Instead of an Australian travel SIM for your tourist adventures, you might consider getting a local SIM card. Most SIMs in Australia have no contract and some are pretty cheap. So, depending on your travel SIM options, you might save a bunch by going local.
It's pretty easy to grab a SIM card before or after you arrive. There are loads of cheap prepaid SIM cards that won’t tie you to a contract and we can run you through some of the most popular ones in our database of 28 Aussie mobile providers.
Many providers in Australia offer discounts for new customers, usually for the first six months or recharges. Given all the plans on this page are contract-free, tourists can enjoy these discounted SIM cards and cancel before the deal ends. And if you're planning a longer stay, you can just swap to another provider when the time comes to pick up a different intro deal. Some providers offer bigger discounts than others, which is why you might see the same brands regularly sitting at the top of our comparison tables.
Cheap Australian SIM cards for tourists
If you're on a backpacker's budget, or even if you have a bit more to spend, you can pick up a cheap mobile plan for less than $15 per month. There are occasionally SIMs aimed specifically at travellers, but the simplest and cheapest SIM cards for tourists in Australia can usually be grabbed by signing up to a regular prepaid mobile plan.
Our comparisons below show the cheapest SIMs in our database for various data needs, priced in Australian dollars. These plans come with a "monthly" expiry, which can be 28 days, 30 days, or expire on the same date of each month, depending on the plan.
Why prepaid for tourists?
When travelling, you probably don't want to worry about cancelling recurring payments or accidental overage fees. Prepaid SIM cards avoid both.
Many prepaid providers let you choose between manual and automatic recharges. If you opt for manual (advisable for tourists), your prepaid SIM card won't automatically renew once your current recharge expires. This means you don't need to worry about paying for extra recharges if you forget to cancel your plan after you leave the country. Just remember to recharge or you'll find yourself without an active phone plan.
As for overage fees, mobile plans in Australia don't have unlimited data. Plans labelled as "SIM-only" are usually postpaid, most of which charge extra fees per gigabyte if you go over your data limit. But prepaid plans simply cut off your internet access, allowing you to choose when to pay for more data.
If you do go over your data limit, you won't lose access to phone calls and texts. All prepaid plans in Australia come with unlimited national calls and texts to standard numbers. So you'll still be able to make calls and send messages for the remainder of your paid-for expiry period.
You might notice TPG and iiNet crop up often when ranking SIM cards by their introductory price. You might also notice they usually have identical plan pricing and basic inclusions. These two telcos are owned by the same company and, barring a special promotion, discount their plans by about 50% for the first six months after signing up. This means they often have some of the cheapest initial pricing (great for tourists), but they're not the only options out there. Stay open to SIM cards from other brands.
How much data should you get?
According to the latest statistics from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (a national authority that ensures companies follow consumer law), prepaid SIM cards in Australia see an average use of less than 15GB per month, while people with postpaid plans use a little under 19GB.
But what a tourist needs from their SIM card might not match the national average, especially if you don't have consistent access to WiFi. If you're unsure, you can get a quick idea for common apps below or check our full guide to deciding how much mobile data you need.
Prepaid SIM cards with international calls
Some prepaid SIM cards in Australia include limited international calls and/or texts to select countries. The countries vary between mobile providers and are generally chosen based on demand.
If your country isn't on the list, it's not included in the deal, and you'll still have to pay expensive fees for overseas calls. But if you shop around, you might get lucky and find a different plan that lets you phone home. A few SIM cards include unlimited international calls within their expiry period, but the list of countries can be small.
To find an Australian SIM card to suit your international needs, you can check out of the most popular options in our database that include international calls:
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#1
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Lyca Mobile
$15.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
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#2
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iiNet
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
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#3
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TPG
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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|
#4
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iiNet
$17.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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|
#5
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TPG
Editor's Pick
$17.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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|
#6
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Lyca Mobile
$20.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Lyca Mobile
$15.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
iiNet
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
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|
TPG
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
iiNet
$17.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
$17.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Lyca Mobile
$20.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Lyca Mobile
$15.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
iiNet
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
TPG
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
iiNet
$17.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
$17.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Lyca Mobile
$20.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
eSIM plans for tourists
You can get eSIM plans in Australia, but not every provider supports them yet. If you've got an eSIM-capable phone, such as a Samsung Galaxy S20 onwards or the Apple iPhone XS and XR onwards, then eSIM is very easy to set up.
Some mobile providers can have your Australian eSIM up and running in less than an hour if you set it up through their app, so you can minimise your time spent searching for an Australian SIM card and maximise your time travelling.
