eSIM guide · Budget trips from NZ
Cheap Travel eSIM for Budget Trips Overseas
A cheap travel eSIM is a prepaid data plan sized to your trip, bought before you leave New Zealand. You pay once for the data and days you choose. A regional plan covers each country it lists. It never renews and has no daily fee, unlike NZ daily roaming. Pick from HelloRoam's 185+ destinations and install before you fly.
Prices start from NZ$1.77 · 1GB for 7 days
Cheap travel eSIM key facts From our plan list and 3 NZ providers; each marker links to its source
- A travel eSIM bills
- Once, at checkout. It never renews, and any top-up is a fresh purchase you choose to make
- Our price per GB, from
- NZ$1.05, on 50GB for 30 days. No 30-day plan for a place in our table comes in cheaper per GB
- With a regional plan you need
- 1 eSIM, across all the countries it lists
- Contract with a travel eSIM
- None, it is prepaid, with no monthly bill
- HelloRoam reaches
- 185+ destinations, 212+ networks
Three decisions set what your travel data costs
You control most of what travel data costs. Size the plan to your trip, match it to your route and pay one price upfront.
First stop Plan connects
Border crossing No new plan
Next country Same eSIM works
Lines on this phone
Your phone Every line in one list
Size the plan to the data you'll use
A bigger plan costs more, so size yours before you pay. Use our data usage calculator to add up what your apps need each day. If you run short, some plans take a top-up in our app. Not every plan does, so pick the right size first.
Match the plan to your route
A country plan suits a trip to one place, like a week in Fiji. Crossing borders? A regional plan covers every country on its list, so you don't buy data again at each stop.
Pay once, with nothing to cancel
All our plans are prepaid. You see the full price before you pay, and the plan ends when its days or data run out. No bill follows.
Per-GB travel eSIM prices, by destination and region
Start with the smallest plan that covers your trip. Then compare the price per GB of plans you'd use up, to see when a bigger plan costs only a little more. For each trip length, the table shows the plan that costs least for light use. A light week needs 3.9 GB: our calculator's estimate plus 20% for busy days, rounded up.
Three plan types
- Country plan
- Best for: a single country. Coverage: Local networks in that one country. Features: Pick a plan size, and each one lists its days. Your NZ SIM keeps your number.
- Regional plan
- Best for: a multi-country trip. Coverage: Each country on the plan's list. Features: One eSIM for the whole route.
- Global plan
- Best for: a trip across regions. Coverage: 127 destinations across several regions, each one listed on the plan. Features: One purchase for a long route. It usually costs more per GB than a country plan, so choose it when your trip crosses regions.
| Australia plans | NZ$5.99 1GB for 7 days | NZ$16.29 5GB for 30 days | NZ$27.45 10GB for 30 days | NZ$48.94 20GB for 30 days | NZ$1.23 50GB for 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiji plans | NZ$11.14 1GB for 7 days | NZ$46.33 5GB for 30 days | NZ$75.51 10GB for 30 days | NZ$88.72 20GB for 30 days | NZ$4.44 20GB for 30 days |
| Indonesia plans | NZ$5.99 Unlimited data for 1 day | NZ$21.44 5GB for 30 days | NZ$33.46 10GB for 30 days | NZ$54.06 20GB for 30 days | NZ$1.44 50GB for 30 days |
| Thailand plans | NZ$5.99 1GB for 7 days | NZ$12.00 5GB for 30 days | NZ$17.11 10GB for 30 days | NZ$27.45 20GB for 30 days | NZ$1.37 20GB for 30 days |
| Japan plans | NZ$5.49 Unlimited data for 1 day | NZ$16.29 5GB for 30 days | NZ$27.45 10GB for 30 days | NZ$38.61 20GB for 30 days | NZ$1.05 50GB for 30 days |
| USA plans | NZ$4.93 1GB for 7 days | NZ$17.18 5GB for 30 days | NZ$28.17 10GB for 30 days | NZ$59.16 20GB for 30 days | NZ$1.82 50GB for 30 days |
| Asia regional plan | NZ$11.12 1GB for 7 days | NZ$42.02 5GB for 30 days | NZ$71.07 10GB for 30 days | NZ$123.60 20GB for 30 days | NZ$6.18 20GB for 30 days |
| Europe regional plan | NZ$6.56 Unlimited data for 1 day | NZ$29.17 5GB for 30 days | NZ$46.33 10GB for 30 days | NZ$73.80 20GB for 30 days | NZ$3.69 20GB for 30 days |
| Global plan: 127 destinations on one eSIM | NZ$23.48 1GB for 7 days | NZ$91.46 5GB for 30 days | NZ$164.38 10GB for 30 days | NZ$16.44 10GB for 30 days |
Tap a destination to see every plan size, how long it lasts and what it costs.
Choose a destinationOff somewhere else? See plan prices for every destination.
