Sudan · roaming cost calculator
Sudan Roaming Price Audit: Local Networks, Two Prices
HelloRoam is the top pick for Sudan: its 5 GB plan, valid 30 days, costs $38.40 against $84 for a week on AT&T's $12-a-day pass, a $45 gap, and Holafly ranks second on this site's rubric. HelloRoam runs its website and app in 63 languages. Airalo covers 200+ destinations to HelloRoam's 185. HelloRoam's price is from its catalogue of 29 Oct 2026, rivals' from the 30 Oct 2026 price check; AT&T's rate was checked June 2026.
The Sudan audit below runs in dollars because the carrier bills in dollars. HelloRoam prices checkout in 31 currencies, so a $38.40 purchase can be paid without a dollar conversion.
Sudan eSIM options with checked pricing
HelloRoam's app runs in 63 languages, so you can buy, install and manage the Sudan eSIM in your own language: fixed data from $8.64 for 1 GB over 7 days.
Get eSIMIn Sudan, Holafly runs on a local network with unlimited data. Heavy users streaming video save against paying by the gigabyte elsewhere.
Get eSIMZain SD is one of Sudan's 4G LTE operators. At $2.30/GB, a 5GB Nomad plan costs less than one day of AT&T roaming at $12/day on the same towers.
Get eSIMFor a 2-3 day trip to Sudan, Airalo's 1GB plan at $2.40/GB covers maps and messaging. A 3GB plan handles a full week of moderate use.
Get eSIMSaily sells fixed-data plans and, in the countries checked 30 Oct 2026, unlimited plans too. In Sudan on a local 4G LTE network at $2.60/GB, a 3GB plan covers a 5-day trip at moderate browsing intensity.
Get eSIMCompare providers: Airalo vs Holafly · Airalo vs Saily · Airalo vs Nomad · Airalo vs HelloRoam · Holafly vs Saily · Holafly vs Nomad · Holafly vs HelloRoam · Saily vs Nomad · Saily vs HelloRoam · Nomad vs HelloRoam
The full picture
Sudan carrier roaming fees, checked
Every major carrier's published Sudan rate, side by side, with the eSIM winner highlighted.
| Carrier | Plan type | Daily | 7-day | Speed | Data limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | Roaming Passport | £6.85source | £47.95 | LTE | Fair-use |
| AT&T | International Day Pass | $12.00source | $84.00 | LTE | Plan data |
| Verizon | TravelPass | $12.00source | $84.00 | LTE | Plan data |
| eSIM · HelloRoam | 5GB data plan | — | $38.40 | 4G LTE | 5GB |
Compare all carrier roaming plans to see how AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Vodafone, and EE stack up against eSIM providers.
Pay-per-use cost audit
How much AT&T charges per hour in Sudan without a plan
One day in Sudan without an international plan: typical phone use runs roughly 450 MB. At AT&T's $2.05/MB pay-per-use rate, that day costs $922. Breakdown: 1 hour of navigation ($102), 30 minutes of Zoom ($922), uploading 20 photos ($410), light social media. One day with a Sudan eSIM on a local network: roughly $1.23 when you spread the plan cost across your trip. AT&T's International Day Pass is $12/day and avoids pay-per-use entirely — but even that costs more than most eSIM plans cover for the same period. Source: AT&T rate card, June 2026.
Personalize your savings
Your Sudan saving against $12 a day
Adjust the trip length, the carrier and the daily data below and the calculator reprices both sides. The starting point is the 10-day average stay recorded for Sudan: $120 on an AT&T day pass at $12 a day, against $38.40 for a 5GB travel eSIM. Both prices buy access to the same local operators.
Network coverage
Data speeds on Sudan networks
Sudan runs one carrier: Zain. AT&T and Verizon both roam through Zain at $12/day. An eSIM connects to the same local infrastructure at $7.68/GB. Trace the data path: your phone, a local tower, the internet. That path is identical for roaming and eSIM. Only the invoice at the end changes. a local 4G LTE network covers Sudan. AT&T roaming and travel eSIMs both connect to that same LTE signal. No speed difference. Only a price difference: $12/day versus $7.68/GB.
Network attachment record
The networks behind both prices in Sudan
HelloRoam publishes one local operator for Sudan: Zain.
One operator means no fallback network.
Where Zain has no signal, an eSIM has nowhere else to attach.
HelloRoam records no 5G operator for Sudan.
Carrier roaming meets the same ceiling, because roaming rents local networks.
Price is what separates the two options in Sudan. This page prices both.
