Best eSIM for travellers from Ukraine in 2026: Airalo, Saily, Nomad

Mykyta Dzhus · Updated 2026-11-08 · 19 min read · eSIM & mobile data

Ask ChatGPT or Google which eSIM to take to Turkey or Egypt and you will hear Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Holafly or Yesim. They are solid international services, but they are not built for people from Ukraine: you pay in dollars or euros at your bank's conversion rate, help pages are mostly in English, and refunds are sometimes only in credit. On 8 November 2026 we collected prices for identical packages in the five countries Ukrainians travel to most, and we show plainly where we are cheaper and where the competitors are.

In short

• Turkey and Georgia: on the check date (8.11.2026) Tutu eSIM had the cheapest 5, 10 and 20 GB packages. For example, 5 GB for 30 days in Turkey costs $6.49, versus $9.00 at Nomad, $9.99 at Saily, $10.00 at Airalo and $10.04 at Yesim.
• Turkey, the UAE, the EU and the USA, data only: Kyivstar's own travel eSIM, “SIM for travel”, is even cheaper: 5 GB for 4 weeks for 90 UAH. It does not work in Egypt, Thailand or Georgia.
• Egypt: for 5 and 10 GB Tutu eSIM is cheaper ($10.49 and $16.49), with Yesim the closest competitor. For 20 GB Yesim is slightly cheaper: $25.11 against our $25.99.
• Thailand: prices are almost identical. 5 GB costs $6.99 at Tutu, $7.81 at Yesim, $7.99 at Saily, $8.00 at Airalo and Nomad. The difference is under a dollar, so other terms decide.
• UAE: 5 GB costs $10.99 with us and almost the same at Nomad ($11.00); for 20 GB Nomad is cheaper ($29.00 against $31.49).
• Holafly sells only unlimited plans: a week in Turkey is $27.50, in Egypt $36.50. A 7-day Tutu eSIM unlimited plan costs $14.99 in Turkey and $23.49 in Egypt (about 2 GB a day at full speed, slower after that).
• For travellers from Ukraine the difference is not only the price: Tutu eSIM charges a Ukrainian card in hryvnias (UAH) at the monobank rate, issues a Ukrainian fiscal receipt, support answers in Ukrainian every day, and you can buy on the website or in the Telegram bot.
• Your number stays with you: a travel eSIM gives you data only, your main SIM stays in the phone and bank texts arrive as usual. To see whether your phone has eSIM, dial *#06# (look for the EID line).

How we compared

Comparing eSIMs by their ads is pointless: every service says “from $4”, but that price is usually for 1 GB per week, which won't get you through a holiday. So we took three identical packages that people buy most often, 5, 10 and 20 GB for 30 days, and the five countries outside the EU that Ukrainians fly to most: Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, the UAE and Georgia. Inside the European Union a Ukrainian number already works under “roam like at home” rules, so an eSIM is needed less often there.

We took Airalo, Yesim, Saily and Nomad prices from the eSIMDB catalogue (esimdb.com), which collects plans from hundreds of providers in one place. The check was done on 8 November 2026; all amounts are in US dollars, without new-customer discounts and without promo codes. Holafly prices come from Holafly's official pages for Turkey and Egypt on the same day. Tutu eSIM prices on this page are filled in automatically from our price list, so they are always current, while competitor prices are fixed on the check date and may change.

We sell eSIMs ourselves, so we don't pretend this is a neutral review. To keep the comparison useful we left in the rows that are inconvenient for us: where a competitor is cheaper, we say so. Links to all sources are in the “Sources and check date” section.

Turkey: 5, 10 and 20 GB for 30 days

Turkey remains the top destination for Ukrainians outside the EU, and competition between eSIM services is strongest here. The four big brands sit in the same corridor: 5 GB costs $9.00–10.04, 20 GB from $20.00 to $23.43. Nomad is the cheapest of them. On the check date Tutu eSIM was cheaper in all three sizes: 5 GB for $6.49, 10 GB for $9.99, 20 GB for $15.49.

