Travel data does not cost the same everywhere. Across 71 countries with directly comparable single-country eSIM plans, the median price of 1 GB ranges from $0.31 (Bulgaria) to $7.28 (Maldives) โ a 23.5ร spread. The global median sits at $1.80 per GB.
This page is updated from a live catalogue rather than a one-off survey. Last recalculated 2026-09-21 from 527 plans.
Method, and what this data is not
Being explicit about scope matters more than the headline number, so:
- Source: the live Code eSIM catalogue, which resells plans from 14 network partners. Prices are retail in USD.
- Single-country plans only. Regional and global plans are excluded (306 of them) โ a per-GB figure cannot honestly be attributed to one country when the plan covers 30.
- Unlimited plans excluded (35), since they have no meaningful per-GB price.
- Median, not mean. Per-GB pricing is skewed by small 1 GB starter packs; the median describes the typical plan better.
- This is one retailer’s catalogue, not an industry-wide survey. It reflects what these 14 wholesalers charge, which tracks the underlying IOT and roaming agreements โ but a different reseller with different partners would produce somewhat different numbers.
Countries with only one qualifying plan are included but are the least reliable rows; the plan count column tells you how much weight each row carries.
Where travel data costs the most
The pattern is consistent: small island economies and countries with limited roaming agreements sit at the top.
| Country | Median $/GB | Range | Entry price | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maldives | $7.28 | $7.25 โ $8.60 | $8.60 | 3 |
| Seychelles | $5.73 | $5.02 โ $7.40 | $7.40 | 3 |
| Timor-Leste | $5.00 | $3.80 โ $6.20 | $6.20 | 2 |
| Jamaica | $4.87 | $4.57 โ $6.50 | $6.50 | 5 |
| Ethiopia | $4.79 | $3.81 โ $5.80 | $5.80 | 4 |
| Nicaragua | $4.19 | $2.24 โ $7.39 | $7.39 | 8 |
| Paraguay | $3.93 | $2.78 โ $5.79 | $5.79 | 5 |
| Madagascar | $3.83 | $3.14 โ $5.80 | $5.80 | 4 |
| Kosovo | $3.80 | $2.96 โ $5.50 | $5.50 | 5 |
| Venezuela | $3.70 | $1.68 โ $9.50 | $5.00 | 9 |
| Guatemala | $3.60 | $1.68 โ $5.79 | $5.00 | 11 |
| BN | $3.53 | $2.96 โ $5.00 | $5.00 | 5 |
| Laos | $3.50 | $3.50 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 1 |
| Bhutan | $3.48 | $2.92 โ $5.00 | $5.00 | 6 |
| Mauritius | $3.27 | $2.42 โ $5.40 | $5.00 | 11 |
Where travel data costs the least
Dense, competitive mobile markets โ much of East and Southeast Asia, plus parts of Eastern Europe โ cluster at the bottom.
| Country | Median $/GB | Range | Entry price | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | $0.31 | $0.27 โ $0.35 | $10.60 | 2 |
| Vietnam | $0.51 | $0.45 โ $0.65 | $6.50 | 4 |
| Israel | $0.57 | $0.45 โ $0.65 | $13.00 | 4 |
| South Korea | $0.57 | $0.36 โ $1.00 | $5.00 | 9 |
| Malaysia | $0.58 | $0.31 โ $1.10 | $5.50 | 7 |
| Hong Kong | $0.70 | $0.53 โ $1.50 | $4.00 | 9 |
| Japan | $0.73 | $0.54 โ $2.20 | $5.30 | 21 |
| Turkey | $0.73 | $0.48 โ $1.95 | $3.80 | 13 |
| Cambodia | $0.75 | $0.66 โ $1.10 | $5.50 | 4 |
| Greece | $0.80 | $0.67 โ $2.20 | $4.40 | 5 |
| Singapore | $0.81 | $0.54 โ $2.20 | $3.80 | 12 |
| Thailand | $0.83 | $0.59 โ $1.33 | $4.00 | 4 |
| Indonesia | $0.84 | $0.46 โ $3.80 | $3.80 | 15 |
| Macao | $0.90 | $0.59 โ $1.33 | $4.00 | 4 |
| China | $0.93 | $0.54 โ $2.47 | $3.50 | 17 |
Why the spread is so wide
A 23.5ร difference is not arbitrary pricing. Four things drive most of it:
- Wholesale roaming rates. Every travel eSIM ultimately buys capacity from a local carrier. Where few carriers compete, or where the market is small, wholesale rates stay high โ and that flows straight through to retail.