8 price terms to know before you buy travel data
- Data-only plan (internet only, no number of its own)
- It gives you mobile data and comes without a phone number. Your NZ SIM keeps your number for calls and texts.
- Prepaid plan (paid for in advance)
- You pay the full price before you use it. The plan stops once its days or data are used up.
- Regional plan (many countries on one plan)
- One plan that works in every country on its list, such as a Europe plan.
- Price per GB (what each GB costs)
- A plan's price divided by its gigabytes. It's only a fair test between plans you'd use up in full.
- Validity (the plan's lifespan in days)
- How many days a plan runs. The days start when your phone first connects to a network where you land, not when you buy. When they run out, the plan ends, even with data left.
- Top-up (extra data, added in our app)
- More data added in our app to the eSIM you already have, before it expires. If a plan can't take more, you buy another plan.
- Daily Roaming (a fee per day used)
- A fee your NZ provider charges on each day you use your phone overseas. The day follows New Zealand time.(1)(2)
- Unlimited plan (you pick the days)
- You choose how many days you need and pay for those, not for gigabytes. Fair-use terms apply.
A daily roaming fee charges each day you use your phone, a prepaid eSIM charges once
On an NZ plan, One NZ, Spark and 2degrees charge a Daily Roaming fee on each day you use your phone overseas.(1)(2)(3) A prepaid travel eSIM charges once, before you fly.
Daily Roaming A charge for every day you use it
Before you fly, no fee Day 1, a day's fee Day 2, a day's fee Day 3, a day's fee Day 4, a day's fee Day 5, a day's fee
Prepaid travel eSIM One price, paid before the trip
Before you fly, paid once Day 1, no fee Day 2, no fee Day 3, no fee Day 4, no fee Day 5, no feeThe fee starts on the first day you use your phone overseas. With One NZ, that means making or answering a call, sending a TXT or using data.(1) 2degrees also counts a call that diverts to voicemail.(2) Both count the day in New Zealand time, not local time.(1)(2) On Spark, background data alone can start the day.(3)
Daily Roaming isn't on every plan. One NZ offers it on current Pay Monthly plans, Spark on eligible Pay Monthly plans, and 2degrees on selected Prepay and Pay Monthly plans.(1)(2)(3) Spark's isn't on Prepaid or Kids plans.(3) Outside One NZ's Daily Roaming destinations, other rates apply.(1)
With a travel eSIM, keep your NZ line off mobile data. An iPhone uses one mobile data network at a time, and Allow Mobile Data Switching lets it draw data from both lines.(4) A call on the NZ line can still start that day's fee.(1)(2)(5)
Our guide to international roaming and travel eSIMs puts NZ provider roaming and a travel eSIM side by side.
Mobile Data
| Provider | Roaming product | How it bills | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| One NZ | Daily Roaming | A daily fee on each day you make or receive a call, send a TXT or use data in a Daily Roaming destination. The day ends at midnight NZ time.(1) | |
| 2degrees | Daily Roaming | A fixed daily rate on each day you call, text or use data in its Daily Roaming destinations, on selected Prepay and Pay Monthly plans. A day runs from 00:00 to 23:59 NZ time.(2) | |
| Spark | Daily Roaming | A fee on each day you make or answer a call, text or use data, background data included, in an eligible destination. It runs on Pay Monthly plans, not on Prepaid or Kids plans.(3) |
This table names each product without its price. Daily rates change, so check the provider's page before you travel.
Other ways to get data overseas, and when each one makes sense
A prepaid plan isn't the right pick for every trip. Pocket Wi-Fi, an airport kiosk, a local provider's plan or free Wi-Fi may suit you better. Compare what each one costs for your days and data, and what it asks of you. New to eSIMs? Our guide explains what an eSIM is first.
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A plan from a local provider
A local plan comes from one country's mobile provider, and many providers sell it as an eSIM as well as a SIM card, often with a local phone number.(5) A SIM card means a shop or kiosk visit and a swap in your phone. The provider may ask to see ID, such as your passport.(5) For a long stay in one country, compare its cost for your data and days with a travel eSIM's. Then see how eSIM and SIM cards differ.
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Airport SIM kiosk
You can buy a local provider's plan in person at an airport kiosk after you land.(5) Until it's set up, you have no local data, so save your booking details before you fly. Compare its price for your data and days with a plan you buy and install at home.
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Pocket Wi-Fi rental
One small device shares a connection with several phones, so it can suit a group. You carry it, keep it charged and hand it back at the end of the trip.
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Free Wi-Fi only
Free Wi-Fi costs nothing where a cafe, hotel or airport offers it, but it ends at the door. You'll have no maps on the street, so download what you need before you head out.
