There are three ways to get data abroad. Which is right depends on how long you stay and how much you rely on the connection, not on which is cheapest per gigabyte.
A week in one country: eSIM, for the convenience. A month or more in one place: a local SIM, for the price. Working remotely with calls you cannot drop: a local SIM plus an eSIM as backup, and a hotspot only if you move between rooms with bad wifi.
Below is each option with the case for and against, then the gear that goes with it.
mood photoFor you if your phone supports eSIM (most phones from the last few years do) and you want data the moment you land.
Trade-off per-gigabyte prices are usually higher than a local SIM, plans are data-only on many markets, and you cannot receive local calls or SMS, which some banks need for verification.
mood photoFor you if you stay a month or more, or need a local number.
Trade-off you queue at a shop with your passport, your home SIM comes out (so no home SMS unless your phone has two slots), and tourist packages at airports cost more than city shops.
mood photoFor you if you share data with a laptop and a second person, or work from rooms with no wifi.
Trade-off another device to charge and carry, and it still needs a SIM or eSIM inside it; for one person with one phone it is overkill.
mood photoFor you if you use public wifi for anything with a login.
Trade-off slows weak connections; turn it off for video calls.
mood photoFor you if you want home SMS and local data at the same time.
Trade-off check your model before you travel; some phones sold in some regions have no physical slot at all.
Fine for a weekend; most home plans cap it or charge daily.
Convenient and usually the most expensive place in the country to buy data.
Lists change as we swap out items that stop earning their place. The pin always points to the current version of this page.
