About 1 GB of data a day is enough for most travelers, so the travel eSIM to buy depends mostly on how long you are away. On 27 October 2026, the cheapest plan at Code eSIM with that much data cost $4.99 to $11.99 for a one-week trip and $8.75 to $27.59 for two weeks, across 10 popular destinations; only Mexico cost more than $7.80 for a week or $11.50 for two weeks. For 5 days in the USA it was $5.80, and for 10 days in France, Italy and Spain $6.49.
Below is the cheapest suitable plan for each trip length in the USA, France, Italy and Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey and Mexico; how much data each trip needs; and what to check besides the price. Prices are in US dollars and come from our own catalogue. We have not run speed tests.
- 5 days: $3.99 to $9.79.
- 1 week: $4.99 to $11.99.
- 10 days: $6.20 to $15.39.
- 2 weeks: $8.75 to $27.59.
- 1 month: $9.52 to $27.59.
- Cheapest: Europe for 5 days and a week, South Korea for 10 days and two weeks, Turkey for a month. Most expensive: Mexico, at every length.
How much data each trip needs
Our data guide puts a standard tourist, using maps, messaging, social media, photos and ride-hailing, at 500 MB to 1 GB a day. We priced 1 GB a day for trips up to two weeks, and 20 GB for a month, the low end of the 20 to 30 GB the guide suggests for a standard tourist.
| Trip | Data we priced | Light user (maps, messages, email) | Heavy user (video, video calls, hotspot) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 5 GB | 1 to 2 GB | 10 to 15 GB |
| 1 week | 7 GB | 2 to 3 GB | 15 to 20 GB |
| 10 days | 10 GB | 2 to 3 GB | 20 to 30 GB |
| 2 weeks | 15 GB | 4 to 5 GB | 30 to 40 GB |
| 1 month | 20 GB | 8 to 10 GB | 50 GB or unlimited |
The 1-week, 2-week and 1-month ranges come from the guide; the 5- and 10-day rows apply its daily figures. Video in any form is what moves you from one column to the next.
Cheapest plan by trip length in 10 destinations
Each cell is the cheapest plan we sold on 27 October 2026 with at least the data in the column heading and validity for the whole trip. Day passes count when their length matches the trip, since a pass gives 1 GB a day; that includes regional passes that cover the destination. Plans with a phone number, unlimited plans and global plans are left out. Where a day pass and a fixed plan cost the same, both are shown.
| Destination | 5 days (5 GB) | 1 week (7 GB) | 10 days (10 GB) | 2 weeks (15 GB) | 1 month (20 GB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | $5.80 5 GB, 30 days or 5-day pass |
$7.80 7 GB, 30 days or 7-day pass |
$9.00 10 GB, 30 days |
$11.50 15 GB, 30 days |
$15.60 20 GB, 30 days |
| France, Italy and Spain | $3.99 5-day pass, Europe 33 countries |
$4.99 7-day pass, Europe 33 countries |
$6.49 10 GB, 10 days, Europe 33 countries or 10-day pass, Europe 33 countries |
$10.49 20 GB, 15 days, Europe 33 countries |
$10.49 20 GB, 30 days, Europe 33 countries |
| United Kingdom | $3.99 5-day pass, Europe 33 countries |
$4.99 7-day pass, Europe 33 countries |
$6.49 10 GB, 10 days, Europe 33 countries or 10-day pass, Europe 33 countries |
$10.49 20 GB, 15 days, Europe 33 countries |
$10.49 20 GB, 30 days, Europe 33 countries |
| Japan | $4.19 5 GB, 5 days |
$5.89 7-day pass |
$6.39 10 GB, 10 days |
$10.60 15 GB, 30 days |
$11.80 20 GB, 30 days |
| South Korea | $5.00 5 GB, 30 days |
$6.20 10 GB, 15 days |
$6.20 10 GB, 15 days |
$8.75 15 GB, 30 days |
$10.90 30 GB, 30 days |
| Mainland China | $5.50 5 GB, 30 days or 5-day pass |
$6.49 7-day pass |
$8.00 10 GB, 30 days or 10-day pass |
$10.85 15 GB, 30 days |
$12.00 20 GB, 30 days |
| Thailand | $4.45 5 GB, 15 days |
$5.59 7-day pass |
$6.45 10 GB, 15 days |
$10.05 20 GB, 30 days |
$10.05 20 GB, 30 days |
| Vietnam | $6.75 10 GB, 15 days |
$6.75 10 GB, 15 days |
$6.75 10 GB, 15 days |
$11.25 20 GB, 30 days |
$11.25 20 GB, 30 days |
| Turkey | $4.20 5 GB, 30 days or 5-day pass |
$5.09 7-day pass |
$6.45 10 GB, 30 days or 10-day pass |
$9.52 20 GB, 30 days |
$9.52 20 GB, 30 days |
| Mexico | $9.79 5 GB, 30 days, North America or 5-day pass |
$11.99 7-day pass |
$15.39 10 GB, 30 days, North America or 10-day pass |
$27.59 20 GB, 30 days, North America |
$27.59 20 GB, 30 days, North America |
A few things the prices do not show:
- Europe. Every pick for France, Italy, Spain and the UK is a Europe 33 plan or pass. It covers 33 countries, Switzerland among them, but not Poland, even though its data exits in Poland. Its days are calendar days that end at midnight UTC+0, which is 1 am or 2 am in France. For two weeks or a month, 20 GB costs $10.49 for 15 days and the same for 30.
