You’ve arrived in New Zealand, and looking for the best SIM Card deals. Maybe you’ve come to live in New Zealand, or just visiting as a tourist. Fret not! I’m here to help you. Let’s find the best New Zealand SIM Card for you, depending on your needs.
Considerations
Price
Unless you are from the US, you’ll find that SIM Card in New Zealand to be ridiculously expensive and worse, unfortunately. It’s not a secret that cost of living in New Zealand is considered quite high. I used to pay £8 in the UK and get 30GB, unlimited phone and SMS. Now, I pay NZ$15 for 1.5GB!! So you’ll see below that I’d recommend you getting Airalo eSIM if you are a tourist as they are much cheaper, but still uses excellent network in New Zealand. However, if you are coming on working holiday visa, or basically to live in New Zealand, that’s not really feasible. You’ll eventually want a New Zealand phone number. So I’ll also suggest a New Zealand carrier for that.
Network Coverage
You may also lost network in the middle of highway or in remote places. The beauty of New Zealand comes from the low population density, which we trade with worse phone signal. Worth it I think, but just be prepared. Make sure you have your maps and playlist downloaded before going anywhere super remote. Milford Sound in South Island is notoriously bad for phone signal, understandably. Though you’ll want to see it if you’ve come all the way to New Zealand!
Best NZ eSIM for Tourist: Airalo
Firstly – make sure that your phone has eSIM capability! You can go to your phone settings to check for this. Or google “[your phone model] eSIM”. If you do – then Airalo I think is your best bet.
I used Airalo in my first month in New Zealand. Cheap with good coverage. Airalo uses One NZ network, which is one of the 4 major providers in New Zealand. I think it’s much cheaper compared to getting local SIM Card. For comparison, I can get 1 GB for 7.5 NZD, instead of 1.25 GB for 15 NZD with Warehouse Mobile. I had no issue with Airalo during my trips mostly in North Island. The only drawback is that you wont have a NZ phone number. This won’t be a big problem for tourists though.
If you want to get USD $3.00 off your first eSIM purchase with Airalo – use code ANASTA2001 when you sign up or at checkout. Or use my referral link here!
Best NZ SIM Card for Tourist
If your phone doesn’t have an eSIM capability, you’ll need to get a SIM card. Fret not, it’s not the end of the world. There are phone provider kiosks right at Auckland and Christchurch International Airport!
Best Coverage for Tourist SIM Card: Spark
Spark and OneNZ are known for the best coverage. I compared the price and they are pretty much the same. At the time of writing, 2GB is $29 for both providers, $49 for 10GB. The only difference is that Spark plans are valid for 90 days. OneNZ is valid for 30 days for 2GB and 60 days for 10GB. So I think Spark is ever so slightly better than OneNZ. But if for some reasons you don’t want to get Spark, remember that OneNZ is also a decent option.
Unlimited Data for Tourist: 2degrees (<30 days) or OneNZ (30-90 days)
If you are here for a month, choose 2degrees. They are known for the unlimited data, but the plans only allows for 30 days at a time. Meanwhile, OneNZ allows unlimited data for 90 days at $129. You get slower speed after 120 GB, but that’s a lot of data. Don’t forget that most accommodations in New Zealand will provide free WiFi.
Budget Option: Warehouse Mobile
I pay 1.25 GB for $15. Not a lot of data, but if you are really limited on money, I can recommend Warehouse Mobile. They use 2degrees network. You do need to get the SIM Card from Warehouse Mobile or Noel Leeming, so that’s a bit extra hassle. You can’t really get them straight from Auckland International Airport kiosk without a short trip, unlike Spark or OneNZ.
Best NZ SIM Card for Resident
If you are living in New Zealand, then you need a local phone number. So the options above are not very useful. That’s OK, we can discuss it here. This is my only opinion but in general the “major” phone providers are One NZ, Spark and 2degrees. There are however more “budget” options such as Warehouse Mobile or Skinny. The new contenders or lesser knowns, are Rocket Mobile and Mighty Mobile.
Best Coverage: Spark
Spark has the best coverage for both 4G and 5G, up there with OneNZ, but it is also one of the most expensive. I’m talking 5GB for $45. However, they also have great customer service compared to OneNZ. I suppose you need to pay to get the best. If you want to use Spark’s coverage but don’t want to pay as much, you can use Skinny mobile.
Unlimited Data: Mighty Mobile
There are many contenders in this area. However, many cap their speeds. If you don’t mind with smaller providers, I suggest Mighty Mobile where you can get unlimited data for $40 per month at 10 Mbps. If you want to pay $10 more, you can get up to 50 Mbps. They use One NZ network.
Honorable mention for this is Skinny. Skinny also offers unlimited data for $40 per month, but you’ll speed will reduce after 10GB. Skinny uses Spark’s network so there’s that. They are known for good customer service. Difficult choices!
Best Value for Money: Skinny
Skinny uses Spark’s network, but quite a lot cheaper. I think they can operate a lot cheaper as they don’t have a physical store. Despite that, I still hear that they have good customer service. You can still message them on facebook or calling them, just can’t go to an actual building. For 4GB of plan you’ll pay $27 instead of $45 in Spark, so that’s a great discount. They are not the absolute cheapest, but I think they are best value of the money.
Absolute Budget: Warehouse Mobile
If you don’t need much data and want to keep cost as low as possible, you can pay $15 for 1.25 GB of data through Warehouse Mobile. They tend to have an OK coverage I find in the North Island where I live. You are not tied a contract and just pay when the plan expires.
So that’s that! Hope those are useful for you. Do check my guide on car insurance in New Zealand!
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