Getting yourself a Liberian SIM card when visiting the country will save you a lot of money, especially compared to international roaming.
Roaming can be expensive in many cases, especially in Liberia. Luckily, Liberian SIM cards are quite affordable.
You can buy a Liberian SIM card for 1 USD or 100 LRD in the official operators' official stores (LoneStar Cell MTN and Orange). You can get 1 GB of data for as low as 2 USD.
These numbers may sound intriguing, but there are many other things you need to be aware of when wanting to buy a SIM card in Liberia.
In this article, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Liberia. Let's do this.
Original publication: 5th of August 2020. Last updated: 31st of October 2021.
Table of Contents
Can You Buy a SIM Card in Liberia?
Everyone visiting or living in Liberia can buy a prepaid SIM card from either LoneStar Cell MTN or Orange Liberia without any restrictions.
You have to get your SIM card registered with your personal information, have a phone that supports Liberia's frequencies, and an unlocked decide (SIM-lock free).
Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Liberia?
Liberian SIM cards are sold in the local operators' official stores (LoneStar Cell MTN and Orange Liberia) or through Point of Sales (POS).
Suppose you somehow manage to get a SIM card through an unauthorized vendor. In that case, you still have to visit an operator store or POS to get the SIM card registered and activated because of the SIM card registration regulations in Liberia.
SIM cards are also available for purchase at Roberts International Airport (Monrovia Airport).
Here is a list of what to expect to pay for a Liberian SIM card:
- LoneStar Cell MTN: 100 LRD
- Orange Liberia: 1 USD
Can You Use Your Phone in Liberia?
Liberia uses GSM technology for mobile communication services. This means you need a GSM-supported phone to use your device in Liberia.
There is a 99% chance that your phone supports GSM anyway.
Liberia used standard European frequencies for its networks, which are used throughout Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe, and Oceania (ITU Regions 1 & 3). Phones sold in ITU Regions 1 and 3 will have no connectivity issues when in Liberia.
In the Americas (North-, Central- & South America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2), however, they use American frequencies. Those are different from European frequencies. Phones sold in ITU Region 2 may experience connectivity issues when in Liberia.
If you have a low/medium-end device without Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, there is a possibility that you cannot use your phone at all in Liberia or only older networks.
Suppose you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support. In that case, the likelihood of using your phone in Liberia without any or some hindrance is large.
Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Liberia
Liberia has two mobile network operators:
- LoneStar Cell MTN
- Orange Liberia
The following frequencies are uses by the Liberian operators:
- 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
- 3G: 2100 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)
You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.
To check whether your phone will work in Liberia, check out this page by Will My Phone Work.
Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).
If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains the hidden reason they do not want you to know.
Best SIM Card in Liberia
If you want to buy a SIM card in Liberia, then both LoneStar Cell MTN and Orange are good options. The coverage with both operators is similar, and so are the prices. However, Orange's 4G/LTE network is more extensive than the one of LoneStar Cell MTN.
SIM Card Registration in Liberia
SIM card registration with your passport information is mandatory in Liberia. This will be done at the point of sales.
Liberia Internet Prices & Insights
Mobile data in Africa can be considered to be relatively cheap compared to other regions around the world.
In Africa's case, Western Africa has, on average, lower data rates than other regions in Africa.
But how expensive is mobile data in Liberia?
The average price for 1 GB of data in Liberia is 3.25 USD, which is below the Sub-Saharan average of 5.91 USD (6.91 USD including Saint Helena). The world average is 5.03 USD.
While mobile data may seem relatively affordable in Liberia, network coverage and reception throughout the country may be disappointing to some.
Currency in Liberia
Liberia uses the Liberian Dollar with the symbol LRD and the US Dollar with the symbol USD. Liberia has been a dual-currency country for a long time.
Unfortunately, Liberia has been plagued with high inflation (especially after 2017), so the US Dollar is still actively being used in Liberia, and it is also used for prices.
The symbol USD will be used throughout this paper unless the operator lists a cost in Liberian Dollar, then LRD will be used.
If your credit/debit card charges you foreign exchange fees, get yourself a Wise Borderless Account and Debit Card.
