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Data roaming in Egypt: How much does it cost?
Data roaming in Egypt is a convenient way to stay connected. However, it’s also the most expensive, with some companies charging as much as $8.80/MB. Follow along to learn more about the most popular roaming options.
Egypt, home to the oldest of the seven wonders of the World, draws in millions of tourists every year, each looking for the best way to stay connected to the internet during their trip. With data roaming being just a button away, it has become the default option for many. But is data roaming really worth it, and how much does it really cost?
Follow along to learn all about the price of data roaming in Egypt as well as better options for staying connected.
Avoid excessive roaming fees
Don't get caught out by data roaming charges in Egypt. Use local networks at local rates.
What is roaming?
Roaming is a service most cellular operators offer. It allows you to stay connected to mobile internet in Egypt via partner networks while using your regular phone plan. Most domestic carriers have roaming agreements with other networks, ensuring international calling and data service, even when you’re technically off-network from your country.
The main advantage of this service is that it allows you to use your cell phone in Egypt just as you would at home. Make calls and send text messages on top of accessing mobile internet. Many of the other connectivity services for travelers only offer mobile data.
However, the downside of roaming is that it is one of the most expensive cellular phone services. Make sure to always check the cost of roaming while traveling to Egypt, or any other country, to avoid surprise charges on your cellular plan.
Roaming rates in Egypt
As it stands, data roaming prices in Egypt range from $7 to $12 per day with services that offer a day-pass option. Pay-as-you-go rates are even more expensive, ranging around $2 to $8 per megabyte (MB) used.
Needless to say, the prices will differ from one cell service provider to the next. And while we can’t possibly highlight every provider in the world, we can take a look at some of the biggest ones.
Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the leading cellular service providers in the UK. If you have a pay-monthly plan with Vodafone, you’ll be charged a fixed daily price for accessing your regular data allowance in Egypt. The price is £6 (~$7.30 USD) per day if you started your plan before 11 August 2021 and £7.39 (~$9) if you started it later than that.
For pay-as-you-go plans, the charge is £0.12 for every MB used. This is cheaper than most pay-as-you-go roaming charges, but can still rack up quite a bill if you take on data-heavy activities such as watching videos or playing online games.
If you’re a frequent traveler, you might want to look into Vodafone’s Xtra Global Roaming plans. These plans have a higher monthly cost but allow you to use data roaming in 83 countries without extra charges.
EE
EE is another popular mobile network in the UK with both daily and pay-as-you-go options for data roaming in Egypt. If you have a pay-monthly plan with EE, you can buy a day pass for £7.50 (~$9.15) or a week pass for £37.50 (~$45.80). This would give you access to your regular data allowance while in Egypt.
For pay-as-you-go plans, EE simply says to buy a data add-on without specifying data prices for Egypt. The company also offers unlimited plans that offer free roaming, but they mostly cover Europe with a limited number of other destinations.
O2
We’ve got O2 rounding out the trio of UK cell service providers. Just like with the others, you have different options depending on if you’re on a monthly or pay-as-you-go plan. For monthly plans, you can get O2 Travel Bolt On for £7 (~$8.55) a day. Alternatively, you can look into their travel-inclusive plans to get free roaming, though at a higher monthly cost.
As for pay-as-you-go plans, data roaming would set you back £7.20 (~$8.80) for every MB used. Needless to say, you’ll want to avoid data roaming with O2 if you don’t want to increase your cost of staying in Egypt significantly. Look for a daily plan or get an eSIM instead.
T-Mobile
Moving over across the pond to the United States, T-Mobile is one of the top network providers here. T-Mobile’s Go5G monthly plans include 5 GB of high-speed roaming data as well as unlimited regular data, however, they do cost more per month than regular plans.
As for travel passes, you can get a day pass with 512 MB of high-speed data for $5, a 10-day pass with 5 GB of high-speed data for $35, or a 30-day pass with 15 GB of high-speed data for $50.
Data roaming isn’t available on prepaid T-Mobile plans, so the above only applies if you have a regular monthly plan with the provider.
A&T USA
AT&T USA gives you the option to either buy an international day pass or use the pay-as-you-go option whenever you’re traveling abroad.
The international day pass is priced at $12 per day and gives access to your existing mobile plan while in Egypt. Pay-as-you-go charges are $2.05/MB, which means they’ll exceed the day pass price pretty much as soon as you do anything more than check the time on your phone.
Telstra
Telstra is the leading cell service provider in Australia offering both day pass and pay-as-you-go roaming options for Egypt.
The day pass will cost you $10 and includes 2 GB of data. As you’d expect, it’s much cheaper than the alternative of paying $3 for every MB you use on a pay-as-you-go charge.
Additionally, you can buy prepaid roaming packs, which include $10 for 400 MB of data for 3 days, $15 for 2 GB of data for 7 days, and $25 for 4 GB of data for 15 days. Both the day pass and roaming packs also include international minutes and text messages.
Use an eSIM to avoid roaming charges in Egypt
Do the costs of roaming sound like they’re too expensive? Well, that’s because they are. Thankfully, eSIMs offer a cheaper way to stay connected while being just as convenient and easy to use as data roaming.
It’s a completely digital product, which allows you to buy, activate, and start using your eSIM within a matter of minutes. You can do so from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an eSIM-compatible phone and a steady internet connection for buying the eSIM.
Holafly is one of the best eSIMs for Egypt, offering unlimited data and 24/7 customer support for as little as $3.21/day. With Holafly, you’ll never have to worry about running out of data on your roaming pass, racking up a crazy bill for using the internet abroad, or having to fiddle with physical Egypt SIM cards.
You can get Holafly’s eSIM Egypt plan for any number of days ranging from 1 to 90, with the longer plans offering even better value for money. Simply buy your eSIM, activate it, and enjoy non-stop mobile internet wherever you go.
However, if you’re planning to visit more destinations and want to save some extra money, you can go for the Holafly Connect monthly subscription.
You can use this subscription in Egypt and in over 170 global destinations with plans ranging from 10 GB to unlimited data.
While using Holafly Connect, you can get up to 5G connectivity and 24/7 customer support in several languages. You can also get unlimited data sharing and unlimited data plans.
Pricing ranges from $39.90 to $64.90 for these plans, so you can either choose from an eSIM or the monthly subscription based on your traveling needs.
Avoid excessive roaming fees
Don't get caught out by data roaming charges in Egypt. Use local networks at local rates.
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A senior SEO writer from Lithuania, combining my passion for writing and travel at Holafly. With years of experience in technical fields, I'm here to answer all of your questions about staying connected. I specialize in turning even the most complicated topics into something everyone can understand.
