Does Optus Work in Bali? Roaming Cost vs an eSIM (2026)
Yes, your Optus phone works in Bali - it roams on Indonesian networks through Optus International Roaming, which costs about AU$5/day on a Choice Plus plan and around AU$10/day on most other postpaid plans. Over a typical 10-day Bali holiday that is roughly AU$50 to AU$100, drawn from your existing plan's allowance. A data-only Indonesia eSIM from £2.59 covers the same trip for less, installs before you fly, and keeps your Optus number live for calls and texts. This guide gives you the real numbers, the trade-offs, and the exact setup so you can decide which one fits your trip.
eSIMpass sells data eSIMs for 200+ destinations. Bali is part of Indonesia, so any "Optus in Bali" plan is really Optus roaming in Indonesia - the same rules apply island-wide, from Seminyak to Ubud to Nusa Penida.
Does Optus work in Bali?
Yes. Optus has roaming agreements with Indonesia's major networks, so a modern Optus phone connects automatically when you land at Denpasar (DPS). You do not need to unlock anything or swap a SIM - the phone finds a local partner network (typically Telkomsel or Indosat) and registers on it.
The question is not whether it works, it is how it bills. By default, Optus applies its daily International Roaming fee to any day you use your phone in Indonesia. That is charged automatically, so it is worth understanding before you fly. Note that the estimates in the calculator below are shown in USD, while Optus bills you in Australian dollars.
How much does Optus charge in Bali?
Optus International Roaming is a flat daily fee that unlocks your existing plan's allowance for use overseas. As of 2026, the structure is roughly:
- About AU$5/day on an Optus Choice Plus postpaid plan, which includes a generous daily data allowance (around 5GB/day).
- Around AU$10/day on most other Optus postpaid plans, with a smaller daily data allowance (around 1GB/day).
- The daily fee is charged for each day you use your phone in Indonesia, and it auto-renews if you keep using it. If you burn through the daily allowance, the pass typically renews for another day.
So the practical cost is the daily fee multiplied by the days you use your phone. Rates and plan inclusions change, so confirm the current figure for your specific plan on Optus's official international roaming page before you travel.
What would roaming cost you?
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What will you use?
Network Roaming
£22
~£9/GB international average
Estimated for 2.5 GB over 7 days
With eSIMpass
£4.63
4G/5G speeds, instant delivery
No contracts, no roaming fees
Estimates based on average international roaming rates. Actual costs vary by network, plan, and destination.
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Browse eSIM PlansOptus roaming vs an eSIM: the real cost for a Bali trip
Let us put the two side by side for a typical Bali holiday. Optus roaming is a daily fee; an eSIM is a fixed data bundle you buy once.
| Data | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB Data | 7 Days | £2.82 |
| 3GB Data | 30 Days | £3.62 |
| 5GB Data | 30 Days | £4.98 |
| 10GB Data | 30 Days | £7.55 |
| 20GB Data | 30 Days | £11.33 |
| 1 Day | 1 Day | £2.59 |
| 2 Days | 2 Days | £5.19 |
| 3 Days | 3 Days | £7.78 |
| 4 Days | 4 Days | £10.20 |
| 5 Days | 5 Days | £12.93 |
| 6 Days | 6 Days | £15.67 |
| 7 Days | 7 Days | £18.41 |
| 8 Days | 8 Days | £19.78 |
| 9 Days | 9 Days | £21.83 |
| 10 Days | 10 Days | £23.20 |
| 11 Days | 11 Days | £25.25 |
| 12 Days | 12 Days | £27.30 |
| 13 Days | 13 Days | £28.67 |
| 14 Days | 14 Days | £30.04 |
| 15 Days | 15 Days | £32.09 |
| 16 Days | 16 Days | £33.46 |
| 17 Days | 17 Days | £34.15 |
| 18 Days | 18 Days | £35.51 |
| 19 Days | 19 Days | £37.57 |
| 20 Days | 20 Days | £38.94 |
| 21 Days | 21 Days | £40.30 |
| 22 Days | 22 Days | £40.99 |
| 23 Days | 23 Days | £41.67 |
| 24 Days | 24 Days | £42.36 |
| 25 Days | 25 Days | £43.04 |
| 26 Days | 26 Days | £43.73 |
| 27 Days | 27 Days | £44.41 |
| 28 Days | 28 Days | £45.09 |
| 29 Days | 29 Days | £45.78 |
| 30 Days | 30 Days | £47.15 |
The gap widens the longer you stay. A long weekend might be close, but Balinese holidays tend to run 10 days to two weeks, and by then AU$5 to AU$10 a day has quietly added up while an Indonesia eSIM is a single fixed price you knew before you left. And unlike roaming, an eSIM never lands a surprise on next month's Optus bill.