Their fees are MUCH lower than banks, and credit card companies charge you (and Wise is transparent about their fees, unlike banks).
I have saved literal THOUSANDS of Euros, my main currency, when using Wise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards. Open a Wise account FREE!
Liberia Prepaid SIM Cards
Below, I will guide you through LoneStar Cell MTN & Orange Liberia and go through:
- Background information
- Mobile coverage
- SIM card types, prices, and availability
- Recharge / top-up information
- Combo plans, data plans, and special packs (such as social media packs)
With that being said, let’s see what Liberia has to offer to us.
LoneStar Cell MTN
LoneStar Cell MTN is the largest operator in Liberia. The company is an acquisition of MTN buying Investcom LLC, which owned LoneStar Cell.
This is what you will learn about LoneStar Cell MTN:
* Coverage
* How to Get a LoneStar Cell MTN SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Reload Options & Methods
* Plans & Packages
* APN Settings
Coverage – LoneStar Cell MTN
LoneStar Cell MTN has decent coverage around the coastline of Liberia.
If you visit one of the larger Liberian cities, like Monrovia (capital city), Gbarnga, and Kakata, mobile coverage will be fair. If you plan on exploring rural Liberia, expect no or awful coverage.
SIM Card Price – LoneStar Cell MTN
You can buy a LoneStar Cell MTN SIM card for 100 LRD in LoneStar Cell MTN stores. You will get 0.50 USD credit in your Mobile Money wallet.
As part of the Welcome Package, you will get a top-up bonus of 300% when recharging with a voucher and 400% if recharging with Mobile Money.
Topping-Up & Recharging – LoneStar Cell MTN
LoneStar Cell MTN top-up cards are sold in LoneStar Cell MTN stores and many other stores, including grocery stores, corner shops, and gas stations.
To activate your voucher, dial *125*VoucherCode#.
For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *125*123456#.
Dial *124# to check your LoneStar Cell MTN balance.
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – LoneStar Cell MTN
LoneStar Cell MTN has several combo plans and data-only plans, which are
- MTN X5 (combo)
- Da Yor Own (3-day combo)
- MTN Plug (combo & data-only for the youth)
- Data Bundles (data-only)
Kool4U (combo plans – discontinued)
Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.
MTN X5 – LoneStar Cell MTN
The MTN X5 bundles are plans that 5X your reload value by dialing *555# (1 USD top-up = 5 USD credit). Each recharge features SMS, and your credit can be used for data, on-net minutes, or off-net minutes.
You have the freedom to choose how to spend your credit. It could be all on data, all on off-net minutes, or a combination of all.
Below is a table of your potential MTN X5 benefits – SMS allowance is always a given:
| Price | Value | Data | On-Net Minutes | Off-Net Minutes | SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 USD | 2.50 USD | Up to 150 MB | Up to 20 minutes | N/A | 50 SMS | 1 day |
| 1 USD | 5 USD | Up to 400 MB | Up to 55 minutes | Up to 15 minutes | 1000 SMS | 2 days |
| 2 USD | 10 USD | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1000 SMS | 5 days |
| 5 USD | 25 USD | Up to 1 GB | Up to 100 minutes | Up to 35 minutes | 1000 SMS | 10 days |
| 10 USD | 50 USD | Up to 5 GB | Up to 500 minutes | Up to 240 minutes | 1000 SMS | 30 days |
| 20 USD | 100 USD | Up to 12 GB | Up to 1000 minutes | Up to 480 minutes | 1000 SMS | 30 days |
Da Yor Own – LoneStar Cell MTN
The Da Yor Own plan is a 1 USD 3-day combo plan with data, minutes, and on-net SMS.
Da Yor Own features the following perks:
| Price | Data | On-Net Minutes | Off-Net Minutes | On-Net SMS | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 USD | 50 MB | 45 minutes | 10 minutes | 50 SMS | 3 days | *143# |
Multiple Da Yor Own plans can be activated at the same time.
Dial *143*3# to check your Da Yor Own balance. Dial *143*9# to deactivate Da Yor Own.
MTN Plug – LoneStar Cell MTN
MTN Plug is a lifestyle-branded plan focusing on the youth (ages 18 to 30) with data, social media data, minutes, and SMS. MTN Plug also gives its users a discount to select sites and brands.
