Indonesia SIM Card Prices 2026: What You’ll Actually Pay
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-17
Prices below reflect what an Indian passport holder pays at an airport counter, a convenience-store shelf, or a telco store.
You can stay connected across a 10-day Indonesia trip for somewhere between ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) and ₹1,875 (~350,000 IDR or ~$19.45) per person, depending on how much data you burn. Whether you want a phone number for WhatsApp also changes the cost. The cheapest path is the airport tourist counter. The most flexible path is buying a starter card at Indomaret and topping up data through an app. Planning the wider region? Our Southeast Asia backpacking hub covers the full multi-country route.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest airport tourist SIM (Telkomsel 7-day, ~15GB) | Buy at Ngurah Rai or Soekarno-Hatta arrivals hall | ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) |
| Data-only eSIM for 10 days (Nomad/regional plans) | Activate before flying, scans on landing | ₹482-₹1,446 (~5-15 USD) |
| Starter card at Indomaret/Alfamart (XL/IM3) | Self-register at counter, top up via app | ₹94-₹134 (~17,500-25,000 IDR or ~$0.97-$1.39) |
| Top-up data pack (Telkomsel/XL/IM3, ~10-20GB, 30 days) | Buy via MyTelkomsel/MyXL/MyIM3 app | ₹268-₹536 (~50,000-100,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$5.56) |
| Total 10-day data budget for one Indian traveller | One tourist card or eSIM, no top-up needed | ₹268-₹804 (~50,000-150,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$8.34) |
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Telkomsel has the widest 4G coverage in Indonesia, including the islands (Lombok, Gili, Labuan Bajo). XL and IM3 Ooredoo are often cheaper and faster in Jakarta and Bali cities, but coverage drops on inter-island ferries and remote areas. If you’re sticking to Bali and Java, any of the three works. If you’re heading to Flores, Raja Ampat, or Sumba, pay the premium for Telkomsel.
Where to Buy Your Indonesia SIM (and What You’ll Pay)
There are three real channels. Each has a different price, a different registration process, and a different “gotcha” worth knowing. If you want a quick recommendation, our best SIM card in Indonesia comparison breaks down the top picks by coverage and price.
1. Airport Tourist SIM Counters (Fastest, but Priciest)
Both Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali and Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta have official telco kiosks in the arrivals hall, before you exit the terminal. Telkomsel, XL, and IM3 all run counters there, often staffed by people wearing the brand’s polo shirt. They speak enough English to get you registered and activated in about 10 minutes.
The standard tourist pack is Telkomsel’s 7-day bundle: around ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) for the card plus a starter data pack totalling roughly 15GB over 7 days. Some counters bundle a small voice allowance and a few SMS, which matters if you need to call Indonesian hotels or Grab drivers. XL and IM3 run similar 7-day packs in the ₹268-₹402 (~50,000-75,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$4.17) range.
What it costs at the airport:
- Telkomsel Tourist SIM, 7 days, ~15GB: ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78)
- XL Axiata Tourist Pack, 7 days, ~10GB + voice: ₹268-₹402 (~50,000-75,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$4.17)
- IM3 Ooredoo Tourist Pack, 7 days, ~12GB: ₹268-₹375 (~50,000-70,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$3.89)
Subodh’s Pro Tip: The airport counter is the only place in Indonesia where you’ll get a tourist SIM registered without a passport photocopy hassle, because the staff does the photo capture and biometric step for you. Convenience-store SIMs require you to do this on your own phone through a government app, which is fine if your hotel has stable Wi-Fi, painful if you just landed. If you land after midnight and your Grab driver can’t reach you because the SIM isn’t active, you remember why the airport premium exists.
2. Convenience Store SIMs (Cheapest, but You Do the Work)
Every Indomaret and Alfamart in Indonesia sells prepaid starter cards on a rack near the counter. Telkomsel’s “simPATI” kartuperdana, XL’s “HOT Rod” kartu, and IM3’s starter cards are all there. The card itself costs ₹94-₹134 (~17,500-25,000 IDR or ~$0.97-$1.39), and that’s before any data.
