Cost Comparison
Mauritius: Roaming Charges vs eSIM Prices, Carrier by Carrier (2026)
4 carriers serve Mauritius roaming at $6-$10/day. An eSIM delivers the same my.t 5G connection for $101.25 per trip. The hidden charges section below shows what the carrier rate card does not tell you.
Roaming costs by carrier
Vodafone in Mauritius
Plan
Roaming Passport
Daily rate
£6/day
7-day cost
£42
14-day cost
£84
Vodafone's £6/day pass in Mauritius uses my.t's network — identical to what a travel eSIM from $5.06/GB delivers.
EE in Mauritius
Plan
Roam Abroad
Daily rate
£6/day
7-day cost
£42
14-day cost
£84
EE shows the Mauritius roaming rate as £6/day, but the total depends on how many days your phone touches my.t's network — including transit days where you land at midnight. An eSIM at $5.06/GB charges a fixed amount regardless of activation timing.
AT&T in Mauritius
Plan
International Day Pass
Daily rate
$10/day
7-day cost
$70
14-day cost
$140
AT&T's day pass in Mauritius activates the moment your phone connects to my.t's network abroad — including the two minutes of background data sync when you land. A full $10 charge runs whether you use 10MB or 10GB that day.
Verizon in Mauritius
Plan
TravelPass
Daily rate
$10/day
7-day cost
$70
14-day cost
$140
Verizon's day pass in Mauritius activates the moment your phone connects to my.t's network abroad — including the two minutes of background data sync when you land. A full $10 charge runs whether you use 10MB or 10GB that day.
eSIM costs by provider
Metered plans (1GB-20GB)
| Tier | Price | Per GB |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | $8.10 | $8.10 |
| 3GB | $22.50 | $7.50 |
| 5GB | $29.85 | $5.97 |
| 10GB | $58.50 | $5.85 |
| 20GB | $101.25 | $5.06 |
Unlimited daily plans
| Days | Price | Per Day | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 days | $9.33 | $9.33 | 4% |
| 3 days | $26.83 | $8.94 | 8% |
| 7 days | $62.60 | $8.94 | 8% |
| 14 days | $121.11 | $8.65 | 11% |
| 30 days | $239.11 | $7.97 | 18% |
Network access
eSIM plans in Mauritius connect to my.t's 5G network — the same towers that carrier roaming uses. my.t is the sole operator, so both roaming and eSIM deliver identical coverage.
Side-by-side comparison
7-day trip comparison
| Option | Cost | Data | Speed | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | £42 | Fair-use | LTE | my.t |
| EE | £42 | Fair-use | LTE | my.t |
| AT&T | $70 | Plan data | LTE | my.t |
| Verizon | $70 | Plan data | LTE | my.t |
| eSIM (20GB) | $101.25 | 20GB | 5G | my.t |
| eSIM (Unlimited) | $68.04 | Unlimited | 5G | my.t |
14-day trip comparison
| Option | Cost | Data | Speed | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | £84 | Fair-use | LTE | my.t |
| EE | £84 | Fair-use | LTE | my.t |
| AT&T | $140 | Plan data | LTE | my.t |
| Verizon | $140 | Plan data | LTE | my.t |
| eSIM (20GB) | $101.25 | 20GB | 5G | my.t |
| eSIM (Unlimited) | $136.08 | Unlimited | 5G | my.t |
Per-day rate breakdown
AT&T charges $10/day. A 20GB eSIM spread across 10 days costs $10.13/day — 1x cheaper on the same my.t 5G network.
Hidden charges
Auto-enrollment and day-one billing
AT&T and Verizon roaming passes activate automatically when your phone connects to my.t's network in Mauritius. Calendar-day billing means arriving at 11:30 PM and leaving before midnight the next day counts as two full day charges. A single background app refresh on landing triggers the first charge.
Speed throttling and data caps
T-Mobile's free international data runs at 256 Kbps — too slow for Google Maps, Instagram, or video calls. Xfinity Mobile caps high-speed data at 200 MB per day before throttling. AT&T and Verizon do not publish their throttling thresholds, but users report speed reductions on sustained high-bandwidth use.
