On this page 13 sections
Recommended plans for Sri Lanka
Cheapest in each category from this guide’s price tables · checked
Best value
Ubigi
10 GB · 30 days
$11
Lowest 10 GB price in our table, for most one- to two-week trips.
See Ubigi plans (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)Unlimited week
Ubigi
Unlimited · 7 days
$24
Lowest 7-day unlimited price among the plans in our table.
See Ubigi plans (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)Light use
Ubigi
3 GB · 15 days
$5
Lowest 3 GB price in our table, for a short stay or light use.
See Ubigi plans (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Prices in USD from each provider’s official page; confirm at checkout. Some buttons are affiliate links. Compare every plan below.
Plan size
Not sure how much data you need? Try our free eSIM data calculator — maps, messaging, streaming, hotspot and hotel Wi‑Fi, sized to a common plan. Or weigh a carrier day pass on the eSIM vs roaming comparator.
Sri Lanka at a glance
Checked 5 November 2026- Cheapest plan listed
- $3.001 GB / 30 days, Yesim
- 10 GB for a week
- $10.50Airalo on Mobitel
- 10 GB for 30 days
- $11Ubigi (Airalo: $11.50)
- Before you fly
- Get your ETA (free for 40 nationalities)
These Sri Lanka plans are data-only, with no local phone number. Keep your home SIM on for bank and app SMS codes.
Why Sri Lanka is different
Fixed data is very cheap. Airalo sells 10 GB for 7 days at $10.50 and 20 GB for 30 days at $18.00; Ubigi’s 10 GB for 30 days is $11.
Mobitel and Hutch. Airalo lists Mobitel; Nomad and Ubigi list Mobitel and Hutch.
Everyone needs an ETA. Sri Lanka’s official ETA site says all foreign nationals must get one before arrival, and it’s been free for 40 nationalities since 25 May 2026 (see entry).
Quick picks
Normal use
Airalo’s 10 GB for 7 days ($10.50) or 5 GB for 7 days ($8.00) on Mobitel.
Normal use
A 10 GB / 30-day plan: $11 at Ubigi or $11.50 at Airalo. Airalo’s 20 GB is $18.00.
Heavy use or tethering
Maya’s global plan: $19.99 a week, $49.99 for 30 days. Among Sri Lanka plans, Ubigi is lowest ($24 a week, $65 for 30 days).
Two countries
Unlimited costs much more in India; see our India guide before buying.
Step 1: Size your plan for Sri Lanka
Maps, ride-hailing, transit apps and messaging use little data. Uploading photos and videos and making video calls use much more. As a rough guide, maps and messaging use hundreds of megabytes a day, while video and video calls can use several gigabytes. These are general estimates, not measurements.
Under a week, maps, messages and transport apps
3–5 GB fixed plan
1–2 weeks, photos, social apps and video
10–20 GB fixed, or unlimited
Remote work, video calls, tethering a laptop
Unlimited, after checking its fair-use and hotspot rules
Step 2: Compare published prices
Unlimited plans by trip length
| Days | Airalo | Nomad | Holafly | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $12.50 (lowest listed) | — | $13.50 | — | $12.60 |
| 5 days | $19.00 (lowest listed) | $26 | $20.90 | — | $21.00 |
| 7 days | $27.00 | — | $27.90 | $24 (lowest listed) | $29.40 |
| 10 days | $35.00 (lowest listed) | $45 | $37.50 | — | $35.93 |
| 15 days | $49.00 | — | $50.50 | $44 (lowest listed) | $46.80 |
| 30 days | $72.00 | — | $73.90 | $65 (lowest listed) | $68.40 |
Lowest listed price in the row — means no plan of that length was listed. Holafly ($5.90) and Yesim ($4.20) also sell a single day. Holafly lets you share data as a hotspot (a 7-day plan includes 7 GB). Saily listed 7 days of unlimited at $48.99. Maya sells one global unlimited plan at the same price for every country: $9.99 for 3 days, $19.99 for 7, $27.99 for 14 and $49.99 for 30 (see Maya). Official pages, checked 5 November 2026.
