Timor-Leste · roaming cost calculator
Timor-Leste Roaming Price Audit: $120 on AT&T, $2.99 a Gigabyte on an eSIM
HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, does not sell Timor-Leste: its catalogue of 29 Oct 2026 lists 185 destinations. In Asia it sells 30 destinations, among them Afghanistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, so a trip that continues there can switch to it. HelloRoam's 7-day unlimited plan has a median price of $21.50 across the 35 countries where all five providers were priced.
Timor-Leste pricing here is quoted in dollars throughout. HelloRoam accepts 31 checkout currencies, and a bank takes 2 to 4 percent to convert a dollar charge that is not paid in one.
On destination count Airalo leads: 200+ against HelloRoam's 185.
Timor-Leste eSIM providers and published plan rates
HelloRoam, first on this site's rubric, sells 185 destinations and Timor-Leste is not one of them, so this page ranks no provider here. The four below list Timor-Leste plans; Airalo covers 200+ destinations to HelloRoam's 185.
Holafly offers regional plans covering multiple countries in one purchase. If Timor-Leste is a stop on a multi-country trip, a regional bundle costs less than buying separate eSIMs per destination.
Get eSIMNomad support is email-only, with no live chat and no phone line. For Timor-Leste trips at $2.30/GB, self-service activation handles most setup without a support ticket.
Get eSIMAiralo's app shows real-time data usage, so you can see how much of a Timor-Leste plan is left. Plans start at $2.40/GB on a local 4G LTE network.
Get eSIMIn Timor-Leste, Saily uses a local 4G LTE network. The integrated VPN keeps your traffic private on hotel and airport Wi-Fi where packet sniffing is common.
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
Timor-Leste international day pass rates by carrier
Every major carrier's published Timor-Leste rate, side by side, with the eSIM winner highlighted.
| Carrier | Plan type | Daily | 7-day | Speed | Data limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | International Day Pass | $12.00source | $84.00 | LTE | Plan data |
| Verizon | TravelPass | $12.00source | $84.00 | LTE | Plan data |
| T-Mobile | International Pass | $10.00*source | $50.00 | LTE | 2GB per 1 Day pass |
| eSIM · Holafly | Sold by the gigabyte | — | $2.99/GB | 4G LTE | Your choice |
*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; the 7-day figure is the cheapest pass mix, 10-day pass.
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
What AT&T charges per activity in Timor-Leste — no day pass
Here is how the first morning in Timor-Leste plays out on AT&T pay-per-use (no plan active). You wake up, open Google Maps to find coffee nearby (~50 MB). You check email and a few attachments load (~5 MB). You scroll Instagram for 15 minutes while you wait (~20 MB). That totals 75 MB. At $2.05/MB, your first morning costs $154 before 9 AM. A 5-minute FaceTime call to confirm plans adds $154. By noon, after another hour of navigation, the bill reaches $410. These are AT&T's published pay-per-use charges. Source: AT&T rate card, June 2026.
Personalize your savings
Your Timor-Leste 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 Timor-Leste: $120 on an AT&T day pass at $12 a day, against $2.99 a gigabyte on a travel eSIM. Both prices buy access to the same local operators.
Network coverage
Which networks operate in Timor-Leste
AT&T's International Day Pass for Timor-Leste costs $12/day. AT&T connects your phone to local towers. A travel eSIM also connects to local towers, from $2.99/GB. The network does not change. The price does. The network technology on a local network in Timor-Leste is 4G LTE. AT&T roaming connects to that same 4G LTE signal. A travel eSIM connects to the same signal. No speed premium exists for roaming over eSIM.
Pricing breakdown
Per-day data costs in Timor-Leste: roaming and eSIM
AT&T International Day Pass in Timor-Leste: 10 daily fees × $12 (AT&T's cap per bill cycle) = $120. eSIM 10GB plan on a local network: $29.90 for the same 14 days. Difference: $90.10 less than AT&T (75%). Verizon TravelPass reaches $168 over the same period.
