Oceania is the one region in this comparison where HelloRoam sells no regional bundle. There is no single Pacific profile: each of its 6 Oceania destinations is bought as its own country plan. That matters less than it sounds for an Australia and New Zealand trip, where the rates are $0.71/GB and $1.18/GB, and it matters a great deal for an island-hopping route.
Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands are not sold here at all. This page compares four providers on published catalogue numbers and names every gap.
Which providers work best in Oceania?
| Rank | Provider | Best For | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | HelloRoam | Australia and New Zealand at $0.71/GB and $1.18/GB | HelloRoam rates 4.9/5, the highest overall score on this page, and it prices Australia at $0.71/GB and New Zealand at $1.18/GB, below every rival here at the 5 GB size. Top-up works on 1,124 of its 1,129 plans, hotspot is on all 1,129, and an unactivated eSIM stays refundable for 180 days. |
| #2 | Airalo | The Pacific islands HelloRoam does not sell | Airalo rates 4.5/5 across 200 destinations and wins this region outright beyond Australia and New Zealand. It sells 5 GB in Samoa for $23.50 against $104.82 here, and it covers Papua New Guinea at $27 for 5 GB and Vanuatu at $29 for 5 GB, neither of which is on sale here. Refunds close after 14 days. |
| #3 | Holafly | Unlimited data on a Fiji resort week | Holafly rates 4.2/5 across 160 destinations and sells unlimited data only, from $19 for 5 days, dropping to $9.30 for 5 days in Fiji and $11.70 for 5 days in Australia and New Zealand. On an island where 5 GB costs $26.99, unlimited at $9.30 for 5 days is a real argument. |
| #4 | Saily | Privacy-first data at $1.90/GB | Saily rates 4.4/5 across 150 destinations, the narrowest catalogue of the four, and comes from the Nord Security group with a verified no-log policy. It sells 5 GB in Australia for $10.99 and its 10 GB rate is $1.90/GB. Pacific island coverage beyond Australia and New Zealand is thin. |
| #5 | Nomad eSIM | Short single-country stays | Nomad rates 4.2/5 across 120 destinations, the smallest catalogue on this page. Its entry tier is 1 GB at $3.00 and its 10 GB tier works out at $2.00/GB, against $0.80/GB at the top of this table. For a 3-day Sydney stopover it is fine, and over a month it is not. |
Countries in Oceania
There is no Oceania regional bundle
Every other region on this site has a single regional profile. Oceania does not. HelloRoam publishes regional plans for Africa at 29 destinations, Europe at 33, Asia at 19, the Middle East at 11, South America at 20 and North America at 3, and nothing at all for the Pacific.
What exists instead is 6 country plans: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Guam, Samoa and French Polynesia. Each is bought on its own, with its own data pool and its own expiry. An Australia and New Zealand trip therefore means 2 purchases rather than 1.
For that specific route the arithmetic still works. Australia is $0.71/GB with 5 GB at $9.49, and New Zealand is $1.18/GB with 5 GB at $12.99. Buying both comes to $22.48 for 10 GB across the two countries, which is below what any rival charges for the same pair.
For an island route the arithmetic collapses. Samoa is $19.65/GB and French Polynesia $21.69/GB, and Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands are not sold. Airalo's regional Oceania bundle is the product this page cannot match, and a Melanesian or Polynesian itinerary should start there.
Australia, New Zealand and the outback question
Australia runs on Optus with 5G at $0.71/GB, the regional floor and cheaper than 177 of the 185 destinations in the catalogue. Seven plans are on sale, from 1 GB at $3.49 to 20 GB at $28.51.
The honest limitation is the operator, not the price. Australia runs on a single partner here, and Optus does not reach every outback town and highway that Telstra does. On the Stuart Highway, in inland Western Australia and across much of the Northern Territory, an Optus-based profile will have gaps that a Telstra SIM would not.
That is a real reason to add a local prepaid SIM for a genuine outback drive.
New Zealand runs on Vodafone with 5G at $1.18/GB across 7 plans, with 5 GB at $12.99 and 10 GB at $22.49. Coverage follows the main population corridors. Fiordland, the West Coast and the interior of the South Island are thin on every carrier, not just this one.
For the two countries together, 10 GB across both is $15.99 in Australia plus $22.49 in New Zealand. Most travellers do better buying 5 GB each and topping up, which works on 1,124 of the 1,129 plans in the catalogue.
