Roaming cost calculator: your carrier vs a travel eSIM
Pick your home carrier, where you are going and for how long. The calculator totals the carrier's roaming pass for the trip and puts it next to the ETravelSim plan that covers the same days.
Carrier day passes cost $5 to $16 a day, so a 10 day trip is $50 to $160 before you use a byte. A prepaid eSIM for the same destination is $10 to $40 for the whole trip. Roaming is only the better deal for one or two days, or on plans where the destination is already included.
Compare your carrier's pass with an eSIM
Rates are the carriers' published day pass prices, converted to your currency for the comparison.
How carriers charge for roaming
There are three ways you can be billed abroad, and the calculator uses the second one because it is what most people end up on.
- Pay as you go. Per megabyte, often $2 to $10 per MB outside Europe. Nobody chooses this. It is what happens when you forget to turn roaming off and your phone syncs photos overnight. A single day can run into hundreds of dollars, which is why carriers now cap it or push you onto a pass.
- Day passes. A flat fee for each day you use data abroad, usually $5 to $16. You get your home plan's data, or a small daily allowance on the cheaper passes. The fee is charged for every calendar day the phone touches a foreign network, including the day you land at 11 pm.
- Included roaming. Some plans include certain countries. US plans often include Canada and Mexico. EU plans include the rest of the EU at no extra cost under roam like at home rules. UK plans on EE, Vodafone and O2 vary by tariff. If your destination is included, roaming is free and you do not need an eSIM.
Day pass rates by carrier
These are the published rates the calculator uses. Carriers change them, so check your own plan before a long trip.
| Carrier | Pass | Per day | Data | 10 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | International Day Pass | $12 | Home plan data | $120 |
| Verizon | TravelPass | $12 | Home plan data, slowed after 2 GB a day on some plans | $120 |
| T-Mobile | International Pass | $5 | 512 MB a day, or $35 for 5 GB over 10 days | $50 or $35 |
| Rogers | Roam Like Home | CAD 15 | Home plan data | CAD 150 |
| Bell | Roam Better | CAD 16 | Home plan data | CAD 160 |
| Telus | Easy Roam | CAD 16 | Home plan data | CAD 160 |
| EE | Roam Abroad daily, outside Europe | £7.75 | Home plan data | £77.50 |
| O2 | Travel Bolt On | £6 | Home plan data | £60 |
| Vodafone UK | Roaming Pass, rest of world | £6.86 | Home plan data | £68.60 |
| Three UK | Go Roam Around the World | £5 | Home plan data, fair use cap | £50 |
| Telstra | International Day Pass | AUD 10 | 2 GB a day | AUD 100 |
| Optus | Roaming Day Pass | AUD 5 | 5 GB a day | AUD 50 |
| Airtel | International roaming 1 day pack | ₹649 | 1 GB a day | ₹6,490 |
| Jio | International roaming 1 day pack | ₹575 | 500 MB a day | ₹5,750 |
Rates from each carrier's published roaming page. Taxes and surcharges not included.
What the same trips cost on an eSIM
ETravelSim prices are for the whole trip, not per day, and they are the same whichever carrier you have at home.
| Trip | Carrier day pass at $12 | ETravelSim plan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days in New York | $36 | 5 GB for $10 | $26 less |
| 7 days in Europe | $84 | Unlimited for $17 | $67 less |
| 10 days in Japan | $120 | 20 GB for $19.99 | $100 less |
| 14 days in Thailand | $168 | Unlimited 10 days for $15.99 plus 5 GB for $8.49 | $143 less |
| 30 days in India | $360 | Unlimited 30 days for $59 | $301 less |
| 1 day in Canada on a US plan | $0, included | 1 GB for $4.99 | Roaming wins |
When roaming is still the right call
- One day or less. A $12 pass for a single day in Paris on a work trip is fine. Setting up an eSIM for one day only makes sense if you already have it installed from the last trip, which is why we suggest keeping the ETravelSim eSIM on your phone and recharging it.
- The destination is included in your plan. Canada and Mexico on most US plans. The EU on an EU SIM. Check before you buy anything.
- You need your own number for calls. Your home number keeps working for calls and texts while the eSIM carries the data, so this is rarely a real reason. If you need a local number as well, Data + calls plans on selected destinations include a number and call minutes.
- Your phone does not support eSIM. Older than 2018 or carrier locked. Check your phone in a minute.
The two mistakes that cost the most
Leaving data roaming on for your home SIM after the eSIM is installed. Your phone can still route some traffic through the home line, and the carrier charges a day pass for it. Turn roaming off on the home SIM and on for the ETravelSim line only. The dual SIM guide shows the exact switches.
Assuming the day pass is a 24 hour window. On most carriers it is a calendar day in the destination's time zone, or a rolling 24 hours that starts the first time the phone connects. Land at 11:30 pm and you may pay for that day and the next.
Questions about roaming charges
Why is roaming so expensive?
Your carrier rents capacity from a foreign network and adds its own margin. A prepaid travel eSIM buys that capacity in bulk from the same foreign networks, so the price you see is closer to the local rate.
Is a day pass charged if I only use Wi-Fi?
If mobile data and roaming are off on the home SIM, no. If they are on, background traffic such as email sync or an app update can trigger the daily charge even if you never opened a browser.
Can I keep my number and still avoid roaming?
Yes. Keep your home SIM in the phone with data roaming off. Calls and texts to your number still arrive, and WhatsApp keeps working on the same number because it uses the eSIM's data. More on keeping your number.
Does the eSIM price include taxes?
Yes. The price on the product page is what you pay. There is no activation fee and no monthly charge after the plan ends.
What if I travel to two countries?
Choose a regional plan. The Europe eSIM covers 34 countries on one plan, and there are regional plans for Asia, North America, Latin America and the Middle East. The calculator uses the regional price when you pick Europe.
Short version
For anything longer than two days, a prepaid eSIM costs a fraction of a carrier day pass and you keep your number for calls. Use the calculator above with your own carrier and trip, then open the destination page.