How to get SIM card in Indonesia

Planning your trip to Indonesia and trying to avoid high roaming costs? Getting a local prepaid sim card in Indonesia is the best way to stay connected. Don't let those slow overseas data roaming packages fool you. They reduce the internet speed! In this guide I tell you where to buy a sim card for Indonesia, the best 4G/5G network, up to date prices as per July 2022, my recommendation and even information about international and e-sim cards for Indonesia.

As I am aiming to visit every country in the world and buying a local prepaid sim card is the first thing I do when arriving in a new country you can already find almost 200 prepaid sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Dubai, Kenya, USA, Canada, Europe, UK, Turkey and many more.

So when planning your next adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card recommendation. Bookmark this website.

First of all to avoid high roaming costs! Overseas data plans reduce their speed and easily charge you $5 per day! With an Indonesia prepaid sim card you might not spend more than $10 for the whole month!

Staying connected while traveling makes life so much traveling easier! Think about ordering an Uber, checking Google Maps to not get lost, finding a good restaurant around you or finding your nearby friends.

Don't rely on free public WiFi, although widespread in Indonesia there is no guarantee and trust me a 4G/5G data connections is much faster than your hotel's free WiFi. Also another reminder that public WiFi is through an UNSECURED network connection. The use of a VPN is recommended.

My recommendation

Traveltomtom recommends a Telkomsel prepaid sim card for Indonesia. A so called simPATI sim card deal gets you 25 GB data for around $11 and Telkomsel has the best 4G/5G network in Indonesia.

Another great alternative is a travel sim card with global coverage. Check out my guide for buying an international sim card with global coverage in 2022 and find a comparison of the best sim cards for travelers. Pick the one that suits your trip the best!

When traveling to more countries in Asia have a look at my comparison of the best sim cards for Asia and although buying a local prepaid sim card is the cheapest way to stay connected I strongly recommend you to consider an e-sim card for Indonesia.

E-sim Card for Indonesia

No more visiting a store and swapping sim cards when getting an electronic sim card for your trip to Indonesia. Within a couple minutes and a few steps you arranged an e-sim card for Indonesia and you are instantly connected. Check out the following deals:

1 GB data for 7 days = $5.5 USD
3 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
5 GB data for 30 days = $16.5 USD
10 GB data for 30 days = $24.75 USD

Click here to order one of the above e-sim card deals for Indonesia or find more info.

You can also still order a physical sim card for Indonesia and get it shipped to your home address before your trip. For $29.90 USD you get 12 GB data. Click here to order an international sim card for traveling in Indonesia and see all the travel sim deals and more info.

Need some Indonesia travel inspiration? Chasing waterfalls in North Bali, climbing mount Rinjani in Lombok, exploring secret beaches in Nusa Penida, finding the walking Dead in Tana Toraja. I have traveled to Indonesia more than 10 times and I am happy to help.

No More Articles

The easiest way to travel in Indonesia? Use the below search engine for boat tickets from for example Bali to Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Nusa Penida and more. get your mobile ticket, no need to print, convenient, safe, reliable and easy. Check here al the routes available.

Mobile internet operators in Indonesia

There are 5 different mobile internet providers in Indonesia and there is a lot of competition. Don't forget that Indonesia is one of the world's biggest countries by population: 270 million. You can buy a prepaid sim card in Indonesia from the following operators:

Telkomsel
Indosat Ooredoo
3 (Tri)
XL Axiata
Smartfren

The first 4 operators are the main ones with an extensive network in Indonesia, however there is one that has by far the best network in Indonesia, but more about that later. Smartfren is a fairly new mobile internet provider in Indonesia and their network is not yet the biggest, especially if you are going off the beaten path in Indonesia I would not recommend a Smartfren prepaid sim card.

Where to buy an Indonesia sim card

It is easy to buy a local sim card in Indonesia as they are sold on basically every street corner. Convenience stores, gas stations, mobile phone shops, official retail stores, electronic shops and so on.

Of course you can also buy a sim card at Jakarta or Bali Airport on arrival or any other International Airport in Indonesia. Be aware that buying a sim card at an airport is always much more expensive and try not to get ripped off! In Indonesia you can negotiate even about the price for a prepaid sim card.

