What are the best local prepaid SIM cards in every country worldwide?
That, of course, depends on the country.
Let's talk about Digicel – a mobile operator active in the Caribbean, Central America & (Pacific) Oceania.
In most English-speaking nations in the Caribbean, it is the best.
However, that cannot always be said about Central America or Oceania – even though it is all by the same company.
So it can be a challenge to determine which SIM card is the best in country B, even if you had an amazing experience in country A with a SIM card from the same company (Digicel for this example).
Luckily for you, I am crazy enough to buy every SIM card available in the countries I visit so that you do not have to.
Based on my research, testing & findings, I can tell you which SIM card is the best without you wasting your money or being disappointed because you accidentally bought the worst SIM card available.
Instead, I am the one wasting my money 🤪.
That is why you are always free to buy me a coffee (or tea), which does not get spent on tea but on SIM cards instead (I do not get them for free, unfortunately).
While I have in-depth SIM card buying guides, you may want to get a quick overview of the options in the country you are visiting.
That is what this page is for – and the lookup tool.
Here, you can easily see the best SIM card(s) in every country with the cost of a basic SIM card (so it excludes data-only and tourist SIM cards), and how much 1 GB of data will cost you.
Be sure to check the notes in the last column for additional information applicable to the country.
TIP: use this tool combined with the SIM card prices worldwide lookup tool.
For up-to-date currency exchange rates (let's say Euro to US Dollars), use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
For convenience, I will also list the best SIM card of each country below.
Sometimes, there is a cheaper option or an option that may be better for your purpose (let's say better coverage or speed than the one mentioned in the table below).
Therefore, you should use the lookup tool above for more information.
If you are confused about all the symbols, those are the currency symbols.
For up-to-date currency exchange rates (let's say Euro to US Dollars), use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
(Note – I update multiple individual country guides every week, but this page and the tool get updated every now and then. Click on the country name to read the SIM card buying guide of that country and for up-to-date information)
Last updated (table): 29th of June 2022.
| Country | Best SIM Card | Reason | SIM Card Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abkhazia | Aquafon | Best overall | 50 RUB | N/A |
| Afghanistan | Unknown | – | Unknown | After the fall of the previous Afghan government, things have changed a lot. I have no plans on visiting the country any time soon, and my contacts left the country |
| Åland Islands | Ålcom | Only choice – monopoly | 30 EUR | Elisa Finland and DNA offer free roaming in the Aland Islands – using their SIM cards will be much cheaper than getting an Aland Islands SIM card |
| Albania | Vodafone Albania | Best coverage | 500 ALL | N/A |
| Algeria | Djezzy | Best coverage | 300 DZD | Buying your SIM card at the airport will not cost you more than buying it in town |
| American Samoa | BlueSky American Samoa | Only choice – monopoly | Free! | N/A |
| Andorra | Andorra Telecom | Only option – monopoly | 15/30 EUR | As Andorra is not part of the EU or the EEA, you may not roam for free in Andorra. You can get a French SIM card and use it to roam for free Andorra. Do not get a Spanish one, as you cannot roam for free (with prepaid SIM cards) in Andorra |
| Angola | Unitel Angola | Best overall | 900 AOA | Angolans believe that mobile data is expensive and that the quality of service is bad. Coverage is indeed lacking, but speeds are decent for regional standards |
| Anguilla | Digicel Anguilla | Best plans (with dedicated data allowances for TikTok and YouTube (up to 30 GB)) | 25 XCD | N/A |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Digicel Antigua and Barbuda | Best plans (with dedicated data allowances for TikTok and YouTube (up to 30 GB)) | 20 XCD | N/A |
| Argentina | Personal Argentina | Best overall | 50 ARS | N/A |
| Armenia | VivaCell MTS | Best overall | 1000 AMD | N/A |
| Aruba | SETAR | Best overall | 37 AWG | N/A |