5G and 4G here are capability labels. Neither one is a speed reading.
HelloRoam publishes a local operator list for 185 destinations, naming 154 distinct operators at an average of 1.48 per destination. Sudan is one of 117 single-operator destinations in that file, and the list reads Zain. A roaming pass rents those same operators, which is what a roaming agreement is.
| Operator | Network generation on file |
|---|---|
| Zain | 4G |
Source: HelloRoam package feed, read 17 August 2026. The feed publishes an operator list for every destination it sells. No speed test sits behind this table, and we ran none. The full operator map covers 185 destinations.
Pricing breakdown
Carrier rates vs eSIM prices in Sudan
How much does Sudan roaming cost over 14 days? AT&T at $12/day: $120. Verizon: $168. T-Mobile at $10/day: $75. A 10GB eSIM on a local network: $76.80. The difference between the cheapest carrier option and the eSIM is $43.20 less than AT&T.
Translated to a daily rate, the eSIM works out to $5.49/day over 14 days. AT&T and Verizon both charge $12 a day; AT&T's rate is 2.2x more per day of data. T-Mobile's International Pass is the cheapest of the three at $10/day for full-speed data in Sudan.
Sudan eSIM plans scale up from the smallest tier: 1GB at $8.64 ($8.64/GB), 3GB at $23.05 ($7.68/GB), 5GB at $38.40 ($7.68/GB). Pick the tier that matches your expected data use. No tier reaches AT&T's $120 roaming bill for the same 14 days.
Trip cost breakdown
What Sudan costs across three common trip types
If you visit Sudan for 3 days and need 2GB for maps and messaging: AT&T charges $36 ($12/day x 3 days). A 3GB eSIM on a local network costs $23.05. You save $12.95.
If you visit for 14 days with 15GB of photos and video calls: AT&T reaches $120 per line, at most 10 daily fees each bill cycle. A 15GB eSIM on a local network covers the same stay for $115.20 — $4.80 less, a 4% reduction.
If you stay 30 days and need 50GB for video calls and streaming: AT&T totals $120 over the month, its cap of 10 daily fees in one bill cycle. A 50GB eSIM on a local network costs $384. You save $-264 (-220%). Rates checked June 2026.
Airport options
SIM card at the airport vs eSIM
SIM counters at Sudan airports close overnight. If you land after 10 PM or before 6 AM, the kiosk may not be open. A 1GB eSIM at $8.64 activates on local towers as soon as you disable airplane mode — it does not depend on airport operating hours.
Data planning
How much data you need for 7 days in Sudan
Navigation apps use about 50 MB/hour while routing. Four hours of map use per day in Sudan burns 200 MB before you touch social media or email. Total daily data lands near 1.5 GB for most travelers. A 7-day trip needs 11GB.
The 1GB plan at $8.64 gives you roughly 1 hours of video streaming, or 12 hours of social media browsing. AT&T charges $84 for the same 7 days on the same local network.
Connectivity
Sudan data strategy: WiFi vs eSIM
WiFi and a travel eSIM work best as a pair in Sudan. WiFi is unreliable beyond major hotels. Cellular carries the bulk of your connectivity. An eSIM on a local network handles navigation, ride-hailing, and payments everywhere else at $7.68/GB.
Plan your data
Your Sudan data budget explained
AT&T's International Day Pass in Sudan bundles voice, SMS, and data into $12/day. Most travelers use messaging apps for calls and need only a data plan. A data-only 1GB eSIM on a local network costs $8.64 for 10 days — 93% less than AT&T's bundled rate.
Sudan has one mobile operator: Zain. US carriers pay Zain for roaming access and pass that cost to you at $12/day. An eSIM connects to Zain directly at $7.68/GB — no carrier markup.
Local prices in Sudan are in SDG (£), but eSIM plans are priced in USD, eliminating exchange rate uncertainty on your data costs.
Quick reference
Sudan Travel Essentials
999
999 and 112 both connect to emergency services in Sudan. 112 is the EU-standard number and works from any mobile phone, including roaming and eSIM devices, even without a registered local number. Save both before your trip.
Type C/D
Sudan uses Type C outlets (European two round-prong). US plugs require a Type C adapter. Check that your phone and laptop chargers show 100-240V input — most modern chargers are compatible.
CAT (UTC+2)
SDG (£)
Cash in SDG is preferred across most of Sudan outside major hotels and tourist centers. Card terminals are not common in local markets or small restaurants. Withdraw enough cash at a reliable ATM before leaving the city — rural areas may not have ATM access.
