Ringo
Compare · 9 min read

The best eSIM for South Korea and China in 2026.

South Korea and China take one Asia eSIM, so you install once and nothing changes when the plane lands in Beijing. I priced six brands on the same day and set them against Ringo Light, and I say where a rival is cheaper and what to expect from Google and WhatsApp in China.

· Published ·

Cheapest unlimited eSIM for South Korea and China: Ringo Light, $34.99 for 2 weeks and $59.99 for 30 days (Ubigi $45 and $66). Prices read 25 October 2026.

Two weeks of unlimited data for South Korea and China
$34.99

2 weeks · 25 October 2026

Next cheapest: Ubigi $45.00

Asia regional plans that cover both countries, US dollars, 25 October 2026. Ringo Light sells 2 weeks, the others 15 days. Ubigi's 15 days is 30 GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps. Nomad sells no two-week unlimited; its longest is 10 days at $29.

  1. $34.99
  2. Ubigi$45.00
  3. Airalo$49.00
  4. Holafly$51.50
  5. Saily$54.99
$59.99
A month of unlimited data for South Korea and China
· 30 days
$21.00
10 GB for a South Korea and China trip
Nomad· 30 days
Ringo Light · on sale now
Get Ringo Light for South Korea and China, from $21.99.
9 min read

The short answer

Seoul first, then a flight to Beijing or Shanghai, is a route I see often. I priced the six Asia regional plans on 25 October 2026 for a week, two weeks and a month, read what unlimited means at each brand, and added up what Ringo Light charges for its South Korea and China plans separately. For two weeks or a month across both, I would buy the Ringo Light Asia plan.

OUR PICK
Cheapest unlimited for two weeks or a month in both countries

One eSIM for South Korea and China, unlimited data at full speed, 2 weeks at $34.99 or 30 days at $59.99, nothing renews. Airalo asks $49 for 15 days and $73.50 for the month.

Airalo
Cheapest 3 days

For a short hop from Seoul to Beijing: 3 days of unlimited at $11.50, with 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.

Nomad
Cheapest data bucket

If you mostly need maps and messages: 10 GB for 30 days at $21 and 20 GB for 45 days at $35 (on sale, regular $40).

Ubigi
Cheapest week, and 20 GB on a monthly plan

Seven days across both countries with 25 GB at full speed for $25, then 2 Mbps. 20 GB a month for $19 if a plan that renews suits you.

Prices read on 25 October 2026: Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi on their own sites or listings, Ringo Light from its catalogue. All in US dollars unless stated. Treat every number as a snapshot.

See the full price index for every country.

The prices, charted

Two weeks of unlimited data for South Korea and China

Asia regional plans that cover both countries, US dollars, 25 October 2026. Ringo Light sells 2 weeks, the others 15 days. Ubigi's 15 days is 30 GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps. Nomad sells no two-week unlimited; its longest is 10 days at $29.

$34.99 · 2 weekscheapest22% less
Ubigi
$45.00 · 15 days
Airalo
$49.00 · 15 days
Holafly
$51.50 · 15 days
Saily
$54.99 · 15 days

Side by side

Swipe to compare →

Prices read on 25 October 2026, in US dollars
PlanAiraloHolaflySailyNomadUbigi
ModelAsialink: 18 countries, buckets or unlimited daysAsia: 16 countries, unlimited days onlyAsia and Oceania: 22 countries, buckets or unlimited daysAPAC: 14 countries (21 on a second, dearer plan), buckets or unlimited daysBest Asia: 17 countries, buckets, then 2 Mbps20 countries, one eSIM: unlimited trips of 2 weeks or 30 days
Unlimited, 3 days$11.50$11.90No 3-day plan; 5 days $21.99No 3-day plan; 5 days $18No 3-day planNo 3-day plan
Unlimited, 7 days$26$27.50$28.99No 7-day plan25 GB, then 2 Mbps, $25No 7-day plan; 2 weeks $34.99
Unlimited, 2 weeks15 days $4915 days $51.5015 days $54.99No two-week plan; 10 days $2915 days, 30 GB, then 2 Mbps, $45$34.99
Unlimited, 30 days$73.50$76.50$86.99No 30-day plan60 GB, then 2 Mbps, $66$59.99
10 GB, 30 days$25No buckets$35.99$21$28No buckets; unlimited 2 weeks, $34.99
20 GB, 30 days$39No bucketsNot listed on the day; 25 GB for 60 days $48.99Not listed on the day; 20 GB for 45 days $35 (on sale, regular $40)20 GB a month, renews, $19No buckets; unlimited 30 days, $59.99
Full speed on unlimited3 GB a day, then 1 MbpsNo daily cap stated; sharing 1 GB a day5 GB a day, then slowed2 GB a day, then 512 kbpsA fixed amount, then 2 MbpsUnlimited data at full speed
Renews?NoNoNoNoMonthly plans doNo; the trip ends when it ends
App neededYesNo, QR codeYesOptionalOptionalNo, the eSIM arrives by email

Get Ringo Light for South Korea and China, from $21.99.

