An unlimited data eSIM for a month makes sense when your daily use is hard to predict or includes video and work calls. It costs from about $2.32 a day on a 30-day plan in Turkey, the UK and much of Western Europe. If your days are mostly maps and messages, a fixed plan of 10 to 20 GB is often cheaper.
Key takeaways
- A 30-day unlimited eSIM is a daily quota repeated 30 times, not a month of unlimited full speed.
- Over 30 days, published quotas add up to 150 GB at full speed (Saily, Ubigi), 90 GB (Airalo), 60 GB (Nomad) and 30 GB on the TonMobile cards we read.
- TonMobile 30-day unlimited plans run from $69.50 (Turkey) to $216.60 (Mexico); six popular countries have no 30-day unlimited option at all.
- In Turkey, a 20 GB fixed plan for 30 days costs $21.90, less than a third of the 30-day unlimited price.
Four ways people use data on a long stay
The amount of data a month abroad takes depends on what fills a normal day, not on the destination. We sort long-stay travellers into four profiles. No provider publishes gigabytes per app, so treat these as patterns to recognise yourself in, not as measured figures.
Light
Maps and messages
Navigation, chat apps, email, ride booking and the odd search. A slow line of about 512 kbps still handles most of this, so a daily cap rarely hurts.
Mixed
Plus social and photos
Everything above, plus scrolling feeds and uploading photos. Uploads in bulk are the part that eats a daily quota quickly.
Heavy
Plus video
Streaming series, short-video apps and music on the move. Around 1 Mbps covers standard-definition video, so the speed after the cap starts to matter.
Remote work
Calls and a laptop
Video meetings, cloud sync and a laptop on hotspot. Most video calls need roughly 2 Mbps, which is above the slowdown speed on many plans.
The light and mixed profiles are where fixed plans tend to win, because the total stays modest. The heavy and remote-work profiles are where a monthly unlimited eSIM earns its price. For the laptop side of remote work, read our guide to using an unlimited eSIM as a hotspot.
What a 30-day unlimited eSIM costs by country
A 30-day unlimited eSIM from TonMobile costs between $69.50 and $216.60, depending on the country. The table lists the 30-day price from the web app on 27 October 2026 and our per-day arithmetic (price divided by 30).
| Country | 15 days | 30 days | Per day on 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | $35.00 | $69.50 | $2.32 |
| United Kingdom | $34.99 | $69.99 | $2.33 |
| France, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria | $34.99 | $69.99 | $2.33 |
| Spain, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Netherlands and 16 more | $37.50 | $74.62 | $2.49 |
| New Zealand | $40.46 | $80.40 | $2.68 |
| Italy | $43.50 | $84.50 | $2.82 |
| Thailand | $47.47 | $94.25 | $3.14 |
| Vietnam | $47.40 | $94.80 | $3.16 |
| USA, Australia | $50.00 | $99.00 | $3.30 |
| Georgia | $50.50 | $99.00 | $3.30 |
| Indonesia, Singapore | $58.90 | $116.82 | $3.89 |
| Saudi Arabia | $63.98 | $119.98 | $4.00 |
| UAE | $62.40 | $123.72 | $4.12 |
| Canada | $90.08 | $179.18 | $5.97 |
| Mexico | $108.80 | $216.60 | $7.22 |
The 30-day plan is close to the price of two 15-day plans almost everywhere. In the UK, two 15-day plans cost $69.98 against $69.99 for one 30-day plan. The monthly plan saves you a second purchase, not money.
No 30-day unlimited here
Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, China, Morocco and Uzbekistan stop at 15 days on TonMobile unlimited. For a month there, plan on two 15-day periods, for example $46.96 each in Japan, or a fixed plan.
US and European long stays have their own quirks, from carrier coverage to regional plans. Our guides on unlimited eSIMs in the USA and on one-country versus regional plans in Europe cover them.
Fixed GB or unlimited: the Turkey example
Turkey shows the trade-off clearly, because TonMobile sells both fixed and unlimited plans there. The 30-day unlimited plan costs $69.50, while a 20 GB plan valid for 30 days costs $21.90.
| Turkey plan | Validity | Price | Price per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 GB | 30 days | $5.90 | $1.97 |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $8.90 | $1.78 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | $14.40 | $1.44 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | $21.90 | $1.10 |
| 50 GB | 90 days | $34.30 | $0.69 |
| Unlimited, 1 GB a day at full speed | 30 days | $69.50 | $2.32 per full-speed GB |
The unlimited plan in Turkey gives 30 GB at full speed across the month, one gigabyte per day. The 50 GB fixed plan gives more full-speed data for about half the money, and lets you spend several gigabytes on a single heavy day.