- Mexico. The cheapest fixed plans with Mexico are North America plans, and their plan pages say coverage in Mexico is weak outside the main cities. A Mexico-only plan with 5 GB cost $10.60. The Mexico day pass also works in Canada and the United States.
- No top-up. The Japan plans and passes in the table, the Thailand fixed plans, the 15 GB China plan and the 20 GB Vietnam plan cannot be topped up, so buy a size with some margin.
- Vietnam. The smallest Vietnam plan is 10 GB for 15 days, $6.75, so it is the pick for 5 days, a week and 10 days alike. It lists Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone, starts on first data use, can be topped up, and exits in Hong Kong. The 20 GB plan for longer trips runs on VinaPhone, starts on first network connection and cannot be topped up, and its plan page says usage must start within 30 days of purchase.
5 days in the USA: the best-value options
For a 5-day trip with about 1 GB a day, two options cost the same, $5.80 on 27 October 2026:
- USA 5-day pass, $5.80. 1 GB of high-speed data a day, then 512 kbps until the next reset, so you are not cut off. It also works in Canada, and data exits in Poland. A day is a calendar day on UTC+0, which ends at 7 pm or 8 pm in New York; start using data just after that time to get a full first day.
- NextLink USA 5 GB for 30 days, $5.80. 5 GB to use as you like over 30 days. The plan page lists T-Mobile in the USA, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands; data exits in the USA, it can be topped up, and it does not work in Alaska.
- If you need more: 10 GB for 30 days costs $9.00, and for heavy use unlimited data for 5 days costs $23.92, with 30 GB at full speed and 2 Mbps after that; it cannot be topped up.
Our USA eSIM guide compares every USA plan, and our unlimited USA guide the unlimited ones.
10 days in France, Italy and Spain
One eSIM covers all three countries; you do not need three. Two options cost the same, $6.49 on 27 October 2026:
- Europe 33 countries, 10 GB for 10 days, $6.49. 10 GB to use as you like in 33 countries, with no speed cap listed. Data exits in Poland, and it can be topped up.
- Europe 33 countries 10-day pass, $6.49. 1 GB a day, then 512 kbps until the allowance resets at midnight UTC+0. Same 33 countries, same exit, and it can be topped up too.
Choose the 10 GB plan if you will use more data on some days, such as long train journeys, and the pass if you want data that keeps working after the daily gigabyte. If you want 30 days to use the data, 10 GB for 30 days costs $6.99; if Poland is on your route, eSIMGo’s Europe 10 GB plan, $7.54, lists it. Our Europe 33 and 41 countries page lists every size and pass, and our Europe eSIM guide and cheapest Europe eSIM comparison cover the other Europe plans.
A one- or two-week trip: what it costs
For a week, the cheapest plan with about 1 GB a day cost $4.99 in France, Italy, Spain and the UK, with a Europe 33 pass, and $7.80 or less everywhere except Mexico, at $11.99. For two weeks, with 15 GB, prices ran from $8.75 in South Korea to $11.50 in the USA, and $27.59 in Mexico. So for a 7- to 14-day trip, a travel eSIM with enough data for a standard tourist cost about $5 to $12 in most of these destinations, and more in Mexico. Our guide to what a travel eSIM costs breaks prices down by data size and destination.
