eSIM guide · Budget travel
Cheap eSIM for Budget Travel
A cheap eSIM for travel is a prepaid data plan that matches your trip, bought before you fly. You choose only the data and days you need, and one regional plan can cover several countries. The plan never renews, so nothing bills you later. Pick a HelloRoam plan for any of 185+ destinations and install it at home over Wi-Fi.
Plans from $1.03 · 1GB, 7 days
Cheap travel eSIM key facts From our plan list and 3 US carriers; markers link to sources
- Travel eSIM billing
- Once, when you buy it. Nothing renews, and a top-up is a new purchase you choose
- Price per GB, from
- $0.65, on 50GB, 30 days. No 30-day plan for a place in our table costs less per GB
- Regional travel eSIM plan
- 1 eSIM, across every country the plan lists
- Travel eSIM monthly contract
- None, prepaid, with no daily charge
- HelloRoam covers
- 185+ destinations, 212+ networks
Three choices set what you pay for travel data
Your travel data bill depends on how much data you buy, how many borders you cross and how the plan bills.
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
Buy the data your trip needs
A plan sized for maps, messages and bookings costs less than a big one you never finish. You can estimate how much data your trip needs first. If you run short, add data to a plan that takes top-ups, or buy another plan.
Use one regional plan for several countries
A regional plan works across the borders it covers. On a trip through several countries, that means one purchase and one install, not a new plan at each stop.
Pay once, with nothing to renew
A prepaid plan has no monthly contract and no daily charge. You see the full price before you pay, and no bill follows the trip.
Travel eSIM prices per GB, by destination and region
Pick the smallest plan that covers your trip. Then compare the price per GB of plans you would use up, to see when a bigger plan costs little more. For each trip length, the table shows the plan that costs least for light use. A light week needs 2.6 GB: our calculator's estimate plus 20% for busy days, rounded up.
Three plan types
- Country plan
- Best for: one country. Coverage: Local networks in a single country. Features: Pick a plan size. Each one lists its days. Your home SIM keeps your number.
- Regional plan
- Best for: several countries. Coverage: Every country the plan lists, on one eSIM. Features: No new plan at each border.
- Global plan
- Best for: trips across regions. Coverage: 127 destinations in several regions, each listed on the plan. Features: One purchase for a long route. It usually costs more per GB than a country plan, so pick it when your route crosses regions.
| Thailand plans | $3.49 1GB, 7 days | $4.99 3GB, 30 days | $9.97 10GB, 30 days | $15.99 20GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $0.80 20GB, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam plans | $3.49 1GB, 7 days | $7.49 3GB, 30 days | $19.31 10GB, 30 days | $27.49 20GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $1.37 20GB, 30 days |
| Indonesia plans | $3.49 Unlimited data, 1 day | $7.99 3GB, 30 days | $19.49 10GB, 30 days | $31.49 20GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $0.84 50GB, 30 days |
| Turkey plans | $3.49 1GB, 7 days | $5.49 3GB, 30 days | $10.69 10GB, 30 days | $18.82 20GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $0.65 50GB, 30 days |
| Mexico plans | $3.37 Unlimited data, 1 day | $8.59 3GB, 30 days | $24.59 10GB, 30 days | $37.02 20GB, 30 days | Your carrier's own rates apply | $1.85 20GB, 30 days |
| India plans | $4.74 1GB, 7 days | $10.88 3GB, 30 days | $27.31 10GB, 30 days | $48.35 20GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $2.42 20GB, 30 days |
| Asia regional plan | $6.48 1GB, 7 days | $16.56 3GB, 30 days | $41.40 10GB, 30 days | $72.00 20GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $3.60 20GB, 30 days |
| Europe regional plan | $3.82 Unlimited data, 1 day | $9.99 3GB, 30 days | $26.99 10GB, 30 days | $42.99 20GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $2.15 20GB, 30 days |
| Global plan, 127 destinations | $13.68 1GB, 7 days | $34.92 3GB, 30 days | $95.76 10GB, 30 days | $50 T-Mobile | $9.58 10GB, 30 days |
Open a destination to see every plan size, its days and its price.
Choose a destination8 terms you meet when you compare travel data prices
- Data-only plan (data, no number)
- A plan with mobile data and no phone number. Your home SIM keeps your number for calls and texts.
- Prepaid plan (pay first)
- You pay first, and it stops when its days or its data are used up.