- Island geography. Maldives, the Maldives and Seychelles all sit near the top. Limited terrestrial backhaul makes capacity structurally expensive.
- Market density. Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore have several national networks competing for the same subscribers, which pushes wholesale rates down.
- Plan size mix. Countries whose catalogue is mostly small 1โ3 GB packs show a higher per-GB median, because per-GB price falls as plan size rises almost everywhere.
That last point is the practical takeaway for travellers: within any single country, buying a larger plan almost always lowers your per-GB cost โ often by half between a 1 GB and a 20 GB plan. The range column above shows how wide that gap is per country.
Full index: 71 countries
Sorted alphabetically. “Entry price” is the cheapest plan available for that destination at any size.
| Country | Median $/GB | Range | Entry price | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | $2.79 | $1.90 โ $4.00 | $4.00 | 6 |
| Armenia | $1.30 | $0.91 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 5 |
| Australia | $0.97 | $0.53 โ $3.30 | $3.30 | 14 |
| Azerbaijan | $2.06 | $1.66 โ $3.70 | $3.70 | 5 |
| BN | $3.53 | $2.96 โ $5.00 | $5.00 | 5 |
| Bahrain | $1.80 | $1.12 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 6 |
| Bangladesh | $1.15 | $0.77 โ $2.10 | $4.19 | 4 |
| Bhutan | $3.48 | $2.92 โ $5.00 | $5.00 | 6 |
| Brazil | $2.12 | $1.29 โ $4.00 | $3.50 | 9 |
| Bulgaria | $0.31 | $0.27 โ $0.35 | $10.60 | 2 |
| Cambodia | $0.75 | $0.66 โ $1.10 | $5.50 | 4 |
| Canada | $1.18 | $1.18 โ $1.18 | $29.56 | 1 |
| China | $0.93 | $0.54 โ $2.47 | $3.50 | 17 |
| Colombia | $2.80 | $1.97 โ $4.59 | $4.59 | 6 |
| Costa Rica | $1.23 | $0.72 โ $4.19 | $4.19 | 6 |
| Dominican Republic | $2.80 | $1.57 โ $5.80 | $4.99 | 12 |
| Ecuador | $2.80 | $1.68 โ $4.60 | $4.60 | 6 |
| Egypt | $1.16 | $0.91 โ $3.00 | $3.00 | 9 |
| Ethiopia | $4.79 | $3.81 โ $5.80 | $5.80 | 4 |
| Georgia | $1.72 | $1.19 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 5 |
| Ghana | $2.80 | $1.68 โ $4.80 | $4.80 | 6 |
| Greece | $0.80 | $0.67 โ $2.20 | $4.40 | 5 |
| Greenland | $3.02 | $2.73 โ $3.30 | $6.60 | 2 |
| Guatemala | $3.60 | $1.68 โ $5.79 | $5.00 | 11 |
| Hong Kong | $0.70 | $0.53 โ $1.50 | $4.00 | 9 |
| Iceland | $1.44 | $0.90 โ $2.00 | $4.00 | 4 |
| India | $1.59 | $1.04 โ $3.80 | $3.20 | 14 |
| Indonesia | $0.84 | $0.46 โ $3.80 | $3.80 | 15 |
| Israel | $0.57 | $0.45 โ $0.65 | $13.00 | 4 |
| Jamaica | $4.87 | $4.57 โ $6.50 | $6.50 | 5 |
| Japan | $0.73 | $0.54 โ $2.20 | $5.30 | 21 |
| Jordan | $1.77 | $1.12 โ $3.79 | $3.79 | 6 |
| Kosovo | $3.80 | $2.96 โ $5.50 | $5.50 | 5 |
| Kuwait | $1.80 | $1.19 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 5 |
| Laos | $3.50 | $3.50 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 1 |
| Macao | $0.90 | $0.59 โ $1.33 | $4.00 | 4 |
| Madagascar | $3.83 | $3.14 โ $5.80 | $5.80 | 4 |
| Malaysia | $0.58 | $0.31 โ $1.10 | $5.50 | 7 |
| Maldives | $7.28 | $7.25 โ $8.60 | $8.60 | 3 |
| Mauritius | $3.27 | $2.42 โ $5.40 | $5.00 | 11 |
| Mexico | $2.90 | $1.43 โ $5.50 | $4.00 | 10 |
| Monaco | $1.79 | $1.22 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 4 |
| Mongolia | $1.43 | $0.90 โ $1.93 | $5.80 | 4 |
| Morocco | $2.08 | $0.90 โ $4.19 | $3.20 | 18 |
| Nepal | $2.20 | $1.61 โ $4.20 | $4.20 | 9 |
| New Zealand | $1.32 | $0.95 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 5 |
| Nicaragua | $4.19 | $2.24 โ $7.39 | $7.39 | 8 |
| Oman | $2.60 | $1.80 โ $4.00 | $3.80 | 7 |