Each day AT&T connects you to Telemor in Timor-Leste costs $12. Buy a 10GB eSIM plan at $29.90 and that same daily access drops to $2.14/day. Over 14 days, the difference is $90.10.
eSIM pricing for Timor-Leste: . AT&T's 14-day roaming bill is $120 regardless of data consumed. Every eSIM tier undercuts that figure.
Trip cost breakdown
Weekend, two-week, and month-long trips to Timor-Leste: carrier vs eSIM
AT&T bills $12/day for roaming in Timor-Leste — that is $0.50/hour around the clock, whether your phone is in your pocket or active. A 2GB eSIM on a local network costs $5.98 for 3 days — $0.08/hour at continuous use. Difference for a 3-day trip: $30.02.
Over 14 days, AT&T's per-hour rate stays at $0.36. A 15GB eSIM on a local network for 15GB averages $0.13/hour over the same 14 days. AT&T total: $120. eSIM total: $44.85. Difference: $75.15.
A 30-day stay at $0.17/hour on AT&T reaches $120. A 50GB eSIM on a local network covering 50GB for video calls and streaming costs $149.50 — $0.21/hour. Total difference over 30 days: $-29.50 (-25%). Rates checked June 2026.
Airport options
Timor-Leste arrival data: airport SIM vs eSIM
Buying a SIM card at the airport in Timor-Leste means waiting in line after a long flight, handing over your passport, and paying a tourist-markup price. A 5GB eSIM at $14.95 installs in 2 minutes from the provider's app. It activates on a local network the moment you turn off airplane mode.
Data planning
What 7 days of data costs in Timor-Leste
One hour of video streaming consumes about 1 GB. Two hours/day of streaming in Timor-Leste uses 2 GB daily, more than 1.5 GB average usage. For a 7-day trip with occasional streaming, budget at least 11GB. WiFi in Timor-Leste is unreliable, so lean toward a larger plan.
A 5GB eSIM costs $14.95 for 7 days. AT&T charges $84 for the same trip on the same local towers.
Connectivity
WiFi-only vs eSIM data in Timor-Leste
Co-working spaces are available in Timor-Leste's main cities but WiFi quality varies by location. WiFi limited to hotels in Dili; very limited outside the capital An eSIM on a local network gives you 4G LTE backup for neighborhoods between co-working locations, or wherever WiFi is slow.
Plan your data
Planning your data usage for Timor-Leste
Business travelers expensing Timor-Leste trips put $120 in roaming charges on the AT&T line item for a 10-day trip. A 5GB eSIM on a local network delivers the same 4G LTE connectivity for $14.95. Difference: $105.05 per trip.
The 4G LTE network in Timor-Leste is operated by Telemor. Whether you use carrier roaming or a travel eSIM, your data runs through local towers. The only difference is the bill.
WiFi in Timor-Leste is limited and unreliable in most areas. An eSIM fills the gaps at $2.99/GB instead of AT&T's $12/day roaming charge. Local prices in Timor-Leste are in US Dollar (USD) ($), but eSIM plans are priced in USD, eliminating exchange rate uncertainty on your data costs.
Quick reference
Timor-Leste Travel Essentials
112
112 is the emergency number in Timor-Leste — police, fire, and medical. It is the EU standard and works from any mobile phone regardless of SIM type or carrier. No local plan or credit is required to dial 112.
Type C/E/F/I
Timor-Leste 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.
TLT (UTC+9)
US Dollar (USD) ($)
Cash in US Dollar (USD) is preferred across most of Timor-Leste 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
Timor-Leste uses Type C/E/F/I power sockets. A dead phone means a dead eSIM connection — pack the right adapter to keep your device charged between venues.
Quick tip
Buying a physical SIM at Timor-Leste's airport or shops requires passport registration. A travel eSIM skips that step — activation completes on your phone before you land.
