Price per GB
$1.48
Median mid-tier catalogue price.
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Viettel has the widest rural reach; cities are fast and cheap.
Vietnam's networks are strong and cheap in 2026. Viettel has the widest reach by a clear margin, with 4G near-universal and 5G past 90% of the population. Vinaphone has become the speed leader, benchmarking as the fastest 5G in Southeast Asia, and matches Viettel in the cities. Coverage is excellent across Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An and the main tourist routes; remote areas like Ha Giang and the deep Mekong can fall back to slower service, where Viettel is the safer bet.
Typical local SIM: $Very cheap locally: a Viettel SIM with 3GB/day for a month runs around 6 USD at an official store. Airport counters cost more. Travel eSIMs start around 10-11 USD for 7-30 days.. Usually sold at Official carrier counters at Noi Bai (Hanoi) and Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) airports, official stores, and phone chains like The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop, CellphoneS. Passport required.. Local SIMs are typically cheaper than travel eSIMs if you wait until you reach town. Confirm which carrier you are actually getting: Viettel or Vinaphone are best, MobiFone is fine for non-remote trips, avoid Vietnamobile. Airport counters may be closed for late-night arrivals.
If you want zero friction and to land online, a travel eSIM on Viettel is the safe pick. If you are budget-focused and happy to wait until town, a local Viettel SIM at around 6 USD a month beats almost everything. We tell you that because it is true.
Largest carrier (about 54% market share) and the widest coverage by far. 4G reaches ~98.6% of the population, 5G ~91%. The best choice for any itinerary outside the major cities, and the safest in remote areas like Ha Giang or the deep Mekong.
Second-largest carrier and the 2026 speed leader: recently ranked fastest 5G in Southeast Asia by Ookla. In cities its speeds rival Viettel. The simplest tourist option because it bundles a local number and calls, useful for Grab, OTPs and restaurant bookings.
Works well in cities and towns but weaker coverage once you go rural. Fine if you are not heading anywhere remote.
Short trips, or any time you want to land connected without queuing, especially for late-night arrivals when airport counters may be shut. Convenience and a pre-flight purchase are the draw.
Most trips on pure price, if you can wait until town. A local Viettel pack is dramatically cheaper per GB than a travel eSIM, and registration is quick with a passport.
| Location | Network | Download | Dead zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City Airport | Vinaphone | 127.78 Mbps | no |
Use this page to compare the current price per GB, network indicator, transparency signal and local-operator reference for Vietnam. It also links to a destination calculator and plan page.
It is the median price per GB of mid-tier plans in the live Vietnam 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 Vietnam 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.