| Ascension Island | Sure Ascension Island | Only option – monopoly | 32.50 SHP/GBP | Mobile data is CRAZY EXPENSIVE in Ascension Island because they use a satellite connection. The standard rate is 0.14 GBP per MB or 144 GBP per GB |
| Australia | Telstra | Best coverage, fastest speeeds, and the best for in the Outback (but they are expensive) | 2 AUD | SIM-only MVNOs will automatically renew your plan. They can be terminated at any time without extra costs. Sometimes, you may have to contact the company (like with Belong Mobile) |
| Austria | A1 Austria | Best coverage | 10 EUR | N/A |
| Azerbaijan | Azercell | Best overall | 5 AZN | N/A |
| Bahamas | Aliv | Great overall. Gives a bit more data than BTC for the same price. SIM is “expensive”, but you get great starter perks (Liberty 30) | 30 BSD | N/A |
| Bahrain | STC Bahrain (VIVA Bahrain) | Best coverage and the fastest | 7 BHD | All operators have good coverage. Speeds are FAST |
| Bangladesh | Grameenphone | Best coverage | 200 BDT | N/A |
| Barbados | Digicel Barbados | Great coverage like Flow Barbados. Lmany plans to choose from | 10 BBD | N/A |
| Belarus | Coming soon | Coming soon | Coming soon | N/A |
| Belgium | Proximus | Best overall | 10 EUR | The Main Operators, Proximus, BASE & Orange offer top-up bonuses with data |
| Belize | Digi Belize (formerly DiGiCell) | Best overall | 22.50 BZD | Bad reception in rural Belize |
| Benin | MTN Benin | Equally as good (or bad) as Moov Benin | 200 CFA | N/A |
| Bermuda | Digicel | Best overall and much cheaper than One (the only other mobile operator) | 20 BMD | N/A |
| Bhutan | B-Mobile | Best overall | 200 BTN | N/A |
| Bolivia | Entel Bolivia | Best overall | 10 BOB | N/A |
| Bonaire | Flow/Chippie Bonaire (formerly UTS Bonaire) | Good coverage like Digicel Bonaire and comes with free roaming in Chippieland (countries Flow is active in with the Chippie brand) | 16 USD | N/A |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | BH Telecom | Best overall | 5 BAM | N/A |
| Botswana | Mascow Wireless | Best 3G coverage | 10 BWP | N/A |
| Brazil | Claro Brazil (including former Nextel Brazil) | Best overall | 10 BRL | N/A |
| British Virgin Islands (BVI) | Digicel BVI | Best plans (with dedicated data allowances for TikTok and YouTube (up to 30 GB)) | 10 USD | N/A |
| Brunei | DST Communications | Best overall | 30 BND | N/A |
| Bulgaria | A1 Bulgaria | Best overall | 6 BGN | N/A |
| Burkina Faso | Orange Burkina Faso | Good coverage | 250 CFA | Speeds can be slow in Burkina Faso |
| Burundi | Lumitel | Widest 4G/LTE coverage | 500 BIF | Econet Leo may sell their SIM cards for 500 BIF during certain promotions |
| Cambodia | Cellcard | Best price: quality ratio. Not recommended for rural Cambodia | 1 USD | N/A |
| Cameroon | MTN Cameroon | Best coverage | 500 CFA | 4G/LTE is on 2500 MHz on Band 41, which is uncommon. Need a high-end phone for that. Speeds are slow in Cameroon. |
| Canada | Telus | Best overall – consider Flanker Brands too (Koodo & Public Mobile) | 20 CAD | Data is EXPENSIVE in Canada. Criminally expenisve… Consider a travel SIM card or travel eSIM – ironically cheaper than a local SIM card for once (see: https://www.phonetravelwiz.com/stay/travel-resources/) |
| Cape Verde | CV Móvel | Best coverage | 200 CVE | 4G/LTE is still being rolled out in Cape Verde |
| Cayman Islands | Digicel Cayman | Great overall | 10 KYD | N/A |
| Central African Republic | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Chad | Tigo Chad | Best coverage and the fastest | 1000 CFA | Coverage throughout Chad is bad |
| Channel Islands (Jersey & Guernsey) | Sure Channel Islands | Best overall | 5 GBP | N/A |
| Chile | Entel Chile | Best overall | 3990 CLP | N/A |
| China | China Unicom | Best for non-Chinese phones | Variable | A lot of bureaucracy to get a Chinese SIM card – be aware of that |
| Colombia | Claro Colombia | Best overall | 5000 COP | N/A |
| Comoros | Telma | Ambitious operator | 2000 KMF | Huri, the other operator, blocks VoIP apps |
| Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) | Airtel Congo | Best overall and the cheapest | 300 XAF | N/A |
| Cook Islands | Vodafone Cook Islands (formerly BlueSky Cook Islands) | Only choice – monopoly | 25 NZD | Prices have dropped significantly since the Cook Islands have been connected to a submarine cable. Speeds have improved too. |