Step by step
Before you fly to Timor-Leste: eSIM installation steps
- Verify eSIM compatibility — any iPhone from 2018 or Samsung Galaxy S20 and later works on Timor-Leste's LTE network via Telemor
- Go to Holafly, search Timor-Leste, and pick the data size your trip needs at $2.99 a gigabyte — no physical SIM needed. Not sure which provider to pick? See our provider comparison.
- On iPhone: go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM > Use QR Code and scan the Holafly code — do this before your flight to Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (DIL) so it activates the moment you land
- On Samsung Galaxy: go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks, select your home carrier SIM, and turn off Data Roaming. The step-by-step roaming guide has Android screenshots.
- On Google Pixel at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (DIL): go to Settings > Network > SIMs and set the Holafly eSIM as the preferred data SIM — LTE on Telemor confirms in seconds
- First-timer tip: set up WiFi Calling before your trip, not at the airport — some carriers require a verification step that needs a home network connection to complete
Data tips
Making your GB last in Timor-Leste
Travel booking apps — flights, hotels, and train tickets — typically use 5-20 MB per search session. If you book in-country transport while in Timor-Leste, plan for one session of 15-30 MB. Download booking confirmations to your phone over WiFi so you can access them without cellular data.
Regional context
Timor-Leste data context within Asia
A few things to know before turning off carrier roaming in Timor-Leste:
Uses US Dollar as official currency
Multiple socket types — bring universal adapter
Three carriers jointly provide 98% national coverage
WiFi limited to hotels in Dili; very limited outside the capital Roaming passes charge $12/day to fill WiFi gaps. An eSIM covers the same connectivity at $2.99/GB.
Nearby
Related destinations
6 destinations near Timor-Leste 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 Bangladesh at $1.25 a gigabyte.
Forgot your eSIM?
Last-minute eSIM options for Timor-Leste arrivals
The fastest emergency option in Timor-Leste: turn on AT&T cellular data long enough to download the Airalo app. The app download is approximately 5 MB. At AT&T's $2.05/MB pay-per-use rate, that download costs $10. Once the app is installed, turn carrier data back off. Connect to Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport (DIL)'s free WiFi, buy a Timor-Leste eSIM plan, and scan the QR code. Your eSIM on a local network then handles all data at $14.95 for 5GB. The $10 carrier charge is a one-time cost, not a daily fee. AT&T's International Day Pass costs $12 for that same day and $12 again for every day after it.
Savings math
How much you save in Timor-Leste
Solo traveler
Break-even point for a solo Timor-Leste trip: day one. AT&T charges $12 for the first 24 hours. A 15GB eSIM at $44.85 is already cheaper than two AT&T days. By day 10, the eSIM has saved $75.15 total. There is no trip length at which AT&T roaming costs less than a travel eSIM for Timor-Leste.
Family trip
Verizon TravelPass charges per line, not per account. A family of four pays $48/day ($12 x 4 lines). Over 10 days in Timor-Leste: $480. Four eSIMs at $44.85 each: $179.40. Per-person savings: $75.15. All eight data connections (4 carrier, 4 eSIM) route through local 4G LTE towers.
AT&T roaming rate analysis
Checking voicemail on AT&T in Timor-Leste is treated as an inbound international call. That call starts a $12 Day Pass fee covering the next 24 hours, even if you did not plan to use data. A single voicemail check at 5 AM on your last morning adds $12 to your bill. Weekly AT&T cost: $84. Monthly: $120. A 15GB eSIM: $44.85 for 10 days on a local network. The eSIM does not charge for background triggers.
All-carrier summary
AT&T: AT&T International Day Pass costs 168% more than an eSIM for Timor-Leste.
Verizon: Verizon TravelPass costs 168% more than an eSIM for Timor-Leste.
T-Mobile: T-Mobile's International Passes cost 11% more than an eSIM for Timor-Leste.
Against AT&T: $75.15 saved (63%). Against Verizon: $75.15 saved. Against T-Mobile's International Pass at $10/day: $5.15 saved. Against T-Mobile free tier: $0 carrier cost, but the throttle renders maps, ride-hailing, and video calls unusable. A 15GB eSIM at $44.85 delivers full 4G LTE on a local network for less than any paid roaming option.
