The cheapest eSIM for Egypt, Turkey and the UAE: an honest comparison of 6 providers (November 2026)

Mykyta Dzhus · Updated 2026-11-13 · 25 min read · eSIM & mobile data

“Which eSIM is cheapest for Turkey?” The answer depends on how many gigabytes you need and for how many days. We copied the prices of six services (Airalo, Yesim, Saily, Nomad, Holafly and our own Tutu eSIM) for the three destinations Ukrainians fly to most: Egypt, Turkey and the UAE. No promo codes, straight from the providers' own sites, on 12 November 2026. We sell eSIMs ourselves, so a separate section says where we are not the cheapest. Prices change every week, so this is a snapshot as of 12 Nov 2026; current prices are always in our eSIM price comparison.

In short

• No one is cheapest for everything. Almost every one of the six services wins at some size or length. So look at your own trip: how many days and how many gigabytes.
• Turkey: for 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB for 30 days Tutu eSIM is the cheapest ($5.49, $6.49, $9.99, $15.49); of the others Nomad is lowest ($6.00, $9.00, $13.00, $20.00). Our unlimited in Turkey is also the cheapest at every length: a week costs $14.99 against $24.50 at Airalo.
• Egypt: of the five international services Yesim is the cheapest at every size (from $3.48 for 1 GB for 30 days to $27.00 for 20 GB). Tutu is $0.90–2.70 cheaper than Yesim for 3–20 GB, while for 1 GB Yesim is better value: almost the same price, but 30 days instead of 7.
• UAE: the tightest race. For 5 GB Tutu ($10.99) and Nomad ($11.00) are practically equal, for 20 GB Nomad is cheaper ($29.00), and our unlimited for 7, 15 and 30 days costs more than Nomad's, Airalo's, Holafly's or Saily's.
• Kyivstar's “Travel SIM” in Turkey and the UAE is cheaper than every eSIM in this article, ours included: 5 GB for 4 weeks for UAH 90. It does not work in Egypt.
• Roaming without a pack costs UAH 384 to 1,024 per GB in all three countries. That is 2–15 times the price per GB of a 5 GB plan from any eSIM in the tables.
• Prices as of 12 Nov 2026. Current prices for all six services by days and gigabytes are in our eSIM price comparison: Egypt, Turkey, UAE.

How we counted

To keep the comparison fair, we followed a few simple rules.

• Six services. Airalo, Yesim, Saily, Nomad and Holafly: the ones ChatGPT, Google and travel blogs most often recommend to Ukrainians. The sixth is Tutu eSIM. We left other sellers out on purpose so that the tables stay readable.
• Prices from the providers' sites. We opened each country page on the Airalo, Yesim, Saily, Nomad and Holafly sites on 12 November 2026 and copied the prices in US dollars. Every page is linked under “Sources”.
• No promo codes or referral discounts. Every service has first-purchase codes, and so do we. They do not apply to everyone and often work only once, so we compare the regular price a new visitor sees. Sale prices that a site shows to everyone without a code (Saily for Egypt, Nomad's 10 GB in Turkey) are counted as shown and marked.
• Like for like. For each size we take the 30-day plan, and for 1 GB the 7-day one, as our comparison does. If that validity is not sold, we take the nearest and show it in the table. Unlimited plans are compared by the number of days, because 3 days and 30 days of unlimited are not comparable.
• Tutu eSIM prices in the tables come from our price list automatically, so they are always current. The sentences saying “Tutu is cheaper” or “dearer” were checked against our prices on 13 Nov 2026.
• Operators. Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell roaming comes from our roaming price index: the operators' official sites, 10 November 2026, rules checked on 12 November.

We are an interested party: we sell eSIMs. That is why we show competitors' prices unrounded and linked, and put the cases where we lose in a section of their own.

Who is cheapest: the summary

For each size we show the cheapest of the five international services and Tutu eSIM's price next to it. Validity is shown with each price, because 1 GB for 3 days and 1 GB for 30 days are different things.

Competitors' prices were checked on 12 Nov 2026; Tutu's prices come from today's price list. What the table shows: in Turkey the international price leader is Nomad, in Egypt Yesim, in the UAE Yesim for small sizes and Nomad for large ones. The full tables for all six services in each country follow.