- Regional plan (one plan, several countries)
- A plan for a group of countries, so you cross borders without a new eSIM.
- Price per GB (cost of 1 GB)
- The plan price divided by its gigabytes. It is a fair test only between plans you would use up.
- Validity (days a plan lasts)
- How many days a plan runs. The days start when your phone first connects to a network at your destination, not when you buy. When they run out, the plan ends, even with data left.
- Top-up (more data in the app)
- More data, added in our app to the eSIM you already have, before it expires. If a plan cannot take more, you buy another plan.
- Day pass (carrier roaming add-on)
- A charge on your home plan for each 24-hour period you use your phone in a country the pass covers.(1)(2)
- Unlimited plan (priced by the day)
- A plan you buy by the number of days, not by the gigabyte. Fair-use terms apply.
A roaming day pass bills each day you use it, while a prepaid eSIM bills once
A day pass charges for each 24-hour period you use your phone in a country it covers.(1)(2) A prepaid eSIM charges once, when you buy it, then stops.
Roaming day pass A fee on each day you use it
Before you fly, no fee Day 1, $12 Day 2, $12 Day 3, $12 Day 4, $12 Day 5, $12
Prepaid travel eSIM One payment, made before you fly
Before you fly, paid once Day 1, no fee Day 2, no fee Day 3, no fee Day 4, no fee Day 5, no feeA day pass starts the first time your phone uses data in a country the pass covers.(2) Sending a text, or making or taking a call, starts it too.(2) Each new day of use adds a new charge, however little data you use.(1)
Verizon includes roaming in Canada and Mexico with its Simplicity and Unlimited plans.(1) If you hold one of those plans, check what it covers before you buy anything.
To keep data off your home line on iPhone, set the travel eSIM as your cellular data line and leave Allow Cellular Data Switching off.(4) Making or answering a call, or sending a text, on your home line can still start a day pass.(1)(2)(5)
For billing, coverage and setup side by side, compare roaming and an eSIM carrier by carrier.
Cellular Data
| Carrier | Roaming product | Price | How it bills | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | International Day Pass | $12 a day | A 24-hour period starts the first time you use data, text or call in an included destination. A daily fee applies only on those days.(2) | |
| Verizon | TravelPass | $12 a day | A 24-hour session starts when you call, text or use data in a TravelPass country. You pay only on days you use it.(1) Each session has a high-speed data cap, then data slows to 3G.(1) Background data, such as app refresh or email sync, can start a session.(11) | |
| T-Mobile | International Pass | $50 for 10 days | One payment covers the whole pass, with high-speed data and unlimited calling.(12) You choose how many days the pass runs, and you need a qualifying plan.(12) Many of its plans already include some high-speed data abroad, so check yours before you buy a pass.(12) |
Carrier prices change. Before you buy a pass, check its price on the carrier's own page: each name in the table links there.
7 days in Thailand: what a day pass costs next to our plans
Say you spend 7 days in Thailand. AT&T's day pass costs $84 for those days, and Verizon's TravelPass costs $84. The International Pass in the table costs $50 for 10 days. In Thailand, a week on our plans costs $3.49 (1GB, 7 days), or $4.99 (3GB, 30 days) if you want enough for light use every day.
Other ways to get data abroad, and when each one fits
A local SIM, an airport kiosk, pocket Wi-Fi or free Wi-Fi may fit your trip better. Compare what each one costs for your days and data, and what each one asks of you. If you want the basics first, see how a travel eSIM works.
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Local carrier plan
A local plan comes from one country's carrier, as a SIM card or, with many carriers, an eSIM.(5) A SIM card is one you collect, carry and swap in yourself, or wait for by mail.(5) The carrier 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 plan in person at an airport kiosk after you land.(5) It is a local carrier's plan for that country. Compare its price for your data and days with a plan you buy before you fly and set up at home.
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Pocket Wi-Fi rental
A pocket Wi-Fi is a small router you rent that shares its data over Wi-Fi with several phones. You carry it, keep it charged and return it when the rental ends, so it suits people who travel together.
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Free Wi-Fi only
Free Wi-Fi at your hotel or a cafe adds nothing to your bill. It does not reach you on the street when you need maps or a ride booking, so keep a small data plan for those.
