ASIAN eSIM & Roaming Statistics 2026
Sourced, citable figures on travel eSIM pricing, coverage, and real-world speed across Asia. Updated quarterly. Open data, CC BY 4.0.
Price per GB
As of July 2026, the median price of travel eSIM data lands at $1.77/GB, against a mean of $2.23/GB, across an 11-provider panel and 27 countries.
The cheapest destination in this panel is Turkey ($0.91/GB), the most expensive is Mongolia ($6.63/GB), a ratio of 1 to 7.3 depending on the destination.
Drift Asia's own catalog runs below the panel median, at $1.54/GB against a market average of $6.52/GB.
Cost of mobile data by market
Across Asia, the price of 1GB of mobile data ranges from $0.91 to $6.63, a 7.3x spread between the cheapest and most expensive markets tracked.
The median price across the region sits at $1.77/GB, closely aligned with the eSIM travel panel median.
Unlimited plans, decoded
Of 44 "unlimited data" eSIM plans surveyed across 18 resellers, 27% publish no quota figure at all before purchase.
Among plans that do disclose a limit, the median daily quota before throttling is 3 GB/day.
Once the quota is used up, throttled speed ranges from 128 kbps to 2 Mbps, with 1 Mbps as the typical value: enough for messaging, rarely for video.
Measured per truly usable GB, the cost of an "unlimited" plan ranges from $0.33 to $2.25/GB, a 1 to 7 spread.
Real-world field speeds
In Thailand (19 field measurements), median download speed reaches 112 Mbps.
In Japan (12 measurements), the median is 79.9 Mbps; in South Korea (7 measurements), 69.4 Mbps.
Across our field measurements, Thailand leads Japan and South Korea on median eSIM speed, even though both of the latter rank among the world's fastest fixed-line networks: national infrastructure does not automatically translate into real-world prepaid eSIM speed.
Device compatibility
Weighting Asia's smartphone market against official manufacturer eSIM device lists puts regional compatibility at an estimated 41.3 to 55.7%.
In mainland China, only two iPhone models can activate an eSIM from a local carrier: every other iPhone sold there keeps a physical SIM tray.
The wider eSIM market
By late 2025, only 5% of smartphone connections actively used an eSIM, a share expected to reach 10% by the end of 2026 and to overtake the physical SIM before 2030.
Consumer awareness of eSIM rose from 25% to 60%, yet only 8% first learn about it from their carrier.
Juniper Research forecasts 1.5 billion eSIM-enabled devices in 2026, up 30% year on year.
GSMA projects 76% of smartphone connections will be eSIM by 2030.
eSIM & Roaming Statistics FAQ
What is the median price per GB for a travel eSIM?
About $1.77/GB as of July 2026, across an 11-provider panel.
Are "unlimited" eSIM plans really unlimited?
Rarely: of 44 plans surveyed, 27% publish no quota at all, and the median daily quota among those that do is 3 GB/day before throttling.
What share of smartphones is eSIM-compatible across Asia?
An estimated 41.3 to 55.7%, weighted from market share against manufacturer eSIM device lists.