Voicemail and background app charges
Checking voicemail abroad is treated as an inbound international call. If the day pass has not yet activated, that single voicemail retrieval triggers the full daily charge. Background app sync, push notifications, and automatic app updates all count toward data usage and can activate the daily pass without your knowledge.
Fair-use caps on UK carriers
Vodafone and EE apply unpublished fair-use data thresholds for Mauritius roaming. Once exceeded, speeds drop to 2G-equivalent rates while the daily charge continues. The exact threshold depends on your home plan tier and is not disclosed on the rate card.
Carrier rate analysis for Mauritius
AT&T International Day Pass
AT&T Prepaid customers traveling to Mauritius cannot access International Day Pass. Pay-per-use data rates of $2.05/MB apply automatically. One hour of Google Maps navigation (~50 MB): $102. A 5-minute FaceTime call (~75 MB): $154. One Instagram scroll session (~20 MB): $41. AT&T Postpaid with Day Pass: $10/day ($100 for 10 days). Travel eSIM: $101.25 for 20GB on my.t. Prepaid customers should buy an eSIM before departure.
Verizon TravelPass
Verizon TravelPass resets at midnight local time in Mauritius, not at midnight in your home time zone. A background email sync at 11:58 PM costs $10 for that calendar day. Another sync at 12:02 AM costs another $10 for the next day. Four minutes of background activity: $20. Over 10 days, these midnight roll-overs can inflate the bill by $10-$20. An eSIM at $101.25 does not bill by calendar day.
T-Mobile International
T-Mobile Prepaid plans do not include Simple Global (the free international data program). Prepaid customers in Mauritius get no free data at any speed. International add-ons for Prepaid cost more than postpaid upgrades and cover fewer destinations. T-Mobile Prepaid customers should purchase a 20GB eSIM at $101.25 before departure. The eSIM provides full 5G on my.t without depending on any T-Mobile international program.
Vodafone Roaming Passport
Vodafone Roaming Passport for Mauritius: GBP6/day. 7 days: GBP42. 10 days: GBP60. This is Vodafone's rest-of-world rate. EU destinations may be included at no extra charge depending on your plan, but Mauritius falls under the paid roaming zone. A 20GB eSIM on my.t: $101.25 (USD). The eSIM is priced in USD, removing GBP exchange rate uncertainty.
EE Roam Abroad
A UK family of four on EE visiting Mauritius: 4 x GBP6/day x 10 = GBP240. Four 20GB eSIMs: $405. Each EE line triggers independently. A teenager's Instagram refresh at midnight adds GBP6 to that line for the next day. The eSIM alternative uses data-bucket billing: no calendar-day triggers, no midnight roll-over charges.
Xfinity Mobile International Pass
Xfinity Mobile International Pass for Mauritius: $10/day with a 200 MB daily high-speed cap. After 200 MB, data throttles to 2G-equivalent speeds for the rest of the calendar day. 200 MB covers roughly 4 hours of Google Maps navigation or 15 minutes of video calling. Most travelers exceed 200 MB before lunch. Over 10 days: $100 total, with throttled speeds most of each day. A 20GB eSIM at $101.25 provides the full data allocation at 5G with no daily cap.
Three UK Go Roam
Three UK applies a 12 GB monthly fair-use cap on Go Roam data. After 12 GB, data is blocked (not throttled) until the next billing cycle. Heavy travelers to Mauritius who stream video or use hotspot can hit 12 GB in under 4 days at 3 GB/day. Once blocked, the £2/day charge stops, but so does all mobile data for the remainder of the billing cycle. A 20GB eSIM at $101.25 has a stated data cap with no surprise block.
MVNO roaming comparison
Cricket Wireless runs on AT&T's network and inherits AT&T's international billing structure. Cricket charges $10/day for roaming in Mauritius on the International Day Pass add-on. Cricket Core and Cricket Unlimited plans do not include international data by default. 10-day Cricket roaming cost: $100. A 20GB eSIM on my.t: $101.25. Cricket customers save $-1.25 with an eSIM.
Rate summary
AT&T (International Day Pass): AT&T International Day Pass costs -1% more than an eSIM for Mauritius.
