Bali eSIM: the best plan for 7, 14 or 30 days, and how it compares with an airport SIM

A Bali eSIM is the easiest way to have data the moment you land: you buy it online, install it at home on Wi-Fi and switch it on as the plane taxis in. For a week, 3 to 5 GB for about US$8 to US$12 is enough. A local SIM bought in town is cheaper still, but the counters at the airport charge up to four times the town price.

Best eSIM for Bali: which plan for 7, 14 or 30 days

The right Bali eSIM depends on how long you stay and how much you stream, not on the brand. Most travellers use 300 to 600 MB a day with maps, Grab, WhatsApp and Instagram, and connect to villa or hotel Wi-Fi in the evening. Prices below were checked on 27 October 2026 and converted at Rp18,149 to the US dollar and Rp12,949 to the Canadian dollar.

FromUS$8.50/ 3 GB, 7 days

Best for most trips

Airalo Indonesia eSIM

3 to 30 days

• ✓Fixed data or unlimited, from 3 days
• ✓Installs in a few minutes at home

See the plans

FromUS$13.99/ 5 GB, 30 days

Telkomsel network

Saily Indonesia eSIM

7 to 30 days

• ✓Runs on Telkomsel, the widest network
• ✓Unlimited plans at 5 GB a day full speed

See the plans

FromUS$27.50/ 7 days

Unlimited only

Holafly unlimited eSIM

3 to 30 days

• ✓No data counting at all
• ✓XL and Telkomsel networks

See the plans

Partner links. Buying through them costs you nothing extra and supports the guide. eSIM prices change often: check the plan page before you pay.

Bali eSIM for 7 days

A week in Bali rarely needs more than 3 GB. Airalo sells 3 GB for 7 days at US$8.50 (C$11.91), and 5 GB for US$12 (C$16.82) if you post videos or video-call home. Saily's 1 GB for 7 days at US$4.79 only works if you spend your days on hotel Wi-Fi. A 7-day unlimited plan costs US$27 at Airalo and US$27.50 at Holafly, three times the price, for data most people never use.

Bali eSIM for 14 days

Nobody sells exactly 14 days in Indonesia: take a 15-day plan. Airalo charges US$13 for 5 GB and US$20 for 10 GB over 15 days (C$18.22 and C$28.03). Ubigi's 3 GB for 15 days at US$7 suits a light user. Two weeks is also where the 30-day plans become worth a look: Airalo's 5 GB over 30 days costs only 50 cents more than the 15-day version, and leaves you a buffer if your flight moves.

Bali eSIM for 30 days or longer

For a month, compare Nomad's 10 GB at US$19, Airalo's at US$21 and Saily's at US$21.99. Above 20 GB, Nomad's 45-day plan (US$33 for 20 GB) and Ubigi's 25 GB for US$28 beat the other fixed plans. If you stay longer than a month on an Indonesian SIM, read the IMEI section first. For the rest of the trip budget, our Bali trip cost guide sets out daily spending in the same currencies.

Unlimited data eSIM for Bali: Airalo, Holafly or Saily?

The three sell unlimited plans, and none is truly unlimited at full speed. Airalo gives 3 GB a day before slowing to 1 Mbps, Saily 5 GB a day. Holafly does not publish a daily cap but limits sharing, and a 2025 test in Sanur measured a top speed of 33 Mbps against 150 Mbps on Airalo. For 15 days, expect US$48 (Airalo), US$48.99 (Saily) and US$51.50 (Holafly). Unlimited makes sense for remote work, video calls every day, or a phone that has to feed a laptop.

Bali eSIM prices compared: Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad and Ubigi

The table gives each provider's Indonesia plans that fit a Bali holiday. Airalo's unlimited prices come from its own Indonesia page. The fixed plans come from a comparison published on 23 October 2026, because Holafly's and Saily's pages would not load for us. Multiply by 1.40 for Canadian dollars.

