Complete guide to australian sim cards and data plans

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Buying a SIM card can be tricky.. there are so many options available so it can be hard to know which is best for you. The great news is that there are plenty of prepaid SIM cards available in Australia, which means you can use your phone as normal but won’t have to pay expensive international roaming charges. So if you’re unsure on where to start, don’t worry, as we’ve got some tips on how to choose the best SIM card for your needs.

Where can I buy a SIM card in Australia?

You can practically buy a SIM card anywhere. You can either buy one at the airport as soon as you arrive in Australia, or in one of the Australian supermarkets (Woolworth, Coles, 7Eleven, convenience stores, etc). Going directly to a network providers store such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone is also an option.

What Sim Card Should I Get For Australia?

There are many low cost prepaid SIM plans available to overseas travellers. When choosing a SIM card for your travels in Australia, it is important to consider phone coverage based on where you plan to visit.

If you plan on discovering more of the remote areas of Australia, it’s recommended that you choose a plan with the largest coverage. Telstra network provides the best coverage of 99.6%. Optus and Vodafone networks also offer good coverage, with Optus having a 98.5% coverage, and Vodafone 96%.

These are the three most popular networks within Australia, depending on what plan suits you, they can range from $30 per month, increasing depending on the amount of data you’d like.

If your trip involves more of a city break, then the amount of coverage needed may not be as essential, and distinguishing between the three main network providers wouldn’t be as noticeable. Or, you may just be looking for a plan that’s a little more affordable.

If this is the case, then there are a number of plans available from as cheap as $20 per month, or pay as you go.

A number of networks that provide this price range are:

Aldi, TPG, Felix, Superloop, Lebara and Catch Connect.

Although these providers are cheaper, they don’t have the same advantages of the three larger networks when it comes to coverage. Many travellers tend to buy one of the cheaper plans as soon as they arrive, and later upgrade to one of the larger networks if they are in Australia for a longer period of time and may be requiring better 4G coverage.