Planning your trip to Bali and wondering what is the best way to get connected in Indonesia? This is a complete guide with everything you need to know about Bali sim cards. Where to buy a Bali sim card, up to date prices as per March 2023, my recommendation and a vlog about my arrival and experience, the best 4G/5G network in Bali, a comparison of the best prepaid sim cards for Bali and info about e-Sim cards and international sim cards for Bali.
As a full time world traveler and nomad I am constantly on the road and visiting new countries. In 2022 for example I visited 62 different countries. After many years of experience I dare to say with a lot of confidence that local prepaid sim cards are the best way to stay connected in 9/10 times.
It saves you from excessive high roaming costs and slow overseas data plans. Trust me these roaming plans reduce your internet speed. If you think you are good with using your sim card from home on your trip to Bali you might end up with 3G data speed when there already is 5G in Bali. More about that later…
As I am passionated about writing sim card guides for every destination I visit and since I am also trying to visit every country in the world you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world on Traveltomtom: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Asia, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Dubai, Turkey and many more.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Telkomsel prepaid sim card for Bali. Telkomsel has the most advanced 4G/5G network and big data plans so you don’t need to worry using a lot of GB’s every day.
Normally I also recommend international sim cards for traveling. They are more expensive, but convenient as you order them online before traveling to Bali. If you use a lot of data local Bali sim cards are much cheaper. But if you are looking for a sim card that also works in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Dubai, etc. then definitely take a look at my comparison of the best sim cards for traveling in 2023.
However, the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Bali in 2023 is an e-sim card.
Be aware that if you want to use a Bali prepaid sim card your phone needs to be unlocked. This also applies for international sim cards and for using e-sim cards. If you are unsure if your phone is locked or unlocked contact your mobile internet provider from home.
In general European phones are unlocked but US phones are often locked!
E-sim cards for Bali
Not the cheapest, but a very convenient way to get instantly connected on arrival in Bali is an e-sim card. You arrange everything online within just a couple minutes. You order an e-sim card, you receive a code in your email, follow the instructions, apply the settings and you are connected instantly.
No more visiting a shop, swapping physical sim cards or buying a local prepaid sim card. Check out the following e-sim card deals for Bali:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5.5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $8 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $16.5 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $24.75 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $40 USD
Click here to order one of the above Bali e-sim cards directly online.
On another website I found a couple different international e-sim card deals. These are valid in about 80 countries around the world, including Bali:
- 6 GB data for 10 days = $17.9 USD
- 8 GB data for 30 days = $34.9 USD
Click here to directly order one of these international e-sim card deals for Bali.
Mind you that not all phones are e-sim card compatible and e-sim cards do not support local calls, they are data-only! For more info see my article about the best e-sim cards for Bali in 2023.
Why buying a sim card for Bali
No need to tell you that your phone is pretty useless these days without a working data connection. Imagine looking for direction on Google Maps but you don’t have internet, or finding nearby restaurants, info about traveling or ordering a taxi through an app. Or what about emergencies like opening your banking apps or using WhatsApp to inform your relatives or finding friends or simply keeping up with all social media.
Having data on your phone when traveling to Bali makes life much easier!
Also don’t rely on public WiFi, not everywhere it is available or as fast as you hoped it would be and also another reminder that public WiFi is through an unsecured network. The use of a VPN is recommended to protect your data.
Local prepaid sim card, international sim cards and e-sim cards for Bali use a secured network and your data is protected. That said, many travelers still use VPN services for extra data protection.
Where to buy a sim card for Bali
Online
As I have mentioned before you can buy sim cards for Bali on the internet. These international sim cards you order online and they will be shipped to your home address before your Bali trip. E-sim cards are even easier and you arrange everything online within a couple minutes. So these are 2 options…
However, the cheapest way to stay connected when traveling to Bali is a local prepaid sim card and these you can only buy in Bali, not online.
Denpasar Bali Airport - DPS
The best place to buy a prepaid sim card for Bali is on arrival at Denpasar International Airport - DPS. Straight after you got your passport stamped you walk through duty free and at the end of the duty free you will already see a couple tables where they sell sim cards for Bali. You can’t miss it!
It is the first thing you see when you walk in to the baggage claim area. Next to luggage belt 4 they sell Telkomsel prepaid sim cards. It is the first place where you can buy a sim card for Bali on arrival.