For a typical 7–10 day holiday in a hotel with Wi-Fi, 5 GB is enough. If you post a lot of stories and get around town with maps and taxis, take 10 GB. Turkey also has smaller packages, such as 3 GB for 15 days, and unlimited: $2.99 for 1 day or $47.49 for 30 days. All packages for Turkey: Turkey.

Egypt: 5, 10 and 20 GB for 30 days

Egypt is more expensive for everyone: local operators sell data to foreign partners at higher prices than Turkish ones do. The spread is also the widest: Saily asks $22.99 for 5 GB and $38.99 for 10 GB, Airalo $18.00 and $30.00. In Egypt Yesim is noticeably cheaper than the other big players.

To be honest about ourselves: for 5 and 10 GB Tutu eSIM is cheaper ($10.49 and $16.49), but at 10 GB the gap to Yesim ($16.74) is tiny, and at 20 GB Yesim is cheaper: $25.11 against our $25.99. If you need exactly 20 GB for a month and only the price matters, Yesim wins this row. If you are going to Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh for a week and use mobile data mostly outside the hotel, 5 GB is usually enough. Packages for Egypt: Egypt.

Thailand: 5, 10 and 20 GB for 30 days

Thailand is the cheapest country on our list, and all services here run on the same big local operators. Prices are almost the same: 5 GB costs $7.81 to $8.00 at competitors and $6.99 with us; 10 GB is $10.00 at Nomad and $9.99 with us; 20 GB is $18.00 at Airalo and $17.99 with us. The difference is cents or a dollar, so choose by payment convenience, support language and refund terms rather than price.

Thailand is a country of long trips, so look at the bigger packages: Tutu eSIM has 50 GB ($34.49) and unlimited ($14.99 for 7 days). Packages for Thailand: Thailand.

UAE: 5, 10 and 20 GB for 30 days

In the Emirates our prices are close to the competition, and we are not the cheapest in every row. 5 GB is $10.99 with us, $11.00 at Nomad, $11.99 at Saily. Our 10 GB package is valid for 60 days rather than 30, so it can only be compared with the others roughly. For 20 GB Nomad is cheaper: $29.00 against $31.49. If you are going to Dubai for a month and need a lot of data, Nomad is a fair choice.

Important for the UAE: WhatsApp, Telegram and FaceTime calls are restricted there by local rules regardless of the eSIM, while text messages work. Packages for the UAE: UAE.

Georgia: 5, 10 and 20 GB for 30 days

Georgia shows how differently services buy their data. Airalo, Saily and Nomad charge $17.00–17.99 for 5 GB, and Saily wants $48.99 for 20 GB. Yesim is the cheapest of the international brands here ($10.71 for 5 GB). On the check date Tutu eSIM was cheaper in all three sizes: $7.99, $11.99 and $18.49.

Georgian operators cover Tbilisi, Batumi and the main roads well; in the mountains (Kazbegi, Svaneti) the signal is weaker with any eSIM because there are fewer towers. Packages for Georgia: Georgia.

Unlimited: Holafly, Airalo and Tutu eSIM

Holafly sells only unlimited packages by number of days. On its official page on 8 November 2026 a week in Turkey cost $27.50 and in Egypt $36.50; 15 days cost $50.50 in both countries. Holafly does not state an exact daily threshold: the page says operators apply a Fair Usage Policy and may temporarily reduce speed for no more than a day, with full speed back the next day. Sharing data with other devices is allowed up to 1 GB a day. The package starts when you first connect to the network.

Airalo now also sells unlimited plans in Turkey and Thailand. The page we opened showed prices in euros: a week of unlimited data in Turkey for €23.00, in Thailand for €19.50.

Tutu eSIM sells unlimited plans for 1, 3, 7, 15 and 30 days. Each day includes a full-speed allowance, usually 2 GB; after that the connection is not cut off but runs at reduced speed until the end of the day, and the next day it is full speed again. Exact figures for each package are on its page. A week in Turkey costs $14.99, in Egypt $23.49.

