Nomad eSIM in New Zealand Review (+Speedtests)

After being in Australia for more than half a year, I felt the need to visit New Zealand again.

Mostly because New Zealand is basically next door (as opposed to Europe, where getting to New Zealand will take at least 24 hours).

There is something magical about New Zealand that is hard to explain to someone who has never visited the country (and I could not understand what people were talking about when they tried explaining it to me).

But it is certainly worth visiting if you are nearby (aka in Australia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, or other Pacific islands).

When I went to New Zealand, I tested out four travel eSIMs, including Nomad's New Zealand eSIM, five New Zealand SIM cards & one travel SIM card to be used here.

So I spent about 500 NZD for my New Zealand SIM card and eSIM review series – yeah, I am crazy 🤪.

In many countries, getting a local SIM card will be the most cost-effective way to stay connected.

But in the same countries, getting a travel eSIM will be much more convenient because you do not have to deal with SIM card registration requirements (which can be stringent).

In a handful of countries, travel eSIMs are cheaper than local SIM cards… and New Zealand is one of them.

Yes, data-featured prepaid plans are (crazy) expensive – the fourth-most expensive in Oceania.

So, is the Nomad New Zealand eSIM a good option? Is it cheap? How is its reception? And is it fast?

I will answer all those questions in this review. Let's do this.

Original publication: 20th of December 2022. Last updated: 26th of March 2023.

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Table of Contents

Which Phones are Compatible with Nomad eSIMs?

Before we talk about the Nomad eSIM to be used in New Zealand specifically, you first need to know whether your phone can even support Nomad's eSIMs.

Unlike most travel eSIM providers, Nomad claims that every eSIM-compatible phone can use its eSIMs.

So that makes things easy 😎.

But the image will still give you an overview of the most popular phones that support eSIM.

With that out of the way, let's talk more about the Nomad New Zealand eSIM!

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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How Much Does the Nomad New Zealand eSIM Cost?

You can get the Nomad eSIM to be used in New Zealand for as little as 4 USD for 1 GB (7 days) up to 69 USD for 20 GB (30 days).

Note: between the time I went to New Zealand and wrote this review, Nomad introduced new (and more affordable) plans for the country, which I have also added below. However, I used the 5 GB eSIM on Truphone via Spark – the ones through JoyTelecom are new and cheaper)

Below is an overview of how much each Nomad New Zealand eSIM costs:

1. New Zealand 1 GB eSIM for 7 days (JoyTelecom via Spark – new), costing 4 USD/4 EUR/3.50 GBP/5.50 CAD
2. New Zealand 1 GB eSIM for 7 days (Truphone via Spark), costing 6 USD/6 EUR/5 GBP/8.50 CAD
3. New Zealand 3 GB eSIM for 30 days (JoyTelecom via Spark – new), costing 7 USD/7 EUR/6 GBP/10 CAD
4. New Zealand 3 GB eSIM for 30 days (Truphone via Spark), costing 15 USD/14.50 EUR/12.50 GBP/20.50 CAD
5. New Zealand 5 GB eSIM for 30 days (JoyTelecom via Spark – new), costing 11 USD/10.50 EUR/9.50 GBP/15 CAD
6. New Zealand 5 GB eSIM for 30 days (Truphone via Spark), costing 17 USD/16.50 EUR/14.50 GBP/23.50 CAD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers (that was before the JoyTelecom options were added AND the one I used)
7. New Zealand 10 GB eSIM for 30 days (JoyTelecom via Spark – new), costing 19 USD/18 EUR/16 GBP/26 CAD
8. New Zealand 10 GB eSIM for 30 days (Truphone via Spark), costing 50 USD/47.50 EUR/42 GBP/68 CAD
9. New Zealand 15 GB eSIM for 30 days (JoyTelecom via Spark – new), costing 25 USD/24 EUR/21 GBP/34 CAD
10. New Zealand 20 GB eSIM for 30 days (Truphone via Spark, costing 69 USD/66.50 EUR/57.50 GBP/94.50 CAD

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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Update: on the 23rd of December 2022, Nomad introduced new and much more affordable plans for New Zealand (and other Asian countries + Australia), which means the section below does not fully apply anymore. However, I keep it in because it shows you how I try to save you some $$$ whenever I can 😃

In the past few months, Nomad reduced its prices significantly for its New Zealand eSIM (up to 49% for the 1 GB, 3 GB & 5 GB plans).