Buying a sim card for Bali at Denpasar Airport is more expensive than in a phone store around the island. The cheapest sim card at the luggage belt shop cost 400K IDR which is around $26 USD and that is expensive for Bali. But when you keep walking it already gets cheaper after passport control.
After you collect your luggage and you pass the customs baggage check you come out in a huge spacious arrival hall. At first you will see ATM’s and money exchange but if you follow the path you will find an XL and a Telkomsel store on your left hand side.
These are two of the main mobile internet operators in Indonesia and they sell prepaid sim cards for tourists here in Bali.
Opposite the XL store there is also a small kiosk of Smartfren they also sell prepaid sim cards for tourists and then there is a last kiosk from IM3 opposite the Starbucks where you can also buy a sim card for Bali.
All of these sim card shops are open for every incoming flight so from early morning till late at night and they all accept credit card payments as well as Indonesian Rupiahs.
Then last there is another Telkomsel kiosk also near the Starbucks but they only accept cash payments.
As you can see there are multiple places at Denpasar Airport to buy a sim card for your trip to Bali.
Any phone stores around Bali
In case you forgot to buy a sim card at Bali Airport or you want the cheapest Bali sim card deals then you can go all around Bali to any random phone store or official retail store and buy a prepaid sim card for Bali in a phone shop.
Buying a Bali sim card in a phone store across Bali is in fact is much cheaper. Prices for Bali tourist sim cards at Denpasar Airport are much higher. However, we are literally talking about just a couple dollars. If you are backpacking to Bali I totally understand, but keep in mind that you will have to find a phone store near your hotel, deal with language barriers, you may be even have to negotiate, etc.
However, fact is that sim cards for Bali at Denpasar Airport are more expensive than shops away from the airport.
But what is the best Bali sim card for tourists? Let’s look at the prices as well as the 4G/5G network coverage.
Registration Process
When buying a new Bali sim card you need to bring your passport. Without a passport foreigners can’t register a sim card in Indonesia! In the store a copy of your passport will be taken and your new Bali sim card will be registered under your name and passport number.
Bali sim cards are free! Which means you do not need to pay for registration or the sim card itself. Some operators advertise with free Bali sim card, but all prepaid sim cards in Bali are free. Some local phone shops do charge a couple dollars for the registration as they are resellers and somehow need to make money.
Be aware that if you are staying in Bali longer than 60 days your phone will automatically be blocked from using any available mobile network until you pay an import tax for bringing your phone to Indonesia. If you are staying shorter than 90 days the registration is for free.
Prices Bali Prepaid Sim Cards in 2023
Local prepaid sim card prices and data packages constantly change. Traveltomtom travels to Bali often himself and tries to keep this article as up to date as possible, but your input is also highly appreciated if you have new info please leave me a comment below or message me on social media.
These are the up to date prices for prepaid sim cards in Bali as of March 2023. $1 USD = 15,500 IDR and 1 IDR = $0.000065 USD
Smartfren
- 20 GB data for 30 days = 250K IDR
- 30 GB data for 30 days = 300K IDR
- 45 GB data for 30 days = 350K IDR
- 60 GB data for 30 days = 450K IDR
Credit for calls need to be added separately.
You can also see that Smartfren is the only provider who offers e-sim cards for tourists, all the other mobile internet operators do only sell physical sim cards for tourists.
IM3 Indosat
- 18 GB data for 30 days = 250K IDR
- 32 GB data for 30 days = 300K IDR
- 50 GB data for 30 days = 350K IDR
- 84 GB data for 30 days = 450K IDR
Credit for calls need to be added separately.
XL Axiata
At the XL store in the arrival hall they sell the following XL Bali tourist sim cards:
- 18 GB data for 30 days = 250K IDR
- 25 GB data for 30 days = 350K IDR - $23 USD
- 44 GB data for 30 days = 450K IDR
- 65 GB data for 30 days = 550K IDR
- 83 GB data for 30 days = 650K IDR
Credit for calls need to be added separately.
Telkomsel
These are the Telkomsel prepaid sim card deals for Bali:
- 18 GB data for 30 days = 250K IDR
- 25 GB data for 30 days = 400K IDR - $26 USD
- 51 GB data for 30 days = 450K IDR
- 70 GB data for 30 days = 550K IDR
- 100 GB data for 30 days = 850K IDR
- 200 GB data for 30 days = 1,250K IDR
Credit for calls need to be added separately.
