Roaming, eSIM or local SIM?
Your days, your GB and the prices you have seen in, the cheapest way to stay online out, with the day it flips.
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Your trip
How much data do I need? · eSIM finder · Connect abroad checklist
Prices you have seen
The numbers below are examples only, not real quotes. Replace them with the prices from your carrier's roaming page, the eSIM store and the local shop. Use one currency throughout.
Cheapest for 10 days
Travel eSIM at 20
1 plan of 10 GB / 30 days. Tied with the next option: pick the one that is easier to set up.
- Travel eSIM1 plan of 10 GB / 30 days20
- Local SIM1 pack of 20 GB / 30 days plus the SIM card20
- Home-carrier roaming day pass10 days at the day-pass price100
Break-even: how many days?
- Travel eSIM starts to cost less than roaming from day 2.
- Local SIM starts to cost less than roaming from day 2.
Assumes you use the same GB per day as your trip estimate (0.80 GB a day).
| Days | Roaming | eSIM | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 30 | 20 | 20 |
| 7 | 70 | 20 | 20 |
| 10 | 100 | 20 | 20 |
| 14 | 140 | 40 | 20 |
| 30 | 300 | 60 | 35 |
Bold is the cheapest for that length.
Before you choose
- Phone is unlocked. A phone locked to your carrier will not accept a foreign SIM or some eSIMs. Ask your carrier, or check in the phone settings, before you fly.
- Phone supports eSIM. Many recent phones do, many older and budget ones do not. Look in the phone settings for an Add eSIM option, or check the maker's spec page.
- Hotspot allowed on the plan. Some plans and day passes block or limit tethering. Read the plan terms if you want to share data with a laptop or another phone.
- Dual SIM: keep your home number. A phone that takes a physical SIM plus an eSIM, or two eSIMs, lets you keep your home line for texts and bank codes while using cheap local data.
- Install the eSIM before you fly. Most eSIMs install over wifi with a QR code or app. Do it at home, then switch it on when you land.
- Turn off data roaming for your home line. When you use another SIM for data, switch roaming off on your home line so it cannot quietly bill you.
- Keep an offline backup. Download offline maps and your tickets so a failed connection on arrival is not a problem.