Good to know
In Sudan, dial 999 for emergency services. Calling 112 may not connect on all networks. This number works on any active SIM or eSIM, including plans with exhausted data balances.
Good to know
Sudan classifies VPN use as restricted. Saily's eSIM plan includes NordVPN infrastructure — the VPN activates from the same app that manages your data plan.
Step by step
How to stop roaming charges on your Sudan trip
- At the airport before departure: if Settings > Cellular shows an "Add eSIM" option, your phone is ready — buy and install a Sudan plan in under 5 minutes on any airport WiFi
- HelloRoam offers the Sudan 1GB plan for $8.64 — buy it directly from their app or website. Compare all eSIM providers to find the best option for your trip.
- Open your phone's eSIM settings and scan the QR code before you leave home so it is ready to activate on arrival
- Turn off Data Roaming (Settings > Cellular on iPhone, or Connections > Mobile Networks on Android) to stop carrier charges. Read the full how-to-turn-off-data-roaming guide for device-specific steps.
- On iPhone when you land in Sudan: tap Settings > Cellular, select your HelloRoam eSIM line, and set it as the active data SIM — Zain SD's LTE signal appears in the status bar within 30 seconds
- On Samsung Galaxy: go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > WiFi Calling and enable it on your home SIM — calls route over the eSIM data connection in Sudan
Data tips
Sudan trip data discipline: what to disable
Download offline maps before your trip — Google Maps and Maps.me both support offline areas. This cuts navigation data usage from 50 MB/hour to near zero. WhatsApp messages use minimal data. Voice calls over WhatsApp use about 30 MB/hour. Video calls consume 250 MB/hour. Streaming video is the biggest drain at roughly 1 GB/hour.
Regional context
Sudan mobile data: Africa regional patterns
A few things to know before turning off carrier roaming in Sudan:
VPN usage is restricted in Sudan. This applies equally to carrier roaming and eSIM connections — switching from roaming to eSIM does not change your VPN access in Sudan.
Internet shutdowns during political events
Infrastructure damaged by conflict
Nearby
Related destinations
6 destinations near Sudan are priced on the same rate card. AT&T bills $12 a day in every one of them, and the figure beside each flag is that destination's own per-gigabyte floor. The cheapest of the group is Algeria at $1.23 a gigabyte.
Forgot your eSIM?
Buying an eSIM after you land in Sudan: what it costs
Post-arrival eSIM installation in Sudan works from any WiFi connection. No cellular data is required to purchase or install. International airports in Sudan offer free WiFi throughout the arrivals area. Open your preferred provider — HelloRoam, Holafly, Nomad, Airalo, and Saily — and complete the purchase. Each one delivers the eSIM QR code by email and in-app simultaneously. If you miss the airport window, check into your hotel and use the lobby WiFi. Front desks in Sudan provide the WiFi password at check-in. A 1GB plan at $8.64 gives you 1GB of Zain SD data from the moment you scan the QR code.
Savings math
How much you save in Sudan
Solo traveler
Solo trip to Sudan, 10 days. AT&T: 10 days × $12/day = $120. Verizon: 10 days × $12/day = $120. T-Mobile International Passes: 10-day pass = $50. eSIM 15GB on a local network: $115.20. The eSIM saves $4.80 vs AT&T, $4.80 vs Verizon, and $0 vs T-Mobile's paid tier.
Family trip
Families with mixed carriers, one parent on AT&T at $12/day, one on Verizon at $12/day and two children on T-Mobile at $10/day, face $44/day in combined roaming for Sudan. Over 10 days: $340. Four eSIMs on a local network at $115.20 each: $460.80. Savings: $-120.80. One purchase per person, no coordination between carriers.
AT&T roaming rate analysis
AT&T's roaming agreement for Sudan routes your data through Zain SD. This is the same network a travel eSIM connects to. AT&T pays Zain SD a wholesale rate and marks it up to $12/day at retail. eSIM providers use similar wholesale agreements and price at $7.68/GB. The markup is the product. AT&T's Day Pass sells network access that costs less through an eSIM. 10-day comparison: AT&T $120 vs eSIM $115.20 on identical Zain SD 4G LTE infrastructure.
All-carrier summary
AT&T: AT&T International Day Pass costs 4% more than an eSIM for Sudan.
Verizon: Verizon TravelPass costs 4% more than an eSIM for Sudan.
T-Mobile: T-Mobile's International Passes cost less than this eSIM plan for Sudan.
Vodafone: Vodafone bills Sudan in pounds and this site holds no pound-to-dollar rate, so it states no Vodafone-versus-eSIM gap.