The following discounts are available with MTN Plug:
- 15% discount at Monroe
- 50% discount at Silverbird
- 15% discount at Proticana
- 15% discount with MyCab
MTN Plug is available as combo plans or data-only plans.
MTN Plug Combo – LoneStar Cell MTN
The combo version of MTN Plus includes data, social media data, local minutes (Plug, on-net & off-net), and local SMS (Plug, on-net & off-net).
Do note that your On-Net (Plug) call allowance is for Plug to Plus numbers only, whereas On-Net (MTN) minutes be used for both Plug and regular LoneStar Cell MTN numbers.
The following MTN Plug Combo plans are available, which can be activated by dialing *231#:
| Price | Package | Data | WhatsApp Data | Twitter Data | Facebook Data | Instagram Data | Snapchat Data | On-Net Minutes (Plug) | On-Net Minutes (MTN) | Off-Net Minutes | On-Net SMS (Plug | On-Net SMS (MTN) | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 USD | Wah-Bloh | N/A | N/A | N/A | 50 MB | N/A | N/A | 15 minutes | N/A | N/A | 50 SMS | N/A | 24 hours |
| 1 USD | Tripple Connect | 25 MB | 50 MB | N/A | 50 MB | N/A | N/A | 35 minutes | N/A | N/A | 200 SMS | 100 SMS | 3 days |
| 2 USD | Weekly Stpark | 70 MB | 50 MB | N/A | 50 MB | 50 MB | N/A | 35 minutes | 35 minutes | 5 minutes | 500 SMS | 300 SMS | 7 days |
| 5 USD | MTN Swift | 300 MB | 100 MB | 50 MB | 100 MB | 100 MB | 100 MB | 70 minutes | 70 minutes | 20 minutes | 1200 SMS | 700 SMS | 15 days |
| 10 USD | The Boss | 550 MB | 150 MB | 50 MB | 250 MB | 250 MB | 250 MB | 180 minutes | 150 minutes | 60 minutes | 20 000 SMS | 2000 SMS | 30 days |
MTN Plug Data – LoneStar Cell MTN
The data version of MTN Plus includes data and social media data.
The following MTN Plug Data plans are available, which can be activated by dialing *231#:
| Price | Package | Data | WhatsApp Data | Twitter Data | Facebook Data | Instagram Data | Snapchat Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 USD | Wah-Bloh | 50 MB | 50 MB | N/A | 50 MB | N/A | N/A | 24 hours |
| 1 USD | Tripple Connect | 150 MB | 80 MB | N/A | 100 MB | 50 MB | N/A | 3 days |
| 2 USD | Weekly Stpark | 400 MB | 80 MB | 20 MB | 100 MB | 100 MB | 100 MB | 7 days |
| 5 USD | MTN Swift | 1 GB | 150 MB | 80 MB | 275 MB | 100 MB | 250 MB | 15 days |
| 10 USD | The Boss | 2.5 GB | 220 MB | 150 MB | 300 MB | 200 MB | 400 MB | 30 days |
Data Bundles – LoneStar Cell MTN
The Data Bundles are data-only bundles available as daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly bundles.
You can activate one of the following Data Bundles by dialing *352#:
| Price | Package | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.35 USD | Daily | 75 MB | 24 hours |
| 0.40 USD | Daily | 100 MB | 24 hours |
| 0.50 USD | Daily | 180 MB | 24 hours |
| 1 USD | Daily | 400 MB | 3 days |
| 2 USD | B-Monthly | 819.2 MB | 14 days |
| 2 USD | Monthly | 600 MB | 30 days |
| 2 USD | Weekly | 1288.8 MB | 7 days |
| 5 USD | B-Monthly | 1.7 GB | 14 days |
| 5 USD | Monthly | 1946 MB | 30 days |
| 5 USD | Weekly | 600 MB | 7 days |
| 8 USD | Monthly | 3 GB | 30 days |
| 10 USD | B-Monthly | 3.5 GB | 14 days |
| 10 USD | Monthly | 3.9 GB | 30 days |
| 10 USD | Weekly | 5.2 GB | 7 days |
| 12 USD | B-Monthly | 4.5 GB | 14 days |
| 12 USD | Monthly | 4.3 GB | 30 days |
| 20 USD | B-Monthly | 7.5 GB | 14 days |
| 20 USD | Monthly | 7.9 GB | 30 days |
| 20 USD | Weekly | 10 GB | 7 days |
| 30 USD | B-Monthly | 10 GB | 14 days |
| 30 USD | Monthly | 12 GB | 30 days |
| 30 USD | Weekly | 15 GB | 7 days |
| 36 USD | B-Monthly | 12 GB | 14 days |
| 50 USD | B-Monthly | 18 GB | 14 days |
| 50 USD | Monthly | 20 GB | 30 days |
| 60 USD | B-Monthly | 22 GB | 14 days |
| 60 USD | Monthly | 25 GB | 30 days |
You can check your data balance by dialing *352# and selecting option 7. Dial *352# and option 9 to deactivate your data bundle.