Here’s the catch: the card alone doesn’t give you data. You need to:
- Insert the SIM into your phone.
- Open the telco’s app (MyTelkomsel, MyXL, or MyIM3).
- Register your passport details through the app, which links to Indonesia’s KEMENKOMINFO (Ministry of Communication) database. Biometric photo of your face + passport scan.
- Buy a data pack inside the app.
The data pack is where the real cost lives. A 30-day, ~20GB pack on IM3 runs around ₹268-₹429 (~50,000-80,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$4.45). XL’s “Xtra Combo” 30-day plans sit in the same range. Telkomsel’s equivalent is ₹402-₹536 (~75,000-100,000 IDR or ~$4.17-$5.56) for similar volume.
What it costs at Indomaret/Alfamart:
- Starter card (no data included): ₹94-₹134 (~17,500-25,000 IDR or ~$0.97-$1.39)
- Telkomsel data pack, 30 days, ~20GB (via MyTelkomsel app): ₹429-₹536 (~80,000-100,000 IDR or ~$4.45-$5.56)
- XL data pack, 30 days, ~20GB (via MyXL app): ₹268-₹429 (~50,000-80,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$4.45)
- IM3 data pack, 30 days, ~20GB (via MyIM3 app): ₹295-₹429 (~55,000-80,000 IDR or ~$3.06-$4.45)
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Travellers report that the registration step works best on a phone with Google Play Services intact and a real passport photo on your camera roll. If your passport is locked in the hotel safe, skip the convenience store and buy at the airport.
3. ESIM (No Physical Swap, Activate in the Air)
If your phone is eSIM-compatible (iPhone XS and later, Pixel 4 and later, most Samsung Galaxy S20+), you can buy a regional or Indonesia-specific eSIM before you fly, scan the QR code on landing, and have data working before you clear immigration. Nomad, Airalo, Holafly, and Saily all sell Indonesia eSIMs, see our full pre-flight SIM and eSIM options guide for a side-by-side comparison.
Pricing for a 10-15 day Indonesia trip:
- Nomad 5GB, 15 days: around ₹868 (~9 USD)
- Nomad 10GB, 30 days: around ₹1,542 (~16 USD)
- Airalo 5GB, 30 days: around ₹868 (~9 USD)
- Airalo 10GB, 30 days: around ₹1,542 (~16 USD)
- Holafly Indonesia, unlimited daily plans: $6-$9/day (~₹580-₹870)
- Saily 10GB, 30 days: around ₹1,639 (~17 USD)
The big advantage: you keep your Indian SIM active for OTPs from your bank, your UPI app, and WhatsApp. The big disadvantage: most eSIMs are data-only. If you need a local Indonesian number for WhatsApp with Indonesian contacts, hotel bookings, or Grab, you’ll still want a physical SIM alongside the eSIM. Get Nomad eSIM before you fly and you’re online the moment the wheels touch down.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Holafly’s “unlimited daily” plans look tempting at $9/day, but on a 10-day trip that’s ₹8,676 (~90 USD), more than three times a physical tourist card. They make sense for a 3-day Bali sprint where you don’t want to think about data at all. For anything longer, a flat-rate Nomad or Airalo pack is cheaper.
The 2026 ID Registration Rule: What Foreigners Must Do
Since 2018, every prepaid SIM in Indonesia must be registered to a real identity before it can make calls or send SMS. The rule applies to foreigners too, with the same penalties: an unregistered SIM gets blocked within 24 hours.
For tourists, the registration step requires:
- Passport (the actual booklet, not a copy).
- A photo of your face (taken through the registration app).
- A photo of your passport biodata page.
- Your Indonesian address (most travellers put their first hotel’s address).
Airport counters do this for you. Convenience-store SIMs require you to do it yourself through the MyTelkomsel/MyXL/MyIM3 app. ESIMs from Nomad and Airalo do not require Indonesian registration because they bypass the local telco system, but they’re data-only.
Safety Alert: Travellers occasionally report that the KEMENKOMINFO registration portal glitches with certain passport nationalities. If your registration fails, walk into a Telkomsel/XL/IM3 branded store (not a convenience store) and ask staff to register you manually. It usually takes 15 minutes.
