Across 185 destinations, the median price of the cheapest single-country eSIM plan with at least 10 GB and at least 30 days of validity was $12.38 on 3-5 November 2026. That figure comes from PuraSIM's query of esimdata.app. This study sets out how that price varies by region and how it relates to the number of plans listed for each destination.
Key findings
- The median price of the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB for at least 30 days across 185 destinations was $12.38 on 3-5 November 2026 (PuraSIM's query of esimdata.app).
- Europe (50 destinations) had the lowest regional median for the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days at $6.79, and the Caribbean (23 destinations) the highest at $30.00; $30.00 ÷ $6.79 = 4.4.
- The number of plans esimdata lists per destination and the price of the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days were negatively associated across 185 destinations (Spearman −0.79, 95% bootstrap interval −0.84 to −0.72).
- Among the 46 destinations with the fewest plans listed (0 to 767), the median price of the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days was $29.50, against $6.79 among the 47 with the most (1,597 to 2,427); $29.50 ÷ $6.79 = 4.3.
- The cheapest named example was Switzerland at $4.50 and the most expensive was Libya at $59.50, both for the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days.
Prices by region
The regional breakdown groups the 185 destinations using the UN M49 geoscheme, as grouped by PuraSIM. In every row, the price is the median, across the region's destinations, of the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB and at least 30 days of validity. The figures come from PuraSIM's query of esimdata.app on 3-5 November 2026; the grouping and the medians are PuraSIM's own analysis.
Europe, with 50 destinations, had a median of $6.79 for the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days. Eastern Asia (6 destinations) followed at $6.87 and South-eastern Asia (9 destinations) at $7.54. At the other end, Sub-Saharan Africa (35 destinations) had a median of $27.00 and the Caribbean (23 destinations) $30.00 for the same plan.
Regions with fewer than 6 destinations are indicative only: Central Asia (4), Pacific Islands (4) and Northern America (4). With so few destinations, one or two markets can move the median considerably. Northern America, for example, has a median of $23.89 for the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days, but it rests on four destinations.
The chart below shows the regional medians in order.
| Region | Destinations | Median price (USD) | Median plans listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 50 | $6.79 | 2,024 |
| Eastern Asia | 6 | $6.87 | 1,702 |
| South-eastern Asia | 9 | $7.54 | 2,147 |
| Central Asia (indicative) | 4 | $9.50 | 1,034 |
| Western Asia | 14 | $12.38 | 1,155 |
| Central America | 8 | $12.38 | 1,391 |
| Northern Africa | 6 | $13.05 | 1,115 |
| South America | 12 | $14.44 | 1,388 |
| Southern Asia | 8 | $15.79 | 810 |
| Pacific Islands (indicative) | 4 | $18.76 | 343 |
| Northern America (indicative) | 4 | $23.89 | 1,060 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 35 | $27.00 | 733 |
| Caribbean | 23 | $30.00 | 863 |
The regional rows add up to 183 destinations, not 185. Australia and New Zealand (2 destinations) form a group too small to report, so the regional table leaves them out. Both countries are included in the 185-destination overall median of $12.38 and in the plans-versus-price analysis.
Plans on offer and price
The second question is whether destinations with more plans listed tend to have cheaper plans. For each destination, the number of plans comes from esimdata's Travel eSIM Price Index (CC BY 4.0, credit to esimdata.app), in its "plans" column. Regional plans count in every country they cover. PuraSIM paired that number with the price of the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB for at least 30 days and ranked the 185 destinations on both measures.
The Spearman rank correlation between plans listed and the price of the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days was −0.79 across 185 destinations, with a 95% bootstrap interval of −0.84 to −0.72. In plain terms, destinations with more plans listed tended to have a lower price for that plan, and the interval does not come close to zero.
The chart below groups the 185 destinations into four bands by plans listed.
| Group | Plans listed | Destinations | Median price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewest plans (bottom 25%) | 0 to 767 | 46 | $29.50 |
| Below median | 768 to 1,093 | 46 | $17.49 |
| Above median | 1,094 to 1,596 | 46 | $11.34 |
| Most plans (top 25%) | 1,597 to 2,427 | 47 | $6.79 |
The median price of the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days fell at each step: $29.50, $17.49, $11.34 and $6.79. Between the bottom and top quarter the ratio was $29.50 ÷ $6.79 = 4.3.
This is an association, not a cause
The link should be read as an association. Several factors can move both variables at once. Destinations with many plans are mostly large, popular travel markets. In Europe, many providers sell a single regional plan at the same price in every country, so one product adds to the plan count of dozens of destinations at once. Market size, tourism volume and wholesale network costs can all shape both the number of plans and the price. This study cannot separate those factors, so it does not show that a larger plan count changes what a provider charges.
