Bali, Dubai, Singapore, or Thailand? Data Costs Compared for India's Favourite Destinations
Data is not priced the same everywhere, and the gap between these four destinations is larger than most travellers expect. A week of unlimited runs ₹999 in Thailand and ₹2,299 in the UAE. On the big fixed plans, Thailand works out near ₹19 a gigabyte while Dubai sits near ₹94. The reason is wholesale roaming rates, which differ by country and have nothing to do with how far away the place is. Worth knowing before you assume the expensive-looking destination is the expensive one.
Bali, Dubai, Singapore and Thailand account for a large share of Indian outbound travel, and they get treated as interchangeable when people budget for a trip. On flights and hotels that's roughly fair. On mobile data it isn't, and the differences are big enough to be worth two minutes of attention.
A week of unlimited, four destinations
The cleanest comparison, because it's the same product in each country. Prices as listed at the time of writing.
| Destination | Plan | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Unlimited, 10 days | ₹999 | ₹100 |
| Bali (Indonesia) | Unlimited, 7 days | ₹1,499 | ₹214 |
| Singapore | Unlimited, 7 days | ₹1,499 | ₹214 |
| Dubai (UAE) | Unlimited, 7 days | ₹2,299 | ₹328 |
Thailand's plan isn't just cheaper, it's ten days rather than seven. Per day of coverage, it costs roughly a third of what Dubai does. That single fact reorders most people's assumptions.
Cost per gigabyte, where it gets stark
Fixed-data plans let you compare the actual unit price. Note the tiers on offer differ by country, so this is the biggest plan available in each.
| Destination | Biggest fixed plan | Price | Roughly per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 50 GB, 10 days | ₹949 | ₹19 |
| Singapore | 50 GB, 10 days | ₹1,099 | ₹22 |
| Dubai (UAE) | 50 GB, 30 days | ₹4,719 | ₹94 |
| Bali (Indonesia) | 10 GB, 10 days | ₹1,299 | ₹130 |
Thailand and Singapore are in a different league on unit price. Dubai's 50 GB plan buys you three times the validity, which softens the comparison but doesn't close it. Bali looks worst here mainly because the largest fixed tier is 10 GB, so heavy users are pushed towards unlimited whether they want it or not.
Why the same product costs three times more in one country
It's wholesale roaming rates. Every travel eSIM buys capacity from local operators, and what they charge varies enormously between markets. Thailand's mobile market is fiercely competitive and cheap; the Gulf's is not. Distance from India has nothing to do with it, which is why Dubai, the closest of these four, is the most expensive.
The number that isn't on the price tag
Every unlimited plan has a daily cap, and what happens after you hit it varies more than the price does. This is the detail that decides whether a cheaper plan is actually better value.
| Destination | Full speed per day | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai (UAE) | 4 GB | 1 Mbps for the rest of the day |
| Bali (Indonesia) | 3 GB | 128 kbps for the rest of the day |
| Singapore | 3 GB | 128 kbps for the rest of the day |
| Thailand | Fair usage applies, and hotspot is restricted on unlimited | Take the 50 GB plan if you need to tether |
The difference between 1 Mbps and 128 kbps is not a detail. At 1 Mbps you can still run maps, load a web page and hold a voice call. At 128 kbps you can send a WhatsApp message and very little else. Dubai's plan costs more and gives you a higher cap and a usable floor beneath it, which is the clearest illustration in this whole comparison that the cheapest number isn't automatically the best buy.
What each destination costs you beyond the data
| Destination | The thing that isn't in the price |
|---|---|
| Dubai | WhatsApp and FaceTime calling don't connect on UAE networks, including hotel WiFi. Budget for a licensed calling app, or for calls on your Indian number at roaming rates |
| Bali | Indonesia runs a national device register, so buying a local SIM means registering your handset's IMEI at an official store. A roaming eSIM connects as an inbound roamer and sidesteps it |
| Singapore | You'll use less data than anywhere else on this list. The city is compact, WiFi is genuinely everywhere, and local tourist SIMs are unusually cheap if you pre-order. The eSIM buys convenience here more than savings |
| Thailand | Coverage is excellent, but December through March the Andaman coast is dry while the Gulf coast is wet. Your itinerary matters more than your plan |
How much you'll actually use in each
Price per gigabyte only matters alongside how many gigabytes you'll get through, and that differs by destination more than people expect.
