Visiting Macau soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Macau SIM card.
Fortunately, Asia is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily.
You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Asia. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!
In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Macau in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Macau.
If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Chinese – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Macau.
Best SIM Cards In Macau
If you’re traveling in Macau, we recommend using a SIM card from CMT, Three, Smartone, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Asia, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other Asian countries.
How To Buy A SIM Card In Macau
You can either buy a Macau prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.
That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
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.
Planning your upcoming adventures? Travel by bus! (It’s cheap!)
Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an Asian prepaid SIM card online.
Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by CMT, Three, and Smartone.
CTM SIM Cards
CTM offers two different types of tourist plans:
- Unlimited data, valid for 3 days for MOP 78 ($9.69)
- Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for MOP 188 ($23.36)
Three SIM Cards
Three has three different prepaid plans available:
- 2 GB, valid for 30 days for MOP 48 ($5.97)
- 4 GB, valid for 30 days for MOP 88 ($10.94)
- 12 GB, valid for 365 days for MOP 198 ($24.61)
Smartone SIM Cards
Smartone offers one SIM-only plans for tourists:
- Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for MOP 73 ($9.07)
Overall, we think CTM is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person.
That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!
How To Buy A Macau Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.
You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, Orange Holiday World SIM works in more than 100+ countries and gives you up to 10 GB of data for 14 days. Macau is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid Asian SIM card on Simify. This works if you live in the United States or Australia.
They currently offer several packages that cover Macau; here are some of the best:
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
- 25 GB, valid for 30 days for $28
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Macau or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for Asia.
How To Buy An eSIM Card For Macau
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.
If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Macau.
Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo, a reliable eSIM provider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for Macau.
Airalo Macau
If you want to buy an eSIM for Macau, you could purchase one on Airalo.
This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Asia and Macau.
I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine. Learn more by reading our Airalo review.
Here are the options available:
- Macao Mobile: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
- Macao Mobile: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $9.50
- Macao Mobile: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
- Macao Mobile: 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
Here’s an overview of the options available for Asia:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
- 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
- 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185
The options mentioned above are part of Asialink and offer coverage in 13 countries, including Macau.
Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries, Discover Global offers coverage in 84 countries, including Macau.
Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
- 3 GB, valid for 15 days for $24
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
- 10 GB, valid for 60 days for $59
- 20 GB, valid for 180 days for $89
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.
Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip.
In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly Macau
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 plan for Macau:
- Unlimited data, valid for 5 days for $19
- Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for $27
- Unlimited data, valid for 10 days for $34
- Unlimited data, valid for 15 days for $47
- Unlimited data, valid for 20 days for $54
- Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for $64
- Unlimited data, valid for 60 days for $84
- Unlimited data, valid for 90 days for $99
Nomad Macau
Finally, Nomad is also a great Macau eSIM provider.
Here’s an overview of the plans available for Macau:
- 1GB, valid for 3 days for $4
- 3GB, valid for 5 days for $8
- 5GB, valid for 10 days for $12
- 10GB, valid for 15 days for $19
- 15GB, valid for 30 days for $25
- 20GB, valid for 30 days for $34
- 30GB, valid for 30 days for $80
- 40GB, valid for 30 days for $110
- 50GB, valid for 30 days for $125
- 100GB, valid for 60 days for $240
Macau, Hong Kong, And China
If you’re heading to Macau, Hong Kong, or China, you might need to get a different SIM card or eSIM unless you pick an Asia eSIM plan that covers the three destinations.
If you’re only traveling to Macau, the information found on this page will be good for your travels.
Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Macau
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Macau or even an eSIM for your travels in Macau is pretty straightforward.
You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Asia without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase an Asia or global plan.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Macau if you wish to have data upon your arrival.
This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.
Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to Asia soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
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