Egypt: prices of 6 providers

Egypt is the dearest of the three: Kyivstar's Travel SIM does not cover it, and local networks charge foreign eSIMs more than in Turkey. Plans of 1–20 GB:

What the table shows. Of the five international services Yesim is the cheapest in Egypt at every size, and all its plans last 30 days. For 5 GB the dearest service costs more than one and a half times the cheapest: Yesim $13.20, Saily $15.99 (sale, regular price $19.99), Nomad $18.00, Airalo $20.00 for 30 days. As of 13 Nov 2026 Tutu eSIM is cheaper than Yesim for 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB: 5 GB $10.49, 10 GB $16.49. For 1 GB the picture is different; see “Where Tutu is not the cheapest”.

Note Airalo: its 1 GB lasts only 3 days and its 3 GB only 7 days. For a two-week holiday these plans will not do, and you will need 5 GB.

Unlimited in Egypt. Holafly sells unlimited only, and it is the dearest option at any length. The cheapest week of unlimited among the international services is Nomad's ($27.00), but that is 2 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps, with a total cap of 52 GB per plan.

Saily sells unlimited for any number of days from 1 to 30; our data has the 15-day price: $39.19 on sale, about $2.61 a day. Since 13 Nov 2026 our 15-day unlimited costs $38.99, slightly less. As of 13 Nov 2026 Tutu's unlimited in Egypt is cheaper than the others for 3, 7, 15 and 30 days, but after 2 GB a day the speed drops to 512 kbps, not to 1 Mbps as with Nomad or Airalo. Enough for maps and messengers; video will stutter.

Current prices of every Egypt plan are on the Egypt eSIM comparison page. Whether WhatsApp calls work in Egypt: “What does not work in the UAE, Egypt, Turkey and China: WhatsApp calls, VPNs, banks (2026)”.

Turkey: prices of 6 providers

Turkey is the cheapest of the three and the most competitive: every service has a full range of plans, and the 5 GB prices of the four international providers that sell data packs are within two dollars of each other.

What the table shows. Among the international services Nomad is the cheapest for 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB: $6.00, $9.00, $13.00 and $20.00 for 30 days (10 GB is on sale right now, regular price $15). Saily and Airalo follow, $0.50–2.50 dearer. Yesim sells no 3 GB plan in Turkey and is dearer than the rest for 5–20 GB. As of 13 Nov 2026 Tutu eSIM is the cheapest for 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB: $5.49, $6.49, $9.99, $15.49. For 1 GB, however, Yesim is the best value: $2.40 for 30 days.

Unlimited in Turkey. Prices vary widely: a week of unlimited costs from $24.50 at Airalo to $27.72 at Yesim. Nomad's unlimited in Turkey comes only for 5 days ($17.00) and 10 days ($28.00), so it is not in the table.

As of 13 Nov 2026 Tutu eSIM's unlimited in Turkey is the cheapest at every length, from one day ($2.99) to a month ($47.49). But it is also “unlimited with a speed limit”: 2 GB a day at full speed, then up to 1 Mbps until the end of the day. Airalo's (3 GB threshold) and Nomad's (2 GB) work the same way, while Yesim and Holafly name no threshold on their sites.

Important for Turkey: since July 2025 the sites and apps of some foreign eSIM services have been blocked in Turkey. Buy and install the eSIM at home, and it works. More: “What does not work in the UAE, Egypt, Turkey and China: WhatsApp calls, VPNs, banks (2026)”. Current prices: Turkey eSIM comparison.

UAE: prices of 6 providers

In the UAE the prices of the five international services and ours are closest together. First and second place are often cents apart, so validity and terms decide.

What the table shows. For 1 and 3 GB Yesim is the cheapest of the international services ($3.72 and $8.40 for 30 days), for 5, 10 and 20 GB Nomad ($11.00, $18.50, $29.00). Saily sells 1 GB only for 7 days at $8.99, the dearest 1 GB of all. As of 13 Nov 2026 Tutu eSIM is the cheapest for 1, 3 and 10 GB (our 10 GB lasts 60 days), level with Nomad for 5 GB, and dearer for 20 GB: $31.49 against Nomad's $29.00.

