The best eSIM for Uruguay
A South American country known for its verdant interior and beach-lined coast. Here is the plan we would pick today, the live pricing for every plan we track, and the practical things to know before you fly.
The lowest price-per-gigabyte we currently track for Uruguay. A solid fit for most one-to-two-week trips with maps, messaging, and the occasional photo upload.
| Provider | Data | Days | Price | $/GB | Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GoMoWorld | 40GB | 30 | $19.99 | $0.50 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 60GB | 30 | $29.99 | $0.50 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 20GB | 30 | $10.99 | $0.55 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 4GB | 7 | $3.99 | $1.00 | Get → |
 Nomad | 20GB | 30 | $35.00 | $1.75 | Get → |
 Virgin Connect | 100GB | 30 | $246.50 | $2.46 | Get → |
| Nomad | 10GB | 30 | $25.00 | $2.50 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 50GB | 30 | $126.50 | $2.53 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 20GB | 30 | $59.50 | $2.98 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 10GB | 30 | $34.00 | $3.40 | Get → |
 GigSky | 3GB | 15 | $10.99 | $3.66 | Get → |
 Saily | 10GB | 30 | $38.69 | $3.87 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 5GB | 30 | $19.50 | $3.90 | Get → |
| GigSky | 10GB | 30 | $39.99 | $4.00 | Get → |
 Roamless | 1GB | PAYG | $16.95 | $16.95 | Get → |
Prices are live and may change. Google Fi is excluded from the value ranking because it is a full phone plan rather than a travel data plan.
Antel (the state carrier), Movistar Uruguay and Claro Uruguay all run 4G with 5G appearing across central Montevideo, the Ciudad Vieja, Pocitos and Punta Carretas. Antel has the widest 4G footprint nationally and is the default partner for most travel eSIM providers.
Punta del Este, La Barra, José Ignacio and the Rocha coast (Cabo Polonio gateway) are fully covered by Antel. The drive along Ruta 10 stays connected throughout; the Casapueblo and the surrounding beach barrios are well served.
Colonia's UNESCO old town, the lighthouse and the ferry port to Buenos Aires are fully covered. The drive north on Ruta 21 to Carmelo, Mercedes and the Anchorena hot springs stays connected.
The main bodegas in Canelones (south of Montevideo) and Carmelo have full signal. Smaller boutique wineries on dirt access roads occasionally drop briefly, with Antel the most reliable in rural Uruguay.
Cabo Polonio, the famous off-grid beach village reached only by sand-track 4x4, has limited cellular reach. The dune trip from Ruta 10 has signal at the gateway parking; the village itself runs on a small Antel cell that's often saturated. Treat Cabo Polonio as a working disconnect.
Tacuarembó (gaucho heartland), Salto (hot springs) and the larger interior towns are covered by all three carriers. The vast rural ranching estates and the longer drives on the unpaved gaucho-route backroads thin out, with Antel the most consistent.
Montevideo
- Arriving
- Carrasco International (MVD) is about 20 km from the centre; transfers are by bus, taxi or Uber. The airport has 4G with 5G from Antel, Movistar and Claro. A South America regional eSIM works well for a trip combining Uruguay with Argentina or Brazil. Uruguay is one of the better-connected countries in the region.
- On the subway and rail
- Montevideo moves by buses (paid with the STM card), taxis and Uber; there is no metro. Coverage holds across the centre and along the Rambla waterfront. Navigation and the STM bus app both work reliably on cellular data.
- Free public WiFi
- The malls leave WiFi open: Montevideo Shopping and Punta Carretas Shopping. Cafes, the Rambla and the hotels offer WiFi. MVD airport has terminal WiFi. Hotels provide guest WiFi as standard.
- Coverage in the city
- Antel (the state carrier), Movistar Uruguay and Claro all run 4G with 5G across central Montevideo, the Ciudad Vieja, Pocitos and Punta Carretas. Antel has the widest national footprint. Coverage is strong across the city and the Rambla, with no real gap to plan around.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- Antel, Movistar and Claro sell prepaid SIMs at MVD and in the malls, with Antel the widest including rural areas. A South America regional eSIM is convenient for a multi-country trip; for Uruguay alone, a local SIM or eSIM both work well.
Punta del Este
- Arriving
- Capitán Curbelo (PDP) serves the resort, with Montevideo (MVD) about two hours away; transfers are by bus or taxi. Punta del Este is South America's glitziest summer resort. The carriers cover the coast. Have data ready for the beach and nightlife logistics, especially busy in the January-February high season.
