5 min read

eSIM vs Roaming Plans — Real Cost Comparison

International roaming can cost {price.5}–{price.15} per megabyte with some carriers. A single hour of video streaming could cost {price.500} or more in roaming fees. Here is an honest, numbers-first comparison of eSIM plans vs every roaming alternative.

The true cost of carrier roaming

Home carrier international data charges vary widely:

Carrier typePay-as-you-go rateNotes
US carrier (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) roaming฿0.35–฿525.00 per MBVaries by destination country
UK carrier (EE, Vodafone, O2) zone 1£0.002–£10 per MB'Zone 1' countries cheapest
Carrier international add-on package฿350.00–฿700.00/day or ฿1,750.00–฿3,500.00/weekOften throttled to 256 kbps
EU roaming (within EU/EEA)Free at home ratesGenuine exception — no extra charge

At ฿350.00/MB, a 1 GB video stream costs ฿350,000.00 Even 'day pass' add-ons at ฿350.00/day throttle to 256 kbps — barely enough for maps.

Real cost comparison by trip type

7 days in Europe (5 GB data)

OptionCostNotes
Carrier roaming (pay-as-you-go)฿5,250.00–฿17,500.00Extreme bill shock risk
Carrier travel package (day pass)฿2,450.00–฿4,900.00฿350.00/day × 7, often throttled
Local physical SIM in France฿525.00–฿875.00Covers France only, requires store visit
LTE.app Europe eSIM (30+ countries)฿420.00–฿700.00Full LTE speeds, instant activation

14 days in Asia (10 GB data)

OptionCostNotes
Carrier roaming฿10,500.00–฿35,000.00+Extreme risk
Carrier international package฿2,800.00–฿5,250.00Often insufficient data
Local SIM in Japan฿525.00–฿875.00Japan only, language barrier
LTE.app Asia regional eSIM฿525.00–฿1,225.00Covers Japan, Korea, Taiwan

3 days in the US (2 GB data)

OptionCostNotes
Carrier roaming day pass฿1,050.00–฿2,100.00฿350.00–฿700.00/day
US prepaid local SIM (Mint, T-Mobile)฿525.00–฿700.00Physical store required
LTE.app US eSIM฿280.00–฿525.00Instant QR, full LTE

Hidden roaming charges that multiply the cost

When roaming actually makes sense

LTE.app membership makes eSIM even cheaper

LTE.app Pro membership (฿349.65/mo) saves 7% on every eSIM plan. Premium (฿699.65/mo) saves 12%. For frequent travelers purchasing 3–4 plans per month, the membership pays for itself:

Travel patternMonthly plan spendPro savesPremium saves
1 trip/month (1 plan)฿525.00฿36.75฿63.00
2 trips/month (3 plans)฿1,575.00฿110.25฿189.00
4 trips/month (6 plans)฿3,150.00฿220.50฿378.00
Heavy traveler (10 plans)฿5,250.00฿367.50฿630.00

At 6+ plans per month, Pro pays for itself. At 10+ plans per month, Premium pays for itself.

Read in English: View English version →
Get connected — instant eSIM delivery
Pro 7% off · Premium 12% off · Smart Coach AI
Download LTE.app →
eSIM เทียบกับค่าโรมมิ่ง — เปรียบเทียบค่าใช้จ่ายจริงปี 2026 — LTE.app