But if you did some napkin calculations, you will notice that it is cheaper to purchase two 5 GB eSIMs, costing 34 USD (17 USD + 17 USD) instead of the 10 GB one if you want that much data (50 USD), saving you 16 USD.

Add one more dollar, and you can get 15 GB of data instead of 10 GB.

Nomad has told me that they are working on reducing the price for the 10 GB (and 20 GB) eSIM because even it knows the price is ridiculous.

And they delivered… quickly!

So if you want 10 GB of data, or even 15 GB for that matter, you are better off getting the 5 GB variant and purchasing data top-ups (for now – hopefully the price has changed by the time you read this review).

Yes, you can top up your Nomad New Zealand eSIM – you do not have to purchase a new eSIM.

Many eSIM providers out there do not allow you to top up or extend the validity of your eSIM, so it is cool that Nomad allows you to do so.

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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My Nomad eSIM in New Zealand Experience (in Auckland, Lower Hutt City & Wellington)

I used my Nomad New Zealand eSIM in Auckland, Lower Hutt (Hutt City) & Wellington – all cities on North Island (worry not, I will visit South Island soon too – aka Christchurch and Queenstown).

Before we continue, I do want to let you know how travel eSIM providers like Nomad work.

It is impossible for Nomad, or any other mobile operator, to operate in every country (and do not trust any company saying otherwise), so they set up roaming agreements.

And do not get worried by the word roaming yet – roaming can be expensive, but roaming with Nomad or many other travel eSIM providers, will not result in a 5000 USD roaming bill.

What Nomad does, and basically all (actual) mobile operators do, is partner up with a local mobile operator so that their customers can still stay connected when abroad.

In the case of New Zealand, the Nomad eSIM uses the Spark network (with the help of Truphone).

Note: in some countries, Nomad uses multiple local networks, but not in New Zealand.

Anyway, is this Spark network any good? Yes, it is.

Just like how I tested the Nomad eSIM on my New Zealand trip, I also tested all the local New Zealand SIM cards (Spark, One NZ, 2degrees, Skinny Mobile (Spark MVNO) & Warehouse Mobile (2degrees MVNO) and various other eSIMs (Airalo Nzcom eSIM, Airalo Discover Global eSIM & Holafly New Zealand eSIM) + the Orange Holiday World Travel SIM Card.

Yeah, I went all out 😏.

Because of this, I could also assess how Spark performed compared to its competitors.

What is surprising is that every other travel eSIM and SIM card I tested used the One NZ (formerly Vodafone) network instead.

Luckily for Nomad (and you if you get a Nomad eSIM, lol), Spark has the best 4G/LTE availability (an availability score of 99.2%. Ahead of Behind 2degrees (98.7%) and One NZ (99.2%)).

But with a score of more than 98%, all New Zealand mobile operators have excellent availability anyway.

In terms of speed, Spark has the worst download speed, with a median download speed of 59.51 Mbps, behind One NZ (62.97 Mbps) and 2degrees (63.81 Mbps).

As you can see, the margin between those numbers is minimal, so you cannot make a solid conclusion based on them.

Okay, that is enough background information – let's compare the Nomad New Zealand eSIM to Spark in Auckland, Lower Hutt & Wellington.

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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Nomad New Zealand eSIM Speed Test Results in Auckland

Auckland, or Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland's Māori name), is New Zealand's largest city.

It is often confused with being the nation's capital, but that would be Wellington (which I visited too on this trip).

The main gateway to New Zealand is through Auckland Airport, so there is a big chance you will visit the city – even if you do not plan on staying.

Anyway, as I am not a regular travel blog, I do not have must-sees for you for Auckland (that would be a blog on its own 🤪), but I am sure you will not be bored in this city.

Let's see how the Nomad New Zealand eSIM performed in Auckland:

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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Nomad New Zealand eSIM Speed Test Results in Lower Hutt (Hutt City)

Lower Hutt, or Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai (Lower Hutt's Māori name), is one of the four cities part of the Wellington metropolitan area (or Greater Wellington).

