Asia

Best eSIM for Taiwan

Taiwan has excellent coverage on its three networks — Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone — including on the high-speed rail and the Taipei MRT. Mountain areas like Taroko Gorge and Alishan are patchier. Google, WhatsApp and LINE all work normally.

Updated

At a glance

  • Lowest price we found: Talisim’s Asia plan — $15.18 for 10 GB / 30 days on Chunghwa and Taiwan Mobile, and it also covers Japan, South Korea and most of Southeast Asia (not Singapore), 14 destinations in all. Talisim doesn’t sell a Taiwan-only plan.
  • Best country plan: Nomad Taiwan — $16 on Chunghwa and Taiwan Mobile
  • Best for Taiwan plus the rest of Asia: Airalo — $19 for its Taiwan plan on Taiwan Mobile, plus Asialink for longer trips
  • Best for unlimited data: Holafly Taiwan — from $27.90 for 7 days, but hotspot is capped at about 500 MB–1 GB a day

Prices we checked

10 GB of data for 30 days, from each provider’s own website on 17 October 2026.

Provider Price Networks
Talisim (Asia plan, 14 destinations) $15.18 Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile
Nomad $16.00 Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile
Airalo $19.00 Taiwan Mobile

Holafly sells unlimited data instead: $27.90 for 7 days or $50.50 for 15 days.

Network notes

Chunghwa Telecom is the largest network and has the best coverage in the mountains and on the east coast. Taiwan Mobile and Far EasTone are close behind in cities and along the west-coast corridor. All three have 5G in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

For hiking in Taroko, Yushan or Alishan, a plan that uses Chunghwa is the safest choice. Nomad’s Taiwan plan and Talisim’s Asia plan both can; Airalo’s Taiwan plan uses Taiwan Mobile. Many Taroko trails are still closed after the 2024 earthquake, so check trail status before you go.

Practical connectivity tips

  • Install before you land. Taoyuan airport has free Wi-Fi, but you’ll want data for the airport MRT or a taxi.
  • Apps you’ll want online: Google Maps (it works well in Taiwan), Uber and 55688 Taiwan Taxi, the THSR app (high-speed rail), the Taiwan Railway app, and LINE (widely used for bookings and by businesses).
  • EasyCard works on the MRT, buses and in convenience stores. You can buy one at the airport or any 7-Eleven.
  • High-speed rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung keeps signal almost all the way.

Watch out for

  • Typhoon season (roughly July to October) can close mountain roads and ferries to Green Island and Orchid Island.
  • Cheap regional plans may route through Hong Kong, which some services, such as ChatGPT, don’t support. Check where a plan exits if that matters to you.
  • Remote mountain trails and parts of the east coast have dead spots.

Recommended providers

Talisim

Usually the cheapest plan we can find, and buying one takes less time than finding your passport.

Editor's pick
4.4 / 5
From
$0.60
Countries
202+
Hotspot
Yes

Nomad

Like Airalo, but almost always a bit cheaper. Worth a look before you buy anything.

4.1 / 5
From
$3.50
Countries
200+
Hotspot
Yes

Airalo

The supermarket of eSIMs: plans for almost everywhere, just rarely the cheapest thing on the shelf.

4.1 / 5
From
$4.50
Countries
200+
Hotspot
Yes

Holafly

Unlimited data, so no more doing maths. Hotspot taps out at about 500 MB–1 GB a day, though.

4.0 / 5
From
$6.90
Countries
170+
Hotspot
Yes

Saily

From the NordVPN people, so naturally it blocks ads. The app's one of the nicest around.

4.0 / 5
From
$3.99
Countries
200+
Hotspot
Yes

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