Fixed-data plans
| Data | Airalo | Nomad | Saily | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $4.503 days | $47 days | $3.997 days | — | $3.0030 days (lowest listed) |
| 3 GB | $6.507 days | $9.5030 days | $8.9930 days | $515 days (lowest listed) | $7.9230 days |
| 5 GB | $9.0030 days (lowest listed) | $1230 days | $11.9930 days | — | $11.5230 days |
| 10 GB | $11.5030 days | $1530 days | $19.9930 days | $1130 days (lowest listed) | $19.2030 days |
| 20 GB | $18.0030 days (lowest listed) | $2130 days | $30.9930 days | — | $26.4030 days |
| 50 GB | $36.0030 days (lowest listed) | $4530 days | — | $3930 days | — |
Lowest listed price in the row Validity differs, so compare the small print as well as the price. Where a provider sells the same data amount for several lengths, we show the longest. Airalo also lists shorter versions (for example 10 GB for 7 days at $10.50 and 5 GB for 7 days at $8.00). Ubigi also lists 10 GB for 7 days ($9). Yesim also lists 30 GB for 30 days at $33.60. Official pages, checked 5 November 2026.
Step 3: Check the fine print
- Networks. Airalo: Mobitel. Nomad and Ubigi: Mobitel and Hutch. Holafly, Saily, Yesim and Maya didn’t name one.
- Unlimited isn’t always unlimited. Ubigi says a fair-use policy may apply. Holafly’s Sri Lanka page limits hotspot sharing to 1 GB a day (a 7-day plan includes 7 GB to share).
- Activation windows. Nomad starts a plan automatically 60 days after purchase if you haven’t used it. Saily says all plans have a 180-day activation period; after that the plan starts automatically. Ubigi’s plan starts when you arrive.
- Hotspot. Yesim says hotspot depends on the operator, and gives 180 days from purchase to activate.
- Saily unlimited. The only Saily unlimited price we could read was $48.99 for 7 days, much more than other providers.
- No local number. These plans are data-only. Saily sells an optional US phone number, and Yesim offers a 20-minute calling add-on.
The seven providers
Airalo
- Sri Lanka from
- $4.501 GB / 3 days
- Unlimited
- $27.007 days; $72.00 for 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $11.50
What stands out
Lists Mobitel. Very cheap fixed data: 10 GB for 7 days at $10.50, 10 GB for 30 days at $11.50 and 50 GB for $36.00.
What to watch
Unlimited is pricier ($27.00 a week) than Ubigi or Maya.
Nomad
- Sri Lanka from
- $41 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $15
- Unlimited
- $265 days; $45 for 10
What stands out
Lists Mobitel and Hutch. 10 GB for 30 days is $15 and 20 GB $21.
What to watch
Unlimited is expensive ($26 for 5 days) and stops at 10 days; plans start automatically 60 days after purchase.
Holafly
- Sri Lanka from
- $5.901 day unlimited
- Unlimited
- $27.907 days; $73.90 for 30 days
- Fixed data
- Not sold
What stands out
Unlimited by the day from $5.90, with hotspot sharing (a 7-day plan includes 7 GB).
What to watch
No network named, and 30 days costs $73.90.
Saily
- Sri Lanka from
- $3.991 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $19.99
- Unlimited
- $48.997 days
What stands out
Fixed plans from $3.99 (1 GB for 7 days) with 180 days to activate.
What to watch
Unlimited was $48.99 for 7 days, and fixed data costs more than Airalo or Ubigi.
Ubigi
- Sri Lanka from
- $53 GB / 15 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $11
- Unlimited
- $247 days; $44 for 15; $65 for 30
What stands out
Lists Hutch and Mobitel. The lowest prices here for 10 GB over 30 days ($11) and Sri Lanka-only unlimited ($24 a week, $65 for 30 days).
What to watch
Ubigi says a fair-use policy may apply to unlimited plans.
Yesim
- Sri Lanka from
- $3.001 GB / 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $19.20
- Unlimited
- $29.407 days; $68.40 for 30
What stands out
The cheapest small plans: 1 GB for $3.00 and 3 GB for $7.92, both for 30 days.
What to watch
Larger plans cost more than Airalo or Ubigi, and no network is named.
Maya
- 3 days
- $9.99unlimited data
- 7 days
- $19.99unlimited data
- 30 days
- $49.99unlimited data
What stands out
The lowest price we found for 7 or 30 days of unlimited data. It’s one global plan, so the same eSIM keeps working if Sri Lanka is one stop of several. Maya’s page says "No caps, no throttling."
