The best eSIM for Bulgaria
A mix of Black Sea beaches and mountainous landscapes. Here is the plan we would pick today, the live pricing for every plan we track, and the practical things to know before you fly.
The lowest price-per-gigabyte we currently track for Bulgaria. A solid fit for most one-to-two-week trips with maps, messaging, and the occasional photo upload.
| Provider | Data | Days | Price | $/GB | Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GoMoWorld | 40GB | 30 | $19.99 | $0.50 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 60GB | 30 | $29.99 | $0.50 | Get → |
 GigSky | 100GB | 180 | $58.49 | $0.58 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 15GB | 30 | $10.99 | $0.73 | Get → |
| GigSky | 50GB | 90 | $38.99 | $0.78 | Get → |
 Virgin Connect | 100GB | 30 | $85.00 | $0.85 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 50GB | 30 | $44.00 | $0.88 | Get → |
 Saily | 20GB | 30 | $17.99 | $0.90 | Get → |
 Nomad | 50GB | 30 | $45.00 | $0.90 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 4GB | 7 | $3.99 | $1.00 | Get → |
| Nomad | 20GB | 30 | $20.00 | $1.00 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 20GB | 30 | $20.00 | $1.00 | Get → |
| Saily | 10GB | 30 | $10.79 | $1.08 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 10GB | 30 | $12.50 | $1.25 | Get → |
 Roamless | 3GB | PAYG | $7.35 | $2.45 | Get → |
GoMoWorld- Data
- 40GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.50
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
GoMoWorld- Data
- 60GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.50
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
GigSky- Data
- 100GB
- Days
- 180
- $/GB
- $0.58
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
GoMoWorld- Data
- 15GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.73
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
GigSky- Data
- 50GB
- Days
- 90
- $/GB
- $0.78
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 100GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.85
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 50GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $0.88
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
GoMoWorld- Data
- 4GB
- Days
- 7
- $/GB
- $1.00
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 20GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $1.00
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
Virgin Connect- Data
- 10GB
- Days
- 30
- $/GB
- $1.25
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
Roamless- Data
- 3GB
- Days
- PAYG
- $/GB
- $2.45
- Network
- A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor), Vivacom · 5G
Prices are live and may change. Google Fi is excluded from the value ranking because it is a full phone plan rather than a travel data plan.
A1 Bulgaria, Vivacom and Yettel (formerly Telenor Bulgaria) all run 4G with expanding 5G across central Sofia, Vitosha Boulevard and Plovdiv's Old Town. The Sofia Metro (lines M1, M2 and M3) has cell coverage on every station and tunnel section.
The resort strip from Albena and Golden Sands south to Sunny Beach and Sozopol is fully covered by all three carriers. Coastal walking paths and the beach club zones stay live; longer boat trips into the open Black Sea drop signal offshore.
The monastery itself, the visitor area and the main road in are well covered. The Seven Rila Lakes hiking trail has signal at the chairlift area; the upper-lake circuit and the longer overnight hut walks thin out, with A1 the most consistent.
Bansko ski resort, the gondola corridor and the main town are fully covered. Higher trails toward Vihren peak and the Pirin glacial lakes see brief drops in the deeper valleys.
The medieval capital and the Tsarevets fortress are well covered. The drive through the Stara Planina passes and the rural Etar villages has signal at the towns; switchback sections on smaller roads occasionally drop.
Smolyan, Devin and the larger Rhodope towns have functional 4G. The remote villages of the Western Rhodopes, the bear-tracking areas and the longer drives to the Greek border thin out, with A1 the most consistent rural carrier.
Sofia
- Arriving
- Sofia Airport (SOF) is about 10 km from the centre. The Metro Line M4 runs from Terminal 2 into the city with cell coverage; the OK Supertrans and yellow taxis are the alternatives. All terminals have full 4G/5G from A1, Vivacom and Yettel. As an EU country, European regional eSIMs work at no surcharge, and Bulgaria has some of the cheapest data in the EU.
- On the subway and rail
- The Sofia Metro (lines M1, M2, M3 and M4) has cell coverage on every station and tunnel. The trams, trolleybuses and buses stay connected. Coverage holds across the centre and Vitosha Boulevard. The metro reaches the airport, making it the easiest connected transfer into town.
- Free public WiFi
- The malls leave WiFi open: Serdika Center, the Mall of Sofia and Paradise Center. Cafes along Vitosha Boulevard and the hotels offer WiFi. SOF airport has free terminal WiFi. Hotels provide guest WiFi as standard, so the centre is easy to stay connected in.
- Coverage in the city
- A1, Vivacom and Yettel all run 4G with expanding 5G across central Sofia, Vitosha Boulevard, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Largo government complex and the Boyana district. Data is excellent value by EU standards. The drive up to Vitosha mountain on the city edge stays connected at the main stops.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- A1, Vivacom and Yettel sell prepaid SIMs at SOF and in the malls. Bulgarian data is among the cheapest in the EU. For most visitors a European regional eSIM is the simplest path, covering Bulgaria alongside Greece and Romania on a Balkan trip.