Verizon (TravelPass): Verizon TravelPass costs -1% more than an eSIM for Mauritius.
T-Mobile (Magenta (high-speed add-on)): T-Mobile's paid high-speed tier costs more than AT&T and more than an eSIM.
Vodafone (Roaming Passport): Vodafone rest-of-world rate exceeds eSIM cost for any trip over 1 day to Mauritius.
EE (Roam Abroad): EE Roam Abroad costs more than an eSIM for Mauritius at all trip lengths.
Bill shock scenarios
Scenario: a family of four on Verizon lands in Mauritius. All four phones auto-connect to my.t. TravelPass triggers on all four lines: $40 for day one. One child's phone downloads a game update overnight (100 MB): triggers a new $10 charge at midnight for that line. After 10 days: $400 + phantom midnight charges. Four 20GB eSIMs: $405 total with no per-day billing.
How to switch to an eSIM
Setting up dual-SIM for Mauritius (works with any US carrier): Your phone runs two SIMs simultaneously: the home carrier SIM and the travel eSIM. Home SIM role: calls and texts only. Data roaming OFF. WiFi Calling ON. eSIM role: all mobile data on my.t's 5G network at $101.25 for 20GB. How they work together: incoming calls arrive on your US number via WiFi Calling routed over the eSIM's data connection. iMessage and WhatsApp stay tied to your home number. Maps, browsers, and apps use the eSIM's data. AT&T/Verizon/T-Mobile cannot bill roaming charges when data roaming is disabled on their SIM.
Is eSIM cheaper than roaming in Mauritius?
An eSIM in Mauritius costs $101.25 for 20GB over 10 days. AT&T roaming costs $100 for the same trip on the same my.t towers. Verizon TravelPass matches AT&T at $10/day. The eSIM is 0% cheaper than both carriers. Rates verified May 2026.
Should I use eSIM or roaming in Mauritius?
If you stream, navigate, or video-call in Mauritius, use an eSIM. AT&T's $10/day roaming counts against your home data. An eSIM provides dedicated 20GB on my.t's 5G network for $101.25. You save $0 over 10 days with no throttle surprises. Verified May 2026.
Does T-Mobile work in Mauritius?
T-Mobile works in Mauritius with free data throttled to 256 Kbps. At that speed, a Google Maps search takes 30+ seconds. The high-speed add-on runs $15/day ($150 for 10 days). A my.t eSIM delivers full 5G speed for $101.25. Verified May 2026.
What is the best way to get data in Mauritius?
Use a travel eSIM with dual-SIM to keep your home number active in Mauritius. The eSIM handles data on my.t's 5G network for $101.25. Your primary SIM stays connected for calls and texts. Carrier roaming charges $100 for the same setup. Verified May 2026.
Our verdict for Mauritius
When carrier roaming makes sense
Carrier roaming makes sense for 1-day layovers where the $10 charge is less than the effort of installing an eSIM. Travelers who need voice calling to local Mauritius numbers may also prefer their carrier plan, since eSIM data plans do not include voice service.
When an eSIM wins
For any trip longer than 2 days, an eSIM saves money over carrier roaming in Mauritius. Families and groups save even more because carrier charges multiply per person. Countries with airport SIM queues make eSIM especially valuable — install before departure, activate on landing.
Bottom line for Mauritius
For a 10-day trip to Mauritius, an eSIM saves $-1.25 vs AT&T and delivers the same 5G connection on my.t's network.
Mauritius connectivity details
Local network infrastructure
Mauritius has 1 mobile network. Primary carriers: my.t, Emtel, CHILI. Both carrier roaming and eSIM connect to these same networks.
Download speeds and 5G
Average download speed: 25 Mbps. 5G coverage is limited in Mauritius. 5G trials
Good to know
One operator, CHILI, runs all mobile coverage in Mauritius. Carrier roaming and eSIM plans use the same infrastructure — comparing costs is the only meaningful variable.
Quick tip
Mauritius uses MUR (Rs). eSIM plans charge in USD at the time of purchase — you lock in the cost before travel and avoid in-country exchange rate moves.
Frequently asked questions
- Is roaming or eSIM better for Mauritius?
