Local SIM vs eSIM in Turkey, Egypt and Thailand: which is really cheaper (2026)

Mykyta Dzhus · Updated 2026-11-13 · 22 min read · eSIM & mobile data

We copied the tourist SIM prices of every operator in Turkey, Egypt and Thailand from their sites and from travellers' reports as of 12 November 2026, and put our own eSIM next to them honestly. In Egypt a local SIM is cheaper, in Turkey the eSIM is, and in Thailand it depends on how much data you need.

In short

• Turkey: the eSIM is cheaper. Turkcell's smallest tourist pack costs TRY 1,800 (≈ $35.80) for 20 GB for 28 days; Vodafone, per its 22 October price sheet, TRY 2,300. Neither has a one-week pack. A Tutu eSIM costs $6.49 for 5 GB and $15.49 for 20 GB.
• Egypt: honestly, a local SIM is cheaper. e& sells tourists 7 GB for EGP 200 (≈ $3.70), WE 5 GB for EGP 100, Vodafone at Hurghada airport 30 GB for EGP 505 (≈ $9.40). A Tutu eSIM costs $10.49 for 5 GB. What you pay extra for here is data right after landing, with no queue, cash or passport.
• Thailand: it depends on how much. For 5–10 GB the eSIM is cheaper ($6.99 and $9.99). But unlimited at AIS or True is cheaper than ours: 8 days for THB 449–499 (≈ $13–15) against $14.99 for 7 days with us, 15 days for THB 699 (≈ $20.70) against $33.49.
• Documents: in all three countries a local SIM is registered to your passport. Egypt also copies your visa or entry stamp; Thailand has scanned faces since August 2025.
• Turkey, your phone: a foreign phone works with a Turkish SIM for up to 120 days without IMEI registration. That's plenty for a holiday.
• Turkey, eSIM: since 10 July 2025 the websites and apps of several eSIM services are blocked in the country, so buy and install your eSIM at home.
• Up-to-date prices for 26 countries are in our Local SIM vs eSIM section, and six eSIM services' prices in the eSIM price comparison.

How we counted

We took the local operators' prices from their official tourist pages and checked them on 12 November 2026. WE's site in Egypt did not open from our server that day, so its prices are from our previous check on 8 November. Some operators publish no price at all: Vodafone in Turkey and Egypt, Orange in Egypt, and Türk Telekom's site did not respond. For those we used recent dated reports by travellers and guides, and the tables say plainly which is an “official site” and which a “third-party source”.

Dollar amounts use the same day's rate: $1 ≈ 50.28 Turkish lira, ≈ 53.55 Egyptian pounds, ≈ 33.72 Thai baht. Tutu eSIM prices in the tables come from our price list automatically, so they are always current. Sentences such as “a local SIM is cheaper here” were written against our price list of 13 November 2026.

We compare only the tourist packs operators sell to foreigners on a passport, not plans for residents. And we count more than money: a queue after a night flight, cash, the passport and keeping your Ukrainian number in the phone all cost something, especially with children and suitcases.

We sell eSIMs, so we have an interest. That's exactly why every rival price here has a source and a date, and where a local SIM is better value, we say so.

Turkey: Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom

Turkey has three operators, and all sell tourist packs. The catch: they are built for a month. Turkcell and Vodafone have no one-week tourist pack, so even for 7 days in Antalya you pay for 28.

Turkcell publishes its price officially: the Tourist Welcome Pack, 20 GB and 200 minutes within Turkey for 28 days for TRY 1,800 (≈ $35.80). The offer runs until 31 December 2026. According to the esimfox guide, the line is issued on a passport only; an ID card won't do. The same guide says a Turkcell eSIM can be set up in the app with a chipped passport and an NFC phone, but we did not find this on the official page.

Vodafone's official page describes the Welcome to Turkey pack (20 GB, 750 minutes for 28 days) but gives no price and says the new SIM fee varies by shop. Online you can only pre-register; the SIM or eSIM is issued in a shop. The eSIM seller esimfox quotes Vodafone's price sheet of 22 October 2026: TRY 2,300 (≈ $45.70) including the SIM, plus 50 GB for TRY 2,600 and 100 GB for TRY 3,400. The price went up twice in 2026, so older articles quoting TRY 1,500 are out of date. Vodafone switches the tourist line off after 60 days (another part of the page says 90).

Türk Telekom looks cheapest: 10 GB for 7 days for TRY 320, 25 GB for 28 days for TRY 420 (≈ $8.40). But these prices are also from esimfox, the official page did not open, and mandatory taxes and fees for a new line come on top. We could not find how much, so the full price at the till is unknown.