Once again, we recommend prepaid plans for tourists visiting Australia. Here's a look at Australian prepaid mobile plans with eSIM support, ranked by their introductory prices:
Which mobile network should you choose?
There are three national mobile networks in Australia, each run by one of the three biggest mobile plan providers: Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. These companies lease space on their networks to smaller ones, which often have cheaper SIM cards.
It's these smaller providers that can be great for tourists, thanks in part to smaller plans and intro discounts. They're often called "Mobile Virtual Network Operators" (MVNOs) or "resellers".
Use the map below to find out which networks offer mobile coverage where you're travelling.
All three networks offer 4G and 5G, and most visitors will be able to access them using a phone they already own. Coverage is relatively equal in population centres.
The Telstra network has the widest coverage, especially if you're travelling to regional and remote areas (though it's worth noting Telstra resellers don't get full network access). But in most well-populated locations, all three networks are usually pretty similar.
Here's a quick overview of mobile network coverage in Australia:
| Network | 4G coverage | 5G coverage | Network Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra network* | N/A | N/A | 2.14 mil square km |
| Telstra Wholesale network | N/A | N/A | 1.4 mil square km |
| Optus network | 99.1% | 94.5% | 1.2 million square km |
| Vodafone network | 99% | 94.5% | 1.2 million square km |
Numbers shown are a percentage of the Australian population.
*Telstra no longer provides population-based coverage figures. Boost Mobile is the only Telstra MVNO with access to the full Telstra network.
Telstra network SIM cards
At 2.14 million square kilometres of 4G coverage, Telstra network has the largest footprint of the three networks in Australia. By comparison, the Optus and Vodafone networks each covers 1.2 million square kilometres.
But you might be surprised to hear this wider coverage is mostly only important if you’re super keen on 5G or are planning on travelling to rural or remote areas. This is because, unlike the other two networks, Telstra covers large portions of the country where very few people (sometimes noone) lives or works.
Unfortunately, Telstra recently stopped publishing statistics about population coverage, so we can't compare it to the other two networks on that front. But it's fairly safe to say that, in most population centres, you mightn't even notice a difference.
Unfortunately, while Telstra's full network is vast, Telstra MVNOs don’t get full network access; they’re restricted to the Telstra “Wholesale” network, which has a much smaller 1.4 million square kilometre coverage for 4G – much closer to Optus an Vodafone. For 5G, it's unfortunately tough to compare because information is limited.
You'll also often pay more to be on Telstra's network, whether it's through Telstra directly or an MVNO. Some MVNO plans can be cheap, but have limited data compared to other options.
Here are the most popular prepaid SIM plans in our database from Telstra network providers:
Optus network SIM cards
The Optus network is the second largest in the country and is generally a happy medium between coverage and price. It covers 99.1% of the Australian population with 4G and 94.5% with 5G. Optus MVNOs get full access to its network, but as with the other two options, most MVNOs limit you to 4G on some plans, and place speed limits on 5G.
Optus and Vodafone have a network sharing agreement, which means they have almost identical 4G coverage. But this doesn't mean you need to worry about paying extra fees when switching from one to the other – it all happens for free and without you noticing.
Here are our database's most popular prepaid SIM cards from Optus network providers:
Vodafone network SIM cards
The Vodafone network covers 99% of the Australian population with 4G and 94.5% for 5G. (Thanks to a network sharing agreement, has basically identical coverage to Optus in many areas.) Vodafone's MVNOs have some great-value SIM cards for tourists who plan to stay in the more populated areas of the country.
Here are our database's most popular prepaid SIM cards in Australia from Vodafone network providers:
Where can I buy a prepaid SIM card in Australia?
Grabbing an Australian SIM card once you're here
Prepaid SIM cards in Australia can often be purchased without even leaving the airport, but do your research before signing up to a brand you haven't heard of. There are numerous airport kiosks that sell plans and you can usually find an Australia Post outlet (our national postal service), which should have a small range of options.
After you've left the airport, some common places to buy an Australian SIM card are:
- Australia Post
- 7-Eleven
- Some petrol stations ("gas stations" for our American friends)
- Coles supermarkets
- Woolworths supermarkets
- ALDI supermarkets (only ALDI Mobile SIM cards)
- Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone stores (no MVNO plans here)
Sadly, many or most MVNOs only offer their SIM cards online, so you'll need to order one delivered or sign up to an eSIM plan.
Grabbing a SIM card before you leave home
If you want to be super organised, and as long as you have an address to receive it (like a friend or family member you’re staying with), you can order your Australian SIM card to be delivered before you get on the plane. But eSIM is probably an easier option (if your phone supports it), though not all providers support eSIM.
