when the plane lands. The second mistake is buying a 1 GB plan for a week, because Google Maps on the RED buses and the Centropuerto shuttle to Los Héroes station on Line 1 will likely use more data than you expect. The third mistake is assuming the coverage you get in Barrio Italia holds in the Cajón del Maipo. It doesn't. Signal thins out past San José de Maipo, so download offline maps before that day trip.
If you're spending a month in a Las Condes apartment and streaming heavily, Airalo is the wrong tool for that job. Its bundles come in fixed sizes that run out, and the largest Chile plans reach US$50.00, so Holafly's unlimited plan or an Entel prepaid line from a shop in Costanera Center will likely work out cheaper. Airalo also won't help if you need a Chilean phone number for WhatsApp bookings at a Bellavista restaurant or for Rappi deliveries, since data-only eSIMs come without a local number. For a five-day loop from the Plaza de Armas and the Metropolitan Cathedral up to Cerro San Cristóbal, a mid-sized Airalo bundle should cover your maps, ride-hail and translation apps.
Current plans for Chile, priced
Prices verified from the partner's live catalog. eSIMs cover the whole country, so every plan below works city-wide.
How much does a 5 GB Chile eSIM cost?A 5 GB Chile travel eSIM costs $14.50 from Airalo, with 7 days of validity. That is the cheapest 5 GB plan in the partner catalog, verified October 27, 2026.
| Plan | Data | Validity | Price | $ / GB | Get this plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 3 daysBest for a short trip | 1 GB | 3 days | $4.50 | $4.50 | Get plan |
| 3 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 3 days | 3 GB | 3 days | $10.00 | $3.33 | Get plan |
| 3 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 7 days | 3 GB | 7 days | $10.50 | $3.50 | Get plan |
| 5 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 7 days | 5 GB | 7 days | $14.50 | $2.90 | Get plan |
| 5 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 15 days | 5 GB | 15 days | $15.00 | $3.00 | Get plan |
| 5 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 30 days | 5 GB | 30 days | $15.50 | $3.10 | Get plan |
| 10 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 7 days | 10 GB | 7 days | $26.00 | $2.60 | Get plan |
| 10 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 15 days | 10 GB | 15 days | $27.00 | $2.70 | Get plan |
| 10 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 30 days | 10 GB | 30 days | $28.00 | $2.80 | Get plan |
| 20 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 15 daysBest value | 20 GB | 15 days | $46.00 | $2.30 | Get plan |
| 20 GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 30 days | 20 GB | 30 days | $48.00 | $2.40 | Get plan |
| Unlimited GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 3 days | Unlimited | 3 days | $12.50 | – | Get plan |
| Unlimited GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 5 days | Unlimited | 5 days | $20.50 | – | Get plan |
| Unlimited GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 7 days | Unlimited | 7 days | $27.50 | – | Get plan |
| Unlimited GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 10 days | Unlimited | 10 days | $35.00 | – | Get plan |
| Unlimited GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 15 daysBest for heavy data | Unlimited | 15 days | $50.00 | – | Get plan |
| Unlimited GB Chile travel eSIM valid for 30 days | Unlimited | 30 days | $92.00 | – | Get plan |
The full list
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Airalo
Its Chile plans install by QR code before you board, so the line is live by the time you reach the SCL arrivals hall, and the per-GB pricing fits a week of Metro rides between Baquedano and Los Leones. Travellers report no top-up fees.
Visit Airalo -
Holafly
Its unlimited data suits a remote worker streaming calls from a Providencia or Ñuñoa flat, though speeds tend to be throttled after heavy daily use, and it costs more per day than Airalo for anyone staying under 10 days.
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Saily
Saily is a QR-install eSIM from the NordVPN team, and the built-in VPN option earns its place on open Wi-Fi in Lastarria cafés. Per-GB rates on its Chile plans currently sit close to Airalo's.
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Ubigi
Ubigi is a carrier-grade eSIM with a reliable install that holds up over multi-week trips, and it works for travellers splitting time between Santiago and Valparaíso who want a single top-up through the app.
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Nomad
Nomad's regional South America plans suit a route from Santiago on to Mendoza or Lima, but its single-country Chile data tends to cost more per GB than the top three's for a stay in Bellavista.
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Maya Mobile
Maya Mobile offers unlimited-style plans at a lower price than Holafly, a good fit for a 10-day base in Las Condes near Costanera Center, though some users report slower speeds at peak evening hours.
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Yesim
Yesim's pay-as-you-go option works for a short layover at SCL and a quick run to the Plaza de Armas, but the per-GB rate climbs on longer stays.
Visit Yesim -
GigSky
GigSky's app activation is simple and its customer support is steady, but its Chile bundles cost more per GB, so it mostly suits travellers already on GigSky from an earlier leg of the trip who are passing through Santiago Centro.
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Entel prepaid SIM (in-store)
An Entel line gets you a local number for WhatsApp and Rappi and often delivers the best signal in the Cajón del Maipo. Pick one up at a shop in Providencia or Costanera Center, bring your passport, and know that longer stays may require IMEI registration.
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Jetpac
Jetpac includes airport lounge access when a flight into SCL is delayed, something that counts on red-eyes from North America. Its data pricing for Chile runs above the leaders'.
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