Travel eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi, side by side
| What changes | Travel eSIM | Pocket Wi-Fi rental |
|---|---|---|
| Where you get it | Online, before you fly, with nothing to collect | From a rental company, and you hand it back after the trip |
| Countries it covers | One country, or every country a regional plan lists, on one eSIM | The countries in the rental plan you pick |
| What you carry | Nothing extra, since the plan lives in your phone | A device you keep charged and carry all day |
| Sharing with others | Your phone's hotspot shares the plan with a partner's phone or a laptop. Our plans support hotspot sharing on phones that allow it. | Shares one data plan with several phones over Wi-Fi |
| Who it suits | Solo trips, two people sharing one plan by hotspot, and routes through several countries | Groups that stay together in one place |
Every plan is prepaid, priced up front and never renews
You see the full price of each of our plans before you pay. A plan ends when its days or data run out and never renews, so no bill follows your trip. There is no free trial and no free data.
If another provider offers a free eSIM or free data, check how much data you get and what you pay once the offer ends.
Start small and add data from the app. If a plan cannot take more data, you buy another plan.
Sign in before you buy, and each order earns credit back on the amount you pay, to use on a later plan. You earn 5% at first, rising to 10% as your total spend grows. The credit is ready to use 14 days after the order. Unused credit expires after 12 months without account activity.
If your trip changes, an eSIM you have not used can be refunded within 180 days of purchase, even once installed. Read the refund policy for the full terms.
Small data habits make a small plan last
To save money on mobile data while traveling, buy only the data you need, then cut what your apps use.
Save offline maps on hotel Wi-Fi before you need them
Google Maps lets you download an area and use it offline, though not in every country.(6) Save each city on hotel Wi-Fi before you need it. Walking and transit directions still need data, so keep a small plan for those.(6)
Cut background data with Low Data Mode or Data Saver
On iPhone, open Settings > Cellular, tap the line you use abroad and turn on Low Data Mode.(7) On Android, Data Saver lets most apps use background data only over Wi-Fi.(8)(9)
Save uploads and streaming for 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. Let video, photo backups and big uploads run on your hotel Wi-Fi.
Let app updates wait for Wi-Fi
On Android, set Google Play to update apps over Wi-Fi only, so updates wait for the hotel network.(10) On iPhone, Low Data Mode also turns off automatic App Store updates.(7)
Before you buy
- Confirm your phone takes an eSIM and is unlocked
- Estimate the data your trip needs
- Pick a regional plan if you cross borders
- Install over Wi-Fi before you fly
First, check that 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 Carrier Lock when the phone is unlocked.(5) Then set up the eSIM before you fly, so it is ready when you land.
Cheap travel eSIM questions, answered
Is there a free eSIM for travel?
HelloRoam does not offer a free eSIM, a free trial or free data. Plans are prepaid, so you see the total before checkout. Before you rely on another provider's free offer, check how much data it gives and what the next plan costs.
Which eSIM is the cheapest for travel?
Of the places in our price table, the cheapest plan costs $3.37: unlimited data in Mexico for 1 day. For your trip, the cheapest eSIM is the smallest plan that lasts all your days and holds your data. Compare price per GB only between plans you would use up. Then check if one regional plan costs less than several country plans. Fair-use terms apply to unlimited plans.
How much does an eSIM cost?
A light week in Thailand costs $4.99 on our plans, for 3GB that lasts 30 days. What you pay depends on where you go, how much data you need and for how many days. Our price table shows what a light trip of each length costs in each place. Unlimited plans charge by the day. Fair-use terms apply.
When is a local SIM card cheaper than a travel eSIM?
The cheaper choice depends on your trip, so compare what each costs for the same days and data. A local carrier's plan can suit a long stay in one country. Many come with a local number, and the carrier may ask for ID, such as a passport, at purchase.(5) A travel eSIM suits a short trip or a route through several countries. You buy it online before you fly, and one plan covers every country it lists.
More ways to travel for less
Compare our prices with Airalo's plans and Holafly's plans.
Official pages behind this guide
We cite carrier pages and Apple's and Google's own help and developer pages, never other travel eSIM sellers.
Sources 1, 2, 5, 11, and 12 read on ; sources 6, 8, and 10 on ; sources 3, 4, 7, and 9 on .
- 1
Verizon: International Plans: TravelPass
- 2
- 3
Apple Support: Set up eSIM on iPhone
- 4
Apple Support: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM
- 5
Apple Support: Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone
- 6
Google Maps Help: Download areas & navigate offline in Google Maps
- 7
Apple Support: 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
Verizon Support: TravelPass FAQs
- 12
T-Mobile: International Plans, Traveling Abroad without Roaming Fees
