Product info
Medellin eSIM plans
| 3GB prepaid eSIM · 14 days | $10.49$3.50 / GB | Buy eSIM |
| Ohayu recommends5GB prepaid eSIM · 30 days | $15.49$3.10 / GB | Buy eSIM |
| 10GB prepaid eSIM · 30 days | $27.49$2.75 / GB | Buy eSIM |
| 15GB prepaid eSIM · 60 days | $39.99$2.67 / GB | Buy eSIM |
| 20GB prepaid eSIM · 90 days | $44.49$2.22 / GB | Buy eSIM |
| 50GB prepaid eSIM · 90 days | $132.99$2.66 / GB | Buy eSIM |
Plan details
How much mobile data you need
What's the best eSIM for Medellin?
Few days – 3 GB
Maps, ride-hailing, the metro.
A week – 10 GB
Navigation and daily calls.
Medellín and Bogotá – 20 GB
Two cities plus Guatapé.
Remote work month – 50 GB
Tethering from El Poblado or Laureles.
Coverage and network
Coverage up the hillsides
Colombia mobile networks
Medellín fills a narrow valley and climbs the slopes on both sides, which is why it has cable cars as public transport. Coverage is decent across the floor and the built-up hillsides, with 5G reaching a bit over half the urban area. (Speedtest by Ookla, June 2026)
Speedtest Global Index · Mobile · Colombia · June 2026
Download
45.48 Mbps
Upload
14.74 Mbps
Latency
26 ms
Global rank
#82 of 98
Medellín, specifically
- El Poblado and Laureles: The strongest parts of the city, and where most remote workers base themselves. Fine for video calls from a café.
- Metro and Metrocable: Covered on the metro line and on the cable cars, including the long ride up to Santo Domingo - useful, since that view is the reason people take it.
- Comuna 13 and the upper barrios: Service reaches the escalator route and the main streets, and gets patchier in the steeper lanes above.
- Guatapé and the countryside: Covered in the town and at the rock. The roads out through the hills have gaps between villages.
Medellín and the rest
One plan for all of Colombia, so Bogotá or the Caribbean coast afterwards are included.
How to install eSIM
Connected in 3 steps
- 01
Buy before you fly
Choose your data plan before your trip.
- 02
Download & install
Log in to your account, tap your eSIM, and follow the on-screen instructions.
- 03
Land & activate
Activate when you arrive in Colombia. Turn on roaming for the eSIM and it connects to a local network.
Before you buy, make sure your phone supports eSIM — see Ohayu compatible devices list or dial *#06#. It's a free request to your phone's settings. If you see the EID number — your phone is eSIM-compatible.
Arriving in Medellín
Airport Wi-Fi at MDE
There is free Wi-Fi in the terminal, commonly in 30-minute sessions, but the network name is not officially published so look for it in your device list rather than expecting a specific one.
Side by side
Medellin eSIM Comparison
Indicative comparison based on publicly listed Colombia plans as of August 2026. Competitor pricing and policies change - check their sites for current terms.
Frequently asked questions
Where to buy a SIM card in Medellín?
Official Claro, Tigo and Movistar stores in Santafé and El Tesoro. Avoid street resellers, which generally cannot register a foreign passport. The airport is 40 minutes out, so buying there costs you time as well as money.
What ID do the operators want for a local line?
Something official, and a passport counts - Colombia has required identified mobile lines since Ley 1453 of 2011. Where it falls apart is in practice: staff at smaller resellers often insist on a cédula de extranjería they are not actually required to demand, so the corporate stores in Santafé or El Tesoro are the reliable option. Colombia's handset IMEI registration is a local-SIM thing and does not touch a roaming eSIM. Ohayu issues no Colombian number, so the whole step disappears.
Is Medellín good enough for remote work?
For El Poblado and Laureles, yes - that is a large part of why the city became a remote-work hub, and 5G covers roughly half the urban area. Two caveats: speeds are well below European or East Asian norms, and coverage gets less predictable the further up the hillsides you go. If you are renting high above the valley floor, check the specific address.
eSIM not working in Medellín?
High up in the steeper barrios coverage can drop. Down in the valley, confirm the phone is set to use Ohayu for mobile data and that roaming is allowed for it, then toggle Airplane mode once. Chat and support@ohayu.com are open 24/7.
