Patagonia eSIM: Chile and Argentina on one trip

Lotso Travel appears in the tables below; it's run by the team behind this site. In Patagonia it's mid-table on price and doesn't name its network.

The network problem

Here's what the eSIM providers list for each country on their own pages (31 October 2026), next to what local sources recommend for remote areas:

In Chile, ViajareSIM's March 2026 guide says "Entel tiene la red más extensa del país en zonas rurales y remotas" (Entel has the country's widest network in rural and remote areas) and that on the Carretera Austral, in the north and in the mountains, it's the network most likely to have signal where others don't, with Movistar next. In Argentina, its companion guide recommends Claro for remote areas such as Patagonia and says Movistar "tampoco llega tan lejos como Claro" (doesn't reach as far as Claro). ViajareSIM sells eSIMs itself, so treat this as one well-informed opinion and check the operators' coverage maps for your route.

What it means: in Chile, Movistar is a reasonable second-best and the eSIMs are fine. In Argentine Patagonia, a Movistar eSIM may go quiet sooner than a local Claro SIM. If you'll spend most of the trip around El Calafate, El Chaltén and Ushuaia, consider a local Claro SIM for Argentina as well, bought once you arrive.

What it costs: one country

For two weeks in Chile, Ubigi ($24 for 10 GB) and Nomad ($25, Movistar) were cheapest; in Argentina, Ubigi ($23), Maya Mobile ($27.99) and Nomad ($28). Airalo is poor value in Argentina: no 15-day pass, so two weeks meant two 7-day passes at $69 (or $66 mixing a 10-day and a 5-day pass).

What it costs: both countries

Most Patagonia itineraries cross the border at least once: Puerto Natales to El Calafate, or the Carretera Austral into Los Antiguos. Here's a week in each country at 0.5 GB a day, buying each provider's cheapest fitting plan per country, against one multi-country eSIM:

Computed from each provider's country prices in our price index, 31 October 2026. Regional "South America" plans weren't part of our index, so we haven't compared them.

Maya wins on simplicity as much as price: one eSIM, installed once at home, with no need to buy and install a second one in a border town with weak Wi-Fi. Its weakness is the same as everywhere: it doesn't tell you which network it uses.

Where signal stops

Download offline maps for the whole region before you leave the city, including the Carretera Austral if you're driving it: the ViajareSIM guide calls offline maps mandatory there.

Satellite backup in Patagonia

Neither Chile nor Argentina is on Apple's list for iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite. In Chile, Entel launched texting via Starlink's direct-to-cell satellites in November 2025 for customers on certain Entel plans, according to Tesla North; the report doesn't say whether visitors or roaming phones can use it, and a travel eSIM doesn't give you access. For multi-day hikes on the O Circuit, the Huemul Circuit or anywhere off the main trails, carry a satellite messenger: inReach vs ZOLEO vs SPOT compares what they cost to own, and notes why the Iridium-based ones suit the far south.