Estimates only — actual use depends on your apps, video quality, and habits.
South America eSIM
The complete guide.
Best eSIM for travelling South America
A regional South America eSIM is made for the long overland trip — one Flysimio plan that roams across Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and more. A single QR keeps you online as you move between countries, from Rio to Buenos Aires to Cusco, with no swapping SIMs at each border. Plans are prepaid with no contract and no roaming surprises, and every plan includes free mobile hotspot and a 7-day money-back guarantee. For a multi-country backpacking route or a Patagonia-to-the-Andes journey, the regional bundle is far simpler than buying a new eSIM in each country — several of which require local registration for a physical SIM.
Regional South America plan vs. buying per country
Visiting just one country — two weeks in Peru, say — our dedicated country eSIM is usually the cheapest option. But for a trip across three or more countries, the South America regional bundle wins on convenience and often price: one plan roams automatically as you cross from Argentina into Chile or Brazil into Colombia, so you're never stranded without data at a border town. It also spares you the local-SIM registration paperwork that countries like Brazil (CPF) and Peru require — an international eSIM skips all of that.
How to set up your South America eSIM
Setup takes about two minutes. Confirm your phone supports eSIM (iPhone XS from 2018 and newer, most Android flagships from 2020), choose your South America plan, and pay with card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay — your QR code arrives by email within seconds. Install it on Wi-Fi before you fly via Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM (iPhone) or Network & Internet → SIMs → Add eSIM (Android). It connects automatically when you land in your first country and keeps working as you cross borders — no reinstalling, and none of the local paperwork a physical SIM would need.
How much data do you need for a South America trip
For maps, messaging, and email, around 300 MB a day is plenty, so a 5 GB plan covers a week. Add social media, photos, and music and you'll want closer to 700 MB a day; a 10–20 GB plan suits a two-to-three-week multi-country trip. Heavy streamers and anyone tethering a laptop should size up or choose an unlimited option. Big caveat for this continent: the Amazon, the Atacama's remote salt flats, and Patagonian stretches between towns run offline — so download offline maps for those legs, and top up mid-trip if you run low in the cities.
Hotspot, calls, and crossing borders in South America
Your South America eSIM roams across the coverage list, so you stay connected as you move between countries — no swapping SIMs at each frontier. Every plan includes free mobile hotspot for tethering a laptop or sharing with travel companions. As a data-only eSIM there's no local number, but that's rarely a limitation: WhatsApp — used for almost everything across South America — plus FaceTime and Google Meet handle calls and messages over data, and your home number stays reachable on your primary SIM. One plan and one predictable price cover the whole overland route.
Short trips vs. long South American journeys
For a two-country hop, a smaller 5 GB plan on a short validity is usually enough. For a multi-week overland trip through the Andes and beyond, a 10–20 GB plan gives you room to navigate and share across every stop. Because Flysimio plans give you six months to activate, you can buy well ahead and the validity only starts when your eSIM first connects in the region. There's no contract and nothing to cancel — the plan simply ends when it's done, and you can top up or rebuy for your next journey across the continent.