Quick answers
Common questions about Timor-Leste data costs
Is eSIM cheaper than roaming in Timor-Leste?
Carrier roaming in Timor-Leste costs $120 on AT&T ($12/day for 10 days). An eSIM plan on a local network costs $44.85 for 15GB. Both connect to the same 4G LTE cell towers. The eSIM is cheaper by $75.15, a 63% reduction. Rates checked June 2026.
How much does roaming cost in Timor-Leste?
Roaming in Timor-Leste costs $12/day on AT&T ($120 for 10 days), $12/day on Verizon ($120), and $50 on T-Mobile's International Passes (10-day pass). A travel eSIM on a local network costs $44.85 for 15GB. Rates checked June 2026.
Does T-Mobile work in Timor-Leste?
Yes, T-Mobile connects to a local network in Timor-Leste. 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 $44.85 for 15GB provides full 4G LTE speed on the same local towers. Rates checked June 2026.
AT&T fine print for Timor-Leste
$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.
Timor-Leste FAQ
Timor-Leste eSIM & roaming questions
Timor-Leste carrier roaming costs $12 a day on AT&T and on Verizon
AT&T bills $12 a day for the first line and $6 for each extra line, so a family of four in Timor-Leste pays $30 a day, or $210 across a week. Verizon charges the full $12 on each line. T-Mobile's Experience plans include 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data abroad per line, then at a reduced speed. Travel eSIM plans are per device and do not share, so four phones means four plans from $2.99/GB each, or one plan tethered to the rest. Holafly caps hotspot use at 1 GB per day on most plans, so a family leaning on tethering should buy fixed data instead. Rates checked June 2026.
T-Mobile's included data in Timor-Leste runs at high speed until the allowance ends
For a short trip on Experience Beyond, often yes; past the allowance, no. 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. A 7-day travel eSIM at 1.5 GB/day costs $31.40 at $2.99/GB in Timor-Leste, against $50 for a week of T-Mobile passes. HelloRoam's 7-day unlimited plan covers the same week for a median $21.50 with no gigabyte counting, against $27.50 on Holafly. Carrier rates checked June 2026; eSIM prices from the 30 Oct 2026 price check.
Timor-Leste roaming bills by the day, not by the gigabyte
At 3 days in Timor-Leste: AT&T costs $36, eSIM costs $2.99/GB. At 7 days: AT&T $84, eSIM same $2.99/GB. At 14 days: AT&T $120, eSIM same fixed rate. The eSIM billing model is flat: the longer the trip, the wider the gap. T-Mobile's included data costs nothing extra until its 5GB or 15GB allowance runs out, then runs at up to 256Kbps.
Carrier roaming beats an eSIM in Timor-Leste on one-day stops and voice-only trips
Three cases, and they are real. First, T-Mobile does not charge for data in Mexico and Canada up to its plan's high-speed allowance, and nothing priced here beats free. Second, if you need your own number live for calls and texts without WiFi, a day pass does that and a data-only travel eSIM does not. Third, if you use almost no data, one AT&T day at $12 can beat buying a whole plan for a single overnight stop. Outside those three the arithmetic favors the eSIM in Timor-Leste: $84 for a week on AT&T against $31.40 at $2.99/GB on Telemor. Rates checked June 2026.
Voice on a data-only Timor-Leste plan runs over an app, not the network
Nothing extra, as long as you call over apps. Data-only plans are the standard product across HelloRoam, Holafly, Nomad, Airalo, and Saily, and none of them carries a phone number of its own. WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, and Google Meet all run over the eSIM's data at $2.99/GB on Telemor, and voice traffic is small next to maps or video. WiFi Calling keeps your home number live for ordinary calls at no charge on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Here is where the carrier wins outright: AT&T's $12/day pass carries cellular voice on your own number with no app and no WiFi needed. A voice-and-data eSIM with a local Timor-Leste number adds $15 to $40 over the data-only price. Rates checked June 2026.
