Asia
Prices checked Oct 7, 2026
Nomad China eSIM Plans & Prices (2026)
Nomad's complete China lineup — 10 plans, benchmarked against all 10 providers and 203 plans we track for this country.
Prices shown are Nomad's own list prices as checked on Oct 7, 2026 and can change at any time — confirm the current figure on Nomad's website before you buy.
Nomad promo code
20% off selected plans (autumn campaign) — code
BEYOND20
No expiry published. Applies at Nomad checkout on top of the prices below.
The verdict, computed
Is Nomad the right eSIM for China
Nomad's best rate in China is $0.70/GB; the country benchmark is $0.48/GB among the 10 providers we track. Entry price is $4.00 against the country floor of $0.51. The full ranking context lives in the all-provider China comparison.
Nomad in China
All 10 Nomad China plans
10 plans · 6 trip lengths · 3 to 45 days
| Plan | Data | Validity | Price | $/day | $/GB | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local China - 45 Days - 50 GB Most data | 50GB | 45 days | $35.00 | $0.78 | $0.70 | View plan |
| Local China - 30 Days - 20 GB | 20GB | 30 days | $25.00 | $0.83 | $1.25 | View plan |
| Local China - 30 Days - 10 GB | 10GB | 30 days | $17.00 | $0.57 | $1.70 | View plan |
| Local China - 30 Days - 5 GB | 5GB | 30 days | $13.50 | $0.45 | $2.70 | View plan |
| Local China - 30 Days - 3 GB | 3GB | 30 days | $9.00 | $0.30 | $3.00 | View plan |
| Local China - 7 Days - 1 GB | 1GB | 7 days | $4.00 | $0.57 | $4.00 | View plan |
| Local China - 3 Days -Unlimited | Unlimited | 3 days | $12.00 | $4.00 | — | View plan |
| Local China - 5 Days -Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 days | $18.00 | $3.60 | — | View plan |
| Local China - 7 Days -Unlimited | Unlimited | 7 days | $25.00 | $3.57 | — | View plan |
| Local China - 10 Days -Unlimited | Unlimited | 10 days | $33.00 | $3.30 | — | View plan |
Prices in USD as listed by Nomad, excluding promo codes and taxes. Badges compare against all 203 China eSIM plans we track — see our methodology. Last checked Oct 7, 2026.
Beyond the price tag
Nomad China eSIM hotspot 5G and fair-use rules
Quoted from Nomad's own published policy rather than paraphrased — these are the terms that decide whether a plan for China survives a real trip.
Hotspot and tethering
AllowedShared with your plan data
Nomad advertises sharing your data across multiple devices rather than a separate tethering allowance, so hotspot traffic comes out of the same plan data.
Speed and 5G
5G available20–300 Mbps
Typical real-world download on the fastest host network, China Mobile. Actual speed depends on which mast your phone picks and how busy it is.
Fair-use threshold
2 GB/day on unlimited plans
Drops to 1 Mbps
Every one of the 150 Nomad unlimited plans we track states the same threshold: 2 GB at full speed per day, then unlimited at 1 Mbps. Nomad publishes no brand-wide fair-use figure - its destination pages point you at the individual plan's details, and that is where this number comes from.
Top-ups
AvailableExtra data is sold as an add-on and activates automatically on the existing eSIM when the original plan expires, so there is no new QR code to install.
Fine print decoded
Is Nomad unlimited data in China really unlimited
| Plan | Price | $/day | Fair-use policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local China - 3 Days -Unlimited | $12.00 | $4.00 | 2 GB per day at full speed, then ∞ at 1Mbps |
| Local China - 5 Days -Unlimited | $18.00 | $3.60 | 2 GB per day at full speed, then ∞ at 1Mbps |
| Local China - 7 Days -Unlimited | $25.00 | $3.57 | 2 GB per day at full speed, then ∞ at 1Mbps |
| Local China - 10 Days -Unlimited | $33.00 | $3.30 | 2 GB per day at full speed, then ∞ at 1Mbps |
The masts behind the plan
Which network does Nomad ride in China
Nomad owns no towers in China. This plan connects to the local host carriers China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom — so coverage, speed and rural reach follow those masts rather than the brand on the voucher.
China Mobile
5G25–300 Mbps
The coverage giant — works in subway tunnels, small towns and on most tourist trails.
China Unicom
5G20–250 Mbps
Fast in the cities and historically the traveler-friendly pick; rural reach a step behind Mobile.