A travel eSIM and pocket Wi-Fi compared
| What changes | Travel eSIM | Pocket Wi-Fi rental |
|---|---|---|
| Where you get it | Bought online from home; no pickup counter | You collect a device, then hand it back after the trip |
| Countries it covers | One country, or each country named on a regional plan | The countries your rental plan covers |
| What you carry | Nothing extra, as it sits inside your phone | An extra gadget, plus its charger |
| Sharing with your travel mates | Turn on your phone's hotspot to share the plan with a mate's phone or your laptop. Our plans allow it, as long as your phone does. | One device shares its data with several phones over Wi-Fi |
| Who it suits | Solo travellers, a couple sharing one plan by hotspot, and multi-country routes | A group that shares one connection |
Every plan shows its full price and ends on its own
You see the full price of each of our plans before you pay, tax included. A plan stops when its days or data are gone and never renews, so no bill follows your trip. We don't run a free trial or give data away.
If another provider advertises a free eSIM or free data, check how much data you get and what you pay once it runs out.
Running low mid-trip? On plans that take one, you can top up in our app and keep the same eSIM.
Sign in before you buy, and every order earns credit back on what you pay, to spend on a later plan. You start at 5%, rising to 10% as your total spend grows. The credit is ready 14 days after the order. Unused credit expires after 12 months without account activity.
Plans changed? An eSIM you haven't used can get a full refund within 180 days of purchase, even once it's installed.
Four data savers to set up on Wi-Fi before you fly
Smaller plans cost less. These four habits help a small plan go the distance, so set them up on Wi-Fi before you leave home.
Save offline maps before you leave NZ
Save the area in Google Maps while you're on Wi-Fi, and you can use it offline.(6) Offline maps can't be downloaded in some countries or regions, and walking and transit directions don't work offline.(6)
Turn on your phone's low-data setting
On iPhone, turn on Low Data Mode for your travel line to limit background network use.(7) Android's Data Saver keeps most apps' background data to Wi-Fi.(8)(9)
Hold video and backups until you're on Wi-Fi
By our data usage calculator's rates, an hour of HD video uses about 1.4 GB and an hour of maps about 10 MB. Save video, photo backups and big uploads for your hotel Wi-Fi.
Stop apps updating over mobile data
In Google Play on Android, choose to update apps over Wi-Fi only.(10) Low Data Mode on iPhone switches off automatic App Store updates and downloads.(7)
Before you buy
- Confirm your phone takes an eSIM and isn't locked to one provider
- Estimate the data your trip needs
- Pick a regional plan if you'll cross borders
- Install on Wi-Fi before you fly
First, check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked: our eSIM phone guide covers both on iPhone and Android. On iPhone, Settings > General > About shows No SIM Restrictions next to Service Provider Lock when it's unlocked.(5) Then install the eSIM before you leave, so it's ready when you land.
What NZ travellers ask about cheap travel eSIMs
Can I get eSIM data for free overseas?
HelloRoam does not offer a free eSIM, a free trial or free data. Every plan is prepaid, and the price you see at checkout is the full price. If another provider advertises free data, check how much you get and what the next plan costs. Hotel or cafe Wi-Fi costs nothing, but it stops at the door.
Who has the cheapest eSIMs?
Of the places in our price table, our cheapest plan costs NZ$4.93: 1GB in United States for 7 days. For your trip, the cheapest eSIM is the smallest plan that lasts your days and holds your data. Compare price per GB only between plans you'd use up. Fair-use terms apply to unlimited plans.
How much does a travel eSIM cost for an overseas trip?
A light week in Australia costs NZ$16.29 on our plans, for 5GB that lasts 30 days. The price moves with where you go, how much data you need and how long you're away. Unlimited plans are priced by the day. Fair-use terms apply.
Will a local SIM save me money over an eSIM overseas?
Sometimes, so compare what each costs for the same days and data. A local provider's plan can suit a long stay in one country, and many come with a local phone number.(5) The provider may ask for ID, such as your passport.(5) A travel eSIM suits a short trip or a multi-country route, and you buy it before you fly.
Guides for other kinds of trips
Weighing up other providers? Put our prices next to Airalo's plans and Holafly's plans.
Sources behind this budget guide
We cite the roaming pages of One NZ, Spark and 2degrees and the help pages of Apple and Google, never other travel eSIM sellers.
Sources 1, 2 and 6 to 10 last read , sources 3 to 5 and 11 last read .
- 1
One NZ: International Roaming to countries with a daily rate
- 2
2degrees: International Roaming
- 3
Spark: Roaming
- 4
Apple Support (NZ): Using Dual SIM with an eSIM
- 5
Apple Support (NZ): Use eSIM while travelling internationally with your iPhone
- 6
Google Maps Help: Download areas & navigate offline in Google Maps
- 7
Apple Support (NZ): Use Low Data Mode on your iPhone and iPad
- 8
Pixel Phone Help: Use less mobile data with Data Saver
- 9
Android Developers: Optimize network data usage
- 10
Google Play Help: How to update apps on Android
- 11
Apple Support (NZ): Set up eSIM on iPhone
