On a stopover at Tocumen Airport in Panama, I noticed that there were a number of SIM Card stalls at the airport which featured roaming in 150 countries! Since, I travel a lot, I always have a global roaming package on my phone and was curious to know how much these SIM cards would cost.
In certain places, you can get really good deals on International Travel SIM Cards however the price that I was quoted shocked me! The price for an International SIM card was going to be US $60 and would provide me limited data with 10-20 days coverage! That is not a great deal in my opinion.
By comparison, I currently pay a little more than US $30 to get global roaming on my phone with 3HK and that covers me for the whole year!
My recommendation for anyone who traveling to Panama would be to avoid getting their SIM card at the airport. The price is very high. Instead buy the SIM Card from the local shops outside the airport which will be a lot more cheaper. You can also look for eSIM options (if your phone supports) that you can buy online and can save you a lot of money.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.