Are you an Australian going to Bali? Look, we're not surprised. It's cheap, close, and the food is great. But if you're looking to use your phone overseas, it could make your holiday much more expensive.
In this guide, we'll look at your options for staying connected when you're in Bali. Whether you're planning to roam, buy a local SIM, or download an eSIM, you'll want to look for an offer that supports Indonesia, since Bali is an Indonesian province.
eSIM or locals SIMs make sense for longer trips in Bali but if you're only going for a short time roaming with your Australian provider can make more sense.
Before we start, here are the cheapest roaming-compatible plans from each telco featured in this guide:
Buy a Bali travel eSIM
If you have a phone with eSIM, travel eSIMs are a good option as they represent decent value for money, they're also quick and easy to setup before you leave for your trip.
| Provider | Prices start at | |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | $7 for 1GB with 3-day expiry up to $100 for unlimited data with 30-day expiry | View on Airalo |
| Jetpac | $9.50 for 3GB with 1-day expiry up to $104 for unlimited data with 30-day expiry | View on Jetpac |
| SIMCorner | $5 for 1GB with 7-day expiry up to $98 for unlimited data with 30-day expiry | View on SIMCorner |
| Saily | $8.59 for 1GB with 7-day expiry up to $122.44 for unlimited data with 30-day expiry | View on Saily |
Airalo's Bali travel eSIMs use the INDOSAT and 3 networks. Jetpac's use 3 and INDOSAT networks. SIMCorner's eSIM's use the Telkomsel, 3 and IM3 networks.
Just be aware you will need to have an eSIM-enabled smartphone to use them. Before you leave or when you arrive in Indonesia, you'll scan a QR code and download a digital SIM card to your phone.
Get a local Bali SIM card
If you're staying in Bali for more than a week, you could consider picking up a local Indonesian SIM card when you arrive. Even Vodafone's $5 per day roaming starts to add up when you're abroad for over seven days.
Your Australian mobile phone will almost certainly be compatible with the networks used in Indonesia, but you'll need to check it's unlocked before you put in a new SIM.
Indonesian telco Telkomsel has a prepaid tourist SIM for Rp100,000 (about $8 at current exchange rates) that comes with 25GB of data and 25 minutes of talk. This can be pre-ordered through the Telkomsel website and picked up upon arrival, or at select Telkomsel stores. It has a 30-day validity.
Roam in Bali with your telco
For shorter stays, roaming with your telco can be a good option. Take a look at the price per day and price per gigabyte for providers you can roam in Bali with at a decent rate. We haven't looked at providers that are too expensive or only have pay-as-you-go options. Click on any provider's name to get more information about their roaming offer.
| Provider | Price per day | Price per gigabyte | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| felix mobile | $0.05 | $5 | Over 40 |
| Vodafone | $5 | N/A | Over 100 |
| Optus | $5 | $1 | Over 150 |
| Telstra | $10 | $5 | Over 80 |
| Belong | $2 | $10 | Over 45 |
| Aussie Broadband | $5 | $1 | Over 150 |
| Tangerine | Between $3.93 and $5 | Between $5.50 and $10 | Over 60 |
| More | Between $3.93 and $5 | Between $5.50 and $10 | Over 60 |
| amaysim | Between $0.06 and $0.19 | Between $7.78 and $12.50 | Over 120 |
Roaming with felix
felix mobile is a smaller provider with a solid option for travellers headed to Bali: a $20 international roaming pack. The pack gets you 4GB of data, 100 texts, and 100 minutes of calls. It has a 365-day expiry, so if you're using WiFi as much as you can, you could try and make the 4GB last your entire trip.
Here are felix's mobile plans:
Unlike other providers, felix offers unlimited data but with a 40Mbps speed cap (both locally and overseas). That's fast enough for most online activities, but downloading apps could be a little slow. felix is powered by the Vodafone network.
felix's roaming isn't available in as many countries as alternatives from The Big Three: it only works in around 40 destinations. This still covers Indonesia, however.
Roaming with Vodafone
Vodafone postpaid plans are a simple option for international travellers thanks to $5 roaming. For $5 per day, you're able to use your local inclusions overseas in over 100 countries - including Indonesia. As such, you don't have to keep track of a separate overseas data allowance. You'll just be using your Australian data, as you would in Australia.
The $5 is only billed on days when you make a call, send a text, or use data overseas. Note that you can only use $5 roaming for up to 90 days in a calendar year.