What to watch
It renews automatically while Travel Mode is on, so turn it off when you get home. The page we read doesn’t name the local networks or spell out a fair-use policy, and we haven’t tested the no-throttling claim.
Will your phone work?
- eSIM-capable and unlocked. Apple lists iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later. Settings → General → About should say "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock (full checklist).
- Bought in mainland China? Apple says that in China mainland only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM. Many older mainland models use two physical SIM cards instead, so check for Add eSIM in your settings before you buy a plan.
- Bought in Hong Kong or Macau? Apple notes that certain iPhone models sold there have two nano-SIM slots. Check for Add eSIM in your settings first.
- Install before you fly. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and leave the line switched off until you land (install guide).
Entry: the ETA
- ETA before arrival. Sri Lanka’s official ETA site says all foreign nationals must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization before arriving.
- Free for 40 nationalities. From 25 May 2026, the official site lists a free 30-day, double-entry tourist ETA for nationals of 40 countries, including the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, India, China, Japan, Germany, France and New Zealand. Check your nationality on eta.gov.lk.
- Longer stays. The official site says extensions beyond 30 days are charged; GOV.UK says you can extend online.
- Passport. GOV.UK says it must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you arrive.
- Cash. GOV.UK says not all ATMs accept international cards, so carry a backup.
Lookalike ETA sites
Apply only on the official site, eta.gov.lk. If your nationality is on the free list, you shouldn’t pay anyone for a tourist ETA.
Our take
For a week, Airalo’s 10 GB for $10.50 on Mobitel is hard to beat. For longer trips, Ubigi’s 10 GB for $11 on Hutch and Mobitel is the best value. For unlimited, Maya’s global plan beats every Sri Lanka plan we checked.
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Before you buy: the free pre-trip checklist
The four checks to do before any trip, from phone compatibility to the moment your plan starts counting days. Sign up and it opens straight away.
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Your checklist is ready: phone check, install, roaming settings and activation timing, on one page.
Open the checklistBefore you fly
Get your ETA
Apply on eta.gov.lk before you fly; it’s free for 40 nationalities.
Buy and install at home
Check your phone is unlocked and eSIM-capable (how to check), then install on Wi-Fi before departure. With Nomad, don’t buy more than 60 days ahead.
Switch on when you land
Turn on the travel line, enable data roaming for that line, and set it as your mobile-data line.
Match the plan to your trip
Airalo’s 7-day plans are cheapest for one week; pick a 30-day plan for longer stays.
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Get the free pre-trip eSIM checklist
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Open the checklistFrequently asked questions
What’s the cheapest Sri Lanka eSIM?
On the official pages we checked (5 November 2026), Yesim’s 1 GB for 30 days was $3.00. For one week, Airalo listed 10 GB for $10.50; for 30 days, Ubigi listed 10 GB for $11.
Which network do Sri Lanka travel eSIMs use?
Airalo lists Mobitel. Nomad and Ubigi list Mobitel and Hutch.
What’s the cheapest unlimited eSIM for Sri Lanka?
Maya’s global plan: $19.99 for 7 days and $49.99 for 30. Among Sri Lanka plans, Ubigi was lowest ($24 a week, $65 for 30 days).
Is the Sri Lanka ETA free?
For nationals of 40 countries, yes: the official ETA site lists a free 30-day, double-entry tourist ETA from 25 May 2026. Everyone else must still get an ETA before arrival.
Do I need an ETA for a short transit?
GOV.UK says you don’t need a visa to transit by air for under 24 hours.
Sources and method
Last checked 5 November 2026
All prices and plan facts on this page were read from these official pages on 5 November 2026. We have not purchased or tested these plans ourselves; we summarize what the providers publish, in our own words. Read our method.
- Airalo — Sri Lanka eSIMsChecked 5 November 2026
- Nomad — Sri Lanka eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Holafly — Sri Lanka eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Saily — Sri Lanka eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Yesim — Sri Lanka eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Maya — Sri Lanka eSIMChecked 5 November 2026
- Ubigi — Sri Lanka data plansChecked 5 November 2026
- Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka — ETAChecked 5 November 2026
- GOV.UK — Sri Lanka entry requirementsChecked 5 November 2026
- Apple Support — Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhoneChecked 5 November 2026
- SafetyWing: Nomad InsuranceChecked 5 November 2026