Data-Only vs Voice+Data: What Indians Need
Most Indian travellers to Indonesia use WhatsApp, Google Maps, Grab, and Instagram. None of those need a local phone number. None of them need SMS. All of them need data.
The case for a data-only plan:
- Cheaper (no voice/SMS markup).
- Works with your Indian number on WhatsApp.
- Less registration friction.
The case for voice+data:
- You need a local number for Indonesian hotel bookings.
- You’re coordinating with local tour operators.
- Grab requires SMS verification in some cities.
If you fall in the first camp, buy the cheapest data-only eSIM or starter card. If you fall in the second, pay the extra ₹134-₹268 (~25,000-50,000 IDR or ~$1.39-$2.78) for a pack that includes voice.
Top-Up: How to Add Data Mid-Trip
Once you’ve activated a starter SIM, top-up is done through the app. Each telco has its own:
- MyTelkomsel (Android/iOS): for Telkomsel
- MyXL (Android/iOS): for XL
- MyIM3 (Android/iOS): for IM3
You can pay with:
- Indonesian bank cards (rare for tourists).
- GoPay/OVO/DANA e-wallets (you’d need to set up an Indonesian e-wallet first).
- Indonesian convenience-store vouchers: walk into any Indomaret, tell the cashier “isi pulsa Telkomsel/XL/IM3, nominal 50,000”, pay cash, get a 16-digit code, enter it in the app.
- International cards via the app’s “Bayar” section: works, but the app sometimes rejects foreign cards. Have a backup voucher from Indomaret.
Top-up data pack prices (re-buyable any time the previous pack expires):
- 5GB, 7 days: ₹134-₹188 (~25,000-35,000 IDR or ~$1.39-$1.95)
- 10GB, 30 days: ₹268-₹348 (~50,000-65,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$3.61)
- 20GB, 30 days: ₹402-₹536 (~75,000-100,000 IDR or ~$4.17-$5.56)
- 50GB, 30 days: ₹804-₹1,072 (~150,000-200,000 IDR or ~$8.34-$11.12)
Coverage Reality Check: Where the Signal Drops
Telkomsel covers about 95% of Indonesia’s populated areas. XL and IM3 cover Java and Bali well but have patchy coverage in:
- Flores and Labuan Bajo (around Komodo)
- Raja Ampat (Sorong side)
- Sumba
- Eastern Lombok and the Gili Islands (Gili T, Gili Meno, Gili Air)
Travellers report that on the Gilis, IM3 works on parts of Gili Air but Telkomsel is more reliable. In Labuan Bajo, Telkomsel is the only one with stable 4G; XL drops to 3G or nothing outside town. If your itinerary includes islands east of Bali, buy Telkomsel at the airport and don’t second-guess it.
If you’re staying purely in Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, or Bandung, save the ₹134 (~25,000 IDR or ~$1.39) and buy IM3 or XL.
Common SIM Mistakes Indian Travellers Make
If your SIM is already acting up, our Indonesia SIM card not working fixes has 9 real troubleshooting steps Indian travellers swear by.
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Buying at the airport without checking the data allowance. Counter staff sometimes default to the lowest-tier pack. Ask for the 15GB or 20GB variant explicitly.
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Forgetting to register at the convenience store. The card lights up, looks active, then dies 24 hours later because the KEMENKOMINFO step wasn’t done. Register through the app the moment you activate the SIM.
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Buying a SIM from a random guy at the airport curb. Legit telco counters are inside the terminal, after baggage claim, before customs exit. Anyone offering SIMs in the parking lot is either reselling convenience-store cards at markup or selling locked/unregistered stock. Walk past.
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Assuming their phone works on Indonesian 4G bands. Most Indian-bought phones support the same LTE bands as Indonesia (Band 3, Band 5, Band 8), but a few older Xiaomi and Realme models don’t have Band 8 enabled, which is what XL uses for fallback. If your phone shows “3G only” or “no service” in some areas, this is why.
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Not keeping the SIM card once the data pack expires. If you return to Indonesia within 12 months, an unused-but-registered SIM can be topped up again from the app. Throwing it away means registering a new one next trip.
