The best eSIM for Cambodia is the one that matches how long you stay and how much data you use. For most trips, a Cambodia data plan sized to your days does the job: you install it at home, it connects when you land in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, and your own SIM stays on your phone for texts and bank codes. If you need a Cambodian phone number, get a local SIM from a Cambodian carrier instead. This guide helps you choose between the plans on our Cambodia eSIM page, other travel eSIMs and a local SIM, and shows you how to set yours up.
Short on time? These three plans fit three typical trips: a few days, a full week with more data, and two weeks.
Cambodia 5GB (7 days) · Cambodia 10GB (7 days) · Cambodia 20GB (15 days) · all data only · See all eSIMs for Cambodia
What are the best eSIMs for Cambodia?
You have three ways to get mobile data in Cambodia. Here is how they compare.
SimOptions Cambodia data plans (1 GB to 60 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days, 50 GB for 30 days and 60 GB for 90 days.
- Countries: Cambodia only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available, so you can add data if you run low.
Every plan is prepaid, with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in Cambodia. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Other travel eSIMs for Cambodia
Many other companies sell travel eSIMs for Cambodia. Some offer fixed data, others sell "unlimited" plans. Before you buy an unlimited plan, read its fair use policy and hotspot rules on the seller's own page: some slow you down after a daily amount or limit sharing your connection. A fixed data plan tells you exactly what you get.
A local SIM from a Cambodian carrier
Cambodia's main mobile carriers are Smart, Cellcard and Metfone. A local SIM gives you a Cambodian +855 number. Smart and Cellcard both list a Traveller SIM on their websites, and Smart says you can get it at its booth at Cambodia's international airports. Your SIM has to be registered to your identity: Smart's SIM registration page asks for a scan of your national ID card or passport to follow government rules (Smart: SIM registration). So bring your passport. A local SIM makes sense if you stay for months or need a local number. Our guide to eSIM providers in Cambodia has more on the local options.
Which eSIM is best for your Cambodia trip?
Start with how long you stay. Then ask yourself two questions: do you need a phone number, and do you also visit Vietnam, Thailand or Laos?
A few days in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap: Cambodia 3GB or 5GB
For a city break in Phnom Penh or a few days at the Angkor temples, a small plan covers maps, messages, ride-hailing apps and browsing. The 3 GB plan lasts 3 days, the 5 GB plan lasts 7 days. Running low? Top up.
One or two weeks around the country: Cambodia 10GB or 20GB
Travelling from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, then down to Kampot, Kep or the islands? Cambodia 10GB gives you 10 GB for 7 days. Cambodia 20GB gives you 20 GB for 15 days, enough for maps on long bus rides, social media, photos and some video calls.
A month or a long stay: Cambodia 50GB or 60GB
Staying longer or working remotely? Cambodia 50GB lasts 30 days and Cambodia 60GB lasts 90 days, so you don't need a new eSIM every month. Both can be topped up.
You need calls and texts
Our Cambodia plans are data only. You can still call and text over data with WhatsApp, Telegram, FaceTime or iMessage: see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. Your home SIM stays on your phone, so you still get texts and security codes from your bank. If you need a Cambodian +855 number, get a local SIM as described above.
Cambodia plus Vietnam, Thailand or Laos
Many Southeast Asia trips combine Cambodia with Vietnam, Thailand or Laos. Our Asia plans cover 26 countries, including Thailand, but Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos aren't on their list (Asia eSIM coverage). Our South East Asia plans don't list Cambodia either (South East Asia eSIM coverage). So the simplest setup is one eSIM per country. An iPhone can store eight or more eSIMs (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone), so you install them all at home and switch your data line when you cross the border. Our guide on managing two eSIMs shows how.
Going overland to Thailand? Check first. When we checked, the UK government said land borders and crossings between Cambodia and Thailand were suspended, and it advised against all but essential travel within 20 km of the Thai border (FCDO: Cambodia travel advice). Read the latest advice from your own government before you go.
For the rest of your route, see our guides to the best eSIM for Vietnam, eSIM providers in Thailand and the best eSIM for Asia.