All providers in Australia will take major credit cards and some even take PayPal.
FAQs about SIM cards for tourists
Will my phone work in Australia?
There are many factors that can affect if your phone will work Down under, such as if it supports Voice over LTE (VoLTE), if it's network locked, and more. For more info, you can check out our dedicafted guide covering how to check if your phone will work in Australia.
Is there 3G coverage?
There's no 3G coverage in Australia. To make phone calls, your phone needs to support 4G, as well as VoLTE (Voice over LTE).
Is there 4G and 5G coverage?
4G (LTE) coverage is widespread and fairly equal between the mobile networks, though the full Telstra network has wider coverage in rural and remote areas. 5G is still being rolled out and is mostly restricted to metro areas. Smaller providers sometimes limit their cheapest plans to 4G as a way of keeping prices low, so keep an eye out if this matters to you.
What areas even have coverage?
Australia's population is small compared to the amount of land. As such, there are huge portions of the country and long stretches of road with no mobile coverage at all. These regions are almost always uninhabited or very sparsely populated – and some are outright dangerous to get stuck in unprepared, especially in the interior. If you're planning a cross-country road trip or travelling off beaten track, check a coverage map before you head off. It might be wise to bring a satellite phone with you.
Do I need to worry about domestic roaming charges?
In some countries, you might need to pay domestic roaming fees to piggyback on a different provider's network. Domestic roaming doesn't exist in Australia. All three major networks have roughly equal 4G coverage and there are no systems set up to use any network other than the one you're signed up to – the exception is for calls to Triple Zero, the national emergency number for ambulance, police, and fire services. For Triple Zero calls, if any of the three networks is present, your Triple Zero call should go through. Optus and Vodafone have a network sharing agreement, which makes parts of their network effectively function as one. But that's handled in the background and without extra charges for the customer.
Speed limits on SIM cards
Internet speed limits for your SIM card are pretty standard for any mobile provider that isn't Telstra, Optus or Vodafone – and even these three can limit prepaid SIM cards. But you needn't worry. Any speed limits are fast enough that they generally shouldn't matter. Limits for 4G-only plans are almost always 100Mbps at worst, which is more than fine for just about anything you'd need to do on a phone. 5G speed limits, when present, are usually 100Mbps, 150Mbps or 250Mbps, depending on the provider and the mobile plan in question. Note that a speed limit doesn't indicate what speeds you should expect, only the maximum speed you can receive.
What documents does a tourist need to buy a prepaid SIM card?
You need an eligible photo ID to activate a prepaid SIM card in Australia (or any SIM card on a plan). This is most easily done with a passport or other nationally-recognised photo ID when initially purchasing the SIM card. There's no such thing as a "burner phone" in Australia – all plans must be linked to a valid form of ID.
Most telcos in Australia, with the exception of Telstra, will unlock Australian phones for free, except under certain conditions. But the process for unlocking phones from other countries might be different and could incur a fee. So, if you want to be sure you can use an Australian SIM card, check your phone is unlocked before you hop on a plane.
Is it possible to switch to a different SIM card while in Australia as a tourist?
Yes. Most Australian SIM cards don't come locked to a contract, so you can switch mobile providers or plans at pretty much any time, as long as you use your valid photo ID. Prepaid SIM card plans are pretty much always contract-free, as are "SIM-only" mobile plans. Really, the only time you should come across an Australian SIM card that locks you into a contract is if you also sign up to a payment plan for a new phone, which is almost exclusively done through Optus, Telstra or Vodafone directly. You also automatically keep your Aussie mobile number for free when you switch between plans and providers – it's not tied to your SIM card. But this is only if you don't cancel your previous plan before signing up to a new one.
Should I get a travel SIM or an Australian SIM card?
Whether it's best to get an Australian travel SIM or a local Aussie SIM card depends on what travel SIMs are available to you. But if you plan on using your phone regularly, you can pick up cheap mobile plans in Australia for less than $20 per month. These allow unlimited calls and texts to standard numbers within Australia and can have generous data allowances. If you want to be able to call home, there are also some affordable options for SIM cards with international calls. Just be sure your country is on the list of a given plan's included call destinations before you sign up.
SOURCES
1. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). "ACCC communications market report 2024–25". December 2025.
2. Optus. "Optus boosts network resilience to help communities stay connected". October 2026.
3. Vodafone. "Our Network. Get Coverage Where 99% of You Live". As at October 2026.
4. Telstra. "Explaining the changes to our mobile coverage maps". June 2026.
5. Netflix Help Center. "How to control how much data Netflix uses". As at October 2026.
6. Spotify Support. "Audio quality". As at October 2026.
Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
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