A Ballena! travel eSIM for Uruguay starts at $7.00 for 1 GB over 7 days. The product page lists the speed as 4G. Plans run from 7 to 30 days, and unlimited plans are listed separately from $17.55 for 3 days, up to 10 days. Coverage is Uruguay.
Key facts
| Country | Uruguay |
| Network | Ballena! |
| Speed | 4G (published on the product page; subject to carrier Fair Usage Policy) |
| From | $7.00 for 1 GB / 7 days |
| Validity | 7, 15, or 30 days |
| Install | QR code, before you fly |
What a Ballena! eSIM costs
The cheapest published plan on the Uruguay travel eSIM is $7.00 for 1 GB valid 7 days. A 2 GB / 15 day plan is $11.25, a 3 GB / 30 day plan is $15.30, a 5 GB / 30 day plan is $25.50, 10 GB over 30 days is $32.30, and 20 GB over 30 days is $42.08. The 3 GB / 30 day plan is the value pick: a full month for $8.30 more than the 7 day plan and three times the data. Per gigabyte the curve improves from $7.00 down to about $2.10 on the 20 GB bucket, so if you are confident about your usage the larger plans are the better buy.
Network
The plan is sold under the operator name Ballena! and the supported country is Uruguay. The product page publishes the speed as 4G, and real speed still depends on the mast, the handset, and the carrier Fair Usage Policy. Uruguay is covered as one country on this plan, and the country is compact: Montevideo, the Colonia and Punta del Este corridors and the main coastal road are the well covered parts, with thinner service inland towards Tacuarembo and the northern border. Uruguay is in Mercosur, not the European Union, so a home SIM’s EU roaming bundle does not extend to it. It does not cover Argentina or Brazil, so the ferry to Buenos Aires and the border towns on the Brazilian side each need their own plan.
How much data you actually need
Maps, chat, and bus tickets sit inside 1 GB for a short city stay. A week moving between Montevideo, Colonia and the coast with daily photo uploads is the 3 GB or 5 GB plan, and a month of travel or hotspotting is 10 GB or 20 GB. Hotel and cafe Wi-Fi is widely available in Montevideo and Punta del Este, so the larger buckets are mainly about travelling days and video.
Unlimited data
Unlimited plans are listed on the same product page, from $17.55 for 3 days, $23.80 for 5 days, $29.75 for 7 days and $39.00 for 10 days. Note the shape of this product: unlimited stops at 10 days, so there is no 15 or 30 day unlimited plan at all, and a long stay has to be bought as a bucket. The comparison also favours the buckets: 5 GB over 30 days costs $25.50, which is less than the 7 day unlimited plan at $29.75, and 10 GB over 30 days at $32.30 is roughly the price of 10 days of unlimited while lasting three times as long. Unlimited still sits under a Fair Usage Policy, so a hotspot left running all day is exactly what gets slowed.
Dual SIM
Keep your home SIM for calls and bank texts. Turn on data roaming only for the Ballena! line. iPhone: Settings, Mobile Data, pick the travel line. Android: Settings, Network, SIMs, set mobile data to the travel eSIM. Do this before you leave the airport Wi-Fi.
Arrival and transit
The main gateway is Carrasco International (MVD) outside Montevideo, with the fast ferries from Buenos Aires to Colonia and Montevideo handling most arrivals from Argentina and land crossings from Brazil at Chuy and Rivera. Install the eSIM on hotel or home Wi-Fi before the flight, then switch the data line on after you clear arrivals. You do not need a local shop or a passport photo for this plan.
Install
- Buy the plan and open the QR code in the order email while you still have Wi-Fi.
- On the phone, add an eSIM and scan that code. Label the line “Uruguay”.
- After landing, set mobile data to that line and leave your home number on for texts.
Phone compatibility
The phone must be carrier-unlocked and eSIM-capable. iPhone XS and later, and recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models, qualify. A locked handset will not take the QR code. Check the lock status with your home carrier before you pay.
FAQ
Q1: How much is the cheapest Uruguay eSIM?
$7.00 for 1 GB, valid 7 days, on the Ballena! plan.
Q2: Which operator is on the plan?
Ballena!. The supported country is Uruguay.
Q3: Does it include calls and SMS?
No. It is a data plan, with voice calls only through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. Keep your home SIM for calls and one-time passwords.
Q4: Is it 5G?
No. The product page lists the speed as 4G. Real speed still depends on coverage and the Fair Usage Policy.
Q5: Can I install it after I land?
Yes, if you can reach Wi-Fi. Installing before the flight is simpler, because the QR download needs a connection.
Q6: Will it work outside Uruguay?
No. Argentina and Brazil each need their own plan.
Q7: Is there an unlimited option?
Yes, but only up to 10 days: from $17.55 for 3 days to $39.00 for 10 days. There is no 30 day unlimited plan, so longer stays need a data bucket.
Q8: Can I share it as a hotspot?
Yes, within the data allowance. Hotspot traffic counts against the same gigabytes, and heavy sharing can hit the Fair Usage Policy.
Q9: What if the QR code fails?
Use the manual activation code in the same email. The phone still has to be unlocked.
Q10: When were these prices checked?
October 2026, against the published variation prices on travelydata.com.
Bottom line
For a week in Uruguay, the $7.00 / 1 GB Ballena! plan is the entry point and the 3 GB / 30 day plan at $15.30 is the one most travellers should buy. A longer stay with heavier use is 5 GB at $25.50 or 10 GB at $32.30, and if you want unlimited it tops out at 10 days for $39.00. The published speed is 4G and the buckets are the better value on this product.
Prices and coverage verified on travelydata.com, October 2026.