| Costa Rica | Kölbi | Best coverage and fastest speeds | 1000 CRC | N/A |
| Côte d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast | Orange Ivory Coast | Best coverage | 500 CFA | N/A |
| Crimea | Win Mobile | Best overall | Variable | N/A |
| Croatia | Hrvatski Telekom | Best coverage and fastest speeds, but it throttles speeds for prepaid customers (75 Mbps) | 20 HRK | Both Hrvatski Telecom and A1 Croatia throttle prepaid speeds to 75 Mbps, which is still (incredibly) fast, but there is more potential if the restriction ever gets lifted |
| Cuba | Cubacel (by ETESCA) | Only option for travelers | 1000 CUP or rent for 75 CUP/day | The tourist SIM card, Cubacel Tur, costs 25 USD with 2.5 GB, 25 local minutes & 25 local SMS (30 day) |
| Curacao/Curaçao | Digicel Curaçao | Best coverage and the fastest speeds | 25 ANG | N/A |
| Cyprus | Cytamobile (Vodafone) | Best coverage | 2 EUR | Speeds have significantly improved in Cyprus – thanks to 5G. The cost of data has gone down as well. |
| Czech Republic | T-Mobile Czech | Great coverage | 200 CZK | N/A |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Denmark | Lebara Denmark | Great overall together with Lycamobile Denmark | 49 DKK | These are your only two prepaid SIM card options in Denmark if you are not a resident – the Main Operators stopped selling prepaid SIM cards |
| Djibouti | Djibouti Telecom | Only choice – monopoly | 1000 DJF | Coverage outside the cities is poor |
| Dominica | Flow Dominica | Good coverage like Digicel Dominica | 20 XCD | N/A |
| Dominican Republic | Claro Dominicana | Best overall | 150 DOP | N/A |
| East Timor / Timor-Leste | Telemor | Best overall | 1 USD | N/A |
| Ecuador | Claro Ecuador | Best coverage | 4.48 USD | N/A |
| Egypt | Vodafone Egypt | Good coverage and packages | 25 EGP | Speeds are quite slow in Egypt. All the tariff plans offered by the operators can be confusing |
| El Salvador | Claro El Salvador | Best overall | 1 USD | N/A |
| Equatorial Guinea | Getesa | Best in general | 2000 CFA | N/A |
| Eritrea | None | SIM cards are not available to travelers. And they do not even have mobile data | – | Expats can get a SIM card in the country. However, the process is lengthy. Still, no mobile data. |
| Estonia | Super by Telia Estonia | Cheapest | 1 EUR | All operators in Estonia are good in some way. The other operator, Elisa Estonia, is the fastest operator |
| Eswatini (Swaziland) | MTN Eswatini | Best coverage | 10 SZL | Eswatini is expensive compared to South Africa. Best operator is also cheaper than the other option (Eswatini Mobile) for some reason |
| Ethiopia | Ethio Telecom | Only choice – monopoly | 30 ETB | Quality of service is poor |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | Sure Falkland Islands | Only option – monopoly | 30 FKP | Data is expensive in the Falkland Islands because they use satellites. The most expensive data pack costs 15 FKP and comes with 400 MB for 30 days |
| Faroe Islands | Føroya Tele | Best coverage | 97 FOK | Vodafone has only 1 data pack (5 GB and 250 FOK credit) for 230 FOK |
| Fiji | Vodafone Fiji | Best overall | Free, but top-up or plan purchase may be required | Digicel sells tourists SIM cards starting from 29 FJD |
| Finland | DNA | Fastest speeds. Allows for proper EU/EEA roaming. Offers unlimited data plans | 4.90 EUR | Telia Finland is also great and offers unlimited data plans too. However, they are rather restrictive in terms of EU roaming |
| France | Orange France | Best coverage and fastest speeds | Variable | N/A |
| French Guiana | Orange Caraïbe | Fastest speeds | 15 EUR | All mobile operators allow for free roaming in the French West Indies (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy & Saint Martin) |
| French Polynesia | Vini | Best coverage but no 4G/LTE | 850 XPF | With Vini, get its tourist SIM card (Vini Travel Card: 4000/8000 XPF). Regular SIM cards do not have reasonable data plans, while the travel cards too (4000 XPF – 3 GB; 8000 XPF: 10 GB). With Vodafone, get the data only SIM card (1800 XPF with 5 GB for 30 days) or the Travel SIM (5000 XPF with 5 GB for 30 days) |
| Gabon | Gabon Telecom | Better than Airtel Gabon (only competitor) in every regard, sometimes even cheaper than Airtel Gabon | 1000 CFA | N/A |
| Gambia | Africell Gambia | Best coverage and high speeds but sometimes slow because of overcrowding | Free! | N/A |