Total 10-Day Trip Cost: A Worked Example
| Spend | Amount | In INR |
|---|---|---|
| Telkomsel Tourist SIM, 7 days, ~15GB (airport) | ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) | ~₹265 (~$2.75) |
| Top-up 10GB data pack, days 8-10 (MyTelkomsel app) | ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) | ~₹265 (~$2.75) |
| Backup voucher at Indomaret (if app top-up fails) | ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) | ~₹265 (~$2.75) |
| Total for one traveller | 150,000 IDR | ~₹795 |
Verified 2026-07-17 at 1 INR = 188.68 IDR (1 IDR = 0.0053 INR).
If you go the eSIM route:
| Spend | Amount | In INR |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad 10GB, 30 days (regional Asia plan) | ₹1,542 (~16 USD) | ~₹1,540 (~$15.97) |
| Grab and Google Maps work on landing, no airport counter | , | , |
| Total for one traveller | ₹1,542 (~16 USD) | ~₹1,540 (~$15.97) |
The eSIM costs roughly twice as much, but you skip the 20-minute airport counter queue and keep your Indian SIM active. Pick your trade-off.
Subodh’s Take
If you’re doing a classic 10-day Bali-Yogyakarta-Jakarta loop, pay the ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) for the Telkomsel airport SIM and forget about it. For Bali-specific options, see our what SIM card to buy in Bali guide. Coverage is the only thing that matters in Indonesia, and Telkomsel has it. If you’re a heavy data user streaming maps and uploading drone footage, buy the ₹536 (~100,000 IDR or ~$5.56) pack at the counter so you don’t have to top up mid-trip. If you’re a digital nomad who already runs on eSIMs for every country, grab a Nomad plan before takeoff and keep your Indian SIM live for OTPs. The convenience-store route is for travellers who land in Jakarta at 7 AM, see the airport SIM queue, and decide they have time to figure it out over breakfast. Half the time they do, half the time they don’t. Pay the airport premium once and never think about connectivity again.
FAQ
Can I buy an Indonesia SIM online before flying from India?
Yes. Nomad, Airalo, Holafly, and Saily all sell Indonesia eSIMs you activate from India. The SIM activates when you scan the QR code, not when you land, so you can have data the moment your plane touches down. Physical SIMs can’t be bought online; you must buy them in Indonesia after landing.
Is a tourist SIM cheaper than a regular prepaid SIM?
Marginally. The “tourist” branding mainly signals that the counter staff will help you register. The underlying data packs are the same price as what Indonesians pay, give or take ₹54 (~10,000 IDR or ~$0.56).
Do I need to show my passport to buy a SIM?
Yes. The KEMENKOMINFO registration requires a real passport scan, not a photocopy. The airport counter will photograph it; the app does the same through your phone camera. Indonesian SIM registration is non-negotiable and there’s no workaround.
What’s the cheapest legit way to stay connected for 10 days?
A Telkomsel airport tourist SIM at ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78) plus one mid-trip top-up of ₹268 (~50,000 IDR or ~$2.78). Total: ₹536 (~100,000 IDR or ~$5.56). This is the price floor for physical SIM users.
Can I use my Indian SIM in Indonesia without buying a local one?
For basic calls and texts, yes. For data, you’ll pay international roaming rates from Airtel/Jio/VI, which run ₹500-₹1,000 (~$5.19-$10.37) per day. A local or eSIM plan is 10 times cheaper. The only reason to keep your Indian SIM active is for OTPs.
Do eSIMs work in Labuan Bajo and the Gili Islands?
Yes, regional Asia eSIMs from Nomad and Airalo partner with Telkomsel locally, so coverage matches what a physical Telkomsel SIM gets. If you’re going to Komodo or the Gilis, eSIM works fine; if you’re going to Sumba or remote Raja Ampat, expect spotty coverage regardless of SIM type.
What happens to my unused data when I leave Indonesia?
Telkomsel, XL, and IM3 data packs expire on their stated date (usually 7, 15, or 30 days from activation). Unused data does not roll over. ESIMs from Nomad and Airalo behave the same way; the pack is dead once the days are up.