Installed once, next to your own SIM. Your eSIM arrives by email in seconds.

Asia
Asia
  • 7 days $21.99
  • 2 weeks $34.99
  • 30 days $59.99
  • 90 days $73.99
Loading plans for this destination.

We sell data eSIMs for now to fund the full Ringo service. Ringo is self funded. Every plan bought here pays for the build of one plan that works everywhere.

All Ringo Light plans for South Korea and China

Want to keep your own number abroad?

The full Ringo service

That is the full Ringo service: one plan that works everywhere, with your own number included.

It is a separate product from Ringo Light and it is still being built, so it is not on sale yet. Join the waitlist to hear when it opens.

What to do in South Korea and China, and what your phone needs for it

Seven places a first trip across the two countries tends to include, with the one thing your data does for you at each. All seven are in countries Ringo Light's Asia plan covers, so one eSIM works at every stop.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul
SeoulGyeongbokgung PalaceThe largest of the royal palaces of the Joseon dynasty, with the throne hall Geunjeongjeon at its centre and the guard changing ceremony at the main gate. Go in the morning, before the tour groups.✓Naver Map gives walking and subway directions that Google Maps does not in Korea; set it to English before you land.
Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul
SeoulBukchon Hanok VillageHundreds of traditional tiled houses on the hill between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, still lived in. Walk it quietly: parts of the village limit visiting hours for tourists.✓Check the current visiting hours on your phone before you go, since the rules for the residential lanes have changed recently.
N Seoul Tower on Namsan, Seoul
SeoulN Seoul Tower on NamsanThe tower on top of Namsan mountain, reached by the cable car or a steep walk through the park. Go at sunset to see the city light up below.✓Tap in with a T-money card, which you can top up with cash at any convenience store; many foreign cards do not work at the subway gates.
Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan
BusanGamcheon Culture VillageA hillside of painted houses built by refugees during the Korean War, now full of murals, small galleries and cafes. The views are best from the top lanes in the late afternoon.✓The lanes twist. KakaoMap or Naver Map finds the village bus stop from the nearest subway station.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu, Near Beijing
Near BeijingThe Great Wall at MutianyuA restored stretch of wall with watchtowers every few hundred metres, a cable car up and a toboggan down. Quieter than Badaling, best on a clear spring or autumn morning.✓Google Maps is thin in China. Use Apple Maps or Amap, and book the Didi back to Beijing before the car park empties.
The Forbidden City, Beijing
BeijingThe Forbidden CityThe imperial palace, courtyard after courtyard of red walls and yellow roofs. See it from inside, then climb Jingshan Park behind it for the view over the roofs.✓Tickets are sold online only, in advance, against your passport number, and the palace closes on Mondays.
The Terracotta Army, Xi'an
Xi'anThe Terracotta ArmyThousands of clay soldiers, each with a different face, standing in the pits where farmers found them in 1974. Pit 1 is the one on every poster.✓It is about an hour outside Xi'an. Book the ticket online with your passport, and the high-speed train to Xi'an in the 12306 or Trip.com app.

One plan for both countries: Ringo Light

South Korea and China are a short flight apart, and one regional eSIM means you set it up at home and never open your settings at the border. Two country eSIMs mean two installs, two payments and a switch at Incheon. I would rather land in Beijing with the plan already on.

On the Asia plan, I read Ringo Light at $34.99 for 2 weeks and $59.99 for 30 days, and nothing renews. For roughly two weeks of unlimited on a regional plan, Ubigi charges $45 for a fixed 30 GB at full speed, Airalo $49, Holafly $51.50 and Saily $54.99. A month at the rivals runs $66 to $86.99.

Ringo Light's own country plans cost more together than the Asia plan. South Korea's 2 weeks is $23.99 and China's $22.99 on their own pages, $46.98 together, against $34.99 for the Asia trip that covers both. For a month, South Korea's 30 days is $35.99 and China's $35.99, $71.98 together, against $59.99 for Asia.

One honest exception: a month spent in only one of the two is cheaper on that country's own page, at $35.99 against $59.99. The Asia plan wins when the trip really has both.

Which plans cover both countries

Ringo Light covers both. South Korea and China are on its list of 20 countries, so one eSIM works in each, at the same price and on the same terms.

For the rivals, I read the country counts in the table (Airalo 18, Holafly 16, Saily 22, Nomad 14, Ubigi 17) and the few countries the Asia post says they leave out. China and South Korea are not among them. I did not confirm either country on each brand's list on the day, so I would open the list for your plan before you pay.

China adds one thing the rest of the trip does not: Google, WhatsApp and Instagram do not open on a Chinese SIM bought at the airport. A travel eSIM is different, because its data usually leaves the country through the provider's gateway abroad, so these apps usually open without a VPN. That is the usual case for roaming eSIMs, not a promise from any brand here except Holafly, whose China page states it outright. I have not tested Ringo Light from inside mainland China, so I would keep a VPN installed before you fly as a fallback.