| Georgia | MagtiCom | Best overall | 3 GEL | N/A |
| Germany | Telekom | Best overall | 10 EUR | N/A |
| Ghana | MTN Ghana | Best coverage and fastest speeds | 2 GHS | N/A |
| Gibraltar | Gibtelecom | Only choice – monopoly | 25 GBP | Spanish mobile operator provide coverage in upper Gibraltar – you may not even need to get a local SIM card if you have a Spanish SIM card or a SIM card from the EU/EEA. |
| Greece | COSMOTE | Best overall | 5 EUR | A tax is charged upon every top-up. If you top-up 10 EUR, you will only get 9.52 EUR (12% tax). Do not buy a SIM card from a salesperson on the streets. They will activate useless services that will lower your top-up amounts even more |
| Greenland | N/A | Check notes | N/A | Tusass uses to sell prepaid SIM cards, charging you 800 DKK (over 100 USD) for 1 GB of data. Nowadays, only subscriptions can be purchased, whihc you need to be a local for. If your phone supports eSIM, get the Nuuk Mobile eSIM from Airalo costing 9 USD for 1 GB of data (7 days). I do not know of any travel SIM with reasonable rates for Greenland. |
| Grenada | Digicel Grenada | Best overall | 25 XCD | N/A |
| Guadeloupe | Orange Caraïbe | Fastest speeds | 15 EUR | All mobile operators allow for free roaming in the French West Indies (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy & Saint Martin) |
| Guam | DoCoMo Pacific | Best coverage (also in the Northern Mariana Islands) | 20 USD | N/A |
| Guatemala | Tigo Guatemala | Best overall, but the most expensive (but just slightly) | 10 GTQ | N/A |
| Guinea | Orange Guinea | Best in all regards and also offers 4G/LTE | 5000 GNF | N/A |
| Guinea-Bissau | Orange Bissau | Best overall | 1000 CFA | N/A |
| Guyana | Digicel Guyana | Good overall | 2000 GYD | Speeds are embarrassingly slow in Guyana. Moreover, coverage is only in populated areas (so more than half of the country is not covered) |
| Haiti | Digicel Haiti | Good overall | 70 HTG | Networks are unreliable in Haiti. It shuts down every now and then because of power blackouts and hurricanes |
| Honduras | Tigo Honduras | Best overall | 50 HNL | 4G/LTE coverage is lacking in Honduras |
| Hong Kong | cls. | Best overall | Variable | N/A |
| Hungary | Magyar Telekom | Best overall | 900 HUF | N/A |
| Iceland | Síminn | Best overall | 2900 ISK | If flying with Icelandair, you can get your SIM card onboard |
| India | Jio | Best overall but difficult to get a SIM card from due to high demand | 150 INR | N/A |
| Indonesia | Telkomsel | Best overall | Variable | Salespeople may charge you more than the “official” prices because you are a tourist. It is something you cannot do anything about. However, if you are using AUD, EUR, GBP, NZD, or USD, we are often talking about less than 1 AUD/EUR/GBP/NZD/USD |
| Iran | Irancell | Best packages and easiest to get as a traveler | 100 000 IRR | N/A |
| Iraq | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Ireland | Vodafone Ireland | Best coverage | Free, but top-up or plan purchase may be required | N/A |
| Isle of Man | Manx Telecom | Best overall | 5 GBP | N/A |
| Israel | Pelephone | Generous data allowances, 5G NR for prepaid customers, best coverage & fastest speeds | 40 ILS | Israel has the lowest cost of 1 GB of data worldwide |
| Italy | TIM Italy | Best coverage | 10 EUR | Both operators have cheaper plans available for those under 30 and those older than 60 |
| Jamaica | Digicel Jamaica | Best overall | 850 JMD | Network quality has improved over the years |
| Japan | Mobal | NTT DoCoMo MVNO (best coverage) with unlimited data plans | Variable | NTT DoCoMo has a prepaid SIM card called NTT Communications, but it comes with 100 MB of high-speed data per day. After than, speeds will be reduced to 200 Kbps – extremely slow |
| Jordan | Umnaih | Fastest | 1 JOD | N/A |
| Kazakhstan | Kcell/Activ | Best coverage (2G & 3G) | 500 KZT | IMEI registration, in addition to SIM card registration, is mandatory in Kazakhstan. However, it does not cost anything and is rather effortless (unlike some other countries) |
| Kenya | Safaricom | Best operator in general but can be slow due to overcrowding | 100 KES | Airtel Kenya and Telkom will be merging in the coming few years |
| Kiribati | ATHKL | Only choice – monopoly | 5 AUD | New submarine cable, called Southern Cross Next Cable, should be active in 2020. Expect faster speeds and lower prices from then on |
