Greece eSIM providers at a glance

ProviderDataDurationPriceHotspot
Airalo Top pick1 – 20 GB7 – 30 days$4.50 – $24YesDetails →
Yesim Unlimited1 – Unlimited3 – 30 days$1.50 – $55YesDetails →
Saily1 – 20 GB7 – 30 days$3.49 – $22YesDetails →
DrimsimPay-as-you-goNo expiry~$3.50/GBYesDetails →

Prices in this table are the cheapest published tier — provider sites carry the live numbers.

Detailed provider reviews for Greece

Airalo

Recommended

Airalo's Greece plan ('Sunny') runs on Cosmote, which is the network you want for any trip involving islands beyond Mykonos and Santorini. Cosmote has the only reliable coverage on the smaller Cyclades (Koufonisia, Schinoussa, Iraklia) and all of the Dodecanese. Installation works before flying — activate the eSIM, land in Athens, hop on a domestic flight or ferry, and your signal is ready when you arrive on the island.

1 GB
$4.50 · 7 days
3 GB
$8.50 · 15 days
5 GB
$11.50 · 30 days
10 GB
$16.00 · 30 days
20 GB
$26.00 · 30 days
Pros
  • Runs on Cosmote — best island and ferry coverage in Greece
  • Reaches smaller Cyclades and Dodecanese where Vodafone GR drops
  • Eurolink regional plan for Italy + Greece Mediterranean loops
  • Pre-install works perfectly for Athens airport transfers
  • Hotspot enabled on every tier for sharing on ferry rides
Cons
  • Saily is $1 cheaper on the 1 GB starter for the same Cosmote network
  • No unlimited plan — digital nomads in Athens need alternatives
  • 3 GB / 15-day window is short for 2-week island-hopping
  • No specific island-optimised plan
Visit Airalo →

Yesim

Best price

Yesim is the right pick for extended Cyclades trips. The $12 / 10 GB / 30-day plan suits typical 10-14 day island-hopping itineraries with plenty of margin for ferry apps and weather checks. SwitchLess network hopping between Cosmote and Vodafone Greece genuinely helps on the occasional island where Cosmote has a weak cove and Vodafone GR is stronger. The unlimited plan is worth it for anyone working remotely from Crete or Rhodes for 3+ weeks.

1 GB
$1.50 · 3 days
5 GB
$7.50 · 14 days
10 GB
$12.00 · 30 days
Unlimited
$27.60 · 7 days
Pros
  • SwitchLess helps on islands with varying carrier strength
  • $12 / 10 GB / 30 days fits standard Cyclades itineraries
  • Unlimited plan for long Crete or Rhodes stays
  • $1.50 / 3-day starter for Athens quick weekends
Cons
  • Can't force Cosmote-only routing
  • iOS-only VPN feature
  • Unlimited soft caps at ~70 GB
  • Smaller Greece-specific support team
Visit Yesim →

Saily

Privacy-focused

Saily runs on Cosmote — same network as Airalo for $1 less on the 1 GB entry. The ad blocker is genuinely useful in Greece because ferry company apps (SeaJets, Blue Star) and Greek news sites (Kathimerini, To Vima) run heavy advertising in the background. On a 3 GB plan you'll save around 150 MB over a week. Good pick for island trips where you want Cosmote quality without paying Airalo's premium.

1 GB
$3.49 · 7 days
3 GB
$7.99 · 30 days
5 GB
$11.99 · 30 days
20 GB
$22.99 · 30 days
Pros
  • Same Cosmote island coverage as Airalo for $1 less on 1 GB
  • Ad blocker saves data on ferry apps and Greek news
  • 30-day window on 3 GB suits Cyclades trip pacing
  • Privacy-focused Nord Security parent company
Cons
  • No regional Europe plan — bad for Greek + Italian combinations
  • Plan gap between 5 GB and 20 GB
  • Ad blocker sometimes breaks Alpha Bank and Eurobank apps
  • Fewer Greek-specific reviews
Visit Saily →

Drimsim

Backup only

Drimsim is overpriced for a Greece trip at $3.50/GB. Its one genuine use case: if your trip combines Greece with Turkey (which is common — Mykonos to Bodrum ferry, or Athens to Istanbul), Drimsim covers both countries on one eSIM, while EU regional plans don't include Turkey. For Greece alone, the other three are better.

Pay-as-you-go
~$3.50/GB
No expiry
Balance never expires
Pros
  • One eSIM for Greece + Turkey combinations
  • Balance never expires — useful for repeat Mediterranean trips
  • Works in 197 countries for global travellers
  • Reliable backup if primary eSIM fails on a remote island
Cons
  • Roughly triple Saily's per-GB cost for Greece
  • No volume discount — bad value for island-hopping week
  • Not recommended as primary plan for Greece alone
  • Clunky top-up interface
Visit Drimsim →

How much data do you need in Greece?