- For trips longer than 2 days, an eSIM is cheaper than carrier roaming in Mauritius. AT&T charges $10/day while an eSIM costs $101.25 total for a 10-day trip. Both use my.t's 5G network — the only difference is the price.
- What hidden charges does AT&T have for Mauritius roaming?
- AT&T's International Day Pass auto-activates when your phone connects to my.t's network in Mauritius. Calendar-day billing means arriving at 11 PM costs a full $10. Background app sync, voicemail retrieval, and notifications can trigger the daily charge on days you intended to stay offline.
- Do eSIMs use the same network as carrier roaming in Mauritius?
- Both eSIM and carrier roaming connect to my.t's 5G towers in Mauritius. The network, coverage area, and download speeds are identical. The difference is pricing: carriers charge $10-$15/day while eSIMs charge a flat rate for the entire trip.
- Is T-Mobile roaming really free in Mauritius?
- T-Mobile Magenta includes free data in Mauritius, but speed is throttled to 256 Kbps. That is too slow for maps, video calls, or photo uploads. The high-speed add-on costs $15/day — more expensive than most eSIM plans.
- Can I use eSIM and keep my carrier number in Mauritius?
- Dual-SIM phones (most models since 2019) run both your carrier SIM and the travel eSIM simultaneously. Your home number stays active for calls and texts over WiFi. The eSIM handles all data on my.t's 5G network in Mauritius.
- What speed does carrier roaming get in Mauritius?
- Carrier roaming in Mauritius connects to my.t's 5G network — the same towers and speeds that an eSIM uses. AT&T and Verizon offer LTE speeds through their day pass. T-Mobile's free tier is capped at 256 Kbps unless you pay for the high-speed add-on.
- Does Verizon auto-charge for roaming in Mauritius?
- Verizon TravelPass activates automatically when your phone connects abroad in Mauritius. A single background data transfer triggers the $10/day charge. The only way to avoid it is to disable data roaming in your phone settings before landing.
- How do UK carrier rates compare for Mauritius?
- Vodafone and EE charge £6/day for Mauritius roaming outside their EU free-roaming zone. That is roughly $7.50/day at current exchange rates. An eSIM on my.t's network costs $101.25 for the entire trip.
- How much does carrier roaming cost in Mauritius?
- Verizon TravelPass and AT&T International Day Pass both bill $10/day in Mauritius. T-Mobile offers free international data, but caps speed at 256 Kbps — unusable for navigation or video. Pay-per-use rates without a plan can exceed $2,000/GB on AT&T. An eSIM on my.t starts at $8.10 for 1GB, delivering full 5G speeds on the same local towers your carrier roams through.
- Is T-Mobile's free international data fast enough in Mauritius?
- No. T-Mobile's free tier: 256 Kbps. Google Maps minimum: 500 Kbps. Video calls: 2,000 Kbps. Streaming: 1,500 Kbps. The free tier covers text-only WhatsApp and nothing else in Mauritius. T-Mobile's paid upgrade runs $15/day on my.t's towers. A travel eSIM on the same my.t towers costs $5.06/GB at full 5G speed — no daily charge, no speed cap.
- How is my roaming bill calculated in Mauritius?
- Three billing models for Mauritius data. Model 1: per-day pass (AT&T $10/day, Verizon $10/day) — charges on any day your phone touches the network, even from background apps. Model 2: per-MB (AT&T $2.05/MB without a pass, $2,099/GB). Model 3: flat-rate eSIM at 1GB for $8.10 — one payment, fixed cost, no daily or per-MB charges. Model 3 is the only one where a background app sync costs nothing extra.
- Can I get a refund on a travel eSIM for Mauritius if I don't use it?
- Refund policies vary by provider. Most eSIM providers offer a full refund only if the plan has never been installed or activated. Once the QR code is scanned and the profile downloaded to your device, refunds are rarely issued even if you never traveled. AT&T International Day Pass at $10/day can be cancelled before departure — your account is only billed on days the pass activates in Mauritius. For an eSIM on my.t at $5.06/GB, read the refund clause before purchase. Plans under $10 total carry no refund window regardless of usage. Rates checked June 2026.