eSIM Data Index: Asia
A gigabyte of mobile data runs a median of $1.75 across 27 Asia destinations this month on our 11-reseller market panel. In the Drift Asia catalogue itself, the median is $1.48.
The data
eSIM Price Index
Median $1.75 per GB across 27 destinations in August 2026. Every edition is immutable and citable.
Open → 📈Weekly seriesPrice History
Median price per GB tracked weekly since May 2026, down 3.3% since May 24, 2026. Open CSV and JSON.
Open → 📡On the groundField Tests
Real speed, latency and coverage measured at actual locations across Asia.
Open → ⚡NetworksMobile Speed Index
Each destination scored out of 100 on Ookla median download speeds.
Open →Studies
What 1 GB Really Costs Across Asia
One region, a 7x price gap: the July 2026 study, open data.
Read the study → 📰StudyChina's Two-Phone Rule: eSIM Compatibility Across Asia
Only two iPhone models can activate a Chinese carrier eSIM. July 2026 study, open data.
Read the study → 📰StudyUnlimited, Decoded
44 unlimited plans from 15 resellers, every clause quoted verbatim. Thailand and Japan lead the Asian report.
Read the study →The State of eSIM in Asia: August 2026
Our monthly read of the same open dataset, through the Drift Asia catalogue. The frozen, citable version of this report lives in the August 2026 edition.
Asia eSIM pricing in August 2026
Across 27 Asian destinations we track, the median price of mobile data is now $1.48 per gigabyte (mean $1.91), stable since July 2026.
In Asia, the cheapest data and the best networks rarely sit in the same country. South Asia delivers gigabytes at a fraction of East Asian prices, but on weaker networks. 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. The bottom of the table is dominated by South Asia:
| 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 Asian markets
At the other end sit the Gulf states and East Asia, where a gigabyte costs more but 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: East Asia leads the world
The average network quality across Asia is 82/100. The top is a global elite:
| Destination | NQI |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 97 |
| Singapore | 97 |
| Japan | 96 |
| Hong Kong | 95 |
| UAE | 95 |
| Qatar | 94 |
South Korea (97/100) leads. At the bottom, Mongolia and Nepal score well under average, expect 3G fallback outside main cities.
Real-world speed across Asia
Price and network quality say nothing about raw throughput. Our mobile speed index scores each destination out of 100, built on Ookla median download speeds. The Asian average sits at 67/100.
A high score means video calls, streaming and tethering run without friction. A mid score is still plenty for maps, messaging and browsing. The index reflects measured median speeds, not operator marketing.
| Destination | MSI | NQI |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | 100 | 95 |
| Qatar | 100 | 94 |
| South Korea | 89 | 97 |
| Saudi Arabia | 88 | 89 |
| Singapore | 87 | 97 |
| Vietnam | 82 | 85 |
| China | 82 | 88 |
| Georgia | 82 | 81 |
| Malaysia | 79 | 87 |
| Thailand | 77 | 91 |
What changed since July 2026
Prices eased again, with the steepest cuts in premium markets:
| 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 DriftAsia. Source: data-asia.json.
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Every page in this section is built on the same open dataset.