The three US carriers price Timor-Leste roaming on different terms
None of the three US carriers offer a genuinely good deal in Timor-Leste. AT&T: $12/day. Verizon: $12/day. T-Mobile: 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data included on its Experience plans, then up to 256Kbps, or $10 for a 1 Day pass. A travel eSIM on Telemor starts at $2.99/GB — a 7-day trip at average usage costs $31.40 versus $84 for AT&T. No carrier matches the eSIM on per-GB cost.
A week of Timor-Leste data costs $84 on AT&T
AT&T International Day Pass: $12/day, $84 for 7 days. Verizon TravelPass: $12/day, $84. T-Mobile International Pass: $10/day, $50. The base T-Mobile tier costs nothing but runs too slow to be usable. Against T-Mobile's $10/day pass, a travel eSIM on Telemor runs roughly $31.40 for 7 days at 1.5 GB/day average usage. The eSIM is 80-90% cheaper than any paid carrier option.
Local Timor-Leste apps run on a travel eSIM without a local SIM
Most local apps in Timor-Leste — ride-hailing, food delivery, transit — do not require a local SIM number to function. They require only a data connection, which a travel eSIM provides at $2.99/GB on a local 4G LTE network. Some banking and two-factor authentication apps require a local phone number for SMS verification. For those cases, keep your home SIM active alongside the eSIM — your home number handles SMS while the eSIM handles data.
One eSIM can cover a multi-country Asia route including Timor-Leste
Multi-country Asia eSIM plans exist and cover many combinations — Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and others in a single data bucket. AT&T and Verizon charge $12/day in each country separately, so a 3-country trip at 3 days each costs $108. A regional Asia eSIM for the same 9 days runs $15-$40 total. Check plan coverage maps — Timor-Leste may be included in a regional plan, or you may need a Timor-Leste-specific plan plus a regional one.
A week of Timor-Leste 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 Timor-Leste starts at $2.99/GB on a local 4G LTE network — better per-GB value than all three carriers.
Fact check
Timor-Leste data myths travelers believe
Carrier roaming is more reliable than an eSIM
Reliability is determined by the local carrier's network, not the billing layer above it. AT&T roaming in Timor-Leste routes through a local network. A travel eSIM also routes through a local network. Both connections depend on local network coverage in any given area. AT&T charges $12/day for a connection with zero reliability advantage over the $14.95 eSIM.
Pay-per-use international data rates are reasonable
AT&T's pay-per-use international data rate is $2.05/MB without an active plan. At that rate, 1 GB costs $2,099. A single Google Maps navigation session in Timor-Leste loads 50–100 MB — that is $102–$205 at pay-per-use. A 5GB eSIM on a local network costs $14.95 for the same data. Always activate a day pass or eSIM before your flight. Rates checked June 2026.
T-Mobile includes free international data
T-Mobile's Experience plans include 5GB or 15GB of high-speed data abroad, then up to 256Kbps, too slow to load a map tile in Timor-Leste past the allowance. Its 1 Day International Pass costs $10. Exception: T-Mobile does not charge for calls, texts or data in Mexico and Canada; depending on the plan, up to 30GB is at high speed, then up to 256Kbps. Timor-Leste is not on that list. Rates checked June 2026.
Our recommendation
Which eSIM to get for Timor-Leste
Our pick for Timor-Leste: Airalo. Timor-Leste is a thin eSIM market and we could not price a plan tier here. Airalo and Holafly each list 200+ destinations, the highest count this site prints, so it is among the likeliest of the five to stock Timor-Leste on a local network. Holafly is the alternative, at 200+ destinations with a 180-day refund window if the plan turns out not to cover you.
Learn more
Travel guides, Timor-Leste
4 guides carry the parts of a Timor-Leste 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.
Compare Timor-Leste eSIM rates against carrier roaming rates
An eSIM for Timor-Leste installs in minutes before you board. No waiting at airport kiosks. No $12/day surprise charges.
Get a Timor-Leste eSIM