Where to buy: at Istanbul (IST) all three operators have shops in the arrivals hall after passport control and baggage claim, and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) has operator kiosks too. In Antalya Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom counters are in the arrivals hall, with queues in July and August. Operators don't publish airport prices.

* Tutu eSIM unlimited plans give a set amount a day at full speed, then the speed drops; terms are on the country page.

Turkey verdict. As of 13 November 2026 the eSIM is cheaper than Turkcell's and Vodafone's tourist packs: 20 GB costs $15.49 with us against ≈ $36–46 at the operators, and for a week most people are fine with 5 GB for $6.49. The only rival on price is Türk Telekom, and only if the new-line taxes turn out to be small. A local SIM makes sense when you need a Turkish number: to call the hotel or couriers, or for local apps. More on Turkey: the Local SIM block in the Turkey eSIM comparison.

Local SIM or eSIM →

Turkey: IMEI, 120 days and blocked eSIM websites

In Turkey every phone used with a Turkish line must be registered by IMEI. Under the regulator BTK's rules, a phone brought from abroad can be used unregistered for 120 days, after which it is cut off. The e-Devlet help page counts from first use, BTK's site from the date of entry, so for long stays check your case at an operator's shop. The rule concerns Turkish lines, whether a physical SIM or a Turkish operator's eSIM.

If the phone has to be registered, there is a state fee. According to Turkish guides (HemenHesap, esimfox), in 2026 it is TRY 54,258 (≈ $1,080). We did not find the amount on an official BTK or e-Devlet page, so treat the figure as a guide. For a week or two in Antalya none of this matters: 120 days is plenty.

The second Turkish quirk is about eSIMs. Since 10 July 2025 the regulator has blocked the websites and apps of eSIM services in Turkey: Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Instabridge, Mobimatter, Alosim and BNESIM, and the list was extended later. An eSIM that's already installed works; only buying is blocked. So buy your eSIM for Turkey at home and install it over Wi-Fi before the flight. For what else is restricted there, see What's blocked in Turkey.

Egypt: e&, WE, Vodafone and Orange

Egypt has four operators, and tourist SIMs here really are cheap. The most transparent is e& (formerly Etisalat): its official page lists Traveler packs for EGP 200, 300, 450 and 600 giving 7, 12, 25 and 40 GB with minutes, tax included. Validity is not stated. The 200 and 300 packs cannot be renewed; 450 and 600 can be renewed up to three times with *620#. They are sold to tourists only.

WE (Telecom Egypt) has the Mobile Egypt plan: 5 GB for 30 days for EGP 100 (≈ $1.90) and 20 GB for EGP 300. That's the cheapest, but Traveltomtom, who bought SIMs at Hurghada airport, advises against WE because of its weaker network.

Vodafone and Orange don't publish prices online. Traveltomtom's report from Hurghada airport (February 2026) gives Vodafone's tourist line at EGP 505 for 30 GB for 28 days (≈ $9.40) and Orange at EGP 560 for 30 GB. The Vantour guide lists smaller packs: Vodafone 10 GB for EGP 255, Orange 5 GB for EGP 155. Orange's figures differ between sources, so ask again at the counter.

You can't buy a local Egyptian tourist eSIM online before you arrive: every source describes registration on a passport at a counter or shop.

* Tutu eSIM unlimited plans give a set amount a day at full speed, then the speed drops; terms are on the country page.

Egypt verdict. Honestly, a local SIM is cheaper here. As of 13 November 2026 our 5 GB costs $10.49, while e& gives 7 GB for ≈ $3.70, several times less. If a queue and cash after the flight don't bother you, get a local SIM. The eSIM is worth the extra when you land at night, with children, and want to book a taxi and message your family right after landing rather than half an hour later in a queue. Today's comparison: the Local SIM block for Egypt.

Local SIM or eSIM →

Egypt: passport, cash and 90 days for your phone

For a tourist SIM in Egypt you need your passport and a visa or entry stamp: the counter copies them and registers the line to you. At Hurghada airport (terminal 2) the e& and Vodafone desks are on the left as you leave baggage claim, Orange and WE straight ahead. In Traveltomtom's report registration took about 5 minutes, although the seller warned of two hours. But at 3 a.m. the Vodafone desk was unstaffed despite being 24/7, and Orange had a queue at night. You pay cash: pounds, euros or dollars; there are ATMs in both arrival halls.

In Sharm el-Sheikh Vodafone is in terminal 1 after passport control. According to Holafly, allow 15–30 minutes for registration there. In Cairo Vodafone is in terminal 1, Orange in terminal 2 and e& in terminal 3 next to baggage reclaim.

