Roaming From Australia, Japan or Korea in Bali: What Does It Cost?

Roaming in Bali costs anywhere from nothing to AU$10 a day, depending on your carrier: as of 28 October 2026 Telstra charges AU$10 a day for 2GB, au (KDDI) charges ¥800 per 24 hours if you book ahead, and docomo MAX and Rakuten Mobile customers use their overseas allowance at no extra cost up to a limit. For trips longer than a week, an eSIM or Indonesian SIM is almost always cheaper than paying roaming by the day.

Australia: daily rates

• Telstra. The official roaming page (checked 28 October 2026) puts Indonesia in Zone 2: the International Day Pass is AU$10 a day with 2GB of data plus unlimited standard calls and SMS. When the data runs out, a 2GB top-up costs AU$10 and lasts 31 days. Without a Day Pass, data is AU$3 per MB and calls AU$4 a minute, so do not switch on data roaming until the pass is active.
• Optus and Vodafone. We could not load either official site when checking. Comparison sites (Finder, ShopBack 2026) say Vodafone charges AU$5 a day on eligible plans, capped at 90 days a year, and Optus AU$5-10 a day depending on the plan. Confirm in your carrier's app before you fly.

Rough maths: 7 days on Telstra's Day Pass = AU$70, 14 days = AU$140.

Japan: some plans already include it

• docomo MAX. According to docomo, overseas data in more than 200 countries (Indonesia included) costs nothing extra up to 30GB and 15 days from your first use abroad. After 15 days speed drops to 128kbps. You still need a WORLD WING contract.
• au Kaigai Houdai. au's official page (updated 28 October 2026) lists Indonesia in the ¥800 per 24 hours group when booked in advance (up to 30 days), or ¥1,200 per 24 hours without booking (up to 8 days). From 1 February 2027 au drops advance booking and switches to a flat ¥980 a day.
• Rakuten Mobile. 2GB a month free in 107 countries including Indonesia, then ¥500 per extra 1GB. Without a top-up, speed drops to 128kbps.
• SoftBank and others. Not checked; see current rates in your carrier's app.

South Korea: per-trip packs

Korean carriers sell roaming as packs for a period rather than by the day. Digital Daily (23 April 2026) reported that SKT added a baro 48GB plan at ₩99,000 for 30 days, plus 70% off a first T roaming plan for customers born 1986-2006 who had not roamed in 36 months. The bonus-data promotion in that article ended on 21 August 2026. We could not find October 2026 prices for smaller SKT, KT or LG U+ packs on official sources, so check your carrier's app.

The benchmark: eSIM and Indonesian SIM

On Airalo (checked 28 October 2026, prices shown in yen), unlimited-data Indonesia eSIMs were listed at ¥1,800 for 3 days, ¥4,400 for 7 days, ¥7,800 for 15 days and ¥11,200 for 30 days. You can switch currency on the site. These eSIMs are usually data-only with no local number. Physical Telkomsel, XL or Indosat SIMs need passport registration; prices and where to buy are in our Bali SIM card and eSIM guide. If you plan a long stay, also read about IMEI registration for foreign phones.

So which one?

• docomo MAX or Rakuten customer, short trip: use your built-in roaming; just switch on data roaming.
• au customer, 3-5 days: ¥800 x 5 days = ¥4,000, while a 5-day Airalo eSIM is ¥3,100. The gap is small, and roaming keeps your own number live.
• Telstra, a week or more: AU$70 a week usually loses to an eSIM. The Day Pass makes sense for 1-3 days or if you call Australia a lot.
• Need bank SMS codes: keep your home SIM in the phone (dual SIM/eSIM) with data roaming off, and ask your carrier whether incoming SMS abroad is charged.

Some services are blocked in Indonesia whatever card you use; the list is in do you need a VPN in Bali.

Quick questions

Does roaming switch on automatically when I land in Bali? It depends on the carrier and plan. Some packs start automatically and others must be started in an app. Check your carrier's app before you fly, and turn data roaming off if you are not sure your pack is active.

Is roaming coverage the same as a local SIM? Roaming rides on Indonesian networks, so coverage depends on which partner your phone picks. On Nusa Penida or in the mountains, signal can be weak whatever card you use.

How long are these prices valid? Every figure was checked on 28 October 2026. au has already announced a change from 1 February 2027, so check again if you travel next year.