In short: where eSIMs are cheapest
Lowest price per GB by destination on 12 November 2026: Turkey: Vodafone Travel eSIM (€0.29/GB) · USA: Vodafone Travel eSIM (€0.39/GB) · Egypt: Vodafone Travel eSIM (€0.82/GB) · Japan: Simbye (€0.88/GB) · Thailand: Airalo (€0.51/GB). If you stream a lot or run your laptop via hotspot, also compare the unlimited packages; if you only need maps and messaging, 1–3 GB per week is enough.
Prices vary widely by country – a provider that leads in Turkey can be expensive in Japan. That is why each country has its own page listing all packages.
What is a travel eSIM?
An eSIM is a SIM built into the phone onto which a plan is loaded digitally – via QR code or app, without a plastic card. Travel eSIM providers sell data packages for individual countries or regions that run over roaming agreements with local network operators. Your home SIM stays in the phone and reachable for calls and texts; mobile data runs through the travel eSIM.
This is particularly worthwhile outside the EU: in countries such as Turkey, the USA, Egypt, Japan or Thailand the EU roaming rule does not apply, and German plans charge for data there via separate roaming options.
How we compare: price per GB
We divide the package price by the data volume and take, for each provider and country, the package with the lowest price per GB. Larger packages are almost always cheaper per GB – so the country pages also show what a package with 1, 3, 5, 10 or 20 GB costs. Unlimited packages cannot be priced per GB; we compare them by price per day.
All prices come from the providers' shop pages, in euros incl. VAT, without discount codes (as of 12 November 2026). The order is based on price per GB, not on commissions.
What matters besides price
- Network: some providers name the network used in the destination, others choose automatically. In large countries (USA, Japan) a provider that can use several networks is worthwhile.
- Hotspot: not every plan allows sharing the connection with a laptop or tablet.
- Validity: packages last 1 to 30 days, sometimes longer. A package that is too short gets expensive if you have to buy more.
- Top-ups: handy if the data runs out – the eSIM stays installed.
- Phone number: most travel eSIMs are data-only. Calls go via messenger apps.
Does my phone support eSIM?
eSIM is supported by iPhones from XS/XR, Google Pixel from Pixel 3 and many current Samsung Galaxy models; with other manufacturers it depends on the model. Two conditions: the phone must support eSIM and must not be carrier-locked. You can check in the settings – if “Add eSIM” is offered, you are fine. Alternatively, the code *#06# shows an EID if an eSIM is built in.