Traveling to Melbourne and wondering if you can buy a sim card at Melbourne International Airport on arrival? This is a complete guide for finding the best sim card for your trip to Melbourne in 2025.
Find out where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per January 2025, my recommendation, info about eSIMs for Australia, a vlog about my arrival and more.
To make sure I don't end up with high roaming charges or slow overseas data roaming plans I used to buy a prepaid sim card in every country. Nowadays I mostly use eSIMs to stay connected abroad.
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Traveltomtom also wrote a complete guide on how to buy a prepaid sim card in Australia and a comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to Australia in 2025.
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for traveling to Melbourne are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. This is at absolutely no extra cost to you.
Why buying a sim card for Australia
Make sure you avoid high roaming charges at all times or end up with excessive high phone bills. Also don't opt for those slow and overpriced overseas data roaming plans, they reduce the data speed!
There are many reasons to stay connected when traveling to Melbourne. Having a data connection on our phone makes life so much more convenient. Think about ordering an Uber, getting directions from Google Maps or looking for a nearby rooftop bar, it is not possible without a data connection on your phone.
Also think about emergencies, checking your banking apps, etc. Don't depend on public WiFi. There is no guarantee, it can be slow and keep in mind that public WiFi is through an UNSECURED network. The use of a VPN is recommended to protect your data.
Wherever I go I either order an eSIM or I buy a prepaid sim card to stay connected. Having data on your phone makes traveling much more fun.
Traveltomtom would like to visit every country in the world and everywhere I go I document my travel tips and show people what is the best way to stay connected.
That is how on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world: Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand, Bangkok, Indonesia, Bali, USA, New York, Turkey, Qatar, Dubai, London, Europe, Asia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and eSIM advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark Traveltomtom and let me help you save money when traveling.
My recommendation
The best prepaid sim card deal for tourists at Melbourne Airport is an Optus sim card. Compared to Telstra and Vodafone the Optus prepaid sim card deals have the best value.
For a trip to Melbourne an Optus sim card is totally fine. However, if you are going to travel around Australia Traveltomtom recommends a Telstra prepaid sim card at all times.
You can buy a Telstra prepaid sim card at Melbourne Airport, though slightly more expensive.
Why is Telstra the best tourist sim card for Australia in 2025? It has by far the best network coverage in Australia. In the link you will find my guide with a comparison of Telstra, Vodafone and Optus.
Traveltomtom is an advocate for using eSIMs when traveling to Australia. So easy and convenient and you are online as soon as the plane lands.
A Smartroam eSIM for Australia from Sim Local that operates on the Telstra network is regarded the best eSIM for Australia with 10 GB data for $17 USD. A Jetpac eSIM gives you 15 GB for $16 USD but operates on the Optus network.
eSIMs are just so convenient that I happily pay a couple dollar more to avoid the hassle of buying a prepaid sim card in Melbourne. For more detailed info check out my guide with the best eSIMs for Australia in 2025.
If you travel to multiple countries on your trip to the Pacific then it is worth looking into an international travel sim card. Check out my article about the best world sim cards with data in 2025 and find the one that covers the countries of your trip to for example Australia and New Zealand.
Melbourne Airport
A very modern and easy to navigate airport. International flights all arrival in Terminal 2 and when walking out you are greeted by huge letters saying MELBOURNE. There is only one exit into a spacious arrival hall. Melbourne Airport is not as busy as most airports in Asia, Europe and the USA.
Where to buy a sim card at Melbourne Airport
Buying a prepaid sim card for Australia on arrival at Melbourne Airport is very easy. There are 3 different stores and you can not miss them.
On your left hand side when walking into the arrival hall you will see Welcome Center. This store sells prepaid sim cards from Telstra and Boost. If you are Chinese or Vietnamese speaking this is your place to buy a sim card as they also offer services in these languages. The Welcome Center is NOT an official Telstra retail store, just a reseller.
The Welcome Center store is open from 06.00 am till 02.00 pm and from 5.30 pm till midnight.
On your right hand side you will find the official retail stores of Vodafone and Optus. These stores are both open from 6.30 am till 23.30 pm. All sim card shops at Melbourne Airport accept international credit cards payments.
If you arrive outside the opening hours there is also a vending machine for sim cards behind the Optus shop.
Prices Australia sim cards at Melbourne Airport
All prices and info are update as per January 2025 and prices are in Australian Dollar (AUD): $1 AUD = 0.62 USD and $1 USD is $1.60 AUD.
As per 2025 you an also opt for an eSIM in the phone stores at Melbourne Airport.
Boost
Buying a Boost sim card is only recommended when staying in Melbourne city. Their network is very limited outside the city and therefore not recommended for traveling in Australia.
- 40 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 28 days = $30 AUD - $19 USD
- 55 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 28 days = $40 AUD - $25 USD
- 140 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 365 days = $200 AUD - $125 USD
- 260 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 365 days = $300 AUD - $187 USD
Telstra
A prepaid Telstra sim card is free when buying one of the below data packages:
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 28 days = $30 AUD - $19 USD
- 40 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 28 days = $40 AUD - $25 USD
- 200 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 365 days = $300 AUD - $187 USD
Telstra has the best 4G/5G network coverage in Australia, see my guide on how to buy a prepaid sim card in Australia in 2025.
