San Salvador - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
I kept my U.S.-based plan. Don't know anything about local phones. - Oct 2023
I kept my TMobile plan here; lots of other people use Google Fi. - Feb 2022
Local service here is $30/month and works in US and the region. - Aug 2021
Local providers are Claro, TIGO etc who come to embassy weekly to help embassy folks. Very convenient. - Jun 2018
Bring an unlocked phone, as iPhones are expensive here. If you are working for the embassy they will provide you with a phone. We use a local provider. - Mar 2018
Bring an unlocked GSM phone. The mobile phone service representatives come to the embassy cafeteria once or twice a week so that you can pay your bill or setup service. Although, I actually recommend paying for Tigo at one of their stores in the mall. I’ve had too many issues where the rep at the embassy did not credit my account in the system until days later, and I had to go without service. - Jan 2018
The US embassy provides all US employees with iPhones. For family members we have a few options, TIGO, CLARO, others. - Nov 2017
Local provider. - Jul 2016
Bring an unlocked phone. Tigo and Claro are the big providers here, with Movistar and Digicel trying to move into the market. Contract plans are cheap, as are rates to call the U.S. - Dec 2015
iPhone plan costs about US$30/month through the Tigo rep at the Embassy. - Mar 2015
Most people get Tigo and it is pretty cheap though customer service is terrible. - Oct 2014
Buy an open phone. - Jul 2014
Tigo is cheap and reliable. - Apr 2012
Everyone has TIGO.There are many complaints but it could be worse. - Jul 2011
Don't use Tigo! I don't know if you'll have a choice, but everyone here hates Tigo so much it's become a verb, i.e. "I've been Tigo-ed! "I don't know how available and reliable data plans are, but El Salvador is, across the board, 25 years behind the rest of the world. Your iPhone will not work here, but if it did, you'd only be able to watch the Thundercats and ALF on it. - May 2010
Cell phones are plentiful and cheap. The rate to call the U.S. with your cell phone is currently about $0.03 per minute. - Feb 2009
