Best eSIM for Manila (2026): Globe or Smart, Real Prices and the 30-Day Rule
Which network a Manila eSIM actually uses, what a week of Grab and maps really costs in data, the legal 30-day limit on a tourist SIM, and every plan priced per day and per gigabyte.
Quick answer: A Manila eSIM roams on Globe if you buy the Philippines country plan, and on Smart if you buy the 18-country South-Eastern Asia plan. For a week of Grab, maps and messaging, 5 GB for 7 days costs US$12.87 on 23 September 2026, about US$1.84 a day and US$2.57 per GB.
Key takeaways
- Two networks, two plans. The Philippines country plan roams on Globe across 4G and 5G. The regional South-Eastern Asia plan, 18 countries, roams on Smart 5G and costs more per gigabyte, so take it only if the trip crosses borders.
- Prices on 23 September 2026: 3 GB for 7 days US$11.34 (US$3.78 per GB), 5 GB for 7 days US$12.87 (US$2.57 per GB), 10 GB for 15 days US$18.90 (US$1.89 per GB), 20 GB for 30 days US$30.67 (US$1.53 per GB), unlimited for 7 days US$28.09 with no speed cap stated.
- After the high-speed data the line drops to 128 kbps, which still carries maps, Grab and messaging but not a video call, and these eSIMs cannot be topped up.
- Smart hands out a free Travel SIM at the airport, and Globe sells one from PHP 500. A local SIM is cheaper per gigabyte and gives you a Philippine number, which is the thing an eSIM cannot do.
You land at NAIA at eleven at night, the Grab queue is outside the terminal, the driver is calling a number you do not have, and the airport Wi-Fi session has just timed out. Manila punishes arriving without data more than most cities, because almost everything here runs through the phone.
Which network does a Manila eSIM roam on?
It depends on which plan you buy, and the difference is not cosmetic.
| Plan | Roams on | Coverage | After the high-speed data | Example price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines country plan | Globe, 4G and 5G | Philippines only | 128 kbps | 5 GB for 7 days, US$12.87 |
| South-Eastern Asia regional plan | Smart, 5G | 18 countries | 128 kbps | 5 GB for 7 days, US$16.68 |
| Philippines unlimited | Globe, 4G and 5G | Philippines only | No speed cap stated | 7 days, US$28.09 |
So the country plan is both cheaper and the one most visitors want. The regional plan earns its price only if the same trip continues to Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia or another of the 18 countries.
How much data does a week in Manila use?
Counting both the upload and the download on calls, and converting published bitrates at one Mbps for an hour being about 0.45 GB:
| A normal Manila day | Data |
|---|---|
| Grab: booking, tracking, chat with the driver | 100 to 200 MB |
| Maps, on the whole time in traffic | 200 to 350 MB |
| Messaging, photos, voice notes | 200 to 400 MB |
| Lookups, menus, a few reels while waiting | 150 to 300 MB |
| One 30-minute video call home at 720p | About 0.55 GB |
| Day total | 0.65 to 1.25 GB without the call, 1.2 to 1.8 GB with it |
Manila traffic is itself a data cost. TomTom's index puts a 10 km drive at 31 minutes 45 seconds on average in 2025 and 43 minutes 29 seconds in the evening peak, with 143 hours lost per driver over the year. Those are hours with maps open.
What do the plans cost, per day and per gigabyte?
Philippines country plans, read from the Fizen catalogue on 23 September 2026. Every fixed plan falls to 128 kbps when the bucket is gone, and none of them can be topped up.
| Plan | Days | Price | Per day | Per GB | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 GB | 7 | US$11.34 | US$1.62 | US$3.78 | A short trip, maps and messaging only |
| 5 GB | 7 | US$12.87 | US$1.84 | US$2.57 | A week of Grab, maps and chat |
| 10 GB | 7 | US$18.36 | US$2.62 | US$1.84 | A week with daily video calls |
| 10 GB | 15 | US$18.90 | US$1.26 | US$1.89 | Two weeks, the best balance on this list |
| 20 GB | 30 | US$30.67 | US$1.02 | US$1.53 | A month, or a hotspot for a laptop |
| Unlimited | 7 | US$28.09 | US$4.01 | n/a | Streaming, no speed cap stated |
Is the free airport SIM better?
- Smart gives the SIM away to non-resident arrivals who show a foreign passport at its booth in NAIA Terminals 1 to 4, and at Clark, Mactan-Cebu, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Siargao and other airports, plus Caticlan Jetty Port and Manila Harbour. Load packages published on Smart's page: 4 GB for 7 days at PHP 349, 8 GB for 15 days at PHP 699, 12 GB for 30 days at PHP 999, each with unlimited calls and texts and 1 GB a day for social apps.
- Globe sells a Traveler SIM from PHP 500 for 20 GB over 15 days up to PHP 3,000 for 169 GB over 30 days, at the arrival areas of NAIA 1 and 3, Clark and Mactan-Cebu. Its in-app Traveler eSIM is 80 GB for 30 days at PHP 1,750, which is PHP 250 more than the same 80 GB on the physical SIM.
- What you get that an eSIM cannot give you: a Philippine number for SMS codes, unlimited local calls, and far more gigabytes per peso.
Where the signal gets thin, and when the network goes down
- Metro Manila: the strong part. 50.4% 5G availability and 75.57 Mbps median download in the second quarter of 2026.
- The islands: thinner and harder to verify. Grab's own list of operating cities covers Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod and more, but not Puerto Princesa, El Nido, Coron, Siargao or Boracay, so plan on messaging your driver rather than booking in an app once you leave the big cities.
- Ferries: no carrier publishes coverage at sea. Assume you lose the line mid-crossing, download tickets and maps before boarding.
- Storms are a real outage risk, including in the capital. In September 2026 Globe reported mobile outages across nine NCR municipalities and two in Rizal during the monsoon, and after Super Typhoon Uwan in November 2025 the government reported networks back at 82% for Smart and 77% for Globe several days later. A second line, on the other network, is genuinely useful here.
Terms and conditions
- Information only. This article is information about mobile data options for travellers in the Philippines. It is not an offer or sale of any product or service, and it is not financial, legal or tax advice.
- For readers in the United States. This article provides information only. It is not an offer, solicitation or sale of any product or service, and it is not financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Fizen is not offered to US Persons.
- Independent. Fizen is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a partner of Globe, Smart, PLDT, NAIA, Grab or the Philippine government.
- Data only. Travel eSIMs carry data. They give you no Philippine number, so keep your home SIM active for calls and bank SMS codes.
- Prices and rules change. Fizen prices were read from the catalogue on 23 September 2026 and local carrier prices from Globe's and Smart's own pages on the same day. Registration rules come from the SIM Registration Act and its implementing rules. Check current prices and rules before you buy.
- Availability. Fizen QR Pay is for foreign travellers in Vietnam and the Philippines only, and is a separate product from the eSIM.
- Full terms. Master Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer on the Fizen site.
Sources
- Globe: Traveler SIM and Traveler eSIM prices
- Smart: All-in-One Travel SIM, free SIM pickup points and load packages
- Republic Act 11934, the SIM Registration Act, section 5(e)
- NTC Memorandum Circular 001-12-2022, implementing rules
- Smart: do tourists have to register their SIM (12 May 2023)
- Ookla Speedtest Global Index: Philippines, August 2026 data
- New NAIA Infra Corp: free Wi-Fi upgrade at NAIA (15 October 2024)
- eTravel: frequently asked questions
Updated 23 September 2026.