- On the subway and rail
- Punta del Este moves by buses and taxis; the peninsula and the marina are walkable, with the resort strip extending to La Barra and José Ignacio. There is no metro. Coverage holds across the resort area and along Ruta 10.
- Free public WiFi
- Hotels, cafes and the Punta Shopping mall provide WiFi across the resort. Connectivity is easy along the strip, with a working SIM covering the coastal day trips to José Ignacio and Casapueblo.
- Coverage in the city
- Antel, Movistar and Claro all cover Punta del Este, La Barra, José Ignacio and the Rocha coast, with Antel the widest. The famous La Mano (the fingers sculpture) on Brava beach and the Casapueblo are covered. The drive along Ruta 10 stays connected; coverage can feel busy at the height of summer.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- It is easiest to buy an Antel, Movistar or Claro SIM at Montevideo or Punta del Este, or use a South America regional eSIM. Antel has the most reliable coverage. Data is affordable for the region.
Grab an eSIM before you arrive in Uruguay to skip local SIM queues. Most urban areas offer 4G or better, while rural regions can slow down, so keep offline maps handy. Activating the eSIM in advance ensures you are connected the moment you clear customs.
Uruguay is one of South America's most connected countries relative to its size. Antel (state-owned), Movistar, and Claro provide strong 4G LTE coverage in Montevideo, Punta del Este, and across the country's well-populated regions. Uruguay's flat terrain and compact geography support excellent coverage along highways and in smaller towns.
Punta del Este and the coastal resort areas between Montevideo and the Brazilian border have strong coverage during the busy summer season. Colonia del Sacramento, a popular day trip from Buenos Aires, is well connected. Even rural areas in Uruguay tend to have functional coverage thanks to the country's investments in digital infrastructure. Uruguay pairs naturally with Argentina trips, so a South America regional eSIM plan works well.
- Uruguay is very well connected for a South American country - coverage is reliable almost everywhere
- Antel (state carrier) has the widest coverage including rural areas
- Data is useful for the STM bus card app in Montevideo
- Punta del Este has excellent coverage in the resort area
- A South America regional plan is ideal if combining with Argentina or Brazil
Average Data Cost
~$0.64-$5/GB
Network Quality
Strong 4G LTE in cities and towns. Good rural coverage for the region.
eSIM Availability
eSIM supported by Antel and other carriers. Tourist eSIMs available.
Major Carriers
Recommended Providers for Uruguay
Plans for Uruguay
From $3.99
Plans for Uruguay
From $5.00
Plans for Uruguay
From $7.00
Plans for Uruguay
From $4.99
Plans for Uruguay
From $7.99
Plans for Uruguay
From $10.00
Pay-as-you-go: $10.00/GB
Plans for Uruguay
From $16.95
Pay-as-you-go: $16.95/GB
- 1
Buy and install at home on WiFi.
Installation is not the same as activation. You can install the Uruguay eSIM days ahead and only switch it on after you land, which avoids burning days of validity in transit.
- 2
Screenshot your current APN before you swap.
If you ever need to switch back to your home line quickly, that screenshot saves a support call from a foreign airport.
- 3
Decide on your dual-SIM strategy.
Keep your home line on for SMS-based bank logins, two-factor codes, and emergency calls. Set the travel eSIM as the data line only. Most modern phones can do both simultaneously.
- 4
Disable iMessage on the travel eSIM line.
Otherwise iMessage will try to re-activate against the new line on arrival and you will spend the first ten minutes troubleshooting it instead of finding the taxi rank.
- 5
Download offline maps for Uruguay.
Google Maps and Apple Maps both support offline regions. Pull them down on home WiFi so a flaky activation never leaves you without a route from the airport. Our offline maps guide walks through it step by step.
- 6
Activate at the airport, not before.
Once the validity timer starts it does not pause. A 15-day plan you turn on the morning of departure burns a full day of validity before you even land.
We are building this section from real, verified traveler submissions rather than stock testimonials, so it stays empty until we have notes we can stand behind. If you have used an eSIM in Uruguay recently, a one-paragraph note on what worked (and what did not) helps the next traveler.
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Pricing on this page is pulled live from our database and refreshed every four hours. Coverage notes are sourced from carrier roaming agreements and updated when carriers change partners. Provider rankings are determined by price-per-gigabyte and plan flexibility, not by who pays the largest commission.