Price per GB
$1.25
Median mid-tier catalogue price.
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Prices, network indicators, operators and trip-planning tools for China. Use the full calculator with the destination already selected.
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Vast 5G but the Great Firewall is the real issue; roaming eSIMs often bypass it.
China has one of the world's largest and fastest 5G networks. China Mobile, Unicom and Telecom together blanket the country with 5G in cities and 4G in rural areas. China Unicom targets 5G-Advanced coverage in 300 cities with median speeds around 230 Mbps. Coverage is excellent across Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu and the main tourist routes. Remote areas (Tibet, deep Xinjiang, rural Yunnan) can have weaker signal. The real connectivity challenge in China is not coverage but the Great Firewall: most Western apps and services are blocked without a VPN.
Typical local SIM: $10 to 15 USD for a tourist SIM with data. International travel eSIMs are competitively priced from around 0.70 USD per GB.. Usually sold at Major international airports (Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun) on arrival. Passport and real-name registration required. English support at major outlets.. China has two critical layers for connectivity. First, the Great Firewall blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Gmail and most Western apps; a VPN is needed to access them, but VPN use is officially restricted. Second, local eSIMs are not available to foreign visitors directly; over 95% use international travel eSIMs that roam on Chinese networks. These eSIMs often bypass the Firewall, which is one of the main reasons visitors choose them over a local SIM.
For most visitors, a travel eSIM that bypasses the Great Firewall is the practical choice: land connected, use Google Maps and WhatsApp without a VPN. For long stays using Chinese apps, a local China Mobile SIM gives the best rural coverage at very low cost.
The largest operator in the world with the most extensive 5G coverage including rural areas. The best reach for travel outside the major cities. Local eSIM is not available to foreign visitors directly; most travellers use international eSIMs that roam on China Mobile.
Best compatibility with international phones and offers tourist-friendly plans with English support. Targeting 5G-Advanced coverage in key areas of 300 cities. Median 5G speeds around 230 Mbps. The practical local SIM choice for city travellers.
Strong regional coverage, particularly in southern China. Good option for short trips with the 7-day tourist SIM available at airports. Local eSIM for foreign travellers is limited.
you want to land connected and need access to Western apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp and Gmail, since many international travel eSIMs bypass the Great Firewall, which local SIMs do not.
you stay long, travel to rural areas needing China Mobile's rural reach, and use Chinese apps like WeChat, Baidu Maps and Alipay, which work fine behind the Firewall.
| Location | Network | Download | Dead zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Incheon Chinatown | LG U+ | 70.0 Mbps | no |
| Bangkok Chinatown | AIS | 478.0 Mbps | no |
Use this page to compare the current price per GB, network indicator, transparency signal and local-operator reference for China. It also links to a destination calculator and plan page.
It is the median price per GB of mid-tier plans in the live China catalogue. Small 1 GB teasers and 50 GB or larger bulk plans are excluded so the figure reflects a typical traveller choice.
The page shows the current mobile speed indicator, a transparency score and the main local operator. These are destination-level signals, not a guarantee for every street or device.
The decision section compares the practical trade-offs. A travel eSIM is usually simpler for a short visit; a local SIM can make sense when you need a local number, longer service or local pricing. Check the current conditions before deciding.
Price per GB is the median of mid-tier plans from the live China catalogue. Network and transparency indicators come from the shared Drift dataset and are refreshed monthly.
Field measurements are published only after validation. Open dataset: data-asia.json.
Figures updated September 2026. Dataset license: CC BY 4.0.