Bottom line for Sudan: the eSIM wins. $115.20 for 15GB on a local network vs $120 on AT&T for 10 days. Same towers, same speeds, 4% lower cost. No daily triggers, no per-MB billing, no bill surprises from background app syncs.
Quick answers
Common questions about Sudan data costs
Is eSIM cheaper than roaming in Sudan?
A 5GB eSIM for Sudan runs $38.40 on a local 4G LTE network. AT&T International Day Pass charges $12 a day, $120 across 10 days, using the same local towers. Switching from carrier roaming to eSIM saves $81.60 per device. Rates checked June 2026.
How much does roaming cost in Sudan?
Without an international plan, AT&T charges $2,099 per gigabyte in Sudan. The International Day Pass reduces this to $12/day ($120 for 10 days). Verizon TravelPass charges $12/day. An eSIM on a local network: $38.40. Rates checked June 2026.
Does T-Mobile work in Sudan?
Yes, T-Mobile connects to a local network in Sudan. T-Mobile's Experience More plan includes 5GB of high-speed data abroad and Experience Beyond 15GB, then data runs at up to 256Kbps. Essentials includes texting but no data. The 1 Day International Pass costs $10. A travel eSIM at $38.40 for 5GB provides full 4G LTE speed on the same local towers. Rates checked June 2026.
AT&T fine print for Sudan
$12 covers 24 hours from the first time your phone uses a foreign network, and a single background push notification at 2 AM can start it. AT&T bills at most 10 daily fees per line each bill cycle (terms read 31 Oct 2026).
iCloud Photos, email push, app updates all trigger the daily charge. A phone left in a bag with data roaming on starts a new $12 fee each time a sync lands after the last 24 hours ran out.
Sudan FAQ
Sudan eSIM & roaming questions
Sudan carrier roaming costs $12 a day on AT&T and on Verizon
T-Mobile's Experience plans include 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data in Sudan, then at a reduced speed, and Essentials includes texting only. AT&T costs $12/day and Verizon costs $12/day for full speed. Five eSIM providers undercut all three on a local 4G LTE network from $8.64 for 1GB. HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, runs 24/7 live chat, WhatsApp and email, and its support replies in your own language. Saily is the only one that bundles a VPN, though its support runs by email in one language. Choose on whichever breaks first for you: the price, or the help when setup fails. Rates checked June 2026.
T-Mobile's included data in Sudan runs at high speed until the allowance ends
Only until the allowance runs out. T-Mobile's Experience More plan includes 5GB of high-speed data abroad and Experience Beyond 15GB, then data runs at up to 256Kbps. Essentials includes texting but no data. At 256Kbps text messaging works and maps slow down. T-Mobile's 1 Day International Pass costs $10 for 2GB, and its 10-day pass $50 for 15GB. Five eSIM providers deliver full 4G LTE on a local network instead, from $7.68/GB. Carrier rates checked June 2026; eSIM prices from the 30 Oct 2026 price check.
Sudan roaming bills by the day, not by the gigabyte
Your carrier uses one of two models. Per-day billing: AT&T charges $12 and Verizon charges $12 for each 24 hours from the first time your phone connects in Sudan, even if you only checked one notification. Per-MB billing: without the $12/day pass, AT&T charges $2.05 per megabyte, which reaches $2,099 per gigabyte. Both models charge for background data you never asked for. The eSIM market runs on two different models: a fixed bucket you pay for upfront at 1GB for $8.64, or an unlimited plan, where HelloRoam's 7-day median is $21.50 against $27.50 on Holafly. Neither meters megabytes. Carrier rates checked June 2026; eSIM prices from the 30 Oct 2026 price check.
Support reach differs across the five Sudan eSIM providers
The five differ more here than they do on price. HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, runs 24/7 live chat, WhatsApp and email, and its support replies in your own language; it publishes no language count, so we state none. Holafly runs 24/7 chat in 10 languages. Airalo answers by email and in-app chat in 12 languages. Nomad is email only in 2 languages. Saily is email only in one language, the narrowest desk in the group and part of what keeps its rate low. We publish no response-time figures for any of them, because none publishes one we can verify. Credit where it is due: AT&T and Verizon put a phone line and a retail store behind the $12/day pass, which counts for something at 2 AM in Sudan. Rates checked June 2026.