Greece is a high-data destination for tourists, and island-hopping is the reason. Every ferry booking, schedule check, weather forecast, and accommodation map pulls data. Ferry operators (Blue Star, SeaJets, Hellenic Seaways, Aegean Speed Lines) all require their apps for ticket verification and real-time delay updates, and the apps don't work offline. A typical Cyclades trip — Athens to Santorini to Mykonos to Naxos — burns 4-5 GB over a week just on logistics.

Athens itself is more manageable. The Acropolis area has decent public Wi-Fi, tavernas in Plaka and Monastiraki offer it too, and the metro (Lines 1, 2, 3) has cellular coverage in tunnels. But Greek islands are a different story: Wi-Fi at hotels and beach bars is often slow and unreliable, especially in peak August crowds, so you'll lean on your eSIM for everything.

Our recommendation: 3 GB for an Athens + 1 island trip. 5 GB for classic Cyclades island-hopping. 10 GB for a 2-week multi-island trip or a Crete road trip combined with islands.

Network coverage in Greece

Greece has two main carriers: Cosmote (OTE Group, formerly the state operator, and by far the market leader) and Vodafone Greece. A third carrier, Nova (formerly Wind Hellas), exists but isn't used by any of the eSIM providers on this page. Cosmote has dominant rural and island coverage — it's the only network with reliable signal on smaller Cyclades islands like Koufonisia, Schinoussa, and Amorgos, and it covers the entire Dodecanese chain strongly.

5G has rolled out on both networks in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes city, and Patras since 2021. On smaller islands, expect 4G only — but 4G coverage is genuinely good on the populated Cycladic islands. Dead zones exist in the interior of Crete (south coast mountains, the Samaria Gorge), the caldera cliffs of Santorini for unknown reasons, and some deeper bays around Milos. Airalo, Saily, and Yesim all partner with Cosmote, which is the only sensible choice for island trips.

Tips for using an eSIM in Greece

Greece is in the EU roaming zone. Europe regional eSIMs work without extra setup. Greece is sometimes combined with Italy (ferry from Brindisi or Bari to Patras), Turkey (though Turkey is not in the EU), or a larger Mediterranean loop — for any of these, check whether your regional plan includes the relevant countries.

Ferry apps are non-negotiable. Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets, and Hellenic Seaways all require their app for e-tickets, real-time delay updates, and rebooking if a ferry is cancelled (which happens often in strong meltemi winds). Download all the ferry apps before flying. Budget ~150 MB per travel day on island days.

Santorini has a weird signal problem. For reasons that aren't well explained, cellular signal in Oia and along the caldera cliffs is sometimes weak on all Greek operators — possibly because the geology bounces signal. Expect patchy service during sunset viewing in Oia. Download offline maps of Santorini.

Skip the airport kiosks at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos. The Cosmote, Vodafone GR, and Nova kiosks in arrivals sell tourist SIMs at significantly marked-up prices, and the queues in July-August are painful. An eSIM bought before flying is both cheaper and faster.

Why eSIM is the best choice in Greece

Greek local SIMs from Cosmote exist and are reasonably priced (around €15 for 10 GB tourist plans), but buying in person requires passport ID and sometimes a Greek mobile number for SMS verification on certain plan activations. The airport kiosks mark prices up 30-50%, and the process adds 30-45 minutes to arrival.

The stronger case for eSIM is the island logistics: if you land in Athens and immediately take a flight or ferry to an island, you don't want to waste time sorting a SIM at the airport. An eSIM activated before boarding is working the moment you turn on airplane mode at the island airport or ferry port.

Frequently asked questions

Cosmote is clearly dominant on Greek islands — it's the only network with reliable coverage on smaller Cyclades (Koufonisia, Schinoussa, Amorgos), all the Dodecanese, and most of Crete's south coast. Vodafone Greece is competitive in Athens and on the larger islands but has noticeable gaps on the smaller ones. Airalo, Saily, and Yesim all partner with Cosmote, which is the only sensible choice for island-focused trips.
Yes — as long as you have Cosmote coverage (which all the providers here use), the main ferry apps (Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets, Hellenic Seaways) work fine on board at the ports and during most of the crossing. Expect brief mid-channel dropouts on longer routes like Piraeus to Crete. Download tickets before boarding and take screenshots of reservation confirmations.
Yes, but only in limited areas. Cosmote and Vodafone Greece both have 5G in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Patras, and Rhodes town. Smaller islands and most of the mainland outside cities are 4G LTE only. All four eSIM providers connect to 5G automatically if your phone supports it, but expect 4G throughout most of your Cyclades trip.
Yes. Turkey is not in the EU and not covered by any Greece eSIM plan or European regional plan. If you're doing the popular Mykonos-to-Bodrum or Kos-to-Bodrum ferry day trip, either buy a separate Turkey eSIM, use Drimsim (which covers both countries), or rely on offline maps during your Turkey visit.
Signal in Oia and along the caldera cliffs is occasionally patchy on all Greek networks — the prevailing theory is that the volcanic geology and cliff geometry cause signal bounce and interference. It's not a provider issue. Expect occasional dropouts during sunset viewing in Oia. Download offline maps of Santorini before you arrive.