APN Settings – LoneStar Cell MTN
- Name: Lonestar Cell
- APN: internetlcc
Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
Orange Liberia
Orange Liberia, just Orange, is the other operator in Liberia. Although they are not the largest operator in Liberia, they do almost have a market share of 50%.
This is what you will learn about Orange:
* Coverage
* How to Get an Orange SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Reload Options & Methods
* Plans & Packages
* APN Settings
Coverage – Orange Liberia
Orange has decent coverage around the coastline of Liberia. However, Their 4G/LTE coverage seems to be more extensive than the one of LoneStar Cell MTN.
If you visit one of the larger Liberian cities, like Monrovia (capital city), Gbarnga, and Kakata, mobile coverage will be fair. If you plan on exploring rural Liberia, expect no or awful coverage.
SIM Card Price – Orange Liberia
You can buy an Orange SIM card for 1 USD in Orange stores.
Top-Up & Recharge – Orange Liberia
Orange top-up cards are sold from 1 USD to 100 USD in Orange stores and many other stores, such as grocery stores, gas stations, and newsstands. You can also recharge with eRecharge. You will get a bonus of 50 MB (valid for 24 hours) with eRecharge top-up.
To top-up, dial *125*VoucherCode#.
For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *125*123456#.
Dial *124# to check your Orange balance.
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Orange Liberia
Orange has several combo plans and data-only plans, which are:
- My Way Flex (“flexible” combo)
- My Way Regular (combo)
- My Pack (customizable data-only)
- Data Packs (data-only)
- Orange Money Daily Data Packs (data-only with Orange Money)
Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in.
My Way Flex – Orange Liberia
My Way Flex is a flexible combo plan that comes with data, minutes, and SMS.
My Way Flex, formerly known as simply My Flex, used to have a rather complex system in terms of the flexibility options.
While the plan has been updated a bit in terms of the offering, it is unknown whether the Flex rules have changed. Below is an explanation of the old rules.
Take the 1 USD plan, for example, with 50 on-net minutes/5 off-net minutes or 500 MB. For each minute you call, 11.1 MB will be deducted from your data balance. If you use 11.1 MB, 1 minute will be deducted from your call allowance.
The 2 USD My Flex plan has a 1 minute:13.3 MB ratio. The 29 USD plan has a 1 minute:14.28 MB ratio. The ratios for the 5 USD to 20 USD plans are unknown.
International minutes and SMS do not use a ratio system.
Moreover, some of the My Way plans do not use the flexible system, meaning that you can use your full call allowance and data allowance independently.
Below is an overview of the My Way Flex plans, which can be activated by dialing *888#:
Table format got ruined. Updated version on its way!
Unused allowances will roll over when you renew your plan.
My Way Regular – Orange Liberia
The My Way Regular Plans are combo plans with data, minutes, and SMS.
The following My Way Regular plans are available, which can be activated by dialing *888#:
| Price | Plan | Data | On-Net Minutes | Off-Net Minutes | Minutes to Canada & USA | On-Net SMS | Off-Net SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 USD | My Way Regular 29 | 2000 MB | 700 minutes | 150 minutes | 100 minutes | Unlimited | 50 SMS | 30 days |
| 49 USD | My Way Regular 49 | 20 000 MB | Unlimited | 500 minutes | 100 minutes | Unlimited | 50 SMS | 30 days |
| 79 USD | My Way Regular 79 | 30 000 MB | Unlimited | 500 minutes | 150 minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 99 USD | My Way Regular 99 | 50 000 MB | Unlimited | 500 minutes | 200 minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
Unused allowances will roll over when you renew your plan.
