Trek Guide

What mobile data actually costs in Nepal, per gigabyte

A travel eSIM runs about $1.75 to $5 a gigabyte depending on the bundle, and a local SIM undercuts all of it. The full ladder, dated.

By Bishnu Adhikari · Sep 25, 2026

Read the full story

A travel eSIM for Nepal works out between about $1.75 and $5 a gigabyte depending on how big a bundle you buy, and a local SIM bought in Kathmandu undercuts all of it. The eSIM premium buys you one thing: working data the minute the plane doors open, with no…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Read the full story

What an eSIM costs per gigabyte

The per-gigabyte price falls by roughly two-thirds between the smallest bundle and the largest. These are the Nepal plans from one of the larger eSIM sellers, as archived on 10 April 2026 , with the cost per gigabyte worked out. We are naming the arithmetic…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Read the full story

What a local SIM costs, and what it costs you

A local SIM plus a data pack lands around $5 to $10 in total, which is less than the smallest eSIM bundle and comes with far more data. You buy it at the airport or in Thamel, you hand over your passport because registration is required, and it takes a few…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Read the full story

Coverage decides this above 3,000 metres

On the trail, the network matters more than the price. One of the two Nepali carriers has the stronger signal in Kathmandu, Pokhara and the Annapurna region; the other reaches further into remote and high ground. A travel eSIM rides on whichever local network…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Read the full story

What we could not verify, and why we are not guessing

Several well-known eSIM sellers price their Nepal plans in JavaScript that no archive captures, so we cannot quote them honestly. We checked archived copies of their Nepal pages: one seller's prices were readable and are in the table above, dated; the others…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Read the full story

What we would do

For a trek of two weeks or less, buy the 10 GB eSIM bundle before you fly and forget about it. For a month or more, buy a local SIM on arrival. If your first day includes a domestic flight or a long drive to the trailhead, the eSIM is worth its premium simply…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Read the full story

Plan your trek

Trek Nepal with local guides

NMA-certified guides · permits sorted · 5,000+ treks since 1998.

Plan this trek

Free guide

Get the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide

Permits, costs, seasons and routes — the essentials we send every traveller, plus a free, no-obligation trip quote.

↑ Swipe up

Your free Nepal trek kit

Read the full report and grab the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide — or ask our Pokhara team for a tailored, no-obligation quote.

Read more & get the free guide Plan my trip — free quote