Tours & Packages

Papua New Guinea SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know | 2023

Debbra Szafryk 2 years ago 5 min read

Visiting Papua New Guinea soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Papua New Guinea SIM card.

Fortunately, Oceania is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily.

You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Oceania. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!

In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Papua New Guinea in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.

Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Papua New Guinea.

If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.

That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Tok Pisin – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Papua New Guinea.

Best SIM Cards In Papua New Guinea

If you’re traveling in Papua New Guinea, we recommend using a SIM card from Digicel, Vodafone, Telikom, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)

That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Oceania, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other Oceanian countries.

How To Buy A SIM Card In Papua New Guinea

You can either buy a Papua New Guinea prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.

Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.

That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.

For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.

Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an Oceaniaan prepaid SIM card online.

Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Digicel, Vodafone, and Telikom.

Digicel SIM Cards

Digicel offers four different types of tourist plans:

5 GB, valid for 7 days for USD 15
10 GB, valid for 30 days for USD 31
50 GB, valid for 30 days for USD 71
80 GB, valid for 30 days for USD 185

Vodafone SIM Cards

Vodafone has three different prepaid plans available:

2 GB, valid for 3 days for PGK 8 ($2.27)
3 GB, valid for 7 days for PGK 15 ($4.26)
20 GB, valid for 30 days for PGK 50 ($14.20)

Telikom SIM Cards

Telikom offers several main SIM-only plans for tourists:

2 GB, valid for 7 days for PGK 12 ($3.41)
5 GB, valid for 30 days for PGK 30 ($8.52)
10 GB, valid for 30 days for PGK 55 ($15.62)
20 GB, valid for 30 days for PGK 110 ($31.25)
30 GB, valid for 30 days for PGK 150 ($42.61)

Overall, we think Digicel is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person.

That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!

How To Buy A Papua New Guinea Prepaid SIM Card Online

If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.

You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the OneSimCard works in more than 200+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. Papua New Guinea is included.

But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.

Another option is to purchase a prepaid Oceanian SIM card on Simify. This works if you live in the United States or Australia.

They currently offer one package that covers Papua New Guinea:

6 GB, valid for 15 days for $40

Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Papua New Guinea or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for Oceania.

How To Buy An eSIM Card For Papua New Guinea

eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.

If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Papua New Guinea.

Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.

I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo, a reliable eSIM provider.

Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for Papua New Guinea.

Airalo Papua New Guinea

If you want to buy an eSIM for Papua New Guinea, you could purchase one on Airalo.

This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Oceania and Papua New Guinea.

I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine. Learn more by reading our Airalo review.

Here are the options available:

Sivoli Mobile: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9.50

Holafly Papua New Guinea

Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly.

You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.

Here’s an overview of the plan for Papua New Guinea:

6 GB data, valid for 15 days for $44

Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Papua New Guinea

As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Papua New Guinea or even an eSIM for your travels in Papua New Guinea is pretty straightforward.

You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Oceania without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase an Oceania or global plan.

I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Papua New Guinea if you wish to have data upon your arrival.

This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.

Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.

Traveling to Oceania soon? Read one of the following blog posts: