If your phone supports eSIM, buy a tourist plan from one of the two Maldivian networks, Dhiraagu or Ooredoo, before you fly. Both charge $40 for 20 GB and $50 for 30 GB plus 70 GB of social data. The catch is how long each plan lasts, so check that first.
Prices checked on each operator's and provider's own site on
Move the slider to your trip length. The yellow line marks your last day.
Showing 6 of 11 plans, cheapest that cover your trip first. The rest are in the comparison table. Prices and validity come from each operator's or provider's own site. Bars run up to 30 days.
The two local networks' tourist plans, sold as an eSIM or a physical SIM, next to the international eSIMs that sell Maldives plans. Use the sort buttons to reorder them by price, data or validity.
How we make money: some providers pay us a commission if you buy through our links. It doesn't change the price you pay, and it doesn't decide which plans we include or recommend. Details.
| Plan | Data | Validity | Price | Network | Calls | Extras | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saily 1 GB | 1 GB | 7 days | $14.99checked Oct 12, 2026 | Not confirmed | Data only | Not confirmed | Visit Saily |
| Airalo 20 GB data only | 20 GB | 30 days | $40checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | Data only | Not confirmed | Visit Airalo |
| Dhiraagu Traveler Lite | 20 GB | 10 days | $40checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | 150 local min150 local SMS | $6.50 calling credit included | Visit Dhiraagu |
| Ooredoo Maldives Tourist $40 | 20 GB | Not confirmed | $40checked Oct 12, 2026 | Ooredoo | 150 local min | MVR 100 credit included; calls and SMS pay as you go | Visit Ooredoo Maldives |
| Airalo 20 GB with calls | 20 GB | 30 days | $45checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | 200 local min200 local SMS | Local calls only; outgoing local SMS, incoming international SMS | Visit Airalo |
| Dhiraagu Traveler Premium | 30 GBPlus 70 GB social data | 30 days | $50checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | 300 local min300 local SMS | $9.50 calling credit included | Visit Dhiraagu |
| Ooredoo Maldives Tourist $50 | 30 GBPlus 70 GB social data (WhatsApp, Instagram, Viber, TikTok and similar) | Not confirmed | $50checked Oct 12, 2026 | Ooredoo | 300 local min | Calls and SMS pay as you go | Visit Ooredoo Maldives |
| Holafly Unlimited, 7 days | UnlimitedFair use applies | 7 days | $53.90checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | Data only | Hotspot sharing up to 1 GB a day | Visit Holafly |
| Yesim 10 GB | 10 GB | 30 days | $58.80checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | Data only | Not confirmed | Visit Yesim |
| Yesim Unlimited, 7 days | UnlimitedFair use applies | 7 days | $100.80checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | Data only | Not confirmed | Visit Yesim |
| Holafly Unlimited, 15 days | UnlimitedFair use applies | 15 days | $128.90checked Oct 12, 2026 | Dhiraagu | Data only | Hotspot sharing up to 1 GB a day | Visit Holafly |
The lowest price for each trip length, from every plan in our data that publishes how long it lasts. Usage levels are our own rough guide, so pick the column that matches how you use your phone.
What's the cheapest eSIM for a week in the Maldives?
For 7 days with light use, Yesim 5 GB at $34.80. For everyday use, Airalo 20 GB data only or Dhiraagu Traveler Lite at $40. For unlimited data, Holafly Unlimited, 7 days at $53.90. Prices come from each provider's own site, checked on the date shown in the table above.
| Trip length | Light useabout 0.5 GB a day: maps, messages, some photos | Everyday useabout 1.5 GB a day: plus video calls and social media | Unlimitedno data cap, fair use applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | $34.80Yesim 5 GB5 GB, 30 days | $40Airalo 20 GB data only or Dhiraagu Traveler Lite20 GB, 30 days | $53.90Holafly Unlimited, 7 days7 days |
| 10 days | $34.80Yesim 5 GB5 GB, 30 days | $40Airalo 20 GB data only or Dhiraagu Traveler Lite20 GB, 30 days | $84.90Holafly Unlimited, 10 days10 days |
| 14 days | $40Airalo 20 GB data only20 GB, 30 days | $50Dhiraagu Traveler Premium30 GB, 30 days | $128.90Holafly Unlimited, 15 days15 days |
Which should you buy?
A local tourist eSIM from Dhiraagu or Ooredoo puts you straight on a Maldivian network and includes local call minutes, which helps when you need to ring a guesthouse, a dive center or your transfer boat. An international eSIM app is handy if the Maldives is one stop on a longer trip and you want one app for every country. Either way, the signal comes from the same two networks.
Full details: Dhiraagu tourist eSIM plans and Ooredoo Maldives tourist eSIM plans.
Our guides: Airalo Maldives eSIM, Holafly unlimited data, Yesim Maldives plans and Saily in the Maldives. Visiting Sri Lanka too? See our Sri Lanka and Maldives eSIM guide.