Which network does each Bali eSIM use? Telkomsel, XL or Indosat

A travel eSIM borrows a local network, and that matters more than the logo. Telkomsel has the widest coverage in Bali, on the islands and in the mountains. Saily and Nomad use it, and Holafly uses it alongside XL. XL is strong and fast in the towns, Canggu, Seminyak and Ubud. Indosat, used by Airalo and Ubigi, is fine in the south and drops sooner in remote places. Travel eSIMs also route your traffic abroad, through Singapore for Airalo, which adds a little latency but keeps sites that Indonesian networks block reachable.

We have no price for Yesim's Indonesia plans that we could check, so it is left out of the table.

Bali eSIM or SIM card at Bali airport: Telkomsel and XL counter prices

The phone counters in the arrivals hall at Ngurah Rai sell tourist SIM cards and set them up for you. They are quick, 5 to 10 minutes with your passport, but they are the most expensive way to get data in Bali. These are the prices photographed at the counters on 30 August 2026:

Telkomsel SIM card price at Bali airport vs in town

Telkomsel 25 GB costs Rp400,000 at the airport and about Rp85,000 in town (US$22 against US$4.70), almost five times more. XL shows the same gap: Rp250,000 for 34 GB at the counter, Rp100,000 for 25 GB in a shop. The town price comes with a wait: registering a SIM in a Telkomsel outlet or phone shop takes 15 to 45 minutes, and you need your passport. Arriving at night, a Bali eSIM gets you a Grab straight from the kerb, and the Bali airport guide explains where the pick-up points are.

Bali eSIM Telkomsel: can tourists buy a local eSIM online?

Not from Telkomsel directly: its own site asks foreigners for a KITAS residence permit, so the Telkomsel eSIMs sold to tourists go through resellers. XL and Smartfren do sell tourist eSIMs online, very cheaply: XL from Rp46,000 for 14 GB (US$2.53 · C$3.55) up to Rp140,000 for 80 GB, Smartfren from Rp45,000 for 5 GB. The catch is the paperwork: passport scan, IMEI, sometimes a selfie with the passport, and foreign cards are often declined at payment.

When a local SIM card beats a Bali eSIM

Take a local SIM if you need more than 50 GB, if you want an Indonesian number, or if your phone does not take an eSIM. Buy it in town, not at the airport, and use a short travel eSIM or the airport Wi-Fi to get there. Everyone else is better off with a travel eSIM: no queue, no passport check, no IMEI.

How to install a Bali eSIM before you leave

Install the eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly. You need an internet connection to download the profile, and Bali airport Wi-Fi is not where you want to troubleshoot. The validity period usually starts when the eSIM first connects to an Indonesian network, not when you install it: check this on the plan page, because a few providers start the clock at purchase.

1. Buy the plan in the provider's app or website.
2. Scan the QR code or tap the install button: on iPhone, Settings, Mobile Service, Add eSIM. On Android, Settings, Connections, SIM Manager.
3. Label the line "Bali" and leave it switched off until you land.
4. On arrival, switch the eSIM on, select it for mobile data, and turn on data roaming for that line only.

Is my phone compatible with an eSIM for Bali?

Every iPhone from the XS and XR onwards takes an eSIM, as do Google Pixels from the 3 and recent Samsung Galaxy S, Z and some A models. The phone must also be unlocked: a phone tied to your carrier at home will refuse a foreign profile. On iPhone, Settings, General, About shows "No SIM restrictions" when it is unlocked. Otherwise, your carrier can tell you.

Do I turn off roaming when using an eSIM?

Turn data roaming on for the eSIM, off for your home SIM. A travel eSIM is a roaming profile, so it will not connect with roaming disabled. Your home line can stay active for calls and SMS, which keeps bank codes coming, but with its data roaming off you will not pay your carrier's daily roaming fee. Do not answer calls on your home line in Bali unless you know the rate.

Is it easy to switch between eSIMs?

Yes, a phone stores several eSIMs and you choose which one carries data in two taps. If your Bali eSIM runs out, top it up in the app or buy a second one over hotel Wi-Fi. Never delete an eSIM you still need: most cannot be reinstalled once removed.

