Anyone who has taken their cell phone (Mobile phone, handphone, cell) with them abroad will probably have found out that international roaming charges can be pretty steep. Talk for just a few minutes and you could pay over US$20. This is about the cost in most countries to buy a local sim card.
Most countries sell pay as you go sim cards which are easily obtainable, often from local convenience stores and at airports. Credit can be purchased from these stores and most people find that doing this works up considerably cheaper than using international roaming.
The benefits of buying a local sim card include:
A Local Number
Buying a sim card and using it in your phone will effectively give you a local number. Local people can call you on this number relatively hassle free. If you roam with your home country number, anyone calling you will be subject to much higher international rates. You effectively get charged twice as you must make a call back to your home country, then pay international rates back to the country you are in. It sounds ridiculous but that is the way networks are set up.
Making Local/Domestic Calls
If you need to call a local number, for example to call a taxi cab or book a restaurant, then this is going to be very cheap when using a local sim card. International Roaming costs vary but around US$2-4 per minute is average. Local calls usually cost a few Cents per minute, a massive saving.
Receive Calls/SMS for free
Not only does it cost a lot to make a call with international roaming, but it often costs a lot to receive a call. Even if it turns out to be an unwanted sales call, you still end up getting charged to receive the call. Some networks also charge you to receive SMS text messages, again you have no control over whether or not to accept these. If you need to receive calls from home, consider switching back to your home sim card once per day to check voicemail. Then switch back and use your local sim card to call the person back.
Cheaper Data usage
With the increasing use of iPhones and other smartphones, the popularity of cellular data usage has increased dramatically. There have been many news articles recently about people going abroad and unknowingly using lots of data, only to receive bills in excess of $20,000 when they return! Data charges can be up to $10 per Megabyte. That is a crazy amount by any stretch of the imagination. Having a local SIM card will let you use data at regular local rates.
Keep track of what you spend
Perhaps the greatest advantage of using a local sim card is your ability to keep track of what you are spending. Because you will be on a pay as you go tariff and not a contract, you must top up your credit before you can spend it. This means there will be no unexpected charges waiting for you when you return home.
