Planning guide
Internet, SIM Cards and eSIMs in Mongolia
Short answer
Buy a local SIM at the airport or in Ulaanbaatar (a published 2026 example: about 15,000 MNT for an 8 GB package) or use a travel eSIM. Coverage is good in towns and along main roads, patchy to non-existent in between — expect to be offline for hours on countryside drives. Many ger camps have limited or no Wi-Fi. Download offline maps before you leave Ulaanbaatar.
Your options
- Local SIM — cheapest data; buy at the airport or at operator shops in Ulaanbaatar with your passport.
- Travel eSIM — convenient, set up before you fly; usually more expensive per GB; uses local networks.
- Roaming — check your home provider’s rates; often expensive.
Coverage reality
- Ulaanbaatar and towns: 4G is widely available.
- Main roads: intermittent.
- Countryside between settlements: often no signal.
- Ger camps: some have Wi-Fi or mobile signal; many don’t.
Stay reachable and oriented
- Download offline maps (OpenStreetMap-based apps work well).
- Share your itinerary with someone at home.
- Carry a power bank; electricity at camps can be limited.
- For remote trips, consider a satellite messenger.
Questions travelers ask
Which SIM is best in Mongolia?
Mobicom and Unitel are the largest operators; Skytel and G-Mobile also operate. Coverage differs by area, so if your driver or camps use a particular network, that's a good hint.
Will I have signal in the Gobi?
Near towns, soum centres and some camps, yes. Between them, often not. Assume you'll be offline for long stretches.
Sources and further reading
We link sources for facts that matter (prices, entry rules, dates, distances). Third-party prices are what those sources published, not quotes from us.
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