Vodafone
At the Vodafone store they offer a wide range of prepaid sim cards for Australia:
- 4 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 7 days = $10 AUD - $6 USD
- 8 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $20 AUD - $13 USD
- 60 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 28 days = $25 AUD - $16 USD
- 150 GB data + unlimited calls/text for 365 days = $150 AUD - $94 USD
Vodafone is the most flexible when it comes to picking the right data package for your trip to Australia. Some have international minutes included as well, see the photo above for more info.
Optus
At Optus they only offer 2 prepaid sim cards for tourists at Melbourne Airport. They offer a 4G and a 5G sim card deal:
- 60 GB data (4G/LTE) + unlimited calls/text for 30 days = $25 AUD - $16 USD
- 60 GB data (5G ready) + unlimited calls/text for 30 days = $60 AUD - $37 USD
International minutes are also included to 35 different countries and unlimited international minutes to another 15 countries, see the photo above.
Best prepaid sim card Melbourne Airport
If you are a Chinese or Vietnamese speaking traveler then you might want to head to the Welcom Center as they display everything in Vietnamese and Chinese as well.
Although Telstra has the strongest 4G/5G coverage in Australia the prices for Telstra prepaid sim cards are also slightly more expensive or at least you get less data for the same money.
Vodafone has the widest range of prepaid sim cards and the cheapest prepaid sim card deals for tourists. That said, Vodafone also has the weakest 4G/5G data network in Australia.
For more info on the best 4G/5G network and a comparison of the best prepaid sim card for Australia in 2025 check my article in the link.
eSIMs for Australia are a little more expensive. A Smartroam eSIM for Australia from Sim Local that operates on the Telstra network is regarded the best eSIM for Australia with 10 GB data for $17 USD. A Jetpac eSIM gives you 15 GB for $16 USD but operates on the Optus network. Jetpac has eSIMs starting from just $1 USD.
Check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for Australia in 2025.
My conclusion for the best prepaid sim card for Australia at Melbourne Airport is an Optus prepaid sim card. They offer 60 GB data for $25 AUD which is about $16 USD. The Optus 4G/LTE network coverage is stronger than the Vodafone network, but weaker than Telstra.
If you are going to travel around Australia then you simply want a Telstra sim card, trust me.
Best eSIMs for Australia
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Melbourne in 2025 is an eSIM. Within just a couple minutes you can arrange everything online.
You order an eSIM for Australia on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have an Australia eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Melbourne it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
If this raises a lot of questions then check out my complete guide with everything you need to know about using eSIMs when traveling to Australia in 2025, including a comparison of the best available tourist eSIMs.
There are many eSIM providers on the internet, below you can find some recommendations. All trusted, tested and reviewed by Traveltomtom personally.
Sim Local
The Traveltomtom Team has extensively tested Sim Local eSIMs. Find al the pros and cons of Sim Local in our extensive review.
Here are all the Sim Local eSIM plans for Australia:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $7.50 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $10.50 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $17 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $34 USD
Click here for more info or to order an eSIM for Australia via Sim Local.
The Smartroam eSIM plans for Australia operate on the Optus and Telstra network in Australia.
Airalo
Airalo is the market leader in eSIMs, very reliable but often a couple dollar more expensive. Here are the Airalo eSIM deals for Australia in 2025:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $8 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $9 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $12.5 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $20 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $40 USD
Click here for more info or to order an eSIMs for Australia via Airalo.
The above eSIMs from Yes! Go! are data-only and phone calls are not supported. They operate on the 4G/LTE network of Optus in Australia.
Jetpac
The Traveltomtom Team was impressed reviewing Jetpac eSIMs for Australia. They not only offer eSIM solutions but also free lounge access if your flight is delayed, free VPN and a couple more advantages. Check out our honest and detailed Jetpac review.
Here are the Jetpac Australia eSIM plans:
- 1 GB data for 4 days = $1 USD
- 3 GB data for 7 days = $7 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $10 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $12 USD
- 15 GB data for 30 days = $16 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $27 USD
- 30 GB data for 30 days = $24 USD
- 40 GB data for 30 days = $48 USD
Click here for more info or to order a Jetpac Australia eSIM.
The Jetpac Australia eSIMs are data-only and incoming and outgoing calls and sms are not supported. These eSIMs do not come with a phone number. The Jetpac Australia eSIMs operate on the Optus network and they support 5G.
Before ordering an eSIM for Australia make sure your phone is eSIM compatible.
Check the link for a much more detailed guide including a comparison of the best eSIMs for Australia in 2025 and an answer to all FAQ about using eSIMs.
Buying a prepaid sim card for Australia online
If your phone is not eSIM compatible then you can still order an international prepaid sim card for traveling in Australia on the internet. These sim cards are valid in multiple countries around the world. After you ordered online, a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address before your trip to Australia.
On arrival it is plug and play.
SimOptions offers the following physical prepaid sim card for Australia:
- 10 GB data valid in 56 countries for 15 days = $24.90 USD
- 10 GB data valid in 124 countries for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here to order an international prepaid sim card for Australia via SimOptions.
Also a last reminder that if your phone is eSIM compatible you can arrange everything online by simply ordering an eSIM for Australia on the internet. Check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Australia.
Vlog about buying a sim card at Melbourne Airport
If you are wondering what it looks like arriving at Melbourne Airport and buying a prepaid sim card for Australia on arrival then watch my vlog above.
I am sure some of the above tips for buying a sim card for Australia were helpful for your upcoming trip to Melbourne. If you have any more questions then don't hesitate to leave me a comment below.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of January 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Melbourne!