My Pack – Orange Liberia
My Pack is a plan allowing you to set your data allowance and validity.
The price of data will differ depending on how long you want the data to be valid for.
Below is an overview of the My Pack data options:
- 1.67 USD/GB for 7 days
- 2.22 USD/GB for 15 days
- 3.33 USD/GB for 30 days
My Pack can be activated and customized by dialing *352#.
Data Packs – Orange Liberia
The Data Packs are data-only plans.
The following packs are available, which can be activated by dialing *474#:
| Price | Plan | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 USD | Data Pack 180 MB | 180 MB | 24 hours |
| 1 USD | Data Pack 400 MB | 400 MB | 3 days |
| 25 USD | Data Pack 10 GB | 10 GB | 30 days |
| 50 USD | Data Pack 25 GB | 25 GB | 30 days |
| 99 USD | Data Pack 60 GB | 60 GB | 30 days |
Orange Money Daily Data Packs – Orange Liberia
The Orange Money Daily Data Packs are data packs that can only be purchased with Orange Money.
The following Orange Money Daily Data Packs are available:
| Price | Plan | Data | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.10 USD | Orange Money Packs 25 MB | 25 MB | 24 hours | *144*11# |
| 0.30 USD | Orange Money Packs 80 MB | 80 MB | 24 hours | *144*31# |
| 1 USD | Orange Money Packs 300 MB | 300 MB | 24 hours | *144*101# |
| 2 USD | Orange Money Packs 650 MB | 650 MB | 24 hours | *144*201# |
APN Settings – Orange Liberia
- Name: Orange Liberia OR Cellcom Liberia
- APN: web.cellcomnet.net
Note: Orange Liberia used to be known as Cellcom Liberia, which is why “cellcomnet.net” is used for their APN. Leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
Other Ways to Get Online When Traveling in Liberia
Getting a Liberian SIM card is the best way to stay connected in the country.
However, for some, getting local SIM cards is not an option. For example, if you havea SIM-locked device.
Luckily, there are other ways to get online when in Liberia.
However, these methods may be more expensive than getting a SIM card from the local operators.
International Roaming
International roaming is the most convenient way to stay connected when traveling in other countries because you do not have to buy a new SIM card, have to deal with SIM card registration regulations, nor have multiple phone numbers to deal with.
However, international roaming has proven to be expensive in many cases, especially compared to buying local SIM cards. That is why many travelers are not fond of international roaming.
International roaming has its pros and cons. However, it is important to know how it works. This in-depth guide explains it all.
Find out whether your mobile operator has attractive roaming rates for Liberia here.
Using an International SIM Card or Travel SIM Card
International SIM cards are SIM cards made for the traveler in mind. Using them is often cheaper than international roaming. However, they are almost always more expensive than using a local SIM card.
There are many other advantages and disadvantages of getting international SIM cards, which you can learn about here.
Using a Mobile Hotspot (Pocket WIFI)
Mobile hotspots, or pocket WIFI, are small devices that connect to the local operators of the country you are visiting. Mobile hotspots are ideal for families or those traveling in a large group, as they allow you to connect multiple devices to one hotspot without the need of each traveler having to buy a SIM card.
You can either buy a mobile hotspot or rent one.
Using Free WIFI Networks
Using free WIFI connections is the cheapest way to stay connected because they are free. The major downside of trying to use WIFI hotspots is that you will have to locate them, and they are not available on every corner in Liberia.
Make sure to protect your internet traffic with a VPN so that hackers cannot steal your personal data.
The Preferred Way to Stay Online When Traveling in Liberia
Getting a SIM card from LoneStar Cell MTN (more choice in data packages) or Orange (best 4G/LTE coverage) would do you well when considering a Liberian SIM card.
Local Prepaid SIM Card in Other African Countries
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