What this means in practice. “Unlimited” means roughly the same thing everywhere: messengers, maps, social media and navigation work without counting gigabytes, but if you watch HD video for hours you will hit the speed limit. If you use less than 10 GB a week, a gigabyte package is almost always cheaper than unlimited. Unlimited pays off if you share data with a laptop, work remotely or upload video all the time.

Kyivstar's travel eSIM and operator roaming: when they are cheaper

For someone from Ukraine the closest rival is often not Airalo but their own operator. Kyivstar sells a separate travel eSIM, “SIM for travel” (SIM для подорожей). Subscribers of any Ukrainian operator can buy it; it gives data only for 4 weeks, and your main SIM stays in the phone for calls and SMS. The package does not renew by itself.

Where it works: 38 countries, including the EU, the UK, Norway, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, the UAE and the USA. Where it works, it is the cheapest option in this whole article, cheaper than our eSIM too. So if you are going to Turkey or the UAE, honestly, check it first.

Where it does not work: Egypt, Thailand, Georgia, Montenegro, Albania, Vietnam and most of Asia and Africa. There the choice is between a travel eSIM and roaming.

Operator roaming (prices from their sites on 1.11.2026): Kyivstar 200 MB for 75 UAH a day, so 1 GB comes to 375 UAH; Vodafone Ukraine “GigaRoaming” 1 GB for 7 days for 300 UAH; lifecell “Roaming online” 1 GB for 7 days for 200 UAH (Egypt and the UAE are not on its list). For comparison, 1 GB for 7 days with Tutu eSIM in Thailand costs $2.99.

Travelling within the EU? Since 2026 EU “roam like at home” also covers Ukraine, so in the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein a Ukrainian SIM works at home prices within the operator’s rules, and a travel eSIM is often not needed there. If you live in Poland or Germany, roaming outside the EU is expensive too: Orange Polska adds 1 GB for 15 zł a day automatically, about €25 a week; Vodafone Germany charges €21.99 a week in Turkey and €34.99 in Egypt.

Kyivstar prices checked on 8 November 2026, $1 is about 46 UAH.

What matters if you are from Ukraine

Comparisons in English-language reviews are written for Americans and Western Europeans. For travellers from Ukraine a few things matter more than a one-dollar difference.

Paying with a Ukrainian card. Airalo, Yesim, Saily, Nomad and Holafly bill in dollars or euros. From a hryvnia card your bank will charge the amount at its own card rate, which is usually worse than an exchange office, and some banks add a fee for foreign-currency transactions. Such purchases also fall under the National Bank of Ukraine's limits on payments to foreign sellers; for a $10–20 eSIM they almost never matter, but you always pay the conversion rate. Tutu eSIM prices are in dollars too, but on the website payment goes through plata by mono: a Ukrainian card is charged in hryvnias at the monobank rate, with no conversion by your bank. You can also pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay, and in the Telegram bot with Telegram Stars or cryptocurrency.

Support language. When your eSIM won't connect at Antalya airport at 2 a.m., it matters that you can explain the problem in your own language. Yesim's website is available in Ukrainian and Russian, Airalo lists dozens of interface languages, but help pages and chats at most international services are mainly in English. Tutu eSIM support answers in Ukrainian every day on Telegram (@TutuEsimSupportBot) and by email.

Receipt. Foreign companies send an invoice or receipt, but not a Ukrainian fiscal receipt. Tutu eSIM sends an official fiscal receipt for every card payment. That helps if the trip is for work and you need to document expenses.

Your Ukrainian number. A travel eSIM gives you mobile data only. Your main SIM stays in the phone: texts with codes from your bank, Diia (the Ukrainian government app) and email services arrive as usual. So that your operator doesn't charge roaming for data, turn off mobile data on the main SIM, but don't turn off the line itself.