Cambodia 10GB (7 days) · Vietnam 10GB (7 days) · Thailand 10GB (7 days) · one eSIM per country · Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos eSIMs
How much data do you need in Cambodia?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your hotel or guesthouse helps a lot. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB for social media, photos and some video calls.
- 15 to 30 days: 20 GB to 50 GB, or more if you stream or work online.
Sharing your connection with a laptop or a friend's phone? Hotspot uses data fast, so go a size up.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Cambodia?
Check your home roaming first
If your phone plan is from the US, the UK, Canada or Australia, your carrier sets its own roaming prices for Cambodia, and they can add up fast. Check them before you go. Coming from the EU? "Roam like at home" only covers EU and EEA countries (plus a few partners), not Cambodia (Your Europe: mobile roaming costs). A travel eSIM gives you local data at a fixed prepaid price while your home SIM stays on your phone. Turn off data roaming on your home line so it can't use data by mistake. Our guide on how to avoid roaming charges has more tips.
Already in Cambodia?
You can still buy an eSIM after you arrive. Install it on your hotel or café Wi-Fi and it connects right away, because you're already in the covered country.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. For more ways to check on iPhone and Android, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to set up your eSIM for Cambodia
- Buy your plan on the Cambodia eSIM page. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM and Apple's guide to setting up eSIM on iPhone.
- Label the line "Cambodia" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
Where you'll use your eSIM in Cambodia
Angkor Archaeological Park and Siem Reap
Angkor Wat is the star, but the park has dozens of temples, from Bayon to Ta Prohm. You can buy 1-day, 3-day and 7-day Angkor passes online on the official Angkor Enterprise site (Angkor Enterprise: tickets). Data helps you book a tuk-tuk, find your way between temples and read up on what you see. In Siem Reap itself, the Angkor National Museum is a good start.
Phnom Penh
The capital is busy and full of life. Visit the Royal Palace, the National Museum of Cambodia and the Choeung Ek memorial (the Killing Fields), which tells a dark chapter of the country's history. Ride-hailing apps make getting around easy when you have data.
Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem
For beaches, take a boat from Sihanoukville to the islands. You can snorkel, dive or just relax at Saracen Bay. Signal can be weaker on remote beaches and out at sea, so download offline maps and let your guesthouse know your plans.
Kampot and Kep
Riverside cafés in Kampot and the crab market in Kep make an easy, slower stop on the way to or from the coast.
Ratanakiri
Had enough temples? In the remote northeast, Ratanakiri has crater lakes, waterfalls and treks around Virachey National Park. Coverage gets patchy in the forest, so plan your offline maps before you go.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Cambodia?
It depends on your trip. For a few days, Cambodia 3GB or 5GB. For one to two weeks, Cambodia 10GB or 20GB. For a month or more, Cambodia 50GB or 60GB. If you need a Cambodian +855 number, a local SIM from a Cambodian carrier.
What is the best eSIM for Cambodia and Vietnam?
Use one eSIM for each country, for example Cambodia 10GB and Vietnam 10GB. Install both at home and switch your data line when you cross the border. The same works for Thailand and Laos.
Is there an eSIM for Cambodia with a phone number?
Our Cambodia plans are data only, and so are many travel eSIMs. You can call over data with WhatsApp or Telegram. For a +855 number with calls and texts, get a local SIM from Smart, Cellcard or Metfone, registered to your passport.
Does the eSIM work at Angkor Wat and on Koh Rong?
Yes, the plans cover all of Cambodia. Signal depends on the local network and can be weaker in remote areas, on islands and at sea, so download offline maps before a trek or a boat trip.
Can I top up my Cambodia eSIM?
Yes. All our Cambodia data plans can be topped up, so you can add data without installing a new eSIM.
When should I install my eSIM for Cambodia?
Install it at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you fly. It connects automatically when you arrive in Cambodia. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Does EU roaming work in Cambodia?
No. EU "roam like at home" covers EU and EEA countries, not Cambodia. Check your carrier's roaming prices or use a travel eSIM.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.