Best eSIM for the Maldives 2026: 5 compared

Part of our Maldives eSIM guide: all articles and key facts →

In the Maldives, the price of a gigabyte swings wildly with the size of the plan. A 1 GB travel eSIM can cost more than €13, while a 20 GB plan brings the gigabyte under €2, and the operators' own tourist packs go lower still. We read the Maldives pages of five travel eSIM sellers on 22 October 2026 and compared price per GB, validity, unlimited options and the network each one uses, from Velana airport to the resort islands.

One thing barely varies: the network. Every seller we read that names a Maldivian operator names Dhiraagu. The real choice is between a small plan, a large plan, an unlimited plan and a local tourist eSIM.

Which is the best eSIM for the Maldives?

For most visitors, Airalo's 20 GB plan offers the lowest price per gigabyte among travel eSIMs; Yesim is the cheapest entry point for light users; Holafly is the cheapest unlimited plan from three days. Here are the winners by need, on prices checked on 22 October 2026:

• A light user who lives on resort Wi-Fi: Yesim sells 1 GB valid 30 days for €7.90 and 3 GB for €18.
• A week at a resort with normal phone use: Airalo sells 20 GB valid 30 days for €37, which is €1.85 per GB.
• Ten days with local calls included: Nomad sells 20 GB with 150 minutes and 150 SMS for 10 days at $45, about €40.16.
• A one-day stopover in Malé: Yesim sells 1 day of unlimited data for €12, Holafly for €12.90.
• Unlimited data for 3 days to a month: Holafly costs $33.90 for 3 days, $55.50 for 7 days and $202.90 for 30 days; Yesim stops at 15 days.
• Heavy data use for a week or more: the operators' tourist eSIMs, starting with Ooredoo's $50 pack, carry far more data than any travel eSIM we read. Our Dhiraagu vs Ooredoo guide explains how to buy them.

If the Maldives is one leg of a longer trip, for example after Sri Lanka, see our Sri Lanka eSIM guide: the Maldives plans in this comparison cover the Maldives only.

The Maldives eSIMs side by side

The table lists the network each seller names, its cheapest plan, its best price per gigabyte and whether it sells unlimited data. All figures come from the sellers' own pages on 22 October 2026, in the currency each page displayed.

The comparison database esimdb listed 2,526 plans from 196 providers covering the Maldives on 22 October 2026, many of them regional or global packages. We kept to sellers whose own Maldives page we could read. Saily's page blocked automated reading that day, Airhub's plans did not load, and Jetpac's page showed no individual Maldives plans, so they are left out. We found no Maldives page at Ubigi or Maya Mobile, and Orange Travel's World offer page does not list the Maldives.

What does a gigabyte cost in the Maldives?

Between €1.85 and about €15, depending almost entirely on plan size. Small plans are where the Maldives earns its reputation as an expensive data destination: aloSIM's 1 GB for $15 works out at about €13.39, and Nomad's 1 GB for $17 at about €15.17. Large plans tell a different story.

Dollar prices are converted at the European Central Bank rate of 22 October 2026, 1.1205 dollars to the euro; your card may charge a slightly different rate. Yesim's 3, 5 and 10 GB prices are shown as discounts on higher list prices (€23.70, €39.50 and €79).

The practical lesson: if you need more than about 3 GB, buy one larger plan rather than several small ones. Airalo's 20 GB costs less than Yesim's 5 GB plus 3 GB together, and it lasts 30 days.

Is an unlimited eSIM for the Maldives worth it?

Only for short, data-hungry stays: a week of unlimited data costs more than the 20 GB fixed plan, and much more than a local tourist eSIM. Two of the sellers we read sell unlimited Maldives data. Yesim sells day passes from 1 to 15 days; Holafly sells any length from 1 to 30 days.

Holafly's page showed dollar prices for 3 days and more, and a euro price only for 1 day (€12.90 against $13.90), so its euro checkout prices may not match our conversion exactly. Even so, Holafly is the cheaper unlimited option at every length from 3 days.

The fine print matters. Holafly says operators may apply a fair usage policy that reduces speed "for no more than one (1) day", and it allows 1 GB a day of shared data for a hotspot. Yesim's 7-day plan page says only that "data speed may be limited in accordance with the network operator's Fair Usage Policy", with no figure, and that hotspot "depends on operator". esimdb's FAQ names Yesim and Wiiline as the providers of unlimited Maldives plans.

Compare that with fixed data: Holafly's 7 days at about €49.53 cost more than Airalo's 20 GB at €37, which most people will not exhaust in a week if they also use resort Wi-Fi.

Dhiraagu or Ooredoo: which network does each eSIM use?