Then there's the phone itself. Since 21 January 2026 Egypt has ended the duty exemption for imported phones, but according to the regulator NTRA there is an exception for tourists: a phone with an Egyptian SIM works for 90 days without duty. A travel eSIM from abroad works in roaming, so the rule does not apply to it. For a holiday 90 days is more than enough.

Thailand: AIS, True and dtac

Thailand has two big operators: AIS and True (since 2023 True and dtac are one company). Both sell unlimited tourist packs, and prices are the same at the airport, in shops and online.

AIS publishes its prices officially: unlimited for 5 days for THB 399, 8 days THB 499, 15 days THB 699 (≈ $20.70), 30 days THB 1,199, plus 1 GB for a day for THB 49. The 60-day pack for THB 1,599 is sold in shops only. Importantly, AIS sells the same packs as an eSIM online, via a Buy eSIM button, at the same prices. So you can buy a Thai eSIM at home too. The page doesn't say how identity is checked for online purchases.

True and dtac give the price of the 8-day INFINITE pack on their official page: THB 449 (≈ $13.30); one September 2026 guide says 499, so ask at the counter. The 15- and 30-day prices (THB 699 and 1,199) are from True's partner TAGTHAi. It also describes an airport offer: a free SIM and a discounted pack, for example THB 650 for 15 days. At Phuket the special prices for 5 and 8 days don't apply, and offer SIMs are limited per day, one per passport. True also sells an online eSIM, for which you upload a photo of your passport.

* Tutu eSIM unlimited plans give a set amount a day at full speed, then the speed drops; terms are on the country page.

Thailand verdict. Here it honestly depends. As of 13 November 2026 the eSIM is cheaper for 5–10 GB: $6.99 and $9.99 against THB 399–499 for 5–8 days of unlimited. But if you need unlimited data because you watch video and share with the kids, local wins: 8 days at True for THB 449 against our week for $14.99, 15 days for THB 699 against $33.49. You can also buy Thai unlimited online as an AIS eSIM, which skips the airport queue too, though passport registration is still required. More: the Local SIM block for Thailand.

Local SIM or eSIM →

Thailand: passport, face scan and 60 days

Every SIM in Thailand is registered to a passport. Since 18 August 2025 the regulator NBTC has also required a live face scan for all new SIMs, in person or through an operator's official app (as The Thaiger reports). That makes counter queues longer after big flights. A foreigner may hold no more than three SIMs with one operator.

True's counters at Phuket airport are by baggage belt 4 and inside exits 1–2 and are open 24 hours. In Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) they are by belts 7, 10 and 19. At Don Mueang, though, the True counter is open 10:00–19:00, so a late flight will miss it. Guides say evening passport control at Phuket in high season takes 60–90 minutes, and you only reach the SIM counter after that.

If you use an AIS tourist SIM for more than 60 days, you must confirm your identity again: text your passport number to 4444161 or visit a shop. Thailand has no IMEI registration for tourists.

The cost of hassle: a comparison without numbers

Price per gigabyte isn't everything. Here is what actually happens after landing with each option.

With a local SIM you walk off the plane with no data. You have to find your transfer or taxi on the airport Wi-Fi, which doesn't always work without a text to a local number. How to connect at Hurghada, Antalya, Istanbul or Phuket airports is in our Free airport Wi-Fi section and in “Free airport Wi-Fi in Hurghada, Sharm, Antalya, Istanbul, Dubai, Phuket and Phu Quoc: how to connect and what to do if it doesn't work”.

With an eSIM you buy the plan at home, install it in a few minutes and after landing just switch it on in settings. Your Ukrainian SIM stays in the phone: calls from family and texts from the bank arrive as usual.

When a local SIM is better

• Egypt, if a queue doesn't bother you. Tourist packs from e&, WE or Vodafone are several times cheaper than any eSIM.
• Thailand with unlimited data. AIS or True for 8 days for THB 449–499 and for 15 days for THB 699 cost less than an unlimited eSIM for the same period.
• A long stay. A month or more in one country: Thai 30-day unlimited or 40 GB from e& is better value.
• You need a local number. Calls to the hotel, a guide or a courier; local taxi and delivery apps that want a text to a local number.
• One phone shares data with the whole family. One unlimited local SIM as a hotspot sometimes costs less than separate plans.

