Chile has the best internet infrastructure in South America. WiFi is available in virtually all hotels, hostels, and cafes in cities and tourist towns. Mobile data coverage is reliable along the Pan-American Highway and in populated areas. The gaps are where you would expect them: deep valleys on the Carretera Austral, remote Patagonian trails, and the altiplano above 4,000 meters.
SIM Cards
The easiest way to stay connected. Chilean SIM cards are cheap and available at the airport, phone shops, and even supermarkets. The three main carriers:
- Entel: Best overall coverage, especially in rural areas and the south. Slightly more expensive.
- Movistar: Good urban coverage, competitive data packages. Weaker in remote areas.
- WOM: Cheapest data packages. Coverage is good in cities but drops off faster outside urban areas.
A prepaid SIM with 10-20GB of data costs $5-15 and lasts 30 days. Top up at any convenience store, pharmacy, or online. You need your passport to register the SIM — Chilean law requires identity verification for all phone lines.
Buy your SIM at the Santiago airport (arrivals hall has Entel and Movistar booths) to be connected immediately. Avoid buying from street vendors — the SIMs may be unregistered and could stop working.
WiFi
Free WiFi is available in most accommodation, restaurants, and cafes in cities and tourist towns. Quality varies — budget hostels often have slow connections shared among many guests. Coworking spaces in Santiago (WeWork, Urban Station, and independent spaces in Barrio Italia) offer reliable high-speed connections for digital nomads.
Public WiFi networks exist in some plazas and metro stations but are slow and potentially insecure. Avoid logging into banking or sensitive accounts on public networks.
Coverage Gaps
Expect no signal in:
- Most of the Carretera Austral between towns (some sections have no coverage for 100+ kilometers)
- Inside Torres del Paine and other national parks (refugios may have satellite WiFi, slow and expensive)
- The altiplano above Arica (Putre has basic coverage; Lauca National Park does not)
- Cochamo Valley and other roadless areas
- Much of Tierra del Fuego south of Porvenir
- At sea on the Navimag ferry
Download offline maps (Google Maps or Maps.me) before heading to these areas. iOverlander and Wikicamp apps are useful for the Carretera Austral and Patagonia — download their offline databases before losing signal.
eSIM
If your phone supports eSIM, services like Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad offer Chile data plans that activate instantly — no physical SIM needed. Prices are slightly higher than local prepaid SIMs but the convenience of having data from the moment you land is worth it for short trips. Plans typically start at $5-10 for 1-5GB.
Calling
Chilean phone numbers have 9 digits (mobile) starting with 9, or 9 digits (landline) starting with the area code. To call a Chilean mobile from abroad: +56 9 XXXX XXXX. WhatsApp is the dominant messaging platform — nearly every Chilean business (restaurants, tour agencies, guesthouses) communicates via WhatsApp. Install it before arrival if you do not already have it.