Cambodia eSIM guides: how to pick your Cambodian eSIM

Which network sits behind your Cambodia eSIM?

Airalo uses Smart. Nomad, Holafly and Ubigi use Metfone, while Saily does not disclose its Cambodian network. Travelsim Asia includes Metfone and Cellcard. Metfone, owned by Viettel, has the widest provincial reach. Smart serves the cities, and Cellcard won the download-speed award in the Opensignal report linked below. Compare the included networks with your route, particularly outside Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

A second included network lets the phone connect through either carrier where coverage is available; it does not guarantee a signal everywhere. All three carriers cover Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the main Angkor circuit, where price, allowance and validity may matter more to your choice.

Sources:Opensignal Cambodia report, nPerf Cambodia signal map

Does the network matter where you are going?

Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have solid 4G coverage on all three carriers, with 5G in the main centres. Network choice matters more along provincial roads and the coast, where Metfone has the broadest reach. On the islands, service can be patchy regardless of the provider.

Reports differ on which carrier works best on Koh Rong, and both mobile service and shared Wi-Fi can be patchy. Download maps, tickets and other essentials in Sihanoukville before heading to the islands.

What does a Cambodia eSIM cost?

Fixed-data plans in this comparison range from $3.99 for 1 GB to $49 for 50 GB. Travelsim Asia has the lowest prices at 1, 3, 5 and 10 GB on the terms shown below: $12.49 for a typical week of use or $19.99 for a fortnight. Airalo has the lowest 20 GB price and the only 50 GB plan listed here; Nomad offers the only 15 GB option. Choose the size and validity that match your trip.

Compare validity as well as the allowance. Airalo's $4.00 1 GB and $8.50 3 GB plans last three days, while its $19.50 10 GB plan lasts seven. Those shorter plans can suit a stopover or a week-long trip. Ubigi's 25 GB at $39.00 is another option between 20 and 50 GB if Metfone suits your route.

How much data will you use in Cambodia?

About 5 GB for a week that takes in Angkor, and 10 GB for a fortnight that mixes the cities with the coast or the provinces. A short city stay runs on 1 to 3 GB. City Wi-Fi in Cambodia is decent enough to lean on in the evenings, so the budget goes on the days you are moving between towns or out at the temples.

Those numbers assume you are on guesthouse Wi-Fi in the evenings, which in the cities is usually fine. If you share your data with a travel partner over a hotspot, or you upload video every day, take the next plan up.

Which apps will you use most, and how much data do they use?

Telegram, a ride app and Google Maps, and none of the three uses much. Telegram is where guesthouses and drivers reply, PassApp or Grab gets you a tuk-tuk at a fixed price, and Maps does the navigating between towns. Together they come to a few hundred megabytes a day. The apps that drain a plan are the ones you bring from home, Instagram and video calls, and those cost the same in Cambodia as anywhere else.

A day of Telegram, rides and maps comes to 100 to 300 MB. An hour of Instagram and a call home adds half a gigabyte or more on top, and that is the gap between the 5 GB plan and the 10 GB one. Download the Khmer pack for Translate and the Angkor area in Maps before you fly, since both work with the eSIM off.

Is an unlimited Cambodia eSIM worth it?

Unlimited can suit daily laptop tethering or heavy streaming on mobile data. A week starts at $27.00; for lighter use, our $19.99 10 GB fixed plan can cover two weeks. Travelsim Asia does not sell unlimited. Holafly uses Metfone and offers unlimited without a daily throttle, while Airalo and Ubigi apply daily fair-use limits. Compare both the trip length and high-speed allowance before choosing.

The lowest unlimited price depends on duration, as the table shows. Check the daily high-speed allowance on Airalo and Ubigi, and the hotspot terms for any plan you intend to share.

Do I need an app, an account or my passport?

Travelsim Asia requires no app, account or passport scan. The eSIM arrives by email as a QR code and installation link, and top-ups are available through a web portal. Airalo, Nomad, Saily and Ubigi use apps and accounts for setup or management. Buying a local SIM at a Cambodian counter requires passport registration. That is a practical alternative if you need a local Cambodian number.

Install on Wi-Fi before travelling. On arrival, enable the Cambodia eSIM, select it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line. This lets the prepaid eSIM connect to Metfone or Cellcard without an extra roaming charge on that eSIM.