Yes, Optus works in Bali. On eligible Optus Choice Plus plans you get 5GB of data plus unlimited calls and texts for AUD$5 per day; on standard postpaid plans it’s AUD$10/day for 1GB through the Travel Plus add-on. A 2-week Bali trip costs AUD$70–$140 depending on your plan. A Travelren Bali eSIM for the same trip costs around AUD$14. Here’s the honest break-even, and where Optus roaming can genuinely compete.
Travelren is an Aussie-built eSIM brand and we sell Bali plans, so this comparison has stakes. We’ve put real numbers down — including the cases where Optus’s cheaper rate genuinely holds up.
The quick answer
- Optus in Bali (Choice Plus plan): AUD$5/day — 5GB data plus unlimited calls and texts. This is Optus’s cheapest day-pass tier.
- Optus in Bali (standard postpaid via Travel Plus): AUD$10/day — 1GB data plus unlimited calls and texts.
- Travelren eSIM, 5GB / 30 days for Bali: approximately AUD$14
- Crossover (Choice Plus, $5/day): roaming is competitive only for the first day or two; the eSIM is cheaper from day 3.
- Crossover (standard, $10/day): the eSIM is cheaper from day 2 onward.
How Optus actually works when you land in Bali
Indonesia‘s mobile market is dominated by Telkomsel, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, and XL Axiata. Optus’s roaming agreements route to Telkomsel, Indonesia’s largest and most consistent network — strong 4G coverage across Denpasar, Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud, and the Bukit Peninsula, with reliable signal along the main tourist corridors. Coverage thins out around Munduk’s mountain villages and some of the quieter eastern beaches, but improves every year.
Optus roaming auto-activates on first use and bills only the days you connect — but background syncs and notifications count, so switch off mobile data entirely on villa-WiFi-only days if you want to skip the charge.
Optus roaming detail for Bali
- AUD$5/day on Choice Plus plans — 5GB data, unlimited calls + SMS
- AUD$10/day on standard postpaid plans (via the Travel Plus add-on) — 1GB data, unlimited calls + SMS
- Charged per 24-hour usage window, only on days you connect to an Indonesian network
- Confirm your specific Indonesia rate in the My Optus app — Bali sits in Optus’s Zone 1 grouping alongside most of Southeast Asia, but plan eligibility for the cheaper $5/day tier varies
What a Travelren Bali eSIM costs
Travelren Bali / Indonesia plans (AUD, current catalog prices):
- 1GB / 7 days: approximately AUD$4.50 — fine for a short trip with pool villa WiFi
- 3GB / 30 days: approximately AUD$9 — sweet spot for 1–2 weeks
- 5GB / 30 days: approximately AUD$14 — comfortable for two-week trips with Maps, Instagram, and WhatsApp video calls home
- 10GB / 30 days: approximately AUD$22 — heavy use, remote work, tethering
The eSIM routes on the same Telkomsel network Optus roaming uses. Browse the full Bali / Indonesia eSIM range.
Break-even math
| Trip length | Optus Choice Plus ($5/day) | Optus standard ($10/day) | Travelren 5GB / 30 days | Cheapest option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days (Seminyak weekend) | AUD$15 | AUD$30 | AUD$14 | eSIM cheapest (beats both) |
| 1 week | AUD$35 | AUD$70 | AUD$14 | eSIM saves $21 vs Choice Plus, $56 vs standard |
| 2 weeks (full Bali circuit) | AUD$70 | AUD$140 | AUD$14 | eSIM saves $56 vs Choice Plus, $126 vs standard |
| 3 weeks | AUD$105 | AUD$210 | AUD$22 (10GB) | eSIM saves $83 vs Choice Plus, $188 vs standard |
Optus’s AUD$5/day Choice Plus rate — with 5GB and included calls — is competitive for the first day or two. But because Bali eSIM prices have come down, the flat-rate eSIM now beats even the $5/day rate from about day 3, and beats the standard $10/day rate almost immediately.
When Optus roaming is the better call
- You’re on Choice Plus and your trip is under a week — AUD$5/day with 5GB and unlimited calls is solid value with zero setup.
- You make a lot of voice calls — roaming includes unlimited calls; the eSIM is data-only.
- You want zero setup — roaming activates automatically on landing, handy for a short-notice trip.
- Your phone isn’t eSIM-capable — check our device compatibility page.
When the eSIM is clearly the better call
- Trips longer than about a week — daily roaming costs keep adding up; the eSIM doesn’t.
- You’re on the standard $10/day rate — the gap opens up almost immediately, even on short trips.
- You want more data headroom — Maps, Instagram, and video calls chew through 1GB/day fast on the standard rate.
- You’re touring beyond South Bali — Ubud, Munduk, Amed, the Nusa islands — one eSIM plan covers the whole circuit without daily resets.
Will your phone work with an eSIM?
Almost certainly yes if your phone is from the last few years. iPhone XS and newer (2018+), Google Pixel 3+, and Samsung Galaxy S20+ all support eSIM. Australian iPhones keep a physical SIM tray alongside eSIM. See our device compatibility page.
Common questions
How do I check which Optus roaming rate I get in Bali?
Open the My Optus app, go to your plan details, and check “International Roaming” for Indonesia specifically. Choice Plus and a handful of other plans get the AUD$5/day tier; most standard postpaid plans sit on the AUD$10/day Travel Plus rate. Don’t assume — check before you fly.
Can’t I just buy a SIM at Ngurah Rai Airport?
You can — Telkomsel, XL Axiata, and Indosat all run kiosks in arrivals, with tourist SIMs running roughly IDR 100,000–200,000 (AUD$10–20) for short-stay packages. That’s close to or more than the AUD$14 eSIM, and an eSIM installed before you fly means you land already connected — handy after a long red-eye.
Will Grab and Gojek work without an Indonesian number?
Yes — Grab and Gojek both link to international cards and your existing account without needing a local number. They’re the easiest way to get around Bali’s traffic, and most drivers communicate fine through the app’s chat function.
Is coverage good outside South Bali?
Seminyak, Canggu, Kuta, and Ubud have solid 4G. Munduk’s mountain villages, parts of the Bukit’s quieter beaches, and the Nusa islands can drop to patchy signal — both roaming and the eSIM use Telkomsel, so coverage is identical either way. Download offline Google Maps before heading into the hills.
The bottom line
For Bali, the honest answer depends on your Optus plan and trip length. If you’re on Choice Plus and staying only a day or two, AUD$5/day is fine value with 5GB and included calls. For anything longer — or on the standard $10/day rate — a Travelren eSIM at around AUD$14 for 5GB/30 days wins clearly, on the same Telkomsel network. Check your specific Indonesia rate in My Optus first; that one fact decides which way this goes.
See the full Travelren Bali / Indonesia eSIM range →