When an eSIM is better

• Right after landing. Data works on the airstairs: taxi, transfer, a message to Mum that you've arrived.
• No queue, no passport. No standing at a counter with children and suitcases, hunting for cash and checking the change.
• Your Ukrainian SIM stays in the phone. Bank texts and calls from family and work arrive as usual.
• A night flight. True's counter at Don Mueang closes at 19:00, and at night the Vodafone desk in Hurghada may be unstaffed.
• Turkey. Tourist packs there are monthly and dearer than an eSIM, and buying an eSIM inside Turkey is awkward because the sites are blocked.
• Several countries on one trip. Istanbul, then Egypt: two eSIMs bought at home instead of two queues and two registrations.
• A short trip. For 7–10 days 5–10 GB is enough for most people, while the smallest local pack is often bigger and dearer.

How many gigabytes you need and what your operator's roaming would cost: our roaming cost calculator. To check whether your phone supports eSIM, see “Does my phone support eSIM? Model list and a 10-second check”.

Traps that make you overpay

• Airport kiosks cost more. Guides to Turkey say airport counters are almost always dearer than city shops, though nobody publishes exact figures. In Egypt official counters charge roughly city prices, but e& at Hurghada quotes in dollars and you lose on the rate. Pay in local currency.
• Middlemen. A SIM from a souvenir shop, a taxi driver or a hotel “friend” is often dearer, and the pack may be partly used. Buy only at an operator's counter or shop.
• Taxes on top. Türk Telekom's TRY 320–550 prices exclude new-line taxes, and Vodafone Turkey's SIM fee “varies by shop”. Ask for the full amount before paying.
• IMEI registration in Turkey. Not needed for a holiday, but after 120 days a phone with a Turkish SIM is cut off, and the registration fee, according to guides, is over TRY 54,000.
• Validity. Turkey sells 28-day packs only, Vodafone's tourist line switches off after 60 days, e&'s page does not state validity, and AIS asks you to re-confirm your passport after 60 days.
• Offers with limits. True's free airport SIMs run out during the day, and the INFINITE pack must be added right after activation, otherwise you get only 8 GB for 24 hours. Data beyond the pack costs THB 1.5 per MB at True.
• Northern Cyprus. According to esimfox, Turkish tourist packs do not work there.
• Test the SIM at the counter. Ask the seller to open any website while you're still there: activation sometimes takes a while.
• Your Ukrainian SIM in a pocket. It's easy to lose when taken out at the counter. Better not to take it out at all if the phone has a second slot or eSIM.

Sources

We copied operator prices from their sites and travellers' reports on 12 November 2026, at that day's exchange rate. Prices change, so see current ones in Local SIM vs eSIM and in the eSIM price comparison. Other eSIM services' prices for Egypt and Turkey are in “The cheapest eSIM for Egypt, Turkey and the UAE: an honest comparison of 6 providers (November 2026)”.

• Turkcell: Tourist Welcome Pack (official), checked 12.11.2026
• Vodafone Turkey: Tourist SIM and Welcome to Turkey (official), checked 12.11.2026
• esimfox: SIM card in Turkey, Vodafone and Türk Telekom prices (German, an eSIM seller), checked 12.11.2026
• HemenHesap: Turkey SIM for tourists, IMEI and the eSIM block, checked 12.11.2026
• BTK: central device registration system, the 120-day rule (Turkish), checked 13.11.2026
• Medyascope: BTK blocks 8 eSIM providers, 11 Jul 2025 (Turkish), checked 12.11.2026
• Antalya Transfer: SIM cards at Antalya airport, checked 12.11.2026
• e& (Etisalat) Egypt: Traveler packs (official), checked 12.11.2026
• WE (Telecom Egypt): Mobile Egypt for tourists (official), checked 08.11.2026
• Traveltomtom: SIM card at Hurghada airport, Feb 2026, checked 12.11.2026
• Vantour: SIM and eSIM in Egypt, checked 12.11.2026
• Holafly: SIM cards at Egypt's airports (German, an eSIM seller), checked 12.11.2026
• Egypt's NTRA: end of the imported-phone exemption from 21 Jan 2026 (official), checked 12.11.2026
• AIS: Traveller SIM and eSIM (official), checked 12.11.2026
• True and dtac: Tourist SIM, terms (official), checked 12.11.2026
• TAGTHAi: dtac tourist SIM, prices and airport counters (a True partner, 2025), checked 12.11.2026
• The Thaiger: new SIM rules in Thailand, face scan, checked 12.11.2026
• Phuket Expat Guide: Phuket airport, queues, checked 12.11.2026

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

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

• Turkey: from $1.99, 5 GB for 30 days $6.49, 10 GB $9.99, a week of unlimited $14.99.
• Egypt: from $3.49, 5 GB for 30 days $10.49, 10 GB $16.49, a week of unlimited $23.49.
• Thailand: from $2.99, 5 GB for 30 days $6.99, 10 GB $9.99, a week of unlimited $14.99.

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.

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.

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