Also when looking for sim cards for tourists expect to find different prices everywhere. To get the best sim card deal you have to shop around and even haggling about the price could be worth it. It is like a jungle walk. Good thing is that prices for sim cards are cheap in Indonesia.

If you are not looking forward to this then order a sim card for Indonesia online or get yourself an e-sim card for Indonesia.

Indonesia prepaid sim card prices in 2022

The following prices for prepaid sim cards in Indonesia are up date as per July 2022, but for the latest sim card deals I refer to the official website as linked below per provider.

These are the official prices that you can expect more or less in stores around Indonesia. At tourist hotspots like Bali expect sim cards to be more expensive than official prices. Also the same prepaid sim card could be priced differently in every other shop, gas station, etc.

Oh one more thing: mobile internet in Indonesia is CHEAP, but internet speed in Indonesia is NOT what it is like in your home country, so have low expectations about 4G and 5G. More about the best 4G/5G network in Indonesia below.

XL Axiata

At XL Axiata they have 3 great prepaid starter sim card packages called Unlimited Turbo:

21,000 INR ($1,50) = 3 GB data + free Whatsapp + 5 minutes of calls.
46,000 INR ($3,50) = 11 GB data + free Social Media + 5 minutes of calls.
68,000 INR ($4,80) = 21 GB data + free Social Media & YouTube + 5 minutes of calls.

For the latest prepaid sim card offers check the XL Axiata website.

Tri 3 Indonesia

The 3 Indonesia sim card prices are not only in real life hard to figure out, also online on their website. But Tri Indonesia offers the Paket Happy prepaid sim card:

50,000 INR ($3,50) = 12 GB data valid for 30 days.
70,000 INR ($5) = 18 GB data valid for 30 days.
95,000 INR ($7) = 25 GB data valid for 30 days.

As far as I could figure out there is no calling time included to other networks. Calling is free to other Tri 3 Indonesia numbers. For more info see the Tri 3 Indonesia website, but unfortunately it is a bit of a maze, it does NOT work properly and does NOT translate.

Telkomsel

A Telkomsel prepaid sim card cost 10,000 INR ($0,70) and comes with 300 MB data and 5,000 INR credit. These are the most common packages for simPATI:

102,000 INR ($7,25) = 12 GB data + 2 GB social media apps - valid for 30 days.
152,000 INR ($10,75) = 25 GB data + 2 GB social media apps - valid for 30 days.
191,000 INR ($13,50) = 50 GB data + 2 GB social media apps - valid for 30 days.

These are the prices for simPATI packages that you can expect in stores around Indonesia. Check the latest Telkomsel prepaid sim card offers on their website.

Indosat Ooredoo

Indosat Ooredoo has the Freedom Combo package for prepaid sim cards for tourists with unlimited calls/text to other Indosat Ooredoo numbers:

49,000 ($3,50) = 2 GB data
99,000 ($7) = 6 GB data + 30 minutes calling time
199,000 ($14) = 16 GB data + 60 minutes calling time + 60 sms
299,000 ($21) = 30 GB data + 120 minutes calling time + 120 sms

Find the latest Indosat prepaid sim card offers on their website in the link.

Smartfren

Smartfren is fairly new on the market and they have great prices for Indonesia prepaid sim cards. All prepaid packages

60,000 ($4,25) = 30 GB - valid for 30 days.
80,000 ($5,75) = Unlimited with restrictions (see below) - valid for 28 days.

These are the up to date prices for Smartfren prepaid sim cards for tourists as per July 2022. For the latest offers check their website in the link.

Best 4G/5G network in Indonesia in 2022

Mobile internet network coverage is quite important when traveling to Indonesia. You don't want to get stuck on an island with no network coverage. Some islands only have specific signals available. The best example is Southeast Indonesia. From Flores towards the East there is basically only a Telkomsel signal available.

If you are traveling somewhere specific I would recommend you to have a look at the Indonesia 4G/5G network coverage maps.

Is there 5G in Indonesia?

Yes there is 5G in Indonesia, but I would not get too excited! As per July 2022 there is only 5G in major cities and some areas in Bali. When traveling around you will already happy with a fast 4G signal, trust me!