| Destination | A week, typical | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 3 to 5 GB | Small city, short journeys, WiFi in almost every mall, café and MRT station |
| Dubai | 5 to 10 GB | Malls and hotels have WiFi, but you're navigating and using ride apps constantly |
| Bali | 7 to 12 GB | Villa WiFi is patchy, distances are long, and it's a heavily photographed destination |
| Thailand | 7 to 12 GB | Island hopping, ferries, constant navigation, and the same photo habit |
The verdict
| If you want | Take |
|---|---|
| The cheapest data of the four | Thailand, 50 GB for ₹949. Nothing else on this list comes close on unit price |
| The smallest plan you can get away with | Singapore, 1 GB for ₹589. With WiFi everywhere, a light user genuinely manages |
| Not to think about the daily cap | Dubai unlimited. It costs the most and it's the only one that stays usable after the cap |
| A Bali trip without an admin problem | Indonesia unlimited, 7 days for ₹1,499. Avoids the IMEI registration a local SIM requires |
| Two or more of these on one trip | The five-country Southeast Asia eSIM covers Bali, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam on one profile from ₹1,299 |
The mistake worth avoiding in all four
Buying unlimited out of anxiety. On a normal week most travellers use somewhere between 5 and 10 GB, which a fixed plan covers for less. Unlimited earns its price when you're tethering a laptop, travelling with someone who'll share, or genuinely uploading video daily. Otherwise you're paying for headroom you'll never touch, and on the plans with a 128 kbps floor, headroom you can't use anyway.
Before you buy
| Check this | Why |
|---|---|
| The daily cap and what happens after it | 1 Mbps and 128 kbps are completely different experiences |
| Whether hotspot is allowed | Usually yes on fixed-data plans, restricted on some unlimited ones |
| Validity against your actual trip length | Thailand and Singapore run 10-day tiers, the UAE runs 30 |
| Whether you're visiting more than one of these | A regional plan beats buying two country plans |
| Your EID, by dialling *#06# | No EID means no eSIM |
| Data roaming ON for the eSIM, OFF for your Indian line | The most common reason an eSIM appears not to work |
Pick the plan, not the biggest number
Work out roughly what you'll use, check what happens after the daily cap, and buy the tier that matches. On these four destinations that decision is worth well over a thousand rupees.
Compare Matrix eSIM plans by destination →
- Single-country plans for Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and the UAE
- A five-country Southeast Asia plan if you're combining destinations
- Hotspot on fixed-data plans, so a travel partner can share
- Instant QR delivery by email after KYC
- Your Indian SIM stays in the phone for OTPs and WhatsApp
- Support on +91 9811188888, live chat and WhatsApp
Read next
- Unlimited Travel eSIM: No Roaming, No Limits
- Best eSIM for Thailand in 2026
- 5 Travel Tips for Dubai with eSIMs
- How to Use a Matrix eSIM With Your Indian SIM
Frequently asked questions
Which of these destinations has the cheapest mobile data?
Thailand, by a clear margin. A 50 GB plan runs ₹949, working out near ₹19 a gigabyte, and unlimited for ten days is ₹999. Singapore is next at roughly ₹22 a gigabyte on the 50 GB tier.
How much data do I need for a week in Bali?
Around 7 to 12 GB. Villa WiFi is inconsistent, distances between Ubud, Canggu and Uluwatu are longer than they look on a map, and most people photograph and post heavily there.
Can I use one plan for Bali, Singapore and Thailand?
Yes. The five-country Southeast Asia eSIM covers Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam on a single profile from ₹1,299, with the data pooled. That beats buying three country plans for a multi-stop trip.
Will my Indian number keep working?
Yes, in all four. The eSIM adds a second line rather than replacing your Indian SIM, so bank OTPs keep arriving. Keep data roaming off on the Indian line and on for the eSIM.