Dhiraagu, in every case we could check. The Maldives has two mobile operators. Dhiraagu, established in 1988, is 52% owned by Bahrain's Batelco and 41.8% by the Maldivian government. Ooredoo Maldives received its licence in 2005 as Wataniya and took the Ooredoo name in December 2013.

Airalo, Holafly, Nomad and aloSIM all name Dhiraagu on their Maldives pages. Yesim names no operator on its page, but esimdb lists its Maldives plans on Dhiraagu. None of the sellers' own pages we read named Ooredoo.

How does Dhiraagu perform? The most recent independent report we found is Opensignal's Maldives Mobile Network Experience Report of November 2024, built from data collected between 1 August and 29 October 2024 on users' phones:

• Download Speed Experience: Dhiraagu 51.6 Mbps, Ooredoo 43.1 Mbps.
• Upload Speed Experience: Dhiraagu 11.6 Mbps, Ooredoo 13.2 Mbps.
• Coverage Experience (0 to 10): Dhiraagu 6.7, Ooredoo 8.1.
• Availability (share of time with a 3G, 4G or 5G connection): Dhiraagu 99.5%, Ooredoo 98.9%.

More recently, Ookla gave Dhiraagu its "Fastest 5G Network", "Best 5G Network" and "Best 5G Gaming Experience" awards for the first half of 2025, according to The Maldives Standard; the article gives no speed figures. Ooredoo, for its part, describes its 5G network as "the widest 5G network in the Maldives", an operator claim we could not check independently.

For a traveller, both networks are fast enough for maps, messages and video calls. Dhiraagu's lead on download speed favours the travel eSIMs; Ooredoo's higher Coverage Experience score is the one argument for buying its tourist eSIM instead.

Pros and cons of each provider

Each provider below was read on 22 October 2026. All plans are Maldives-only.

Airalo

• Pros: the lowest price per gigabyte among travel eSIMs, €1.85 with 20 GB for €37; valid 30 days; names Dhiraagu.
• Cons: only one Maldives package, so nothing smaller for a light user; the page states no hotspot rule and no rule on when validity starts.

Yesim

• Pros: the cheapest entry plan (1 GB for €7.90, valid 30 days); 3, 5 and 10 GB plans valid 30 days; unlimited day passes from 1 to 15 days; validity "begins upon connection to a compatible network", and the plan can be activated within 180 days of purchase.
• Cons: its page names no operator; unlimited plans cost more than Holafly's from 3 days; no figure for the fair use limit; hotspot "depends on operator".

Holafly

• Pros: unlimited data for any length up to 30 days; 1 GB a day of shared data for a hotspot; a 1 GB "Always On" backup every 30 days; a frank warning about weak coverage on remote islands and during boat and seaplane transfers.
• Cons: no fixed-data plan; expensive for a month ($202.90); prices for 3 days and more were displayed in dollars only.

Nomad

• Pros: the only plan we found with calls and texts (20 GB, 150 minutes and 150 SMS for 10 days at $45); hotspot supported; the plan starts on connection to the Maldivian network and can be activated within 60 days of purchase.
• Cons: prices in dollars; small plans are expensive (1 GB for 7 days at $17); no unlimited plan.

aloSIM

• Pros: names Dhiraagu; every plan includes a free phone number for calls and texts through the Hushed app.
• Cons: a single plan, 1 GB for 7 days at $15, the highest price per gigabyte in our table after Nomad's 1 GB.

Is a local tourist eSIM cheaper than a travel eSIM?

Yes, on volume: Ooredoo's tourist eSIM gives 100 GB for $50, but 70 GB of it is reserved for social apps. Ooredoo's online shop listed a single "Tourist Pack $50" on 22 October 2026, with 100 GB of data and 300 minutes. Its tourist page details the split, "30GB Regular & 70GB Social Data", and adds MVR 150 of free credit. That is about €44.62 for 30 GB of general data, or about €1.49 per general-purpose gigabyte, slightly below Airalo's €1.85, with the social allowance and local minutes on top.

Ooredoo says on its tourist plan page that it offers "both eSIM and physical SIM options for all tourist plans". When you order online, the next step is an account verification form with an "I am a Foreigner" option, an ID number, your country and an email address. Neither page we read stated how long the $50 pack is valid, so check that before paying.

Dhiraagu sells comparable Traveler plans, but its tourist page blocked automated reading on 22 October 2026. Its last archived copy, from 17 January 2026, listed a $50 Traveler Premium with 30 GB plus 70 GB of social media data, 300 minutes and 300 SMS for 30 days, and a $40 Traveler Lite with 20 GB for 10 days. Our Dhiraagu vs Ooredoo guide covers both operators, the airport counters and the add-ons.