These Vodafone postpaid plans all include $5 roaming:
Roaming with Optus
If you're an Optus postpaid customer, you can use $5 roaming when overseas. Your $5 per day gets you 5GB each day, in addition to unlimited standard talk and text. All unused data expires at the end of each day, but if you go over your allowance, another $5 pack will automatically be purchased.
These Optus postpaid plans all support $5 roaming.
You can only use $5 Roaming option in what Optus calls "Zone 1" countries. This covers Indonesia (and as such, Bali), China, the US, New Zealand, and most of Europe.
"Zone 2" (any country not part of "Zone 1") is predominantly made of countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America. You won't be able to use Optus $5 Roaming in these countries.
Roaming with Telstra
To use a Telstra Upfront mobile plan overseas, you'll use the International Day Pass system. This gets you a daily 1GB data allowance for $10 per day in Zone 2 locations, which include Indonesia.
If you go over your 1GB, Telstra will bill you a further $10 for another 1GB as a data top-up. This data can then be used over the following 31 days. International Day Pass includes unlimited talk and text, but MMS is billed at $0.75 per message.
Here is Telstra's range of Upfront plans:
If you're on a Telstra Upfront plan and you travel outside of an eligible destination, you won't be able to use your service. Telstra doesn't bill you pay-as-you-go rates.
Note that International Day Pass inclusions tick over at midnight Australia time (AEST) rather than in your destination's time zone.
Roaming with Tangerine
While best known for internet, Tangerine's mobile plans have solid roaming options. Customers can pick from two packs, both of which can be used in Indonesia:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Seven-day expiry | $35 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $55 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 10GB |
Tangerine is powered by the Telstra network. These are Tangerine's plans you can roam with:
Roaming with More
Tangerine's sibling brand, More, has identical roaming offers. Customers have the same two packs to pick from, both of which work in Indonesia.
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Seven-day expiry | $35 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $55 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 10GB |
More's mobile plans are a little more expensive than Tangerine's, but CommBank customers are eligible for discounts on them.
These are More's plans you can roam with:
Roaming with Belong
Telstra's budget brand Belong has a single travel pack. $30 gets you 3GB of data, 150 minutes of calls, and unlimited standard SMS with a 15-day expiry. You can use this add-on in over 30 destinations, including Indonesia.
All Belong customers can also use a free basic roaming service while overseas. This lets you receive SMS while overseas (but not reply) and use WiFi calling when on a suitable network.
Here are the Belong plans eligible for roaming:
Roaming with amaysim
amaysim has four international roaming add-on packs. amaysim roaming works in over 90 countries, including Indonesia. Here are the four add-ons:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Small Talk | $20 | 100 mins, 100 texts, no data |
| The Works | $25 | 50 mins, 30 texts, 2GB |
| Just Gigs | $50 | No mins, no texts, 6GB |
| The Epic | $70 | 100 mins, 60 texts, 9GB |
These travel packs all last for 365 days. You will need an active amaysim prepaid recharge to buy its roaming packs. Here are amaysim's 28-day plans:
Roaming with Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile is another Telstra-powered telco offering customers International Roaming Packs. Boost Mobile customers can choose from three roaming options:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Three-day expiry | $20 | 15 mins, 15 texts, 2GB |
| Seven-day expiry | $30 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $40 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 7GB |
Boost international roaming can be used in 40 countries, including Indonesia. Here are Boost's 28-day prepaid plans:
Roaming with Aussie Broadband
Aussie Broadband also offers a $5 per day international roaming option for Indonesia, which is a Zone 1 destination. With Aussie, you'll get 5GB of data per day and unlimited talk and text in Indonesia
Here are Aussie Broadband's SIM-only mobile plans you can add a roaming pack to:
FAQs
Can you buy a Bali SIM in Australia?
If you're looking to buy an Indonesia SIM card ahead of your trip to Bali, there are websites like SimsDirect that will ship you a SIM to your Australian address, so you don't have to spend time looking for one when you arrive. Just be sure to double-check what these SIMs include, as they're often different to the SIMs you can get when you land
Can I buy a Bali SIM online?
If you're looking to buy an Indonesia SIM online, most providers have an online store that you can use when you arrive. If you're trying to buy one from Australia, you can look at websites like SimsDirect that will ship you a SIM before you leave, or go via Airalo for an eSIM if you have a compatible device.
Alex Choros