Three ways to get online in another country, three very different bills. Here's when each one wins, and why a travel eSIM usually costs the least.
There are only three real ways to get mobile data in another country: switch on your home carrier's roaming, buy a local SIM when you land, or install a travel eSIM before you go. They differ hugely in both price and hassle, so it's worth knowing which fits your trip.
Home-carrier roaming 'just works' the moment you land, but it often costs several dollars per day, or a punishing per-megabyte rate. That's fine for a weekend of light messaging, and brutal for a two-week trip, or for anyone who streams, video-calls, or tethers a laptop.
A local SIM is cheap per gigabyte, but it means finding a shop, sometimes showing your passport, and physically swapping out your home SIM, so you lose your own number while it's out. A travel eSIM gets you similar local pricing, installs from your sofa before departure, keeps your home SIM in for bank OTP codes, and can cover many countries on one profile.
For most travelers, a prepaid travel eSIM is the best balance of price and convenience: you know the cost up front, you're connected the moment you land, and there's nothing to return. Roaming wins only for very short, very light trips; a local SIM wins if you're staying long in a single country and don't mind the errand.