Unlimited in the UAE is our weakest spot. For 3 days Nomad is cheaper ($12.00); for 7 days Nomad ($27.00), Airalo ($27.50) and Holafly ($27.90) are slightly cheaper than us ($27.99); for 15 days we are the dearest of all ($56.99); and for a month Airalo ($72.00) is much cheaper than $104.99. Holafly sells UAE unlimited for 20 days at most. If you are going to Dubai for a week and want unlimited, compare prices on the day you buy on the UAE eSIM comparison page.

The UAE has one more catch that does not depend on the eSIM you choose: WhatsApp and FaceTime calls are blocked on local networks. Messages work. More: “What does not work in the UAE, Egypt, Turkey and China: WhatsApp calls, VPNs, banks (2026)”.

Where Tutu is not the cheapest: honestly

We are not the cheapest always and everywhere, and we think it is right to say so plainly. As of 13 Nov 2026 another service is better value in these cases:

• 1 GB in Turkey and Egypt: Yesim gives 1 GB for 30 days for $2.40 in Turkey and $3.48 in Egypt. Our 1 GB costs $1.99 and $3.49, but lasts 7 days. If you need a minimum of data for two or three weeks, Yesim is better value.
• 1 GB in the UAE: our plan ($3.49) is a little cheaper than Yesim's ($3.72), but Yesim's lasts 30 days. For a long trip those few cents are worth it.
• 20 GB in the UAE: Nomad $29.00 against our $31.49.
• 5 GB in the UAE: Nomad $11.00 and us $10.99: practically the same.
• One day of unlimited in Egypt and the UAE: Yesim $4.20 and $4.80, us $4.49 and $4.49.
• Unlimited in the UAE for 3–30 days: Nomad, Airalo, Holafly and Saily are cheaper than us at most lengths (details above).
• Saily's unlimited per day: Saily lets you pick any number of days. Its 15-day price in the UAE ($48.99) is below our 15-day unlimited ($56.99); in Egypt ours ($38.99) is now cheaper than Saily ($39.19 on sale).
• Speed after the cap in Egypt: our multi-day unlimited gives 512 kbps after 2 GB a day; Nomad and Airalo give 1 Mbps.
• An app: all five competitors have their own app. We sell on the website and in a Telegram bot, with no separate App Store app.
• Turkey and the UAE with Kyivstar: Kyivstar's Travel SIM is cheaper than any eSIM in this article (see below).

Where we are the cheapest as of 13 Nov 2026: Turkey for 3–20 GB and unlimited at every length, Egypt for 3–20 GB and unlimited for 3, 7 and 30 days, the UAE for 1, 3 and 10 GB. Everyone's prices change, so check the comparison before buying: it updates with our price list and shows who is cheapest today.

Operators' roaming: what the same data costs

It is worth comparing eSIMs not only with each other but also with doing nothing. “Roam like at home” does not apply in Egypt, Turkey or the UAE: it works in the EU and a few other countries (see where on the roam like at home page). So in these three countries a Ukrainian SIM charges data in daily packs.

Data from our roaming price index (operators' official sites, 10 Nov 2026; dollars at the NBU rate of UAH 45.41). What follows:

• Without a pack 1 GB costs UAH 384 with Kyivstar (200 MB for UAH 75, up to 99 packs a day), UAH 512 with Vodafone in Egypt and Turkey and UAH 1,024 in the UAE, UAH 683 with lifecell. That is 2–15 times the price of 1 GB in a 5 GB plan of any eSIM in the tables ($1.50–4.00 per GB on 12–13 Nov 2026).
• Packs any subscriber can buy are cheaper, but still dearer than an eSIM: Vodafone “GigaRoaming” 1 GB for 7 days for UAH 300 or “GigaRoaming Max” 3 GB for 10 days for UAH 700; lifecell “Roaming online” in Turkey, 1 GB for 7 days for UAH 200 (until 31 Dec 2026).
• Packs that depend on your plan: Kyivstar plans with Roam like at home get a 5 GB pack for 28 days for UAH 125 in Turkey and the UAE (until 1 Mar 2027); lifecell's alternative “Additional roaming” plan gives 5 GB for 7 days for UAH 150 in Turkey (until 15 Dec 2026). If your plan has them, roaming may be cheaper than an eSIM: check your operator's app.
• Vodafone's spending limit: at EUR 100 a month, data roaming is suspended until you confirm you want to continue.