| Kosovo | Vala | Best overall | 3 EUR | N/A |
| Kuwait | Zain Kuwait | Best overall | 6 KWD | In the top 10 countries with the fastest mobile download speedss (150 Mbps +) |
| Kyrgyzstan | MegaCom Kyrgyzstan | Best overall | 10 KGS | Buying your SIM card at the airport will not be more expensive than buying it in town |
| Laos | Unitel | Best overall | 10 000 LAK | N/A |
| Latvia | LMT | Best coverage | 3 EUR | N/A |
| Lebanon | Alfa | Cheaper than Touch. More packages and and worse coverage than Touch | 3 USD | Data is expensive for Middle Eastern standards |
| Lesotho | Vodacom Lesotho | Best overall | 30 LSL | N/A |
| Liberia | LoneStar Cell MTN | 50/50 market share and coverage is about the same as Orange Liberia | 1 USD | N/A |
| Libya | Libyana | As good as Almadar Aljadid | 5 LYD | The chairman of Almadar Aljadid claimed that it is too dangerous to set up a network in southern Libya. Expect only coverage in the north, like in Libya and Benghazi |
| Liechtenstein | Swisscom | Best overall | 20 CHF | Liechtenstein shares a common market with Switzerland. SIM cards sold in Liechtenstein are still considered Swiss, meaning that you CANNOT roam for free in the EU/EEA |
| Lithuania | Telia Extra by Telia Lithuania | Best coverage together with Tele2 Lithuania | 2 EUR | N/A |
| Luxembourg | Post Telecom Luxembourg | Best coverage | 5 EUR – 100 EUR | Also consider Orange Luxembourg too. It is the cheapest option in the country while offering great service too |
| Macau/Macao | CTM | Best overall together with Three Macau | Variable | Each operator has dedicated 3G SIM cards for their 3G network, and 4G/LTE SIM cards for their 4G/LTE networks. 4G/LTE SIM cards and packages are a but more expensive than 3G SIM cards and plans, but are significantly faster |
| Madagascar | Airtel Madagascar | Reliable coverage | 2000 MGA | Coverage in rural Madagascar can be patchy at times |
| Malawi | Airtel Malawi | Good coverage and cheaper than TNM (only competitor) | 500 MWK | Connection may be unreliable throughout Malawi |
| Malaysia | Digi | Fastest speeds | 8 MYR | Consider the MVNOs (speakOUT, redONE, Tune Talk & Yoodo) for great network performance at (slightly) lower prices (especially speakOUT's tourist SIM cards with 100 GB). Yoodo is the only (prepaid) MVNO allowing you to fully customize your plan |
| Maldives | Dhiraagu | Best overall | 30 MVR | Be aware of the 6% GST. If you buy anything, including top-ups, in a “tourist establishment”, the GST rate is 12% instead |
| Mali | Orange Mali | Best overall | 500 CFA | Fast speeds can only be found in the regional capitals in Mali |
| Malta | Epic Malta (formerly Vodafone Malta) | Best overall | 10 EUR | N/A |
| Marshall Islands | NTA | Only option – monopoly | 15 USD | Mobile data is EXPENSIVE on the Marshall Islands. Using NTA's WIFI hotspots will cost you 15 USD/month for phones and 35 USD/month for other type of devices |
| Martinique | Orange Caraïbe | Fastest speeds | 15 EUR | All mobile operators allow for free roaming in the French West Indies (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy & Saint Martin) |
| Mauritania | Mauritel | Best overall | 2000 MUR | Connection quality is bad throughout Mauritania. It took until 2020 for the country to get 4G/LTE |
| Mauritius | my.t | Best overall | 100 MUR | N/A |
| Mayotte | Orange Mayotte | Cheaper than SFR Mayotte while having good coverage | 5 EUR | N/A |
| Mexico | Telcel | Best coverage but most expensive | 79 MXN | Movistar Mexico and AT&T Mexico are slightly cheaper than Telcel. Some MVNOs, Oui Móvil, OXXO Cel, Unefon & weex, are worth considering too. MVNOs not listed here are not worth it |
| Micronesia | FSM Telecom (FSMTC) | Only choice – monopoly | 10 USD | N/A |
| Moldova | Moldcell | Good coverage and most affordable | 50 MDL | N/A |
| Monaco | Orange France | See France | See France | Monaco Telecom does not offer prepaid service (anymore) |
| Mongolia | Unitel | Great coverage and cheaper than MobiCom (only competitor) | 3000 MNT | N/A |
| Montenegro | Crnogorski Telekom | Best overall | 5 EUR | N/A |
| Montserrat | Digicel Montserrat | Best plans (with dedicated data allowances for TikTok and YouTube (up to 30 GB)) | 20 XCD | The lower half of the island has no coverage because of a volcanic eruption many years ago. Speeds on Montserrat are slower than many neighboring Caribbean nations |