| Pakistan | $1.22 | $0.86 โ $3.90 | $3.90 | 5 |
| Panama | $3.09 | $1.93 โ $5.39 | $5.39 | 6 |
| Paraguay | $3.93 | $2.78 โ $5.79 | $5.79 | 5 |
| Peru | $2.76 | $1.66 โ $4.59 | $4.59 | 6 |
| Philippines | $1.29 | $0.66 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 15 |
| Qatar | $2.12 | $1.66 โ $4.00 | $3.80 | 9 |
| Saudi Arabia | $2.34 | $0.98 โ $4.19 | $3.50 | 24 |
| Seychelles | $5.73 | $5.02 โ $7.40 | $7.40 | 3 |
| Singapore | $0.81 | $0.54 โ $2.20 | $3.80 | 12 |
| South Africa | $2.14 | $1.71 โ $3.50 | $3.50 | 5 |
| South Korea | $0.57 | $0.36 โ $1.00 | $5.00 | 9 |
| Sri Lanka | $1.40 | $1.19 โ $3.20 | $3.20 | 5 |
| Taiwan | $1.64 | $0.36 โ $3.70 | $3.70 | 6 |
| Tajikistan | $2.80 | $2.06 โ $4.00 | $4.00 | 4 |
| Tanzania | $2.80 | $2.24 โ $4.50 | $4.50 | 4 |
| Thailand | $0.83 | $0.59 โ $1.33 | $4.00 | 4 |
| Timor-Leste | $5.00 | $3.80 โ $6.20 | $6.20 | 2 |
| Turkey | $0.73 | $0.48 โ $1.95 | $3.80 | 13 |
| United Arab Emirates | $2.14 | $1.52 โ $3.74 | $3.50 | 16 |
| United Kingdom | $1.39 | $0.39 โ $4.59 | $4.59 | 6 |
| United States | $1.54 | $0.63 โ $4.80 | $4.19 | 16 |
| Venezuela | $3.70 | $1.68 โ $9.50 | $5.00 | 9 |
| Vietnam | $0.51 | $0.45 โ $0.65 | $6.50 | 4 |
Citing this data
You are welcome to cite, quote or reproduce these figures โ in articles, research, comparison posts or videos โ provided you credit Code eSIM and link to this page (https://codeesim.com/travel-esim-price-index/). No permission request needed.
If you need the underlying numbers in machine-readable form, or a cut we have not published (per-region breakdowns, price history, plan-size curves), email [email protected] and we will send it.
Suggested citation:
Code eSIM, Travel eSIM Price Index, 2026-09-21. 527 single-country plans across 71 countries. https://codeesim.com/travel-esim-price-index/
FAQ
Which country has the most expensive travel eSIM data?
Of the 71 countries in this index, Maldives has the highest median price at $7.28 per GB. Small island destinations such as the Maldives and Seychelles are close behind, driven by limited backhaul capacity and few competing carriers.
Which country has the cheapest travel eSIM data?
Bulgaria has the lowest median at $0.31 per GB. Vietnam, Israel, South Korea and Malaysia also sit below $0.60 per GB โ all markets with several competing national networks.
What is a normal price for travel eSIM data?
The global median across this index is $1.80 per GB. Anything under $1 per GB is competitive; above $4 per GB usually reflects a structurally expensive market rather than an overpriced plan.
Does buying a bigger plan lower the price per GB?
Almost always, and often steeply. Comparing the smallest and largest plan for the same destination typically halves the per-GB cost. If your trip is longer than a few days, the larger plan is usually better value even if you do not use all of it.
How often is this index updated?
It is recalculated directly from the live catalogue rather than maintained by hand. The date at the top of this page is the last recalculation.
Why are some countries missing?
A country only appears if it has at least one single-country plan with a stated data allowance. Destinations that we serve only through regional or global plans are excluded by design โ attributing a per-GB price to one country from a 30-country plan would be misleading.
Browse plans by destination
The country names above link to their plan pages where available. You can also browse all destinations, or start with Japan, United States, Europe or China.