The reason why I separated Lower Hutt, administrated by Hutt City, from the Wellington results is (1) I did quite some tests in Lower Hutt and (2) most mobile operators, excluding One NZ (formerly Vodafone), do not have 5G NR access in Lower Hutt (yet), while Wellington does have 5G NR.

Should you visit Lower Hutt? You could – the nature is stunning there.

And being in Hutt Valley, also referred to as The Hutt, is remarkable too (if you can go on one of the hiking trails, you should!).

But if all of that sounds too boring to you, you can go to Queensgate Shopping Center, which may be the largest shopping mall in greater Wellington.

Let's see how the Nomad New Zealand eSIM performed in Lower Hutt:

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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Nomad New Zealand eSIM Speed Test Results in Wellington

Wellington, or Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington's Māori name), is New Zealand's capital.

It is the third-largest city in the country (behind Auckland and Christchurch).

While I believe Wellington is more exciting than Australia‘s capital, Canberra (yes, not Melbourne or Sydney), it is certainly not New Zealand's most exciting city.

It does remind me a little bit of Melbourne, Australia… but significantly smaller (and with way fewer trains 🗿).

Let's see how the Nomad New Zealand eSIM performed in Wellington:

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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My Overall Experience with the Nomad eSIM in New Zealand – Is It Any Good?

I would recommend the Nomad New Zealand eSIM, and it would be one of my top recommendations for anyone wanting to buy a New Zealand travel eSIM.

Getting the Nomad New Zealand eSIM, and any other Nomad eSIM for that matter, is easy and straightforward (even though I did not spend any time on how to install Nomad eSIMs – you will manage… promise!).

The Nomad New Zealand eSIM uses the Spark network, which has, on paper, the best 4G/LTE availability.

Previously, Airalo's Nzcom eSIMs were the most affordable eSIMs for New Zealand.

But now Nomad, with the introduction of JoyTelecom New Zealand eSIMs, is the most affordable.

And you can even save money if you use code ADU123 😏.

Moreover, while your speeds will often be fast enough for general data browsing and video streaming, you should not expect too much.

Taking all 37 speed tests into account, I had an average overall download speed of 37.40 Mbps and a median download speed of 32.31 Mbps with the Nomad New Zealand eSIM.

When looking at upload speeds, I had an average upload speed of 18.30 Mbps and a median upload speed of 17.16 Mbps with the Nomad New Zealand eSIM.

As Spark offered 5G NR access for free to prepaid customers already, I did not expect the Nomad New Zealand eSIM to perform (significantly) better than Spark itself.

But that is not always true.

In some countries, like Austria (Europe, not New Zealand's brother Australia), actively and effectively throttle the speeds of prepaid customers (to as low as 20 Mbps download).

Fortunately, this is not something you have to worry about in New Zealand.

By using an extensive 4G/LTE network, offering the most affordable data plans & offering reasonable download speeds, you should have a smooth browsing experience with the Nomad New Zealand eSIM.

>>> Get your Nomad New Zealand eSIM and use code “ADU123” for 3 USD/2.85 EUR/2.45 GBP/4.10 CAD off! <<<

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Other New Zealand eSIM Reviews (Airalo and Holafly)

As mentioned earlier, I also tried out the Airalo Nzcom eSIM, Airalo Discover Global eSIM & Holafly eSIM + Orange Holiday World SIM card when I was in New Zealand.

You should read those reviews too.

>>> Airalo Nzcom eSIM Review | Airalo Discover Global eSIM Review | Holafly New Zealand eSIM Review | Orange Holiday World Travel SIM Card in New Zealand Review <<<

I also tried out various local New Zealand SIM cards: One NZ (formerly Vodafone), 2degrees, Skinny Mobile (Spark MVNO) & Warehouse Mobile (2degrees MVNO).

If your phone does not support eSIM (but felt like reading this Airalo review in full anyway – awesome) or want to have the best network experience possible, you want to go directly with the local mobile operators instead of roaming on their networks (as you do with travel eSIMs).

So I encourage you to read the New Zealand SIM card reviews too.

>>> Spark Review | One NZ (formerly Vodafone) Review | 2degrees Review | Skinny Mobile Review | Warehouse Mobile Review <<<

Check out my reviews page if you want to read all the other reviews I have written, including other Oceanian SIM cards.