Cambodia has some of the cheapest mobile data anywhere: USD 5 buys 30 GB, and USD 10 buys up to 100 GB. This is one of the few countries where buying at the airport is not a mistake.
- Data here is close to free and the airport counters charge roughly city prices, so this is one of the few countries where buying on arrival is not a mistake.
- The Smart Traveller SIM is USD 5 for 30 GB over 15 days, plus local minutes - the default for a two-week trip. Cellcard and Metfone sell 60 GB to 100 GB for USD 6 to USD 10.
- Smart is fastest in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap; Metfone has the widest rural footprint, so pick it for Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri or the north.
- Every SIM must be registered to a passport, scanned at the counter while you wait. There is no biometric step and it takes a couple of minutes.
- An international eSIM costs several times the local price here - USD 14.99 for 5 GB against USD 5 for 30 GB - so buy locally unless you must land connected.
Data here is close to free by regional standards, and the airport counters charge roughly what the city shops do. There is no reason to arrive without a SIM.
- Smart Traveller SIM - USD 5 for 30 GB over 15 days, plus local and some international minutes. The default choice for a two-week trip.
- Cellcard and Metfone sell 60 GB to 100 GB for USD 6 to USD 10 on their tourist bundles.
- Smaller bundles start at USD 1 if you only need maps and messaging.
Which network
- Smart is the fastest and most reliable in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the main towns.
- Metfone, run by Vietnam's Viettel, has the widest rural footprint. Pick it if you are going to Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri or the north.
- Cellcard is the third option and competitive on price, with solid coverage on the main routes.
Registration
Every SIM must be registered to a passport. Bring the physical passport to the counter; the shop scans it and activates the line while you wait. There is no biometric step and it takes a couple of minutes.
eSIM
- Smart, Cellcard and Metfone all support eSIM, and buying the local eSIM keeps the local price.
- An international eSIM such as Saily works on landing but costs several times what a local SIM does here: USD 5.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, USD 14.99 for 5 GB over 30 days. In most countries that premium buys convenience; in Cambodia it is the difference between USD 5 and USD 25 for the same trip.
Coverage on the Angkor circuit is good, including at the outlying temples, so offline maps are a backup rather than a necessity.
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