What your own trip will cost with your operator is worked out by the roaming cost calculator. A week of roaming in 25 countries: “How much a week of roaming costs with Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell: 25 countries (2026)”.

Kyivstar's Travel SIM in Turkey and the UAE: honestly

If you are on Kyivstar and flying to Turkey or the UAE, look at the “Travel SIM” first. It is a separate data-only eSIM from Kyivstar, and on price it beats everyone, us included.

• Prices: 5 GB for 28 days for UAH 90, 10 GB for UAH 135, 20 GB for UAH 225, 40 GB for UAH 400. That is about $0.40 per GB, several times cheaper than any travel eSIM in the tables above.
• Where it works: of our three countries, Turkey and the UAE. Not Egypt.
• When it starts: right after payment, not at first connection abroad. Buy it a day or two before you fly, not a month ahead.
• When the data runs out: the internet simply stops, with no extra charges. No auto-renewal; you can buy another pack.
• Who can buy it: the page only lets you log in with a phone number; Kyivstar does not say whether Vodafone and lifecell customers can buy it. There is no unlimited Travel SIM.

So the honest conclusion: for a Kyivstar customer in Turkey or the UAE the Travel SIM is better value than our eSIM. A travel eSIM like Tutu makes sense if you are on Vodafone or lifecell, going to Egypt, need unlimited, want support in Telegram or several eSIMs for the family in one order.

What matters besides the price

A dollar or two rarely decides it. For a Ukrainian traveller payment, the support language and what happens when something goes wrong often matter more.

Provider data was collected from their sites on 12 Nov 2026. Worth knowing:

• Paying in hryvnias. Airalo, Yesim, Saily, Nomad and Holafly bill in dollars or euros, and a hryvnia card is charged at the bank's card rate. Tutu eSIM shows prices in dollars, but a Ukrainian card is charged in hryvnias at monobank's rate, with a Ukrainian fiscal receipt.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay are offered by all six. Our Telegram bot also takes Telegram Stars and crypto.
• Ukrainian language. Airalo and Yesim have Ukrainian versions of their sites; we have not confirmed that their support answers in Ukrainian. Saily and Nomad have no Ukrainian, Holafly has Russian but not Ukrainian. Tutu eSIM answers in Ukrainian every day, on the site and in Telegram.
• 5G and hotspot. There is no consistent data across all services, so we do not compare them in the table. What we know: Holafly limits hotspot use to 1 GB a day, and Nomad's unlimited gives 2 GB a day at 4G/5G. If you need to share data with a laptop or the kids, check the terms of the specific plan before buying.
• Refunds. If our eSIM does not install, we refund the full amount to the same card. Check other services' terms on their sites.
• Several phones. One eSIM goes on one phone. At Tutu the second and further eSIMs in one order are 10% cheaper.

Pitfalls that make you overpay

• The “from” price. Almost every service's home page shows its lowest price, usually 1 GB for a few days. At Airalo it is 1 GB for 3 days. Compare the price of the plan you need, not the “from” figure.
• 7 days vs 30. 1 GB for 7 days and 1 GB for 30 days can cost almost the same, as ours and Yesim's do in the UAE. If your trip is longer than a week, a short plan will need topping up.
• Unlimited with a speed cap. Nearly every “unlimited” has a daily threshold: 3 GB at Airalo, 2 GB a day at Nomad and at Tutu, then 1 Mbps or less. Nomad also has a total cap per plan (52 GB for 7 days, for example). Yesim and Holafly name no threshold, but their rules allow slowing you down. Fine for maps and messengers, not for HD video.
• Sale prices. Yesim shows struck-through prices (5 GB for Egypt $13.20 instead of $17.40), Saily sells Egypt at a discount, Nomad cut 10 GB in Turkey from $15 to $13. Sales end, so the price on the day you buy may differ.
• Unlimited of different lengths. Do not compare 3 days of unlimited with 15: work out the price per day. That is how our comparison does it.
• The bank's rate. The dollar price on a site is not the hryvnia amount on your card. The gap between the bank's card rate and the NBU rate eats into a plan that is “50 cents cheaper”.
• Data roaming on your Ukrainian SIM. If you leave it on, the main SIM may start daily packs alongside the eSIM. Turn data roaming off on the main SIM and leave calls and texts on.
• Buying on the spot. In Turkey the sites of some eSIM services are blocked. Buy and install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi.