| Morocco | Maroc Telecom | Best coverage and fastest speeds | 30 MAD | Quite fast speeds. Only behind South Africa and Mali on a continental level |
| Mozambique | Vodacom Mozambique | Best overall | 25 MZN | N/A |
| Myanmar / Burma | MPT | Best overall | 1500 MMK | N/A |
| Nagorno-Karabakh | Karabakh Telecom | Only option – monopoly | 1200 AMD | N/A |
| Namibia | MTC | Best coverage | 7 NAD | N/A |
| Nauru | Digicel Nauru | Only choice – monopoly | 10 AUD | N/A |
| Nepal | Ncell | Best overall | 100 NPR | N/A |
| Netherlands/Holland | T-Mobile NL | Fastest speeds and extensive coverage | 10 EUR | Avoid KPN and KPN MVNOs if you care about speeds. KPN throttles all prepaid speeds to 25 Mbps/10 Mbps. T-Mobile's limit is 100 Mbps/50 Mbps. |
| New Caledonia | Mobilis by OPT-NC | Only choice – monopoly | 3180 XPF | Mobile data is expensive and slow in New Caledonia |
| New Zealand | Vodafone New Zealand | Fastest and 5G NR for prepaid customers | 5 NZD | N/A |
| Nicaragua | Tigo Nicaragua | Best coverage | 50 NIO | 4G/LTE is still lacking in Nicaragua with both operators. CooTel is not an operator I would recommend to travelers |
| Niger | Airtel Niger | Best overall | 1000 CFA | Quality of service is bad in Niger |
| Nigeria | MTN Nigeria | Best overall – “most” expensive, but the prices are still low (from a global perspective) | 400 NGN | Glo Mobile used to be my second recommendation. However, it has been slacking over the years. Poorer network performance. Airtel, on the other hand, has improved a lot |
| Niue | Telecom Niue | Only choice – monopoly | 10 NZD | N/A |
| Norfolk Island | Glonet | Only option – Norfolk Telecom does not offer data | 50 AUD | No data packs are sold. The starter pack comes with 3 GB, which is expensive. |
| North Korea | Koryolink | Only option for travelers | Variable | No data packages with Koryolink. You will pay 0.20 USD per MB. Data is CRAZY EXPENSIVE in North Korea |
| North Macedonia | A1 Macedonia | Great coverage and no throttled speeds for prepaid | 299 MKD | N/A |
| Northern Cyprus | KKTC Turkcell | Best overall | 15 TRY | Both SIM cards can roam for free in Turkey, but not in Cyprus |
| Northern Mariana Islands | DoCoMo Pacific | Best overall | 20 USD | N/A |
| Norway | Telia Norway | Best overall when ignoring Telenor Norway (see notes) | 29 NOK | Buy your Telia SIM card from any store except for Telia stores. They charge 99 NOK insead of 29 NOK | Telenor Norway has no prepaid plans. After using 1 GB through Pay As You G pricing (20 NOK/day), speeds will be throttled to 128 Kbps for the remainder of the month. |
| Oman | Ooredoo Oman | (Slightly) cheaper than Omantel with better coverage and (sometimes) faster speeds | 2 OMR | Be aware of the new VAT of 5%. Vodafone is entering the market “soon” |
| Pakistan | Jazz | Best overall | 300 PKR | SIM card registration can be a HASSLE in Pakistan |
| Palau | PalauCel | Only choice – monopoly | 10 USD | New submarine cable allows for faster speeds and cheaper data |
| Palestine | Jawwal | Best coverage | 30 NIS | 2G speeds in the Gaza strip. Using an Israeli SIM card, bought in Israel, can significantly improve speeds |
| Panama | +móvil | Best overall | Up to 15 PAB | Panama has the slowest speeds in Central America |
| Papua New Guinea (PNG) | Digicel PNG | Best overall | Variable | N/A |
| Paraguay | Tigo Paraguay | Best overall | 5000 PYG or 10 000 PYG | N/A |
| Peru | Movistar Peru | Best overall | 10 PEN | N/A |
| Philippines | Smart! | Get a SIM card from both operators because only one operator may be active in the area you are at | 40 PHP | The service with both operators is embarrassing at times |
| Poland | Orange Poland | Best overall | 5 PLN | Consider Nju Mobile for even more savings. It is an Orange sub-brand targeting the youth (but anyone can get this SIM card) and has full access to the Orange network |
| Portugal | MEO (by Altice Portugal) | Best coverage | 2.50 EUR | The data-only SIM cards include plans with unlimited data (for local use only) for as little as 5 EUR for 5 days |
| Puerto Rico | Claro Puerto Rico | Great overall and cheaper than Liberty PR | Free, but plan purchase required | N/A |
| Qatar | Ooredoo Qatar | Best coverage | Free, but a top-up of at least 10 QAR required | N/A |
| Réunion/Reunion | Orange Réunion | Good coverage and cheaper than SFR Réunion | 10 EUR | N/A |
| Romania | Orange Romania | Good coverage and the network is shared with Telekom Romania | Variable | N/A |