Not sure how much data you need for maps, ride-hailing apps like Gojek and Grab, messaging, and the odd video call home? Estimate it here:
For most travellers, 3-5GB comfortably covers a week of maps, social, and daily ride-hailing. Here is how eSIMpass compares to the other ways to get online in Bali:
eSIM vs Roaming vs Local SIM
Compare your options for Indonesia
| eSIMpass | Roaming | Local SIM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Instant | None | 30-60 min |
| Cost per GB | ~$2-5 | $10-50+ | ~$3-8 |
| Surprise fees | None | Likely | Unlikely |
| Buy before trip | Yes | Yes | No |
| Keep your number | Yes | Yes | No |
| Speed | 4G/5G | 4G/5G | 4G/5G |
How an Indonesia eSIM works (and keeps your Optus number)
This is the part that worries people, and it should not. A data-only eSIM does not replace your Optus line - it sits alongside it. Modern iPhones and Android phones hold two SIMs at once (your Optus line plus the travel eSIM), which means:
- Your Optus number stays active for calls and texts. Bank verification codes and calls to your usual number keep arriving.
- Your data runs on the eSIM, on an Indonesian network like Telkomsel, Indosat Ooredoo, or XL Axiata, at full local 4G/5G speed. If your trip strays beyond the Seminyak-Canggu strip into Ubud, the rice-terrace villages, or a Nusa Penida day trip, Telkomsel has the widest rural reach of the three.
- You simply turn data roaming off on your Optus line so it cannot quietly trigger a daily roaming fee, and set the eSIM as your data line.
You get the best of both: your real number for anything that needs it, and cheaper local data for everything else. The only thing you give up versus Optus roaming is using your Optus data allowance abroad - which is exactly the part you are paying the daily fee for.
How to set up a Bali eSIM before you fly
The whole point is to land already connected, so do this at home on Wi-Fi:
- Buy the £2.59 Indonesia plan and receive a QR code by email within minutes.
- Open your phone's mobile settings, add the eSIM by scanning that QR code, and label it "Bali" so you can tell it apart from your Optus line - this installs the profile over Wi-Fi and does not start your data clock on most plans.
- Leave the new line switched off until you arrive in Bali.
- On landing at Ngurah Rai (Denpasar, airport code DPS), turn the eSIM on as your data line and switch data roaming off on your Optus line - it will register on Telkomsel or Indosat Ooredoo within a minute.
- You are online walking out of the terminal - straight into ordering a Gojek or Grab car and messaging your villa host, instead of queueing at a SIM kiosk in the arrivals hall.
When is Optus roaming actually the better choice?
An honest guide names the cases where roaming wins, and there are a few:
- Very short trips. For a two- or three-day stopover in Seminyak or Kuta near the airport, AU$5/day with zero setup and full use of your own number may be worth the convenience.
- You are on Choice Plus with a big daily allowance. At about AU$5/day for around 5GB/day, heavy users on that specific plan get a lot for the money, and it is genuinely competitive for a short stay.
- You will not set anything up. If tapping through your phone's eSIM settings the night before is more friction than you want, roaming is the zero-effort option - your Optus phone latches onto a Telkomsel or Indosat partner network the moment you land at DPS.
For everyone else - anyone on a AU$10/day plan, or staying the usual week-plus, or who just wants a predictable price and full-speed data - an Indonesia eSIM alongside your Optus line is cheaper and does not touch your monthly bill.
The bottom line
Optus works in Bali, and its daily roaming is convenient - especially the roughly AU$5/day Choice Plus deal for a short stay. But for a typical week-or-longer Bali holiday, or on a AU$10/day plan, a data-only Indonesia eSIM from £2.59 costs less, installs before you leave home, and keeps your Optus number live for calls and codes. Set it up on Wi-Fi the night before and you will land in Denpasar already online.
Does using Optus in Bali cost extra automatically?
Yes. Unless you turn data roaming off, Optus applies its daily International Roaming fee (about AU$5/day on Choice Plus, around AU$10/day on other plans) on any day your phone uses data, calls, or texts in Indonesia. It is billed automatically, so several days can add up before you notice.
Can I keep my Optus number and still use an eSIM in Bali?
Yes. A data-only eSIM runs alongside your Optus line on any dual-SIM phone. Your Optus number stays active for calls and texts, while your data runs on an Indonesian network - Telkomsel, Indosat Ooredoo, or XL Axiata - through the eSIM. Turn data roaming off on the Optus line so it does not trigger a daily fee.
Is an eSIM cheaper than Optus roaming for Bali?
For a typical week-or-longer Bali holiday, usually yes - especially on a AU$10/day plan, where two weeks is around AU$140. An Indonesia eSIM from £2.59 is a single fixed price for the trip with no effect on your Optus bill. On the roughly AU$5/day Choice Plus plan for a very short stay, roaming is more competitive.
Will my Optus phone work as soon as I land in Bali?
If you leave roaming on, yes - and the daily fee begins that day. If you are using an eSIM, install it at home first, then switch it on when you land at Denpasar (DPS) and it connects to Telkomsel or Indosat Ooredoo within a minute of finding signal - fast enough to order your first Gojek or Grab from the arrivals curb.
Does Optus roaming give me unlimited data in Bali?
No. It unlocks your plan's daily roaming allowance (around 5GB/day on Choice Plus, around 1GB/day on other plans), and once that is used the pass generally renews for another daily fee. An eSIM gives you a clearly defined data bundle for the whole trip instead.
Land in Bali already online - for less than a week of roaming
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