China Telecom
5G20–250 Mbps
Strong in the south and all major cities; a solid second choice everywhere.
Network-by-network breakdown, including which carriers every rival rides and how the two testers rank them: China carrier breakdown →
Typical speeds are our editors' reads of each operator's own coverage data. The independent national benchmark is Ookla's Speedtest Global Index for China.
Before you buy
Things to know about China before you pick a plan
Country-level facts, not brand claims — they apply to any eSIM you buy for China, Nomad's included.
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Travel eSIMs for China route through Hong Kong gateways - they need no VPN for Google and WhatsApp, unlike local SIMs.
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China Unicom accepts foreign eSIMs most reliably; Telecom occasionally needs manual APN entry.
Price by trip length
What Nomad costs by trip length in China
The same trip priced two ways — Nomad's own cheapest plan that stays valid for the whole stay, against the cheapest rival plan covering the same days in China.
| Trip length | Nomad cheapest | Cheapest rival in China | cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $4.00 7 days · 1GB | $1.99 7 days · 1GB · Roami | Roami cheaper |
| 5 days | $4.00 7 days · 1GB | $1.99 7 days · 1GB · Roami | Roami cheaper |
| 7 days | $4.00 7 days · 1GB | $1.99 7 days · 1GB · Roami | Roami cheaper |
| 10 days | $9.00 30 days · 3GB | $3.00 14 days · 3GB · Roamic | Roamic cheaper |
| 15 days | $9.00 30 days · 3GB | $3.18 30 days · 1GB · Yesim | Yesim cheaper |
| 30 days | $9.00 30 days · 3GB | $3.18 30 days · 1GB · Yesim | Yesim cheaper |
Pick your trip length and this re-reads the plan table above on the spot — the cheapest plan whose validity still covers the whole trip, against the cheapest rival in the same country.
Price it for your own dates
Nomad cheapest plan that covers the trip
—
Cheapest rival —
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Only plans whose validity covers the whole trip are counted here, so a 30-day trip is priced with a 30-day plan rather than a 5-day one stacked up. Each pick shows its data allowance next to the price — a 500MB trial pack undercuts a 5GB plan for a reason.
One column per brand, cheapest plan that covers the whole trip. Rivals are the other providers we track in China.
Need an exact number for your own dates? Run the trip cost calculator.
Who it fits
Should you buy Nomad for China
Buy it if
- +You would rather size your own data — 10 plans here, from $4.00.
- +You are travelling for 30 days or more — Local China - 30 Days - 3 GB covers it for $9.00.
- +You are on a short break — Local China - 7 Days - 1 GB runs 7 days for $4.00.
Look elsewhere if
- –You are going for fewer than 3 days — its shortest plan runs 3 days
- –You need a local phone number — these are data-only plans.
- –Cheapest headline price is all that matters — Yesim's smallest plan in China starts at $0.51, and that buys 100MB.
Honest trade-offs
Where Nomad wins and loses in China
Strengths
- +Unlimited data from $3.30 a day
- +Its daily rate falls from $4.00 on the 3-day plan to $0.78 on the 45-day plan
- +5G on all 3 host networks in China
- +One purchase covers trips from 3 to 45 days
- +Hotspot and tethering allowed — Shared with your plan data
Watch out for
- –A 10-day unlimited plan costs $20.00 from Roamic against $33.00 here
- –A 15-day trip has no matching tier — its cheapest cover is the 30-day / 3GB plan at $9.00
- –Its shortest plan runs 3 days, so a shorter trip still pays for 3
- –Nomad sells 6 trip lengths here while Roamic sells 30
- –Fair-use throttling starts at about 2 GB a day, then speeds drop to 1 Mbps
- –Data-only plans with no local phone number
Brand history and track record — Nomad
The other side by side
Nomad vs the other providers in China
Airalo
from $4.00
Airalo ranks 7 of 10 on China cost per gigabyte — its cheapest plan is 1GB.
Same entry price
See all Airalo plans →
aloSIM
from $3.50
On cost per gigabyte, aloSIM sits 2 of 10 in China, entering with 1GB.
Cheaper entry by $0.50
See all aloSIM plans →
Holafly
from $11.90
Holafly sells unlimited China plans only — there is no $/GB figure to rank it on.
Pricier entry by $7.90
See all Holafly plans →
Jetpac
from $6.00
Jetpac ranks 6 of 10 on China cost per gigabyte — its cheapest plan is 3GB.