Best 4G/5G network in Bali in 2023
As prices for Bali sim cards are more or less the same lets zoom in on the network coverage maps for Bali and compare the 4G/5G network coverage maps of the mobile internet operators to find the best mobile data network in 2023.
Is there 5G in Bali?
Yes, Telkomsel was the first mobile internet operator to offer 5G in Bali. The other Indonesian mobile internet operators now also started with 5G in Bali but as per March 2023 this is all still very limited. In fact 5G is only available around the Denpasar Airport, Kuta and Nusa Dua area and not yet in other Bali tourist spots. But I am sure that will improve rapidly! Let me show you the Bali 4G/5G coverage maps.
Telkomsel 4G/5G network coverage map
XL 4G/5G network coverage map
Smartfren 4G/5G network coverage map
Indosat 4G/5G network coverage map
From the above 4G/5G Bali coverage maps we can clearly see that Telkomsel has the most advanced mobile data network in Bali in 2023. XL is a very good second best and they are expanding their 5G network rapidly. The Smartfren 5G network is still very limited as well as the Indosat 5G network in Bali.
That said, all mobile internet operators cover all Bali tourist attractions and the best places to visit in Bali with a 4G signal. However, it also comes down to the capacity of the network as the more users on the same line the more it would slow down your data speed. Because the data network of Telkomsel is the most advanced and the strongest they can pretty much guarantee the fastest data speed in Bali for tourists.
Best Bali sim card in 2023
For Traveltomtom it is an easy conclusion that if you are a heavy data user international sim card or e-sim cards for Bali are much more expensive compared to Bali prepaid sim cards. When using a lot of data you most probably also want the best and fastest data speed, so heavy data users are definitely recommended to buy a local prepaid sim card in Bali on arrival.
Are you a heavy data user? Just go to the settings on your phone and check how much data you use per application. Is Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat topping the list than most probably you are indeed a heavy data user.
After comparing all the prices for Bali prepaid sim cards and the comparison of the best 4G/5G network in Bali Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that Telkomsel is the best sim card for Bali in 2023.
Buying a sim card for Bali on arrival at Denpasar International Airport is the fastest and most convenient place to get connected when arriving in Indonesia. But for that convenience you pay a couple dollar extra.
If you want the cheapest Bali sim card deals you should not buy them at Denpasar Airport on arrival, but at any random mobile phone shop near your hotel. Go where the local go and save a couple dollars.
If you only use a little bit of data every day then e-sim cards for Bali are a great solution. For $5.5 USD you get 1 GB data and you arrange everything directly online within just a couple minutes.
Want to watch my vlog about arriving at Denpasar Airport and buying a sim card for Bali then click below.
Order a sim card for Bali online
If your phone isn’t compatible for e-sim cards and you want to order a physical sim card for Bali online then have a look at the following international sim cards for Bali. These pre-activated sim cards will be shipped to your home address before your trip and are automatically activated from its first use. Which means plug and play when you arrive in Bali.
- 6 GB data for 10 days = $19.9 USD
- 8 GB data for 30 days = $24.9 USD
- 12 GB data for 30 days = $29.9 USD
Click here to order one of the above international sim cards for Bali online or find more info in the link.
Also a last reminder that you can order an e-sim card for Bali directly online and arrange everything within just a couple minutes and you are all set to travel to Bali.
Local prepaid sim cards for Bali vs. e-Sim cards and international sim cards
With a local prepaid sim card you get much more data for the same price and the best network connection and data speed possible. With an international sim card or an e-sim card for Bali you are basically a guest on another mobile operators network. Which means your data speed is potentially lower, especially during peak hours when you are being put in the back of the line to use the available bandwidth.
Therefore Traveltomtom prefers local prepaid sim cards over e-sim cards or international sim cards for traveling to Bali.
However, it is a fact that if it comes to convenience e-sim cards are just so easy to buy and install that even I sometimes choose the easy way out and order an e-sim card for my trip to Bali.
If you want to buy a local e-sim card then as of March 2023 only Smartfren offers an e-sim card for Bali. Telkomsel, XL and Indosat do NOT offer e-sim cards and only have physical sim cards for tourists.
For sure the above tips for buying a prepaid sim card for Bali, my tips about e-sim cards and staying connected in general when traveling to Bali were helpful.
If you have any more questions then please leave me a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of March 2023 I have visited more than 150 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Bali!
