{"id":1233,"date":"2026-10-25T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marcopolo.net\/blog\/general\/?p=1233"},"modified":"2026-10-25T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T09:00:00","slug":"cheapest-esim-per-gb-europe-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marcopolo.net\/blog\/general\/cheapest-esim-per-gb-europe-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheapest eSIM per Gigabyte in Europe 2026: Cost-per-GB Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you want the lowest cost per gigabyte in Europe in 2026 and you actually burn through data \u2014 streaming in the cab, hotspotting a laptop, working remotely for weeks \u2014 Marco Polo Mobile<\/strong> wins on the maths. Its big-data tiers land around \u20ac0.09\u2013\u20ac0.14 per GB<\/strong>, which the mainstream travel eSIMs don’t come close to matching. If you only need a few gigabytes for a short holiday, cost per GB barely matters and a tourist brand will do fine. This article ranks providers honestly by what you really pay per gigabyte, where each one wins, and the catches to watch.<\/p>\n

Why cost-per-GB is the number that matters for heavy users<\/h2>\n

Most eSIM comparisons quote a headline price \u2014 “\u20ac5 for a Europe plan” \u2014 without telling you how little data you get. A \u20ac5 plan with 1GB costs you \u20ac5\/GB. A \u20ac25 plan with 80GB costs \u20ac0.31\/GB on paper, and Marco Polo’s larger tiers drop well below that. For anyone doing more than casual browsing, the right question isn’t “what’s the cheapest plan?” but “what’s the cheapest gigabyte?”<\/p>\n

Cost-per-GB only becomes your deciding factor when three things are true: you use a lot of data, you stay a while, and you’re in Europe. If you’re hopping 15 countries for a week with light usage, coverage breadth matters more than price \u2014 and that’s a different post. For the heavy-data crowd, keep reading.<\/p>\n

The cost-per-GB ranking, honestly<\/h2>\n

Here’s the core comparison. Marco Polo’s figures are exact. For the other brands we use their accurate general positioning \u2014 their precise prices and allowances shift, so check their current pricing before you buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Provider<\/th>\nData<\/th>\nValidity<\/th>\nCost per GB<\/th>\nTethering<\/th>\nBest for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Marco Polo Mobile<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 480GB (28d), 800GB (56d), 500GB (90d)<\/td>\n28 \/ 56 \/ 90 days<\/td>\n~\u20ac0.09\u2013\u20ac0.14\/GB<\/strong> at top tiers<\/td>\nYes, included<\/strong><\/td>\nHeavy data, long stays, Europe (37 countries)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Airalo<\/td>\nSmall per-plan allowances<\/td>\nVaries \u2014 often short<\/td>\nHigh per GB \u2014 check their site<\/td>\nOften not allowed<\/td>\nWidest country list (~200 destinations)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Holafly<\/td>\n“Unlimited” (fair-use throttled)<\/td>\nDay-based<\/td>\nN\/A \u2014 flat daily price<\/td>\nUsually blocked \/ limited<\/td>\nLight users who want no counting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saily<\/td>\nModest tourist allowances<\/td>\nShort to medium<\/td>\nModerate \u2014 check their site<\/td>\nVaries<\/td>\nShort trips, budget-conscious<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nomad<\/td>\nModest allowances<\/td>\nVaries<\/td>\nModerate \u2014 check their site<\/td>\nVaries<\/td>\nOccasional travellers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yesim<\/td>\nSmall-to-medium allowances<\/td>\nVaries<\/td>\nVaries \u2014 check their site<\/td>\nVaries<\/td>\nMulti-country short trips<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ubigi<\/td>\nMedium allowances, some bigger packs<\/td>\nVaries<\/td>\nModerate \u2014 check their site<\/td>\nOften allowed<\/td>\nIoT \/ connected-device users<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The pattern is simple: the tourist-focused brands are built around small-to-medium allowances for short trips, so their effective cost per gigabyte stays high no matter how you slice it. Marco Polo is built the other way round \u2014 the more data you buy, the cheaper each gigabyte gets.<\/p>\n

Marco Polo’s real per-GB maths<\/h3>\n

Run the numbers on the actual plans:<\/p>\n