Our suggestions, based on the plan details above. Your phone habits matter more than anything else, so adjust for how you use data at home.
You'll spend most of your time on the island, so you mainly need data for maps on arrival, messages and the odd video call. A $40 plan usually covers that. Dhiraagu's lasts 10 days, and Ooredoo doesn't publish how long its $40 plan lasts, so ask before you pay if you're staying longer.
Look at: Dhiraagu Traveler Lite or Ooredoo Tourist $40
On a local island you're out and about, booking excursions, calling your guesthouse and sharing photos. The extra social data on the $50 plans keeps WhatsApp and Instagram off your main allowance, and the larger bundle of local minutes helps with calls.
Look at: Dhiraagu Traveler Premium or Ooredoo Tourist $50
Speedboat days are when you most want a working phone: to share your location, message the next guesthouse or check the weather. Mobile signal at sea depends on how close you are to an inhabited island, so download offline maps before you leave the jetty.
Any plan works; offline maps matter more
Boats anchor near islands some nights and far from them on others, so expect gaps. Ask your boat operator how often you'll be in range, and pick a plan that lasts the whole trip rather than a bigger allowance you may not get to use.
Look at: a plan whose validity covers every night on boardDo it at home the day before you leave, and your phone connects as soon as you land.
Make sure it supports eSIM and isn't locked to your home carrier. US phones bought on contract are the ones to double-check.
Choose a plan that lasts your whole trip using the finder above, then buy it on the operator's or provider's site.
Scan the QR code or follow the in-app steps while you're still at home on a stable Wi-Fi connection. Label the line "Maldives".
Set the Maldives eSIM as your mobile data line and keep your home line on for calls and texts, with its data roaming off.
Yes. Both Maldivian mobile networks, Dhiraagu and Ooredoo, sell their tourist plans as an eSIM as well as a physical SIM, and international eSIM apps also sell Maldives plans that run on one of these two networks. Your phone needs to support eSIM and be unlocked by your home carrier.
On price they match: both charge $40 for 20 GB and $50 for 30 GB plus 70 GB of social data. The difference is in the details. Dhiraagu's $40 Traveler Lite lasts 10 days, while Ooredoo doesn't publish validity for its tourist plans. We're testing coverage on both networks and will publish the results.
Yes. Ooredoo sells tourist SIMs at Velana International Airport in Terminals 1 and 2. Dhiraagu lets you buy a physical tourist SIM online and collect it at its Airport Business Centre, where you show your passport. If your phone supports eSIM, you can skip the counter and buy online before you fly.
For a Dhiraagu physical SIM, yes: you show your passport when you collect it at the airport. Ooredoo doesn't spell out its ID check on its tourist page, so bring your passport to the counter either way. It's in your hand anyway after immigration.
Social data is a separate allowance that only counts toward specific apps. Ooredoo lists WhatsApp, Instagram, Viber and TikTok as examples. On the $50 plans from both networks you get 70 GB of it on top of the regular allowance, so your messaging and social apps don't eat into the data you need for maps, browsing and video calls in other apps.
Yes. On a dual-SIM phone you keep your home SIM switched on for calls and texts, and set the Maldives eSIM as your line for mobile data. WhatsApp stays linked to your usual number, so friends, resorts and transfer contacts can still reach you there. Turn off data roaming on your home line to avoid charges.
Yes. Ooredoo says you can recharge whenever you need to. Dhiraagu sells 100 GB add-ons for tourist plans, one lasting 7 days and one lasting 15 days, priced in Maldivian rufiyaa on its tourist SIM page. It's worth checking before you buy a second plan.
Sometimes. Airalo's Maldives eSIM costs $40 for 20 GB over 30 days, which beats Dhiraagu's own $40 plan on validity. Holafly's unlimited data costs $53.90 for 7 days, and small packs start at $9.48 for 1 GB on Yesim. The local tourist plans include call minutes, which most international plans don't.
It depends on how much data you use. For a 7-day trip, the cheapest plan we track with about 0.5 GB a day is Yesim 5 GB at $34.80, and with about 1.5 GB a day it's Airalo 20 GB data only or Dhiraagu Traveler Lite at $40. The table below works it out for 7, 10 and 14 days.
Yes, but most regional plans leave the Maldives out. Of the eSIM apps we track, only Yesim's Global Plus covers both countries on one plan. With Airalo, Holafly or Saily you buy a separate plan for each country. Our Sri Lanka and Maldives eSIM guide compares the costs for a week in each.
We couldn't confirm it. Revolut's eSIM page lists the countries it covers, and the Maldives wasn't on that list when we checked. Revolut says to check its app for current countries and prices, so look there before you rely on it, or buy a Maldives plan from one of the providers above.
This site is run by HolidayVibe Maldives, a licensed travel agency in Malé. Tell us your dates and we'll help with resorts, local islands and transfers.