Cheapest and most expensive destinations
The two tables below name the five cheapest and five most expensive destinations for the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB for at least 30 days. The prices come from PuraSIM's query of esimdata.app on 3-5 November 2026. This study does not publish a full country-by-country list; esimdata's database is the place for that.
| Destination | Price (USD) |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | $4.50 |
| Malaysia | $4.81 |
| Singapore | $4.97 |
| Türkiye | $5.59 |
| Thailand | $5.62 |
| Destination | Price (USD) |
|---|---|
| Libya | $59.50 |
| Eswatini | $51.99 |
| Belize | $46.99 |
| Cape Verde | $45.00 |
| Maldives | $40.00 |
Libya, at $59.50, was priced at 13.2 times Switzerland's $4.50 for the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days ($59.50 ÷ $4.50 = 13.2).
Methodology
Sources and dates
Two sources feed this study, both from esimdata.app and both collected on 3-5 November 2026. The 30-day prices come from PuraSIM's own query of esimdata's public MCP server. The number of plans listed per destination comes from esimdata's Travel eSIM Price Index, published under CC BY 4.0.
Sample and definitions
The sample covers 185 destinations and 13,637 plans. The price measure is, for each destination, the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB of data and at least 30 days of validity. The 13,637 figure is the number of single-country plans meeting those two conditions, summed over the 185 destinations. The "plans listed" measure is the number of plans esimdata lists for the destination, and regional plans count in every country they cover. It is therefore a different count from the 13,637.
Regions and medians
Regions follow the UN M49 geoscheme, grouped by PuraSIM into 13 regions. Latin America is split into Caribbean, Central America and South America. Europe is one region. Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are combined as Pacific Islands. Regions with fewer than 4 destinations are left out of the regional table, which removes Australia and New Zealand (2 destinations) and explains 183 of 185. All regional figures are medians of destination-level prices, not averages and not weighted by traffic or population.
Spearman correlation and bootstrap
The Spearman coefficient measures the rank correlation between plans listed and price, on a scale from −1 to 1. The 95% interval comes from 2,000 bootstrap resamples of the 185 destinations, using a fixed seed so the result can be reproduced.
Exclusions
Only Australia and New Zealand are excluded, and only from the regional table, because the group has 2 destinations. Multi-country and regional plans are not used for the price measure.
What is our data and what is not
- esimdata's data: the underlying plan listings behind the 30-day prices, reached through esimdata's public MCP server, and the number of plans listed per destination from the Travel eSIM Price Index (CC BY 4.0). Credit: esimdata.app.
- PuraSIM's query: the selection of the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB and at least 30 days for each destination on 3-5 November 2026.
- PuraSIM's own analysis: the regional grouping, the medians, the plans-versus-price analysis, the quartile bands and the bootstrap interval.
The underlying listings and the plans-listed counts are esimdata's and are not presented here as PuraSIM's own data.
Limitations
- The study is a snapshot of 3-5 November 2026. Providers change prices and plans often.
- Prices are what providers publish, in USD. Cheap plans may slow down after their allowance is used, and the study does not measure speed, network quality or coverage.
- Only one plan per destination is used: the cheapest that meets the 10 GB and 30-day thresholds. Results would differ for other data amounts or durations.
- The plans-listed count includes regional plans in every country they cover, so it reflects the number of listings, not the number of independent providers.
- The correlation is an association. Market size, tourism volume and wholesale costs may affect both variables, and this analysis does not control for them.
- Regions with fewer than 6 destinations (Central Asia, Pacific Islands, Northern America) are indicative only.
- Confirm the current price and terms on the provider's page before buying.
How to cite this study
Suggested citation: PuraSIM (2026). "Travel eSIM prices by region: 185 destinations, November 2026." Data: esimdata.app (PuraSIM query of the public MCP server and Travel eSIM Price Index, CC BY 4.0), collected 3-5 November 2026. Regional grouping, medians, Spearman correlation and bootstrap interval: PuraSIM's own analysis. When quoting a figure, name the plan it refers to: the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB for at least 30 days.
FAQ
What was the median price of a 30-day eSIM plan across destinations?
The median price of the cheapest single-country plan with at least 10 GB and at least 30 days of validity was $12.38 across 185 destinations on 3-5 November 2026 (PuraSIM's query of esimdata.app).
Which region had the cheapest and the most expensive plans?
Europe (50 destinations) had the lowest median, $6.79, and the Caribbean (23 destinations) the highest, $30.00, for the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days. The ratio was $30.00 ÷ $6.79 = 4.4.
Do destinations with more eSIM plans have lower prices?
They tended to. Across 185 destinations, plans listed and the price of the cheapest plan with at least 10 GB for 30 days had a Spearman correlation of −0.79 (95% interval −0.84 to −0.72). This is an association; market size and other factors may play a part.
Why do the regions add up to 183 destinations and not 185?
Regions with fewer than 4 destinations are left out of the regional table. Australia and New Zealand form such a group with 2 destinations, so the regional rows total 183. The 185 overall figures include them.
Are these prices what I will pay?
Not necessarily. They are the prices providers published on 3-5 November 2026, in USD, for one plan type. Prices and terms change, and cheap plans may slow down after their allowance, so confirm on the provider's page before buying.
For general advice on using a travel eSIM, see the travel guides.
