🇨🇷International Calling Guide

How to Call
Costa Rica (+506)

Make seamless calls to costa rica from usa directly from your browser. Outbound calls don’t require a dedicated number. To receive inbound calls, secure a unique US/Canada digital number ($2.14–$5/month).

Product facts

  • Outbound: No dedicated number required.
  • Inbound: Requires US/Canada digital number ($2.14–$5/month).
  • No apps: Works in Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox.

Product facts: Calls to Costa Rica

  • Outbound calling: Call worldwide instantly. No dedicated number required.
  • Inbound calling: To receive calls in your browser, a unique US or Canada digital number is required ($2.14–$5/month).
  • App-free: Works directly in Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox.
Dialing Format
Calling Costa RicaReady
🇨🇷

How to Call Costa Rica from USA

Costa Rica uses a simple 8-digit numbering plan. There are no separate city codes to dial; they are built into the number.

1

Exit Code

Dial 011 if calling from a US landline.
(On mobile/VoIP, just use the + sign)

2

Country Code (+506)

Dial 506. This connects you to the Costa Rican telecom network.

3

8-Digit Number

Dial the full 8-digit subscriber number.
Example: 22xx-xxxx (Landline) or 8xxx-xxxx (Mobile)

Understanding the 8-Digit Format

Costa Rica unified its phone system in 2008. All numbers are 8 digits long. You can identify the type of number by the first digit.

Landline (Starts with 2)
+506 2222 1234
(San José area typically starts with 22)
Mobile (Starts with 6, 7, 8)
+506 8888 1234
(Kölbi/Liberty/Claro mobiles)

Province & City Prefixes

While there are no separate area codes, landlines in specific provinces usually start with these digits.

City/ProvinceTypeStarts With
San JoséLandline22xx...
AlajuelaLandline24xx...
CartagoLandline25xx...
HerediaLandline26xx...
GuanacasteLandline26xx...
City/ProvinceTypeStarts With
PuntarenasLandline26xx...
LimónLandline27xx...
San CarlosLandline24xx...
Pérez ZeledónLandline27xx...
LiberiaLandline26xx...
Mobile Networks

Calling Costa Rican Mobiles

Mobile numbers are also 8 digits long. They typically begin with 6, 7, or 8.

8xxx xxxx
Kölbi (ICE)
6xxx xxxx
Liberty (Movistar)
7xxx xxxx
Claro

Cheap Calls to Costa Rica
From Your Browser

Whether you're a tourist confirming a reservation in Guanacaste or an expat calling home to San José, StartACall offers the best rates. Avoid expensive roaming charges and connect instantly via VoIP.

  • Instant connection to Kölbi, Liberty & Claro
  • No SIM card or App download needed
  • Call landlines in San José, Alajuela, Heredia
  • Pay-as-you-go (No monthly contracts)

Save Money

Save up to 90% compared to AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile international plans.

Nationwide

Reach any number in Costa Rica, from the beaches to the mountains.

Secure

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Instant

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the country code for Costa Rica?

The country calling code for Costa Rica is +506. You must dial this after your country's exit code (011 for US) to connect.

How do I call a mobile number in Costa Rica?

Dial +506 followed by the 8-digit mobile number. Mobile numbers in Costa Rica typically start with 6, 7, or 8 (e.g., +506 8xxx xxxx).

Are there area codes in Costa Rica?

Costa Rica uses a unified 8-digit numbering plan. While there are no separate area codes to dial, landlines in specific provinces often share the same starting digits (e.g., San José landlines often start with 22).

Can I call Costa Rica for free?

StartACall offers a free trial for new users to test call quality. After that, we offer some of the lowest rates on the market for calls to Costa Rica, much cheaper than traditional carriers.

Ready to call Costa Rica?

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Country deep dive

Calling United States

Practical reference covering the destination country's dial code, time zone, mobile carriers, city area codes, business etiquette, and any regulatory rules that affect inbound calls. The information below is specific to this route — different country pairs surface different operational details.

Calling United States (+1)

United States sits in Five time zones from Eastern (UTC−5) to Hawaii–Aleutian (UTC−10); most business activity sits in Eastern and Pacific.. The country dial code is +1 and the official language for business is English. Local business hours run roughly Standard hours 9:00–17:00 in each local time zone. Federal offices skew earlier; West-Coast tech routinely runs to 19:00. Banks close 17:00 sharp. — and the practical answering window is Tuesday–Thursday 10:00–11:30 and 14:00–15:30 local time are peak inbound-call hours for B2B..

Major cities & area codes

  • San Francisco · 415/628
  • New York · 212/646/332Manhattan overlays
  • Los Angeles · 213/323Downtown LA overlays
  • Chicago · 312/872

Mobile carriers in United States

  • T-Mobile US · mobile across most NPAsAbsorbed Sprint in 2020
  • Verizon Wireless · mobile across most NPAsLargest by subscribers; CDMA-rooted but VoLTE/5G now
  • AT&T Mobility · mobile across most NPAs

What to know when calling United States

  • Caller ID display name (CNAM) is honored by most major US carriers; a recognizable display name materially improves answer rates.
  • Voicemail is widely used and read by transcription; leaving a brief callback request often gets faster response than re-dialing.
  • Cold-call regulations vary by state — California, Florida and New York have stricter pre-recorded-message rules under their consumer protection acts.

Phone-scam patterns specific to United States

  • IRS impersonation calls remain common: the IRS never demands immediate payment by phone or gift card.
  • 'One-ring' scams (Wangiri) using +1-340, +1-868 and other Caribbean codes are not US — the +1 prefix is shared across the North American Numbering Plan.

Regulation & compliance (United States)

  • STIR/SHAKEN call authentication is mandatory for major carriers since 2021; unauthenticated calls are increasingly flagged as 'Spam Likely'.
  • TCPA requires prior express written consent before placing automated marketing calls to mobile numbers.

Calling United States from anywhere

StartACall routes calls to United States over Tier-1 carriers, supporting both landlines and mobile termination on every network listed above. Per-minute pricing is shown on the dialer once you sign up — no contract or subscription is required. From browser to +1 takes under five seconds on a stable connection.

Operational facts above are sourced from regulator publications and carrier disclosures; specific rates and routing are confirmed in the live dialer.
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