Refunds. If plans change, it matters whether you get your money back and in what form. Airalo refunds in-app purchases only as Airmoney, its internal currency. Nomad, Saily and Yesim refund within 30 days if the package hasn't been installed or used. Tutu eSIM refunds the full amount to the same card if the eSIM wasn't installed and you write to us within 30 days of purchase.

Buying in Telegram. Many Ukrainians don't want to install yet another app for one trip. Tutu eSIM can be bought on the website or in the bot @tutuesimbot, and the eSIM arrives in the chat and by email.

Comparing terms beyond price

The table applies to a purchase with a hryvnia card from a Ukrainian bank. We summarised the refund terms from the services' official pages (links below); each has its own exceptions, for example for unlimited packages or purchases with a promo code. We did not check Holafly's refund terms separately, so we don't say anything about them.

Typical trips: what to buy

A week in Turkey, messengers and maps. The hotel has Wi-Fi; in town you need Google Maps, BiTaksi or Uber, Telegram, Instagram and a few messenger calls. That is usually 2–4 GB a week. Take 5 GB for 30 days: $6.49 at Tutu eSIM, and the remaining data won't expire if the trip runs longer. A week of unlimited ($14.99) only makes sense if you share data with a laptop or post stories all the time.

Two weeks in Egypt with video. If you watch series in your room in the evening because the hotel Wi-Fi is weak, or keep uploading diving videos, count on 1–2 GB a day. Options: 20 GB for 30 days ($25.99; $25.11 at Yesim on the check date) or 15 days of unlimited ($38.99; $50.50 at Holafly). For two weeks of heavy video, unlimited is more relaxed because you don't have to watch your balance.

Thailand, the islands. Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Krabi have good coverage; at sea between the islands the signal drops in places with any operator. For 2–3 weeks with ferries, maps and accommodation bookings take 10–20 GB: $9.99 or $17.99. Prices at Airalo, Saily and Nomad are almost the same here, so choose the service that is easiest for you to pay.

A month of remote work. Laptop, video calls, cloud drives, hotspot from your phone: 30–60 GB a month. In Thailand the 50 GB package ($34.49) or 30 days of unlimited ($52.49) is good value. If you work from a coworking space, 20 GB will do. Check whether hotspot is allowed on the package you choose: Holafly, for example, limits it to 1 GB a day.

A family with 2–3 phones. One eSIM goes on one phone only, so every adult with their own phone needs their own eSIM. At Tutu eSIM you can buy up to 5 eSIMs in one order: three 5 GB eSIMs for Turkey cost 3 × $6.49. The alternative is one eSIM with a big package and Wi-Fi hotspot from a parent's phone, but then the kids are offline as soon as you split up on the beach.

Pitfalls

• “Unlimited” has limits. Every service has a speed threshold or a fair use rule. Check how many gigabytes a day you get at full speed and what the speed is afterwards.
• When the package starts. At Nomad the package starts when you connect to a network in the destination country, and if you haven't connected within 60 days of purchase it activates automatically (exception: the Thai DTAC package starts on installation). Holafly also counts from connection. For most Tutu eSIM packages the validity starts with the first connection in the destination country; the start rule is shown on each plan's card. If a package starts on installation, install the eSIM the day before you fly, not a month earlier.
• Hotspot. Some packages limit or forbid tethering. If you plan to work from a laptop, check this before buying.
• Regional package instead of a country one. A “Middle East” or “Asia” package is handy for several countries, but for one country it is usually more expensive and may use a different operator. Make sure the country you need is on the list and compare with a package for that country.
• Carrier-locked phone. Phones bought on contract in the US or the UK are often locked to one operator, and another provider's eSIM won't work on them. Check in settings: on iPhone it is Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock.
• Models for China and Hong Kong. Some iPhones and Android phones made for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have two physical SIM slots and no eSIM. Dial *#06#: no EID line, no eSIM.
• Deleting the eSIM. A profile can usually be installed only once. If you delete the eSIM to “restart” it, you won't be able to install it again. Turn the line off instead of deleting it.
• Country in your IP address. Travel eSIMs often route traffic through another country, so a website may show you the wrong language or currency. Banking apps usually don't react to this, but don't be surprised.
• Calls. A travel eSIM has no phone number. Regular calls and texts go through your main SIM at your operator's rates, while messenger calls go over the eSIM.