The catch is convenience. A travel eSIM installed at home works as soon as you land and needs no identity check. A local tourist eSIM takes a verification step and, for a physical SIM, a stop at the airport counter.

Which eSIM should you pick for your trip length?

Small fixed plans for short resort stays, Airalo's 20 GB for a week or two, and a local tourist eSIM for long or data-heavy trips. Here is how the choice plays out on typical itineraries.

A long weekend or a stopover in Malé

For one day, Yesim's unlimited pass costs €12 and Holafly's €12.90. For three days of light use, Yesim's 1 GB (€7.90) or 3 GB (€18) plans are cheaper than any unlimited plan, and they stay valid for 30 days.

A week at a resort

If the resort has Wi-Fi, 3 GB covers transfers, maps and messages. If you want to post photos and video call from the beach, Airalo's 20 GB for €37 is the cheapest per gigabyte among travel eSIMs, and Holafly's unlimited week costs $55.50.

Ten days on local islands and guesthouses

Guesthouse islands mean ferries, speedboats and cafés rather than one resort network. Nomad's 20 GB with 150 minutes for 10 days ($45) gives you local calls to book boats and restaurants, and Ooredoo says its tourist SIMs are also sold through partner hotels and guesthouses.

Two weeks or more, or a combined trip

For a month, Holafly's unlimited plan costs $202.90; Ooredoo's $50 tourist pack carries far more data for much less, if its validity suits your stay. If you also visit Sri Lanka, compare with our Sri Lanka eSIM guide; for other Indian Ocean islands, see our Seychelles and Mauritius guides.

Will an eSIM work at resorts, on seaplanes and on liveaboards?

On inhabited islands and at resorts, generally yes; during transfers between atolls and far out at sea, expect gaps. No operator publishes island-by-island coverage figures that we could read, and the nPerf coverage map for the Maldives showed no statistics. The most specific statements come from the sellers and operators themselves.

• Holafly: coverage "may be weaker or less stable on small or remote islands and during boat or seaplane journeys between atolls", and in "maritime areas far from inhabited islands"; it says connections are strongest on most inhabited islands, at resorts and in tourist areas.
• Ooredoo: its tourist FAQ says its network "covers all major islands, resorts, local islands, and guesthouses across Maldives".
• Opensignal: in November 2024, Dhiraagu users had a 3G, 4G or 5G connection 99.5% of the time and Ooredoo users 98.9%, measured where users actually were.

Seaplanes leave from the waterdrome terminal at Velana International Airport on Hulhulé Island, and a flight to a distant atoll will cross open sea. On a liveaboard dive cruise, the boat spends nights far from inhabited islands: treat mobile data as occasional and ask the operator whether the boat has its own Wi-Fi. Download offline maps and boarding passes before you leave Malé.

What should you sort out before landing at Velana?

Install the eSIM at home, check that your phone is unlocked, and keep your home line for bank codes. Velana lies on Hulhulé Island next to Malé, and its new passenger terminal officially opened in July 2025. Resort transfers by speedboat or seaplane start right there, so you will want data before you leave the arrivals hall.

• eSIM support: find your model on our list of eSIM-compatible phones.
• Unlocked: a phone locked to your home operator will refuse a Maldivian profile. Read do you need an unlocked phone for a travel eSIM.
• Installation: on Android, follow our step-by-step eSIM activation guide. If a seller asks for your EID, see where to find the EID number.
• Two lines: keep your home SIM on with data roaming off for SMS codes; our guide to running two eSIMs at the same time explains how.

Yesim, Nomad and Holafly all start the plan when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination, so installing it early costs nothing. If nothing connects on arrival, check that data roaming is on for the eSIM line, then work through 10 fixes for a travel eSIM not working abroad.

How we compared

We read each provider's Maldives page, or the plan data it embeds, on 22 October 2026, and recorded price, data, validity, network named, start of validity, hotspot and fair use rules. Dollar prices are converted at the European Central Bank rate of 22 October 2026 (1 euro for 1.1205 dollars); rufiyaa amounts at the Maldives Monetary Authority reference rate of 30 September 2026 (15.42 rufiyaa to the dollar). The market count comes from esimdb.

Ooredoo's tourist offer comes from its own shop and tourist pages. Dhiraagu's figures come from the archived copy of 17 January 2026, because its live site blocked automated reading. Network figures come from Opensignal's November 2024 report, the latest for the Maldives on its site, and from Ookla's awards as reported by The Maldives Standard. We did not buy the plans or measure speeds in the Maldives. Prices change often, and several are shown as discounts, so check the provider's page before you buy. All our Maldives articles are gathered in the Maldives eSIM guide.