| Russia | MTS | Best coverage and good speeds | Variable | Prices for Russian SIM cards and data packages change depending on the region you buy your SIM card in |
| Rwanda | Airtel Rwanda | Great coverage and cheaper than MTN Rwanda | 500 RWF | N/A |
| Saba | Flow/Chippie (formerly UTS Saba) | Best 4G/LTE, fastest & free roaming in Chippieland (Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Eustatius, Saint Martin & Sint Maarten) | 17 USD | N/A |
| Saint Barthélemy (St Barts) | Orange Caraïbe | Fastest speeds | 15 EUR | All mobile operators allow for free roaming in the French West Indies (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy & Saint Martin). UTS/Flow/Chippie Saint Barthélemy left the market in 2021 |
| Saint Helena | Sure Saint Helena | Only choice – monopoly | 16.50 GBP | Speeds are slow on Saint Helena because Sure uses satellites. Submarine cable is coming in 2020. Until then, data is expensive and slow |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Digicel Saint Kitts and Nevis | Best overall | 23.40 XCD | N/A |
| Saint Lucia | Digicel St. Lucia | Best coverage and attractive plans | 15 XCD | N/A |
| Saint Martin | Flow/Chippie Saint Martin | Free roaming in Chippieland (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius & Sint Maarten) | 10 EUR | N/A |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Digicel St. Vincent | Best plans (with dedicated data allowances for TikTok and YouTube (up to 30 GB)) | 15 XCD | Coverage with both operators is patchy in Grenadines |
| Samoa | Vodafone Samoa (formerly BlueSky Samoe) | Best coverage | 10 WST | N/A |
| San Marino | See Italy | See Italy | See Italy | The sole operator in San Marino, Prima, suspended their services in 2016. Italian providers cover San Marino instead |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Unitel | No speeds restrictions but worse coverage | 80 STD | N/A |
| Saudi Arabia (KSA) | STC Saudi Arabia | Best overall | 34.50 SAR | Six operators – all of them offer a lot of options. Tourist, Hajj & Umrah SIM card offers can be useful (or the only option depending on the policy of the operator) |
| Senegal | Orange Senegal | Best overall | 1000 CFA | Coverage throughout Senegal is subpar |
| Serbia | Telenor Serbia | Best overall | 300 RSD/500 RSD | N/A |
| Seychelles | Airtel Seychelles | Fastest | 100 SCR | N/A |
| Sierra Leone | Africell Sierra Leone | Best (3G) coverage | 20 000 SLL | Qcell Sierra Leone is the cheapest operator, but their coverage is limited compared to the other two. |
| Singapore | Singtel | See notes | See notes | I highly recommend any of the tourist SIM cards in Singapore. For as little as 12 SGD, you get 100 GB (not a type, 100 GB) for at least 7 days (all operators). A better deal than anything else you can get in Singapore |
| Sint Eustatius | Flow/Chippie Sint Eustatius(formerly UTS Sint Eustatius) | Best 4G/LTE, fastest & free roaming in Chippieland (Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Eustatius, Saint Martin & Sint Maarten) | 17 USD | N/A |
| Sint Maarten | Flow/Chippie Sint Maarten (formerly UTS Sint Maarten) | Great overall. Also free roaming in various Caribbean nations | 18 USD | Slow speeds in Sint Maarten |
| Slovakia | Orange Slovakia | Best overall | 3 EUR | N/A |
| Slovenia | Telekom Slovenije | Best overall | 8.50 EUR | N/A |
| Solomon Islands | Our Telekom | Best coverage | 20 SBD | Although the Solomon Islands has 1 submarine cable, speeds are still slow. The outer islands still use satellites |
| Somalia | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| South Africa | Vodacom South Africa | Best coverage and fastest speeds | 5 ZAR | Mobile coverage is amazing in South Africa. The country also has the fastest mobile internet speeds in Africa. Getting RICA'ed can be a hassle |
| South Korea | SK Telecom | Korea SIM Orange comes with unlimited data | Variable | Regular SIM cards are available too in Korea |
| South Ossetia | MegaFon South Ossetia | Only option – monopoly | TBA | N/A |
| South Sudan | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Spain | Vodafone Spain | Best network and fastest speeds | Variable | N/A |
| Sri Lanka | Dialog | Great overall | 150 LKR | Be aware that data plans are split into anytime allowance (to used whenever), daytime allowance (to be used during the day), and nighttime allowance (at night only). 1 GB may mean 512 MB during the day and 512 MB at night |