Pricier entry by $2.00
See all Jetpac plans →
Roami
from $1.99
Roami's China entry plan is 1GB, which puts it 4 of 10 on cost per gigabyte.
Cheaper entry by $2.01
See all Roami plans →
Roamic
from $2.00
Roamic ranks 1 of 10 on China cost per gigabyte — its cheapest plan is 1GB.
Cheaper entry by $2.00
See all Roamic plans →
Saily
from $4.49
On cost per gigabyte, Saily sits 9 of 10 in China, entering with 1GB.
Pricier entry by $0.49
See all Saily plans →
Ubigi
from $4.00
Ubigi's China entry plan is 1GB, which puts it 5 of 10 on cost per gigabyte.
Same entry price
See all Ubigi plans →
Yesim
from $0.51
Yesim ranks 8 of 10 on China cost per gigabyte — its cheapest plan is 100MB.
Cheaper entry by $3.49
See all Yesim plans →
FAQ
Nomad China eSIM questions
How much does Nomad charge for China?
Nomad sells 10 plans for China, from $4.00. Its best rate is $0.70/GB, drawn from the 10 provider price sheets we track for this destination. All prices are in USD as listed by Nomad and exclude promo codes.
Is Nomad unlimited data in China really unlimited?
Uncapped, but not unthrottled: Nomad's China unlimited plans run on a published fair-use rule, and what we recorded from Nomad's own documentation is 2 GB/day on unlimited plans. Past that point the connection slows instead of stopping, so the promise is about data volume rather than speed — see the fair-use table above for which tiers carry the rule and the policy cards for the quoted source. Maps, chat and some video rarely reach the threshold; a laptop on hotspot usually does.
Can I share my Nomad China eSIM with a laptop?
Tethering is governed by Nomad's own rule rather than by the country. What we recorded from Nomad's documentation for China plans is Shared with your plan data. That is the publisher's wording, not our paraphrase — the full quote sits in the policy cards above. If you work from a laptop for hours a day, treat this line as the deciding factor between Nomad and a metered alternative, because hotspot traffic drains the same allowance as the phone itself.
Which network does Nomad use in China?
Nomad owns no towers in China, so your data rides the local host carriers — China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom. The fastest of those sustains roughly 300 Mbps, and every one of the 203 China plans we track connects to the same local networks.
Is Nomad or Yesim the better China eSIM?
Nomad's cheapest plan here is $4.00; Yesim's is $0.51, though that entry price buys 100MB. The full ranking with every plan — allowance and $/GB side by side — sits in the China eSIM comparison.
Does Nomad have good reviews for China?
We publish no star rating, and that is deliberate: Trustpilot runs separate regional storefronts, so the same brand holds several scores at once, and quoting one of them as the rating would mislead. The reviews themselves are at <a href="https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.nomadesim.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nomad on Trustpilot</a>. What we verify instead is measured on this page — 10 Nomad plans for China starting at $4.00.
Does Nomad work in China?
Yes. Nomad owns no towers in China, so your plan rides the local host networks — China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom — and every one of the 203 China plans we track connects to that same set. Installs that fail are almost never a coverage problem. They come down to three causes: the handset is still carrier-locked, the eSIM line's data roaming is switched off, or the phone stays on the old line for mobile data after the profile installs. All three are fixable at home, which is why installing on your own Wi-Fi beats doing it at the airport. Nomad sells 10 packages here from $4.00, so the host network is not what separates it from its rivals.
How do I activate my Nomad eSIM for China?
Install it while you still have home Wi-Fi: Nomad issues either a QR code or an in-app profile, and the install itself takes minutes. Leave the line switched off until you land if you want the validity window to start on arrival, and turn data roaming on for that line. On this page Nomad sells 10 separate China packages, from $4.00 each, so match one to your trip length rather than planning to top up abroad. The generic walkthrough is in our eSIM installation guide.
Does Nomad need a VPN in China?
No. Travel eSIMs for China route their traffic through Hong Kong gateways, which is why Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work on them without a VPN — that is the one real advantage a travel eSIM has over a local Chinese SIM, which cannot reach those services at all. Your Nomad plan still rides the same domestic networks as any other: China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom. It starts at $4.00 across the 10 China packages on this page. What it will not do is give you a Chinese phone number, or unlock the China-only apps that need one.
See the whole China picture
Nomad's best $/GB in China next to the other 10 providers we track — the full table with all 203 plans, badges and fair-use notes lives on the China eSIM comparison. Prices verified Oct 7, 2026.