Best Brasil Low Cost Cellular Plan for Part Time Expats (2025)

My advice is check with the locals where you will spend most of your time. If you’re in a big city most carriers will probably have towers or agreements with other vendors. However in some areas Claro may have bad coverage. You may wind up with 3g or slower connectivity. As I said, check before you commit.

Only Vivo works north of Ilhéus. All the others work in Ilhéus.

I’ve had Vivo for ten years now, after using Oi, TIM and Claro. Vivo has worked for me in Salvador, Brasilia, Rio, São Paulo, Natal, Porto Seguro, Gramado, Campinas, Recife, and briefly in Lisbon three times.

Yeah, I don’t travel much these days. ☹️

Why do you need a permanent phone number?

Why do you need a permanent phone number? - @alan279

Mar 25, 2025

@alan279, I think that getting a permanent phone number will simplify my travel back and forth to Brazil.  There are many things that require a Brazil phone number - like my Brazil Apple account... And the CPF renewal.  Those sites expect a Brazil number.

Do you know how to bypass those requirements?  For me, I don't know.

@Pablo888

I receive SMS messages from several vendors to verify my accounts from time to time. Seems like poor security to me, but I know no way around it.

@Pablo888

Oh, and I still have a prepaid account.

03/26/25 @Pablo888
I receive SMS messages from several vendors to verify my accounts from time to time. Seems like poor security to me, but I know no way around it. - @alan279

I ignore all of those.  No adverse consequences so far, at least none that I know about.

03/26/25  Oh, and I still have a prepaid account. - @alan279

So do I, and I've had the same number for over seven years.  Having a stable number is a good idea:  life is complicated enough in Brazil without having to sweat the small stuff, like what your phone number is this trip.

One word of caution, though.  While you're still shuttling between countries, make sure that you understand how deductions are made from your balance and that your prepaid account is always topped up during your absences.  I lost my first Brazilian number because my account went to zero between trips.

Mar 26, 2025

Thank you @abthree and @alan279.  It looks like R$1 per day prepaid is still a great deal - provided you get the right coverage.

Topping the balance is a good idea.  That will be another event to add to my calendar.....

I receive SMS messages in the US via my Google Voice (is that still the name?) phone number. Can you get a virtual phone number in Brazl? A number that doesn't change if you switch telcos? Just a thought...

03/26/26 I receive SMS messages in the US via my Google Voice (is that still the name?) phone number. Can you get a virtual phone number in Brazl? A number that doesn't change if you switch telcos? Just a thought... - @alan279

Do you mean for the second step of two-step verification?   I've changed those to use Authenticator apps.

@abthree

Do authenticator apps work with SMS?

03/27/25 @abthree
Do authenticator apps work with SMS? - @alan279

No, so no phone number required.   In most cases, they generate a time-sensitive code on your phone that you use to complete the sign-in.  In a few cases, they ask, "Someone is trying to sign into (Account).  Is that you?" and your "yes" completes the sign-in.

@Pablo888 As others have mentioned, get a pre-paid account.  Vivo, TIM and Claro all have some variation of the R$30/month.    I'm currently with Vivo, recently had my Claro number switched to them using number portability.  So you can switch back and forth without losing your number if you don't like the choice you made.  I believe however, if you are using number portability to keep your number you have to stay with the new carrier for at least 4 months.

Also, all of these carriers have constant promotions when doing the recharge to get additional Gb for free.  The method is slightly different between carriers.  Vivo, for example, you need to use their app to get the bonus.

The nice thing about the pre-paid plans is that you don't have to kept them active every month.  If you leave the country for a few months, just don't pay and when you return recharge and service resumes.

As @abthree mentioned, you do need to be aware the different carriers have rules on how long they will keep your number assigned to you.  Generally speaking, if you do a recharge within 90 days of when your credits expired, you'll be fine. If you are out of the country and it's getting close to the 90 limit, you can recharge your number from your brazilian bank account.   I've been doing this with first TIM, then Claro and now Vivo for about 20 years with no issues.

Getting the prepaid plan - skip the TIM/Claro/Vivo stores and get a SIM card from a news stand.  What I've found is that clerks in the stores will lie and tell you all kinds of things to get you to signup for a post-paid plan.  Been there, done that.

Get your SIM, activate it and then if you want an eSIM for instance, then go to the store and request your phone be switched to an eSIM.  I just went through this with Vivo, so bypass the dram

Regarding SMS messages for security checks... that can be challenging.  @alan279 it appears, we are both in the same boat.  I used Google Voice as my US number and "most" of the time SMS messages for authorizations work fine.  What I've found is that a few banks block the use of VOIP number such as Google Voice.  Usually, they can send you email, and sometimes they'll do a voice call.  What I've found lately is a few of them are not allowing the use of VoIP voice calls.  The whole thing is security theater because SMS isn't that secure and the banking industry is still flailing around searching for their perfect solution.  I don't know why they just don't use push notifications to their apps, since they all seem to have one. 

Anyway, what I would recommend for people in the US would be to use Google Voice for their phone number.  It doesn't work 100% of the time, but the few times it doesn't you can usually work around it.

For when you are out of country, I would recommend that you install whatsapp on your phone while you are in Brasil.  When you leave the country, the account will still work using WiFi.  Most businesses here use Whatsapp, so you still have a method for Brasil contacts when out of the country.  I normally use Telegram for chats with contacts and keep my whatsapp for business communications.

Oops, I dropped my iPhone X that I bought in Lisbon 7 years ago. It's not completely dead, but I'll switch to my Samsung phone.

I bought the Samsung phone last year when I had charging problems with the iPhone. A new battery and a new Lightning cable kept the old iPhone going, so i contined to use the iPhone as my daily carry.

Now I'll find out what apps and passwords I missed last year when I setup the Samsung.