Plovdiv
- Arriving
- Plovdiv has a small seasonal airport, so most visitors arrive via Sofia (SOF), about an hour and a half away, by train or bus with signal along the route. Plovdiv is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe and an easy add-on to Sofia. Have data ready for maps around the hilly old town.
- On the subway and rail
- Plovdiv moves by city buses and is walkable around the Old Town and the Kapana creative district; there is no metro. Coverage holds across the centre and the historic hills. The pedestrianised main street and the Roman sites are easily explored on foot with cellular data throughout.
- Free public WiFi
- The malls (Mall Plovdiv, Grand Plovdiv) leave WiFi open, and the cafes across the Kapana district and the Old Town offer WiFi. Hotels provide guest WiFi as standard. Connectivity is easy in the compact centre.
- Coverage in the city
- A1, Vivacom and Yettel all cover the Old Town, the ancient Roman Theatre (still used for performances), the Kapana creative district and the main pedestrian street. The hills the city is built on are all connected. Data is cheap and reliable across the centre.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- A1, Vivacom and Yettel have shops in Plovdiv; it is also easy to buy at Sofia airport on arrival. Bulgarian data is very cheap. A European regional eSIM is the cleanest option for a Plovdiv stop combined with Sofia.
Grab an eSIM before you arrive in Bulgaria to skip local SIM queues. Most urban areas offer 4G or better, while rural regions can slow down, so keep offline maps handy. Activating the eSIM in advance ensures you are connected the moment you clear customs.
Bulgaria offers budget-friendly mobile connectivity for eSIM travelers, with solid coverage across its most popular destinations. A1, Telenor (now Yettel), and Vivacom provide 4G LTE networks covering Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and the Black Sea coastal resorts. 5G rollout is underway but still limited, so most travelers will rely on 4G, which handles navigation, social media, and video calls comfortably.
EU roaming regulations apply, making European regional eSIM plans a convenient option for visitors combining Bulgaria with other EU countries. Coastal resort areas like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands maintain strong coverage during tourist season. Ski resorts including Bansko and Borovets also have reliable connectivity. More remote mountain areas in the Rhodope and Pirin ranges may experience weaker signal, but main tourist corridors remain well covered.
- EU regional plans work in Bulgaria - practical for trips combining Sofia with Greece or Romania
- Black Sea coastal resorts have strong coverage throughout the summer tourist season
- Download offline maps for hiking in Rila, Pirin, and Rhodope mountain areas
- Data costs are among the lowest in the EU - budget travelers benefit from affordable plans
- Free Wi-Fi is common in hotels and restaurants along the coast but less reliable inland
Average Data Cost
~$0.68-$2/GB
Network Quality
4G LTE in Sofia, Plovdiv, and coastal resorts. 5G rollout in early stages. Variable in remote mountain areas.
eSIM Availability
eSIM supported by major carriers. EU roaming regulations apply for EU-based plans.
Major Carriers
Recommended Providers for Bulgaria
Plans for Bulgaria
From $3.99
Plans for Bulgaria
From $1.99
Plans for Bulgaria
From $3.00
Plans for Bulgaria
From $4.99
Plans for Bulgaria
From $4.50
Plans for Bulgaria
From $2.45
Pay-as-you-go: $2.45/GB
Plans for Bulgaria
From $10.00
Pay-as-you-go: $10.00/GB
- 1
Buy and install at home on WiFi.
Installation is not the same as activation. You can install the Bulgaria eSIM days ahead and only switch it on after you land, which avoids burning days of validity in transit.
- 2
Screenshot your current APN before you swap.
If you ever need to switch back to your home line quickly, that screenshot saves a support call from a foreign airport.
- 3
Decide on your dual-SIM strategy.
Keep your home line on for SMS-based bank logins, two-factor codes, and emergency calls. Set the travel eSIM as the data line only. Most modern phones can do both simultaneously.
- 4
Disable iMessage on the travel eSIM line.
Otherwise iMessage will try to re-activate against the new line on arrival and you will spend the first ten minutes troubleshooting it instead of finding the taxi rank.
- 5
Download offline maps for Bulgaria.
Google Maps and Apple Maps both support offline regions. Pull them down on home WiFi so a flaky activation never leaves you without a route from the airport. Our offline maps guide walks through it step by step.
- 6
Activate at the airport, not before.
Once the validity timer starts it does not pause. A 15-day plan you turn on the morning of departure burns a full day of validity before you even land.
We are building this section from real, verified traveler submissions rather than stock testimonials, so it stays empty until we have notes we can stand behind. If you have used an eSIM in Bulgaria recently, a one-paragraph note on what worked (and what did not) helps the next traveler.
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Pricing on this page is pulled live from our database and refreshed every four hours. Coverage notes are sourced from carrier roaming agreements and updated when carriers change partners. Provider rankings are determined by price-per-gigabyte and plan flexibility, not by who pays the largest commission.