Visiting Canada soon? Learn how to purchase a Canada SIM card for your upcoming trip.
Unfortunately, Canada is one of those countries that don’t make it easy for tourists. You won’t be able to find a cheap SIM card in Canada in person.
In fact, most mobile data packages are ridiculously expensive!
But don’t worry – we found solutions for you and you’ll find them in this blog post!
In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a prepaid SIM card in Canada in person and online.
We’ll also talk about the best eSIM for Canada. eSIM is the easiest (and cheapest) option to get Internet in Canada.
Before you start reading this guide, you may be wondering if you actually need a SIM card in Canada.
If you don’t mind not having Internet at all times, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you wish to drive a car around, call an Uber, or translate something into French or English – you may want to get a prepaid Canadian SIM card for your travels in Canada.
Note that if you’re American, your mobile phone provider may be offering coverage in Canada.
If that’s the case, you won’t need a SIM card for Canada.
📱 Best Canada SIM Cards
Canada is a huge country, and there are several mobile providers.
Unfortunately, finding an affordable Canadian SIM card that provides a lot of mobile data in the country isn’t that easy.
The thing is that in Canada, most providers only offer contracts, and prepaid SIM cards for tourists aren’t really popular.
Finding a short-term travel SIM card in Canada is quite the challenge!
We recommend using a SIM card from Telus, T-Mobile, or Airalo.
I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!
❓ How To Buy A Tourist SIM Card In Canada
You can buy a Canada prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, in mobile provider stores, in a convenience store, or on Amazon.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a Canadian SIM card at the airport.
That said, only a few airports offer Canadian SIM cards, so it doesn’t mean you’ll find one on arrival.
For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store.
Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
You’ll need to specify you don’t want to have a contract.
You can search for Telus, Rogers, Bell, or Koodo to purchase prepaid SIM cards.
Now, from my experience (even as a Canadian), the data packages are expensive and barely provide data. Think of something like 500 MB or 1 GB.
This is why I’d recommend using Airalo instead. (Skip to the eSIM card section to learn more about Airalo.)
❓ How To Buy A Canada Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online on websites like Amazon.
For example, you could get a SIM card for North America, like the North America TravSIM from T-Mobile.
This SIM card offers 50 GB to use in the United States but also adds 5GB in Canada and Mexico.
It costs around $45, and the card is valid for 30 days. In my opinion, this SIM card is only a good option if you’re traveling to both the United States and Canada.
Although, If you’re traveling only in Canada, 5 GB isn’t a lot, really. If you think it’s enough, then it may be a good option for you.
Now, you’ll find plenty of SIM cards from different mobile providers on Amazon, but they don’t always come with a prepaid package.
To get data, you’ll need to register in person or online to buy a prepaid data package.
You can do this easily with Telus.
You could either order the Telus SIM card on Amazon and then pick a plan online, or order the SIM card directly from the Telus website.
Wondering how much is a SIM card in Canada? Here’s an overview of the prepaid plans available on Telus:
- 500 MG, valid for 30 days for $30 – includes calls and SMS
- 2.5 GB, valid for 30 days for $40 – includes calls and SMS
- 4.5 GB, valid for 30 days for $45 – includes calls and SMS
- 8 GB, valid for 30 days for $55 – includes calls and SMS
Alternatively, you could purchase a prepaid Canada SIM card on SimOptions.
They have a SIM card that works in Canada. You’ll get 10 GB, valid for 14 days, for $49.90.
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Canada.
❓ How To Buy A Canada eSIM Card
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card in your phone.
If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s the best option to get data in Canada.
Curious? Read our Airalo eSIM review.
Here are the top three eSIM providers in Canada:
Let’s take a look at their eSIM plans for Canada.
Airalo eSIM Canada
So far, I’ve used Airalo in Canada, Europe, and Asia.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada.
To buy an eSIM, I usually use Airalo. This website offers lots of eSIM cards around the world, including in Canada.
Here’s an overview of the options available in Canada:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $6
- 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $11
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $15
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $18
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
As you can see, these are the most affordable rates for SIM cards we’ve seen so far.
An eSIM card also means you’ll get data immediately on arrival, which is very convenient.
Holafly eSIM Canada
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly.
You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
Here’s an overview of the plans available in Canada:
- Unlimited data, valid for 5 days for $27
- Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for $34
- Unlimited data, valid for 10 days for $37
- Unlimited data, valid for 15 days for $47
- Unlimited data, valid for 20 days for $54
Nomad eSIM Canada
Nomad is also a great eSIM provider, offering many affordable plans in Canada.
Here’s an overview of the plans available on Nomad:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $7
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $12
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $19
- 10GB, valid for 30 days for $32
- 12GB, valid for 60 days for $36
BNESIM Canada
Finally, you can look at the plans available on BNESIM, another popular provider.
Here’s an overview of the plans available on BNESIM:
- 1GB, no expiration for $14.07
- 3GB, no expiration for $40.99
- 5GB, no expiration for $66.17
You can also browse the options on BNESIM if you want a monthly subscription.
They also offer bigger plans without expiration, which could be useful if you need a lot of data.
You can compare the best eSIM providers on esimroamers.com.
💭 Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Canada
I believe Canada has a lot to catch up on regarding SIM cards and data prepaid plans for travelers.
In many countries, you can get a SIM card at affordable rates easily and quickly – but Canada makes it more complicated for travelers and short-term tourists.
eSIM cards are usually the most convenient way to get mobile data in Canada.
If you’re still on the fence about eSIM, you can read our Airalo review.
Traveling to Canada soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