Bali eSIM coverage on Nusa Penida, Lembongan and in the north

In the south, Ubud and the main towns, any of these eSIMs gives you 4G everywhere and 5G in the busy areas of Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta. The signal gets patchy on the islands and in the mountains, and that is where the network behind your eSIM makes the difference.

Bali eSIM signal on Nusa Penida: west coast vs east coast

On Nusa Penida, data works across most of the island and along the east coast. The west coast is the weak side: the cliffs at Kelingking, Broken Beach and Angel's Billabong block the signal at times, and phones take a while to reconnect on the inland roads. Download an offline map of the island before the boat, and agree a pick-up time with your driver rather than counting on a message.

Bali eSIM on Nusa Lembongan

Lembongan is easier. Jungut Batu and Mushroom Bay have reliable data, good enough to upload photos and video-call. The signal thins near the cliffs and on the quieter beaches.

Bali eSIM coverage in the north: Munduk, Lovina and Amed

We found no recent coverage test for Lovina, Amed or Munduk, so treat this as a rule of thumb: data is slower in the northern mountains, and the roads over the hills around Bedugul and Kintamani have patchy stretches. Telkomsel reaches furthest into rural Bali, so a Saily or Nomad eSIM, or Holafly on Telkomsel, is the safer pick if you plan to spend days up north. Download offline maps before a road trip, whatever SIM you use.

Indonesia IMEI registration: does a Bali eSIM need it after 90 days?

No. A travel eSIM like Airalo, Holafly or Saily, and your home SIM on roaming, connect as foreign roamers, and roamers do not have to register their phone's IMEI, however long they stay. The rule applies to Indonesian SIM and eSIM cards used in a foreign phone.

When you buy a local SIM, the counter or phone shop registers your phone's IMEI against your passport for up to 90 days. After that, the local network stops working on that phone unless it has been registered with Indonesian customs, Bea Cukai. That registration is done on the Bea Cukai website or the Mobile Bea Cukai app, at the arrival terminal or within 60 days of arrival, with your passport, a boarding pass and the phone. Up to two phones per passenger and US$500 of value are exempt from duty when you register at the international arrival terminal. Above that, import duty and VAT are charged. Check the current rules on beacukai.go.id before a long stay: we could not find a 2026 Bea Cukai page that sets them out in full.

Can you use a Bali eSIM as a hotspot?

Most fixed-data eSIMs let you share your connection, but check the hotspot line on the plan before you buy if you need it. Holafly limits sharing to about 1 GB a day on its Indonesia plans, and a 2025 test in Bali could not get its hotspot to work at all. For a couple sharing one plan, or a laptop that needs data, a fixed 10 or 20 GB plan from Airalo, Saily or Nomad is the safer choice. Some iPhones restrict tethering on certain networks, Android rarely does.

Bali eSIM with phone number: Grab, Gojek and WhatsApp

Travel eSIMs are data only: no Indonesian number, no local calls or SMS. For most visitors that is not a problem, because the apps you need in Bali run on data and on your home number.

Does WhatsApp work with a Bali eSIM?

Yes. WhatsApp stays tied to your home number, whatever SIM carries the data, and drivers, villas and tour operators in Bali all use it. Keep your home SIM in the phone (or active as a second line) and do not log out of WhatsApp during the trip, because logging back in needs an SMS code sent to that number.

Can you use Grab and Gojek in Bali without a local number?

In most cases, yes. Both apps send a one-time code by SMS when you sign up, and foreign numbers usually receive it. Create your Grab and Gojek accounts at home, while your own SIM is active, and add a card. In Bali the apps then work on eSIM data, and drivers contact you through the in-app chat. Ride apps are also the safer way to get around, as our Bali safety guide explains.

How to get a +62 Indonesian number in Bali

A local number is useful if you rent a villa for a month, order deliveries, or deal with people who call rather than message. The cheapest way is a Telkomsel or XL SIM from a shop in town, from about Rp85,000. Some resellers sell a Telkomsel eSIM with a +62 number, sent a few days before you leave. A dual-SIM phone can carry the travel eSIM for data and the local SIM for the number.

If you already know you want one plan for the whole trip, the Airalo Indonesia eSIM covers the data side from the minute you land (partner link).