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For most trips of four days or more, a travel eSIM costs less than carrier roaming. The Simsima eSIM Price Index put the global median at $3.11 per GB on 3 September 2026, against $12 a day for Verizon's TravelPass in most countries. Roaming still wins on very short trips, for calls on your own number, and inside the EU on a European plan.
Key takeaways
- Travel eSIM data had a global median of $3.11 per GB on the 3 September 2026 Price Index snapshot; carrier day passes bill a flat fee for every day you use the network
- Roaming wins on trips of one to three days, where one or two day passes cost less than a data plan you will not finish
- Roaming also wins when you need calls and texts on your usual number with nothing to set up
- European plans roam at home rates across the EU, the EEA, Moldova and Ukraine, so an eSIM adds nothing there
- An eSIM adds a second line rather than replacing your own, so most travelers run both
What Carrier Roaming Costs in 2026
Verizon's TravelPass FAQ is a fair picture of the US model: $12 a day in most countries, $6 a day in Mexico and Canada, 5 GB of high-speed data per 24-hour session, then 3G speeds unless you buy another 2 GB block. You pay only on days you use the phone there, but a session starts with any call, text or data use, and Verizon notes that background data alone can start one once data roaming is on.
Without a pass, data roaming outside your carrier's included countries is billed at pay-as-you-go rates, which is where the large bills come from. European plans are the exception at home: under roam like at home, the EU's Your Europe page confirms you use your domestic allowance in other EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine, within the operator's fair use policy.
What a Travel eSIM Costs per Gigabyte
On the 3 September 2026 snapshot of the Simsima eSIM Price Index, which tracks 28,061 plans from 17 providers across 240 markets, the global median was $3.11 per GB. The spread matters more than the median: $0.74 in Malaysia, $0.84 in Thailand, $1.02 in France and $1.65 in the United States, against $16.62 in French Polynesia.
At those medians, 14 GB for two weeks in Thailand comes to about $12, against $168 for fourteen TravelPass days. In French Polynesia, the same 14 GB at the median would be about $233, more than fourteen days at $12, so in the most expensive destinations a day pass can come out cheaper if your carrier covers them. Look up your destination before deciding.
the median price per gigabyte in 240 countries — look up your destination before you decide
Does an eSIM Need Roaming Turned On?
Yes, on the travel eSIM line. A travel eSIM connects to a local network as a visiting line, so Data Roaming must be on for it to work. That does not cost anything extra: the plan is prepaid and stops when the data runs out. What must be off is data roaming on your home line, so it cannot attach to a foreign network at your carrier's rates.
Do eSIMs Get a Weaker Signal Than Roaming?
No, not because they are eSIMs. An eSIM is a digital SIM, and reception depends on the radio in the phone and the network it connects to, not on whether the SIM is a card or a download. When you roam, your carrier picks the foreign partner network; with a travel eSIM, the networks are those listed in the plan details. Either way, coverage is never complete in remote areas, and 5G depends on the plan, the phone and local coverage.
Three Cases Where Roaming Is the Better Buy
A trip of one to three days
Two TravelPass days cost $24. For a weekend with light use, the flat fee and zero setup can beat buying a plan you will barely touch, especially somewhere data is expensive.
When you need calls and texts on your own number
Travel eSIMs such as Simsima's carry data only. Roaming keeps your usual number working for calls and texts without any configuration. Wi-Fi Calling on your home line gets you part of the way, but only where there is Wi-Fi.
Inside Europe on a European plan
If your plan is from an EU country and you are traveling in the EU, the EEA, Moldova or Ukraine, roaming is already included at domestic rates within fair use. A travel eSIM only makes sense there if you outgrow that fair use or go beyond those countries.
Running Both Lines Without Paying Twice
Most experienced travelers do not choose. A modern phone keeps your own SIM next to a travel eSIM: the home line stays reachable for calls and texts with its data roaming off, and the travel line carries all the data. Verizon spells out the risk of skipping a step: with two numbers on one device, each line is charged according to its own international plan.
- Install the travel eSIM at home over Wi-Fi
- Label the two lines, for example Home and Travel
- Turn Data Roaming off on the home line
- Choose the travel eSIM as the cellular data line
- On iPhone, leave Allow Cellular Data Switching off so data never falls back to the home line
- Turn on Wi-Fi Calling for the home line if your carrier supports it
running two lines on an iPhone — how to label them and pick which one carries data
turning off data roaming on your original line — the step that stops the bill
Simsima recommendation
Compare a Simsima plan against your carrier's day pass
Prepaid data in 190+ countries and regions, priced against the local market rather than a flat daily fee.
If you would rather see every option side by side, including local SIMs, Wi-Fi calling and pocket hotspots, the broader survey covers them.
the six alternatives to roaming fees — including the two that cost nothing
Frequently asked questions
It needs a compatible, unlocked phone and five minutes of setup at home. A travel eSIM like Simsima's is data only, so calls and texts on your number still go through your carrier. Hotspot depends on the plan. Roaming has none of these limits, but bills every day you use it.
The one that covers every country on your route with networks listed for each, a data amount that fits your use, and the hotspot rule you need. For one country, a country plan; for several neighbors, a regional plan; for several continents, a Global plan.
Yes. The eSIM adds a second line and your SIM stays in place, so your number keeps receiving calls and texts. Turn off data roaming on it and let the eSIM carry data.
The connection stops instead of continuing at a surprise rate. You top up the same eSIM from your account, ideally before the plan's validity ends.
Roam like at home also covers Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine. Elsewhere it depends on your operator: the EU notes that many choose to extend their offers to other countries, so check your plan.
#Roaming#Travel eSIM#Comparison#Costs
Dimitri MorvanFounder
Founder of Simsima. A passionate traveler based in Barcelona, he helps travelers stay connected without breaking the bank on roaming fees.
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