Num plans currently start at $1.14. That is a real price for a real plan, and it is also close to meaningless on its own — because the cheapest plan on any eSIM site is the smallest one, and the smallest one is usually the worst value per gigabyte.
Here is how to read a travel eSIM price properly, using our own numbers, including the ones that do not flatter us.
Four things set the price
- How much data. The main driver.
- How long it stays valid. The one people forget, and it is priced.
- Where you are going. Real, but a smaller factor than most people assume — most of our destinations start within a few cents of each other.
- Whether it is a per-day or total allowance. A “1 GB per day” plan and a “1 GB total” plan are different products.
Price per GB is the comparison that works
Divide the price by the data. It takes seconds and it reorders the list completely. Four genuine Japan plans from our catalogue:
| Plan | Validity | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 MB total | 7 days | $1.14 | $11.67 |
| 1 GB total | 7 days | $1.55 | $1.55 |
| 3 GB total | 15 days | $3.23 | $1.08 |
| 10 GB total | 30 days | $8.93 | $0.89 |
The cheapest plan on that table costs thirteen times more per gigabyte than the most expensive one. “From $1.14” is an accurate statement about the first row and a poor guide to the rest, which is true of every eSIM site including this one. Our destination pages show a per-GB column for exactly this reason, and mark the best-value plan rather than the cheapest.
Validity is half of what you are buying
Two plans in our Japan catalogue both give you 1 GB. One is valid for 7 days, the other for 30, and they are priced very differently — the longer one costs several times more for identical data.
That is not a quirk; it is what you are paying for. Before comparing two plans, check they last the same length of time. A cheaper plan that expires halfway through your trip is not cheaper.
Validity normally starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination, not when you buy it, so installing early does not burn days.
What is not in the price
- No activation or delivery fee. The price on the destination page is the price you pay.
- No phone number. You are buying data. Your own number stays active on your existing SIM — what that means in practice.
- Not your home operator’s roaming charges, if you leave the home line free to use data. Turn data roaming off on it.
Working out what you need
Rather than guessing, look at what you actually do abroad. Maps, messaging and the occasional booking are modest. Uploading video, streaming, or tethering a laptop is not — video is almost always the largest single consumer.
If you are unsure, a mid-sized plan on a reloadable product is the low-regret choice: most of our plans can be topped up in the app without reinstalling anything, so running short is an inconvenience rather than a second purchase.
Common questions
How much does a travel eSIM cost?
It depends on how much data you need and for how long, far more than on the destination. Num plans currently start at $1.14. That entry price buys a small amount of data, which is the right choice for a short trip and the wrong one for a fortnight.
Is the cheapest plan the best value?
Almost never. On our own Japan pricing the cheapest plan works out at about $11.67 per GB, while a larger plan is about $0.89 per GB. The headline price is the smallest number on the page, not the best deal on it.
Why does the same amount of data cost different amounts?
Because you are also paying for how long it stays valid. On our Japan pricing, 1 GB lasting 7 days and 1 GB lasting 30 days are both real plans at noticeably different prices. Validity is part of what you buy.
Are there any extra fees?
No. The price on the destination page and in the app is what you pay — there are no separate activation or delivery fees, and nothing is added at checkout.
What does unlimited mean?
Check the terms before assuming. Plans advertised as unlimited commonly apply a fair-use policy or reduce speed after a certain amount of full-speed data. That is not necessarily a bad deal, but it means unlimited plans and fixed-data plans cannot be compared on price alone.
Compare live prices by destination → · eSIM vs roaming →
Prices quoted are from our live catalogue on 2026-08-21 and move with it. The destination pages always show current prices.