| Sudan | Zain Sudan | Best overall | Variable | 4G/LTE coverage is limited. Sudani operators have 3G packs for their 3G networks and 4G/LTE packs for their 4G/LTE networks. |
| Suriname | Telesur | Best overall | 70 SRD | Coverage can only be found in the northern part of Suriname. Telesur offers 5G NR already |
| Sweden | Telia Sweden | Best coverage | 100 SEK | N/A |
| Switzerland | Swisscom | Best overall | 20 CHF | Switzerland shares a common market with Liechtenstein. Swisscom SIM cards issued in Switzerland are NOT bound to the EU Roam Like at Home regulation |
| Syria | MTN Syria | Only option – monopoly | 250 SYP | Syriatel is no more after a disagreement between the CEO of the company and the current ruling government |
| Taiwan | Chunghwa Telecom | Best coverage | 300 NTD | Taiwanese operators sell Airport/Tourist plans that come with TRULY unlimited data from 3 days to 365 days (300 NTD – 3199 NTD). Regular SIM cards are available too for 300/500 NTD, but they are HARD to get. |
| Tajikistan | Tcell | Best coverage | 20 TJS | N/A |
| Tanzania | Vodacom Tanzania | Best coverage | Variable | N/A |
| Thailand | AIS (1-2 Call) | Best overall | 52.5 THB | N/A |
| Togo | Togocel | Best overall | 2500 CFA | N/A |
| Tonga | Digicel Tonga | Highest speeds but limited coverage | 5 TOP | N/A |
| Transnistria | Interdnestrcom | Only option – monopoly | 56 RUP | N/A |
| Trinidad and Tobago | bmobile | Unlimited data plans without a “high-speed” allowance like Digicel Trinidad and Tobago and unlimited international SMS | 56.25 TTD | N/A |
| Tunisia | Ooredoo Tunisia | Good coverage and fastest speeds | 10 TND | N/A |
| Turkey | Turkcell | Best overall | Variable | Data is INSANELY cheap in Turkey. As a tourist, you will be overcharged for SIM cards – you may want to shop around for a good deal |
| Turkmenistan | TM Cell | Only choice (GSM). Ay Nazar uses CMDA (incompatible with most phones) | 10 TMT | N/A |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Flow Turks and Caicos | Good coverage and cheaper than Digicel Turks and Caicos | 5 USD | N/A |
| Tuvalu | Tuvalu Telecom | Only choice – monopoly | 10 AUD | Tuvalu still uses satellites for internet. Therefore, mobile data is slow and expensive |
| Uganda | MTN Uganda | Best coverage | 2000 UGX | If you want to use social media in Uganda, you have to pay a Social Media tax of 200 UGX. Unfortunately, this applies to VPN use because Ugandans used VPNs to access social media without paying the tax |
| Ukraine | Kyivstar | Best coverage | 25 UAH | N/A |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | Etisalat UAE | Best overall and the world's fastest mobile operator | 57.75 AED | Speeds are incredibly fast in the UAE. But prices are on the higher end (for local and global standards) |
| United Kingdom (UK) | EE | Best overall | 0.99 GBP | Consider Three/3 UK if you want to use/test 5G NR – it has the fastest speeds. Besides that, it is the worst Main Operator |
| United States (USA) | T-Mobile US | Best 5G NR coverage and fastest 5G NR speeds. Its prepaid options are limited (only 5) | 9.99 USD | Also consider Google Fi, Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile or Ultra Mobile |
| US Virgin Islands | Liberty USVI (formerly AT&T) | Great overall and offers 5G NR to prepaid customers already | Free, but plan purchase required | N/A |
| Uruguay | Antel Uruguay | Best overall | 65 UYU | N/A |
| Uzbekistan | Ucell | Best overall | Variable | N/A |
| Vanuatu | Digicel Vanuatu | Best overall | 1000 VUV | N/A |
| Vatican City | See Italy | See Italy | See Italy | The Vatican City does not have any operators. Italian operators cover the Vatican City instead |
| Venezuela | See notes | See notes | See notes | You cannot buy a Venezuelan SIM card unless you have the right to live there (citizen or resident) |
| Vietnam | Viettel | Best coverage. Best for going to rural Vietnam | 50 000 VND | N/A |
| Wallis and Futuna | Manuia | Only option – monopoly | 5000 XPF | Data is CRAZY EXPENSIVE in Wallis and Futuna. 10 000 XPF is about 86 USD! |
| Yemen | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Zambia | MTN Zambia | Best overall | 5 ZMK | 0.30 ZMK daily tax if planning on using VoIP services |
| Zimbabwe | Econet Zimbabwe | Best overall | 5 USD | Mobile data is expensive for African standards |