The State of eSIM in Asia
A gigabyte of mobile data now runs a median of $1.48 across Asia. The cheapest markets are not always the best ones, and the gap between price and network quality is the real story.
Asia eSIM pricing in August 2026
Across 27 Asia destinations we track, the median price of mobile data is now $1.48 per gigabyte (mean $1.91).
The cheapest data and the best networks rarely sit in the same country. Our price-per-GB index and mobile speed index track both sides.
Where eSIM data is cheapest in Asia
Turkey is the cheapest market we track at $0.83 per GB:
| Destination | Price / GB | NQI | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | $0.83 | 86 | Turkcell |
| Singapore | $0.97 | 97 | Singtel |
| Thailand | $1.08 | 91 | AIS |
| Japan | $1.08 | 96 | NTT Docomo |
| Indonesia | $1.08 | 80 | Telkomsel |
| South Korea | $1.08 | 97 | SK Telecom |
| Malaysia | $1.08 | 87 | Maxis |
| Hong Kong | $1.08 | 95 | CSL |
The catch: several pair low prices with mid-tier networks. Cheap data is only a bargain if coverage holds where you travel, check the mobile speed index first.
The most expensive markets in Asia
At the other end, a gigabyte costs more but often buys a superior network:
| Destination | Price / GB | NQI |
|---|---|---|
| Mongolia | $5.98 | 58 |
| Nepal | $3.54 | 62 |
| India | $3.21 | 83 |
| Jordan | $3.19 | 80 |
| UAE | $3.15 | 95 |
| Saudi Arabia | $2.68 | 89 |
Network quality across Asia
The average network quality is 82/100. The leaders:
| Destination | NQI |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 97 |
| Singapore | 97 |
| Japan | 96 |
| Hong Kong | 95 |
| UAE | 95 |
| Qatar | 94 |
South Korea (97/100) leads the table.
What changed since July 2026
| Destination | July 2026 | August 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | $1.54 | $1.54 | 0.00 |
| Cambodia | $1.59 | $1.59 | 0.00 |
| China | $1.25 | $1.25 | 0.00 |
| Georgia | $1.58 | $1.58 | 0.00 |
| Hong Kong | $1.08 | $1.08 | 0.00 |
| India | $3.21 | $3.21 | 0.00 |
All figures as of August 2026. Free to cite under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Drift Asia. Source: data-asia.json.
Pick your Asia eSIM with the data
Compare prices and coverage across 27 destinations.