Fixed 20 GB or 50 GB
- Cheaper per gigabyte by a wide margin
- Big days are fine if the total holds
- Line stops when the gigabytes run out, so you top up
30-day unlimited
- Never runs dry before the end date
- Full speed limited to the daily quota
- About 512 kbps after the cap on the cards we read
Unlimited in Turkey pays off for the traveller who would otherwise burn through 50 GB and keep buying more. It also suits anyone who refuses to watch a counter for four weeks.
How daily quotas add up over 30 days
Multiplying a provider's daily quota by 30 gives the monthly full-speed ceiling of a 30-day unlimited plan. The numbers below use quotas from each provider's own pages, read on 27 October 2026.
The ceiling only counts if you use the quota every day. A quiet day on a beach does not carry over, because each quota resets 24 hours after activation. Read more about the slower lane after the daily cap before you pick a plan on quota alone.
The speed after the cap separates these plans as much as the quota does. Saily and Airalo drop to 1 Mbps, Ubigi's Egypt plan to 2 Mbps, and TonMobile's cards show 512 kbps. On 512 kbps, messages and maps keep working, but a video call usually does not.
Long-stay tips that save money
A month on one eSIM rewards a little planning before you fly. The points below come from provider help pages and terms, not from guesswork.
Time the activation
The 30 days start when the plan activates, so install early and activate on arrival. TonMobile plan cards say "Activation within 180 days", Ubigi allows six months and Nomad auto-activates on day 60. A long buying window means you can order weeks ahead without losing days.
Know how top-ups work
TonMobile lets you top up an existing eSIM without reinstalling, and the new package starts after the previous data is used. Airalo also allows extensions and top-ups. Nomad offers no add-on data or extra days on unlimited plans, so you buy a new plan instead.
Lean on Wi-Fi for the big jobs
Apartment and coworking Wi-Fi is the right place for system updates, photo backups and long video calls. Turn on Low Data Mode on iPhone or Data Saver on Android to cut background use on the eSIM line.
- Check the daily quota and post-cap speed on the plan card for your country
- Confirm the country sells a 30-day unlimited plan, or plan two 15-day periods
- Keep your home SIM on for bank SMS; the eSIM is data-only
- Check hotspot rules if a laptop will share the line
- Note the activation window and top-up rules before you buy
When to skip a monthly unlimited eSIM
A monthly unlimited eSIM is the wrong buy when your use is light, steady and covered by Wi-Fi at home base. In that case a fixed 10 or 20 GB plan costs a fraction of the unlimited price.
Unlimited fits
- Heavy or unpredictable daily use
- No reliable Wi-Fi where you stay
- You want one purchase for the whole month
Skip unlimited
- Mostly maps and messages
- Good Wi-Fi at your apartment or coworking space
- Remote work that needs full speed all day, beyond a 1 GB quota
- A multi-country month, where regional plans are fixed GB only on TonMobile
Remote workers
A small daily quota and a 512 kbps slow lane can cut a meeting off mid-afternoon. Compare plans with a bigger daily quota in our unlimited eSIM rating, and see how we weigh quota against price on the methodology page.
Not sure what "fair usage" or "throttling" means on a plan card? The glossary explains each term, and the main guide compares all six providers.
FAQ
How much data do I need for a month abroad?
It depends on your daily habits. Maps and messages fit a small fixed plan, while video and remote work suit a 30-day unlimited eSIM. Most of the cost difference comes from video and laptop use.
Is a 30-day unlimited eSIM really unlimited?
No. A 30-day unlimited eSIM gives a daily full-speed quota, then a slower speed until the 24-hour reset. Published quotas range from 1 GB to 5 GB a day.
What does a monthly unlimited eSIM cost?
TonMobile 30-day unlimited plans cost $69.50 in Turkey, $69.99 in the UK, $99.00 in the USA and $216.60 in Mexico, per the web app on 27 October 2026.
Is a fixed plan cheaper than unlimited for a month in Turkey?
Usually, yes. A 20 GB plan valid for 30 days costs $21.90 and a 50 GB plan valid for 90 days costs $34.30, against $69.50 for 30-day unlimited.
Which countries have no 30-day unlimited eSIM on TonMobile?
Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, China, Morocco and Uzbekistan top out at 15 days. For a month there, buy two 15-day plans or a fixed-GB plan.
Is an unlimited eSIM good for digital nomads?
An unlimited eSIM suits digital nomads with heavy or unpredictable use and weak Wi-Fi. Check the daily quota and hotspot rules first, because video calls need roughly 2 Mbps after the cap.