Pacific island prices and where they stop
Fiji is the last affordable stop going out from Australia. Vodafone carries it on 4G at $2.58/GB, with 1 GB at $6.49 and 5 GB at $26.99. Airalo asks $30 for 5 GB in Fiji, and Holafly sells unlimited at $9.30 for 5 days, which is the sharpest Fiji option on this page for anyone using more than 3 GB.
Guam runs on GTA Wireless on 4G at $3.74/GB, with 5 GB at $19.95. It is the only United States territory in this region and it is not covered by any United States plan.
Beyond that the prices stop being competitive. Samoa runs on Bluesky at $19.65/GB with 5 GB at $104.82. French Polynesia runs on Vini at $21.69/GB with 5 GB at $118.34, second only to Monaco across all 185 destinations.
Airalo sells 5 GB in Samoa for $23.50, and on that single figure it is not close.
Three destinations have no plan on sale here at all: Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands. Airalo sells 5 GB in Papua New Guinea for $27 and 5 GB in Vanuatu for $29.
For a South Pacific cruise, note that no consumer eSIM works at sea. Ports are what an e-sim is for, and a cruise touching Nadi, Port Vila and Apia needs at least two providers to cover them all.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest eSIM for Australia at 5 GB?
Australia runs $9.49 for 5 GB on Optus with 5G, at a rate of $0.71/GB. Saily sells the same size for $10.99 and Airalo for $11. Holafly sells unlimited only, at $11.70 for 5 days. For 7 plans from $3.49 to $28.51, Australia is the strongest value in Oceania by a distance.
Does eSIM work in the Australian outback?
Partly. Australia runs on Optus alone here, and Optus does not reach every remote town and highway that Telstra covers. The Stuart Highway, inland Western Australia and much of the Northern Territory have gaps. For a genuine outback drive, add a local Telstra prepaid SIM as a second profile alongside the $0.71/GB eSIM.
Is there an Oceania regional eSIM plan?
Not from HelloRoam. Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America and North America all have regional bundles, and the Pacific has none. Instead there are 6 country plans covering Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Guam, Samoa and French Polynesia. Airalo does sell a regional Oceania product, which is a genuine advantage on multi-island routes.
Do I need separate eSIMs for Australia and New Zealand?
Yes, 2 separate country plans, because no Pacific regional bundle exists here. Australia is $0.71/GB with 5 GB at $9.49 and New Zealand is $1.18/GB with 5 GB at $12.99, so both together cost $22.48 for 10 GB. That still lands below the rival plans compared on this page.
Is 5G available on eSIMs in Australia?
Yes. Optus carries Australia on 5G at $0.71/GB, and 4 of the 6 Oceania destinations on sale carry a 5G partner: Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and French Polynesia. Fiji and Guam are 4G only. Across the whole catalogue 5G runs in 93 of 185 destinations, so Oceania is running above the global rate.
Can I use an eSIM in Fiji?
Yes. Vodafone carries Fiji on 4G at $2.58/GB, with 6 plans from $6.49 for 1 GB to $43.99 for 10 GB. Airalo sells 5 GB in Fiji for $30 against $26.99 here, and Holafly sells unlimited at $9.30 for 5 days, which is the cheapest way to cover a heavy resort week.
Which Pacific destinations have no eSIM plan?
Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands have no plan in this 185-destination catalogue. Airalo sells 5 GB in Papua New Guinea for $27 and 5 GB in Vanuatu for $29, so a Melanesian route needs a different provider. New Caledonia, Tonga and the Solomon Islands are also absent here.
Why is data so expensive in Samoa and Tahiti?
Both run on single island operators with no wholesale competition. Bluesky carries Samoa at $19.65/GB and Vini carries French Polynesia at $21.69/GB, which makes Tahiti the second dearest of all 185 destinations. Airalo sells 5 GB in Samoa for $23.50, far below the $104.82 charged here, so compare before you buy.
Does an eSIM work on a South Pacific cruise?
Not at sea. No consumer eSIM reaches a ship between ports, and shipboard satellite Wi-Fi is the only option underway. In port it works normally, so a 5 GB Fiji plan at $26.99 covers Nadi and Suva calls. A cruise touching Port Vila or Apia needs a second provider, because those islands sit outside the 6 on sale here.