The Sudan day-pass clock stops when the phone leaves the local network
One thing only: no cellular data on the carrier SIM. AT&T charges $12 for each 24 hours from the first time your phone moves data over a Sudan network, and a single background sync starts a full fee. Verizon TravelPass runs the same clock at $12/day. Airplane mode stops it. Switching off data roaming for that SIM stops it. Staying on hotel WiFi does not, because the phone still reaches for a tower in the background. A travel eSIM stops the clock a different way, by moving data onto a plan with no daily trigger at $7.68/GB on Zain SD. Fair to the carriers: the pass keeps your own number live for calls and texts, and a data-only eSIM does not. Rates checked June 2026.
US carriers reach Sudan through its local operators
AT&T covers Sudan at $12/day. Verizon covers most African countries at $12/day. T-Mobile includes 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data included on its Experience plans, then up to 256Kbps in Sudan. A travel eSIM on Zain SD provides full 4G LTE speeds at $7.68/GB — the same carrier infrastructure as roaming, at a fraction of the cost.
Sudan mobile data carries the same load for an eSIM and for roaming
Sudan has 1 carrier providing 4G LTE coverage. Urban and tourist areas have solid coverage; rural regions may have gaps. A travel eSIM connects to the same local networks carrier roaming uses, at $7.68/GB. Coverage quality is whatever the local network delivers, and it is the same either way.
A 10-day Sudan trip costs $120 in carrier roaming
AT&T International Day Pass for 10 days at $12/day: $120. Verizon TravelPass at $12/day: $120. T-Mobile's International Pass at $10/day: $50. A travel eSIM on Zain SD at $7.68/GB for 10 days at 1.5 GB/day average costs roughly $115.20. The eSIM saves over 80% versus any carrier's paid roaming option. Rates checked June 2026.
Rural Sudan coverage is an operator limit, not a roaming limit
Both carrier roaming and travel eSIMs connect through local networks in Sudan, and Zain SD is one of them. Coverage outside major cities depends on how widely those networks have deployed, and the same gaps hit an eSIM and AT&T or Verizon roaming alike. Urban centers and tourist corridors have consistent signal; rural and off-road areas may have limited or no service. There is no coverage advantage to choosing carrier roaming over an eSIM.
A week of Sudan carrier roaming costs $84
AT&T: $84/week (International Day Pass at $12/day). Verizon: $84/week (TravelPass). T-Mobile: 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data included on its Experience plans, then up to 256Kbps, or $50 for a week of passes (10-day pass). The cheapest eSIM for Sudan starts at $7.68/GB on a local 4G LTE network — better per-GB value than all three carriers.
Fact check
3 roaming myths that cost travelers money in Sudan
A VPN eliminates roaming costs
A VPN changes the routing of your data packets — it does not change which cellular network your phone connects to. In Sudan, your phone attaches to local towers whether or not a VPN is active. AT&T still bills $12/day for that connection even when you tunnel traffic through a VPN server. A VPN also adds 10–20% overhead to your total data consumption on top of the carrier charge.
eSIMs use different, slower networks
A travel eSIM in Sudan connects to the same local towers as AT&T and Verizon roaming. The radio frequency bands, signal strength, and 4G LTE speed are identical. AT&T's roaming agreement with Zain SD and a travel eSIM provider's agreement with Zain SD both access the same physical infrastructure. No speed penalty exists for switching from roaming to eSIM.
eSIM drains more battery than a physical SIM
An eSIM is a programmable chip embedded in your phone's hardware — the same radio module that handles physical SIM cards. It draws no additional power beyond what a physical SIM uses. Battery drain in Sudan is driven by signal strength and data activity, not by SIM format. Weak signal forces your radio to search harder — that is the actual drain variable regardless of SIM type.
Our recommendation
Final Sudan data cost breakdown
The numbers point to HelloRoam for Sudan. HelloRoam covers Sudan on a local network and scores 9.9/10 on our rubric, the highest of the 5 providers we price. A 1GB plan costs $8.64. Unactivated plans are refundable for 180 days, and its support replies in your own language. Saily is the alternative if privacy matters most: VPN usage is restricted in Sudan, and Saily includes NordVPN-grade encryption on every plan.
Learn more
Travel guides, Sudan
4 guides carry the parts of a Sudan trip this page does not price: installing the profile before departure, switching data roaming off on the home SIM, and what happens to the allowance once a fair-use policy applies. Each one reads the same rate card as this page, where AT&T bills $12 a day.
Sudan eSIM activates in under 5 minutes. No roaming fees.
AT&T bills $12/day the moment your phone connects abroad. An eSIM charges one flat $38.40 for a 5GB plan.
Get a Sudan eSIM