A month or longer
With 20 GB, a month cost $9.52 in Turkey to $15.60 in the USA, and $27.59 in Mexico. 682 of the 1,409 plans in our catalogue last 30 days, so a 30-day plan is also the normal choice for a shorter trip: you are paying for the data, not the days. For trips longer than a month, see our guide to long-term Europe eSIMs; if you need more than 20 GB, compare the unlimited plans in our Japan and USA unlimited guides.
Day pass or fixed plan for the same trip?
In the eight destinations here where we sell day passes, a 7-day pass was the cheapest way to get about 7 GB for a week, or level with the cheapest. For 5 and 10 days the pass usually cost the same as the cheapest fixed plan with the same data; in Europe the 5-day pass cost less, and in Japan and Thailand the 5 GB and 10 GB plans did. The pass gives 1 GB a day and keeps working at a lower speed after that; the fixed plan lets you use the data on any day, and often lasts longer. Our eSIM day pass guide explains how each pass counts a day.
When the days start
Of the 1,409 plans in our catalogue on 27 October 2026, 1,364 start on first data use, 8 on first network connection and 37 when the eSIM is installed. Every plan in the table above starts on first data use, apart from the 20 GB Vietnam plan, which starts on first network connection. Plans that start on first use can be installed before you fly; keep the eSIM’s data line switched off until you land. Install a plan that starts on installation only when you are ready to use it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a travel eSIM cost for a week?
On 27 October 2026 the cheapest plan at Code eSIM with about 1 GB a day for a week cost $4.99 in France, Italy, Spain and the UK, with a Europe 33 pass, to $11.99 in Mexico, and $7.80 or less in every other destination we compared, including the USA and Japan.
How much does a travel eSIM cost for two weeks?
With 15 GB, about 1 GB a day, the cheapest plan cost $8.75 in South Korea to $11.50 in the USA, and $27.59 in Mexico, on 27 October 2026.
What is the best value eSIM for 5 days in the USA?
On 27 October 2026, two options cost $5.80: our USA 5-day pass, with 1 GB a day that keeps working at 512 kbps after that and also covers Canada, and NextLink’s USA 5 GB plan, valid 30 days, which lists T-Mobile. For more data, 10 GB for 30 days cost $9.00.
Which eSIM is best for a 10-day trip to France, Italy and Spain?
One plan covers all three. On 27 October 2026 the cheapest options were our Europe 33 countries plan with 10 GB for 10 days and the Europe 33 countries 10-day pass, both at $6.49. They cover 33 European countries, but not Poland.
How much data do I need for a 2-week trip?
For a standard tourist, 10 to 15 GB: maps, messaging, social media and photos come to 500 MB to 1 GB a day. A light user needs 4 to 5 GB, and a heavy user, with video and video calls, 30 to 40 GB.
Should I buy a 30-day plan for a 1-week trip?
Usually, yes. 682 of our 1,409 plans last 30 days, so what you are really choosing is the amount of data: about 5 to 10 GB for a week for a standard tourist. A 7-day pass is the alternative if you use about 1 GB a day.
Is a day pass or a fixed plan better for a week?
If you use about 1 GB a day, a 7-day pass was the cheapest option, or level with the cheapest, in every destination here where we sell one, from $4.99 for the Europe 33 countries pass. If your use is uneven, or you want data left for later, a fixed plan with 10 GB lets you use it on any day.
Count the days, allow about 1 GB for each, and then compare prices. In every destination here, a week of data cost less than one $12 day of Verizon or AT&T roaming did on 1 October 2026; our carrier comparison has the details. Check the coverage, top-up and start rules on the plan page before you buy.
Last reviewed 27 October 2026; first published 19 October 2026. Prices, data, validity, start rules, top-up and coverage notes come from our catalogue and plan pages on 27 October; product pages are authoritative. Data needs come from our own data guide. Carrier prices are from Verizon’s and AT&T’s own pages on 1 October 2026. We have not tested speeds or coverage. eSIMGo, NextLink, Sparks, TSimTech, Three, Viettel, VinaPhone, MobiFone, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T are trademarks of their owners; this article is independent of them.