What Is the Cheapest SIM Card in Spain? (2026)

Which SIM Card Providers Are Best for Expats in Spain?

Based on price, data allowance, host-network coverage, and ease of registering without full residency, here are the 10 SIM plans we compare in Spain, ranked by editorial rating by default. Every price and allowance was checked on the provider's own page in October 2026. Re-rank them with the controls below, or show only the plans that match what you need.

Price per GB counts unlimited plans as 200GB, so they do not win by default. Prices are per billing cycle: a plan marked "every 28 days" renews 13 times a year. Filters grey out plans that do not match; none are removed. No provider pays for its position.

What Are the Cheapest Prepaid SIM Plans in Spain?

Prices as of October 2026, each read on the provider's own tariff page (listed under Sources below). "Per year" counts 13 payments for a 28-day plan and 12 for a monthly one.

Why Do Some Spanish SIM Plans Renew Every 28 Days?

Spanish prepaid plans from Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, Yoigo and Lobster renew every 28 days, not every month: that is 13 payments a year, so a EUR 10 plan costs EUR 130 a year, not EUR 120. Contract-style plans with no minimum term (Digi, Lowi, O2, Pepephone, Simyo) bill by calendar month.

In our catalogue, 5 of 10 plans renew every 28 days. Compare like for like: Movistar Prepago Plus at EUR 10 every 28 days costs EUR 130 a year, while Pepephone at EUR 15 a month costs EUR 180 and O2 at EUR 7 a month costs EUR 84. The "Per year" column above does this sum for every plan.

The full prepaid-versus-contract comparison is in our prepaid vs postpaid guide.

Which Network Does Each Spanish MVNO Run On?

Every budget brand rides on one of the physical networks of Movistar (Telefonica), Vodafone Espana or Orange (MasOrange), while Digi combines its own antennas with Movistar wholesale. So coverage depends on the host network, not the retail brand. Yoigo no longer has a network of its own: the research reports that Yoigo's radio network was switched off in August 2025 and its traffic now runs on Orange, based on a July 2026 summary of Opensignal data, a secondary source.

Other brands, as the research maps them for 2026: Finetwork runs on Vodafone; Silbo on Movistar 4G; Suop, Lemmon, tumovil and Carrefour Movil on Orange; MasMovil, Hits, Jazztel, Lycamobile, Llamaya, Euskaltel, R and Telecable on Orange since the Yoigo network switch-off; and Xenet lets you choose Orange 5G or Vodafone.

Host network as recorded in our catalogue (October 2026); brand-to-network map from the research's 2026 table, confidence B. Lebara is left out because the sources disagree on its host network.

Which network is fastest or reaches furthest is in our best mobile network in Spain guide.

Which Spanish Mobile Operator Works in English?

Lobster is the English-language option. The research reports it as the only Spanish operator whose app, contract and support are all in English, and it sells eSIMs online with just a passport. Its plan costs EUR 12.99 every 28 days for 200 GB on the Movistar network (EUR 168.87 a year), with calls to the UK, Germany, France and other countries included, as of October 2026.

Elsewhere, our catalogue lists English-language support at Movistar and Vodafone, but not a fully English contract.

Does a Spanish SIM Include Roaming Outside Spain?

Within the EU, yes: all 10 plans we compare include EU roaming at no extra cost. Outside the EU it depends on the operator and the tier:

• USA: the research reports that Vodafone's higher prepaid tiers, Prepago M to XXL, include roaming in the USA and Turkey at no extra cost. It also flags that Vodafone's US roaming offer has had end dates, so check the tier page before you travel. The entry tier in our catalogue, Prepago S, is not one of them.
• UK:according to a secondary source (a February 2026 roaming comparison, not the operators' own pages), Movistar, O2, Vodafone, Lowi and Digi include the UK in their EU roaming zone, while Orange, Simyo, Yoigo and MasMovil charge extra for it. Check with the operator before relying on it.

Should You Get a Spanish SIM or a Travel eSIM?

If you live in Spain, a Spanish SIM card gives you a Spanish number. You need it for the one-time SMS codes that Spanish banks and government portals such as Cl@ve send: mainstream travel eSIMs are data-only and cannot receive them, with one partial exception: a Holafly subscription plan that adds an inbound-SMS number. If you are only visiting, a travel eSIM activates with no NIE and no shop visit.

Many newcomers do both: a travel eSIM on day one, then a Spanish SIM after arrival. Our eSIM vs SIM guide works out the day a local SIM becomes cheaper. See our prepaid vs postpaid guide to compare the two commitment models before you choose.

Should You Get a Prepaid or Contract SIM in Spain?

As a newcomer just arriving in Spain, a prepaid SIM (prepago) is usually the best starting point. It needs a DNI, NIE or passport, no bank account (you top up with cash or card) and no commitment: the line freezes when you stop topping up.

A contract plan (contrato), usually sin permanencia (no minimum term), asks for a DNI or NIE plus an address, and operators expect a Spanish IBAN for direct debit. If you do not have one yet, our fintech apps guide covers the IBAN country of each app. See our prepaid vs postpaid Spain guide for the full breakdown.

What Are the SIM Card Registration Requirements in Spain?

Spain's Ley 25/2007 obliges operators to identify prepaid users. In practice you buy a prepaid SIM with a DNI, NIE (Numero de Identidad de Extranjero) or passport; the research found the passport accepted in all operator stores, and no padron (empadronamiento) is needed for prepaid. Online sign-up varies: Lobster sells eSIMs with a passport, while Digi's app asks for a verified DNI. The CNMC, Spain's telecom regulator, oversees operator compliance with consumer-protection rules.

How Do You Switch to a Cheaper Mobile Plan in Spain?

You keep your number through portabilidad (number portability). As the research summarises the rules, the switch is free, you request it from the new operator, and it takes effect within 1 working day. There is no code to collect from your old operator: identity verification with the new one is enough.

1. Sign up with your new operator and ask it to port your number, with your passport, NIE or DNI.
2. Change your mind if you need to. A port can be cancelled until 14:00 on the working day before the switch.
3. Wait for the port. The number moves within 1 working day and the old line ends.
4. Cancelled a line by mistake? The number stays in reserve, and you can recover it, for 1 month.

Step by step, with the rules behind each step: how to switch mobile provider in Spain.

Frequently Asked Questions