How many gigabytes to get

People overpay more often by picking the wrong size than the wrong service. Rough guides from our comparison:

• Maps and messengers: about 0.5 GB a day, 3–4 GB a week. A 5 GB plan will do.
• Plus social media and photos: about 1 GB a day, 7 GB a week. Get 10 GB.
• Plus video or sharing with the kids: about 2 GB a day, 14 GB a week. Here 20 GB or unlimited is better value.

A hotel with Wi-Fi cuts the need noticeably, but on the beach and on excursions you are on mobile data. For a closer estimate use the data calculator; the comparison also has a “For my trip” option: enter the days, how you use your phone and how many phones, and see the cheapest options for you.

Sources

Provider prices were copied from their sites on 12 November 2026 without promo codes; operator prices from their official sites on 10 November 2026, rules checked on 12 November. Prices change, so see current ones in our eSIM price comparison.

• Airalo: Egypt eSIM (plans and unlimited, fair use 1 Mbps after 3 GB a day), checked 12.11.2026
• Airalo: Turkey eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Airalo: UAE eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Yesim: Egypt eSIM (30-day plans and unlimited by the day), checked 12.11.2026
• Yesim: Turkey eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Yesim: UAE eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Yesim: unlimited data plans policy (fair usage), checked 12.11.2026
• Saily: Egypt eSIM (sale prices), checked 12.11.2026
• Saily: Turkey eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Saily: UAE eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Nomad: Egypt eSIM (unlimited 2 GB a day, then 1 Mbps), checked 12.11.2026
• Nomad: Turkey eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Nomad: UAE eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Holafly: Egypt eSIM (unlimited only, hotspot 1 GB a day), checked 12.11.2026
• Holafly: Turkey eSIM, checked 12.11.2026
• Holafly: eSIM Dubai (UAE, up to 20 days), checked 12.11.2026
• Kyivstar: roaming in Egypt (200 MB for UAH 75 a day, up to 99 packs), checked 12.11.2026
• Kyivstar: roaming in Turkey, checked 10.11.2026
• Kyivstar: roaming in the UAE, checked 10.11.2026
• Kyivstar: “Travel SIM” (5/10/20/40 GB for 28 days), checked 12.11.2026
• Kyivstar: roaming data pack (plans with Roam like at home), checked 12.11.2026
• Vodafone: roaming (daily packs, EUR 100 spending limit), checked 12.11.2026
• Vodafone: “GigaRoaming” 1 GB for 7 days, checked 12.11.2026
• Vodafone: “GigaRoaming Max” 3 GB for 10 days, checked 12.11.2026
• lifecell: roaming in Turkey (150 MB for UAH 100 a day), checked 10.11.2026
• lifecell: roaming in Egypt, checked 12.11.2026
• lifecell: roaming in the UAE, checked 10.11.2026
• lifecell: “Roaming online” (1 GB for 7 days, UAH 200, until 31 Dec 2026), checked 12.11.2026

How to buy an eSIM for Egypt, Turkey or the UAE at Tutu eSIM

Tutu eSIM is a Ukrainian travel eSIM service with mobile data for 197 countries and regions. Today's prices:

• Egypt: from $3.49, 5 GB for 30 days $10.49, 10 GB $16.49, a week of unlimited $23.49.
• Turkey: from $1.99, 5 GB for 30 days $6.49, 10 GB $9.99, a week of unlimited $14.99.
• UAE: from $3.49, 5 GB for 30 days $10.99, 10 GB $17.99, a week of unlimited $27.99.

1. Check that your phone supports eSIM in “Compatible devices”.
2. Pick the country and plan on the website or in the Telegram bot @tutuesimbot and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. A Ukrainian card is charged in hryvnias at monobank's rate.
3. The QR code and install button arrive by e-mail within a minute. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi using the installation guide.
4. In the country, switch mobile data to the eSIM; on your Ukrainian SIM turn data roaming off and keep calls and texts on for the bank.

If the eSIM does not install, we refund you. Today's prices of all six services for comparison: Egypt, Turkey, UAE.

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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