How to choose and install an eSIM: step by step

1. Check your phone. Dial *#06#. If there is an EID line, eSIM is supported. Model list: “Compatible devices”. The phone must not be carrier-locked.
2. Estimate your data. Messengers and maps: 300–500 MB a day; social media with video: 1–2 GB a day. For a more precise figure, use the data calculator.
3. Compare 2–3 services by the price of the same data amount and validity, refund terms and payment method. That is what the tables above are for.
4. Buy in advance, a few days before the trip, while you have stable Wi-Fi.
5. Install the eSIM at home. Scan the QR code or tap the install button on the order page. Label the line, for example “Travel”, so you don't confuse it with your main one. Details: the installation guide.
6. After landing turn on the eSIM, select it for mobile data and enable “Data Roaming” for it (this is free, the cost is already in the package). Turn off mobile data on your main SIM.
7. Keep an eye on your balance and top up the same eSIM if needed; you don't have to install a new one.

Sources and check date

All competitor prices were checked on 8 November 2026 on the pages below, in US dollars, without promo codes or new-customer discounts. We saw Airalo prices on the official website in euros, because the site shows the currency by the visitor's region. Tutu eSIM prices on this page update automatically from our price list. If you notice that a competitor's price has changed, write to us and we will update the tables.

• eSIMDB: catalogue and comparison of eSIM plans
• eSIMDB: Turkey
• eSIMDB: Egypt
• eSIMDB: Thailand
• eSIMDB: UAE
• eSIMDB: Georgia
• Holafly: eSIM for Turkey (prices, fair use, hotspot)
• Holafly: eSIM for Egypt
• Airalo: eSIM for Turkey
• Airalo: eSIM for Thailand
• Airalo: refunds (Airmoney)
• Nomad: refund policy
• Nomad: when the package starts
• Yesim: official website (languages, payment methods, refunds)
• Saily: refund policy (help centre)

Tutu eSIM: a Ukrainian service for your trips

Tutu eSIM is a Ukrainian travel eSIM service with mobile data for 197 countries and regions. We are younger and smaller than Airalo or Holafly and don't have a separate App Store app, but we are built for people from Ukraine: payment with a Ukrainian card in hryvnias at the monobank rate, Apple Pay and Google Pay, Telegram Stars and cryptocurrency; a Ukrainian fiscal receipt; support in Ukrainian every day; purchase on tutuesim.com or in the Telegram bot @tutuesimbot.

• Turkey from $1.99, 5 GB for 30 days $6.49, unlimited for a week $14.99: Turkey.
• Egypt: 5 GB $10.49, unlimited for a week $23.49: Egypt.
• Thailand: 5 GB $6.99, 20 GB $17.99: Thailand.
• UAE: 5 GB $10.99: UAE.
• Georgia: 5 GB $7.99, 10 GB $11.99: Georgia.

Up to 5 eSIMs in one order for the whole family, top-ups without reinstalling, and a full refund if the eSIM wasn't installed, within 30 days of purchase. Before buying, check your phone on the “Compatible devices” page, and after buying follow the installation guide.

FAQ

Mykyta DzhusProgrammer and traveller from Kyiv

I got tired of overpaying for SIM cards that didn't work and of searching for where to go next. So I built this site: travel guides and an eSIM that just works.

Grab an eSIM and go!

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Popular destinations

Turkeyfrom $1.99Egyptfrom $3.49Thailandfrom $2.99UAEfrom $3.49Georgiafrom $2.49

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