If you want a data bucket: Nomad or Airalo

  • Nomad, $21 for 10 GB. The cheapest 10 GB on its 14-country APAC plan, and 20 GB for 45 days at $35 (on sale, regular $40). Enough for maps, a translation app and messages.
  • Airalo, $25 for 10 GB. Asialink, 18 countries, with 20 GB for 30 days at $39 and buckets from $4 for 1 GB.
  • Ubigi, $28 for 10 GB. Best Asia, 17 countries. Its 20 GB for $19 is a monthly plan, so it renews until you stop it.
  • Saily, $35.99 for 10 GB. Asia and Oceania, 22 countries, and no 20 GB bucket on its listing when I read it on 25 October 2026.
  • ✓Ringo Light, no buckets. Its 2 weeks is unlimited at $34.99 and its 30 days unlimited at $59.99. For a fixed 10 GB, Nomad and Airalo cost less, and for 20 GB Nomad, Airalo and Ubigi's monthly plan all do. I would buy Ringo Light for unlimited, not for a bucket.

What Ringo Light is

Ringo Light is Ringo's own data eSIM, and I write for Ringo, so weigh that. It is sold to fund the full Ringo, one plan that works everywhere with your own number ported onto it. For Asia it sells two trips across 20 countries, South Korea and China among them, both unlimited data at full speed: 2 weeks at $34.99 and 30 days at $59.99. Nothing renews. The eSIM arrives by email in seconds and installs in one scan, no app.

The card to buy it is further up this page, just after the side-by-side table.

Pick by trip

A week in South Korea only, no China

I would look at the South Korea page. Ringo Light sells no week, but its Korea 2 weeks at $23.99 costs less than the Asia plan.

Four days in Seoul, then four in Shanghai

I would buy Airalo unlimited, 3 days, $11.50, or Ubigi's week with 25 GB at $25. Ringo Light sells no 3-day plan on the Asia trip.

Two weeks across both countries

I would buy Ringo Light unlimited, 2 weeks, $34.99, less than any rival charges for two weeks on a regional plan.

A month, working remotely from both

I would buy Ringo Light unlimited, 30 days, $59.99.

Light use, budget first

I would buy Nomad 10 GB for 30 days at $21, if its 14 countries include both of yours.

You need your own number to keep ringing

None of these travel plans does that. The full Ringo, which Ringo Light funds, ports the number you have.

Frequently asked questions

Does one eSIM work in both South Korea and China?+
Yes, on a regional Asia plan. Ringo Light's covers both on one install, at the same price in either country. For the rivals I would read the country list on the brand's page before you pay.
Which eSIM is cheapest for a South Korea and China trip?+
For two weeks or a month of unlimited data, I would buy Ringo Light: $34.99 for 2 weeks and $59.99 for 30 days on 25 October 2026, against $49 and $73.50 at Airalo. For 3 days, Airalo at $11.50. For a 10 GB bucket, Nomad at $21.
Do Google and WhatsApp work in China on an eSIM?+
On a Chinese SIM, no. On a travel eSIM, usually yes, because the data normally leaves the country through the provider's gateway abroad. Holafly states it on its China page. I have not tested Ringo Light inside mainland China, so I would keep a VPN installed as a fallback.
Is unlimited really unlimited?+
Every brand has a limit somewhere, and I checked each one. Airalo slows you after 3 GB a day, Saily after 5 GB, Nomad after 2 GB, Ubigi after its fixed full-speed amount. Holafly states no daily cap for your own phone. Ringo Light is unlimited data at full speed.
Should I buy two country eSIMs instead?+
Not for a trip with both, in my reading. Ringo Light's South Korea and China plans cost $46.98 for two weeks together, against $34.99 for the Asia plan, and you install once, not twice.

How we compared, and our sources

Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi, Ringo Light

We priced Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi and Ringo Light for South Korea and China on 25 October 2026, all on the same day, in US dollars. Each rival's price comes from its own website where it showed dollars, otherwise from an esimdb.com listing, and every source and its date is listed below. Ringo Light's prices come from the catalogue our checkout charges.

We compare the trips people actually book: a week, two weeks and a month of unlimited data, and a 10 GB bucket. We read each brand's fair use and speed rules and quote them as the brands state them. We did not run speed tests, so this page makes no speed claims for any brand.

Ringo Light is our own product. We put it in the table on the same terms as everyone else, and where a rival is the better buy the page says so.

Left out: Maya Mobile. We could not read its own prices for this country on the day, so it stays out rather than being guessed.

Written and priced by the Ringo team. Prices change often; if you spot one that has moved, tell us through the contact page and we will update the table.

Photo credits

More from the blog

All articles

Explore Ringo

Related