Europe eSIM Price Index
A gigabyte of mobile data runs a median of $5.96 across 43 Europe destinations we price this month, +369.3% vs August 2026.
Measured September 9, 2026. The monthly price-per-GB index for travel eSIMs, across a fixed panel and a fixed regional cohort, with a public methodology. Each edition is frozen on publication.
Primary metric: market-panel average price per GB. Coverage: 43/43 destinations. Market source snapshot: 2026-09-11T11:20:04.912Z.
September 2026 in three charts
Europe price-per-GB rankings, September 2026
| # | Country | Panel avg price / GB | Panel min price / GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 5: cheapest data | |||
| 1 | Moldova | $4.00 | $0.81 |
| 2 | North Macedonia | $4.20 | $1.16 |
| 3 | Portugal | $5.76 | $0.50 |
| 4 | Italy | $5.78 | $0.45 |
| 5 | Spain | $5.79 | $0.45 |
| Bottom 5: most expensive data | |||
| 1 | San Marino | $9.37 | $0.70 |
| 2 | Monaco | $8.82 | $1.30 |
| 3 | Luxembourg | $8.14 | $0.70 |
| 4 | Albania | $6.94 | $0.70 |
| 5 | Serbia | $6.77 | $0.70 |
These are market-panel prices. The Drift Europa catalogue metric is shown separately above. We also measure real network performance on the ground: see our Europe field tests for speed, latency and coverage from actual locations.
How to read this index
For this region, the market metric uses a fixed external-only panel and excludes the Drift catalogue. Each market figure is the price of one gigabyte of prepaid eSIM data across up to 10 panel sources (Airalo, aloSIM, BNESIM, Instabridge, Jetpac, Maya Mobile, Nomad, Saily, Ubigi, Yesim). The panel metric and the Drift Europa catalogue metric are kept separate. Our sister observatory esimvoyage.fr records retail prices every week from public catalogues and the eSIMDB aggregator. For every plan we compute the price per gigabyte (plan price divided by included data), average those readings per destination, then take the regional median across all 43 Europe destinations priced by the panel. The provider count for each destination is retained in the downloadable dataset and destinations with fewer than two panel providers are excluded. Prices are collected in EUR and converted to USD at the European Central Bank reference rate frozen on the publication date; regional plans and unlimited plans with no fixed data allowance are excluded. Latest reading: September 2026. Open data, CC BY 4.0.
Frozen edition. Free to cite under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Drift Europa. Download the dataset (CSV) · Press one-pager (PDF).
The market report: September 2026 through the Drift Europa catalogue
The index above tracks the 10-reseller market panel. The report below reads the same month through the Drift Europa catalogue itself: what travellers actually pay here, destination by destination (catalogue median $1.14 per GB).
Europe eSIM pricing in September 2026
Across 43 European destinations we track, the median price of mobile data is now $1.14 per gigabyte (mean $1.88), up $0.20 since August 2026.
The cheapest data and the best networks rarely sit in the same country. Our price-per-GB index and mobile speed index track both sides, so you can weigh cost against coverage before you buy.
Where eSIM data is cheapest in Europe
Turkey is the cheapest market we track at $0.93 per GB.:
| Destination | Price / GB | NQI | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | $0.93 | 82 | Turkcell |
| Estonia | $0.94 | 90 | Telia |
| Latvia | $0.94 | 90 | LMT |
| Malta | $0.94 | 99 | Epic |
| Moldova | $0.94 | 83 | Orange |
| Liechtenstein | $0.96 | 99 | Telecom Liechtenstein (FL1) |
| San Marino | $0.96 | 96 | San Marino Telecom |
| Ukraine | $0.98 | 83 | Kyivstar |
The catch: several pair low prices with mid-tier networks. Cheap data is only a bargain if coverage holds where you travel, check the mobile speed index first.
The most expensive European markets
At the other end, the priciest markets we track pair a higher price with a stronger network:
| Destination | Price / GB | NQI |
|---|---|---|
| Monaco | $27.13 | 97 |
| Andorra | $3.63 | 96 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | $2.63 | 82 |
| North Macedonia | $2.04 | 82 |
| Albania | $1.54 | 82 |
| Serbia | $1.54 | 82 |
Network quality across Europe
The average network quality across Europe is 92/100. The top is a global elite:
| Destination | NQI |
|---|---|
| Cyprus | 100 |
| Netherlands | 99 |
| Switzerland | 99 |
| Greece | 99 |
| Denmark | 99 |
| Lithuania | 99 |
Cyprus (100/100) leads. Networks at the bottom of the table can drop to slower speeds outside the main cities.
Real-world speed across Europe
Price and network quality say nothing about raw throughput. Our mobile speed index scores each destination out of 100, built on Ookla median download speeds. The European average sits at 71/100.
A high score means video calls, streaming and tethering run without friction. A mid score is still plenty for maps, messaging and browsing. The index reflects measured median speeds, not operator marketing.
| Destination | MSI | NQI |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 92 | 82 |
| Denmark | 86 | 99 |
| Netherlands | 83 | 99 |
| North Macedonia | 83 | 82 |
| Norway | 82 | 97 |
| Iceland | 82 | 98 |
| France | 79 | 97 |
| Portugal | 79 | 95 |
| Slovenia | 79 | 90 |
| Estonia | 79 | 90 |
What changed since August 2026
Prices eased again, with the steepest cuts in premium markets:
| Destination | August 2026 | September 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monaco | $28.63 | $27.13 | -1.50 |
| Albania | $1.54 | $1.54 | 0.00 |
| Andorra | $3.63 | $3.63 | 0.00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | $2.63 | $2.63 | 0.00 |
| Cyprus | $0.99 | $0.99 | 0.00 |
| Estonia | $0.94 | $0.94 | 0.00 |
All figures as of September 2026. Free to cite under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to DriftEuropa. Source: data-europe.json.
Frequently asked questions
What period does this market report cover?
This edition covers September 2026 and compares the current regional picture with the previous monthly snapshot.
How is price per GB calculated?
Prices come from the shared open dataset and use the median of mid-tier travel-eSIM plans, excluding teaser and bulk bundles.
Can I cite or reuse this report?
Yes. The figures and charts are published under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Drift Europa and a link to the report or source dataset.
Where can I inspect the underlying data?
Open the data-europe.json file linked from this report or use the regional tools hub for the latest indexes.