XL Axiata 4G/5G network coverage map

Tri 3 4G/5G network coverage map

Indosat Ooredoo 4G/5G network coverage map

Smartfren 4G/5G network coverage map

Telkomsel 4G/5G network coverage map

From the above 4G/5G coverage maps for Indonesia we can clearly see that one providers stick out. Telkomsel has by far the best mobile internet network in Indonesia. Without a doubt!

Best Indonesia prepaid sim card in 2022

Prices for Indonesia sim cards are VERY CHEAP and therefore I recommend investing a couple more dollars in one of the providers with the best 4G/5G network.

Based on the network strength and prices for prepaid sim cards Traveltomtom comes to the coonclusion that Telkomsel is the best prepaid sim card in Indonesia in 2022!

If you are traveling off the beaten path in Indonesia there is only one recommendation anyway and that is Telkomsel. But are you going on a Bali holiday and have no intension leaving the island a Smartfren prepaid sim card is a more than good enough as well as XL Axiata.

If you are looking for the cheapest data sim cards for Indonesia then we are definitely looking at a Smartfren sim card. Indosat Ooredoo is much more expensive than the other operators and therefore I would not recommend you buying an Ooredoo Indonesia prepaid sim card.

My personal recommendation would be the simPATI prepaid sim card for Indonesia from Telkomsel with 25 GB data for $11.

Buy a sim card for Indonesia online

If this all sounds like too much effort and you rather order a sim card for Indonesia online right now then have a look at the following pre-activated international sim cards that will be shipped to your home address before your trip:

Three PAYG AIO15 - $29.90 = 10 GB data for 30 days
Three PAYG AIO20 - $39.90 = 12 GB data for 30 days
Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90 = 20 GB data for 14 days

Click here to order one of the above international sim cards for Indonesia directly online or have a look for more info. Personally I would go for the first option: Three PAYG AIO15 as its gives you 10 GB data for less than $30.

Also another reminder that you can order an e-sim card for Indonesia with competitive prices.

Indonesia travel blogs

In total I traveled almost 9 months in Indonesia over the last few years. I wrote numerous travel blogs from meeting the King of Bali to the Walking Dead of Toraja. Have a look at more than 25 blogs about traveling in Indonesia in this link.

If you have any further questions about buying a sim card in Indonesia or want some extra travel tips or recommendations please leave me a message below and happy to help you.

Looking for transportation while traveling in Indonesia? Check out all the bus and boat routes, schedules and prices as well as domestic flights in Indonesia below in the search engine from 12Go Asia.

Boats to Gili Trawangan or Lombok from Bali? From Bali to Gili Trawangan: 3h 30min - $25. From Bali to Lombok: 3h 30min - $28.

Also if this was article was helpful for you would you like to help me in return? If you could share the link of this article somewhere on the internet that would be awesome. Every tweet on Twitter, pin on Pinterest, post in a Facebook Group or share on reddit would be extremely helpful to me. A small thing for you to do, which can make a big difference for me.

Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of July 2022 I have visited more than 135 countries, so still a long way to go.

Enjoy your trip to Indonesia!

ALSO ON TRAVELTOMTOM

Can I buy a SIM card at Jakarta airport?

Of course you can also buy a sim card at Jakarta or Bali Airport on arrival or any other International Airport in Indonesia.

How do I get a SIM card in Bali 2022?

For tourists in Bali, prepaid cards are available at airports or in mobile phone shops along the main tourist streets. Some airlines may even offer you a prepaid SIM card before you land! If you're on a budget and don't need internet right away, small phone shops in non-touristy areas have the best prices.

How can a foreigner buy a SIM card?

Documents Required.

Photocopy of Your Passport..

Photocopy of Indian Visa..

One Indian passport size photo..

If the passport doesn't have your address, then you need to provide proof of residence in your country. Eg. Identity card, driver's license..

How do I get data in Indonesia?

Going to kiosks is the most popular way to buy the Indonesian SIM Card here. These small shops are scattered all over the corner in any of the Indonesian cities. They have plenty of options for Indonesian SIM cards and data packages. Prices are definitely cheaper than buying at airports.