best sim cards fiji phone networks© Pxhere
best sim cards fiji phone networks

The Best SIM Card in Fiji for Travellers

© Pxhere

Which Phone Operator to Choose in Fiji?

Replace expensive roaming bills with a local SIM Card in Fiji! Let’s be honest, we need to spend some time on our phones, even when we’re on “Fiji time“. Those poolside selfies are not going to post themselves! So when you can buy 2GB of data for as little as FJ$2, why not?! With that in mind, we have come up with a few comparisons so you can choose the right SIM card in Fiji with the right plan for you.

There are two main phone networks in Fiji: Vodafone and Digicel. While both offer similar coverage across the islands, their prices and bundles are slightly different. Check out the comparison below or go to What are the Fiji Phone Networks for more information. Because most travellers don’t want to get stuck in a multi-month phone contract, we limit our Fiji SIM card comparison to just prepaid (pay-as-you-go) SIM cards.

Tips for Using Your Phone in Fiji

If you’re planning to use your phone from home in Fiji, then you need to make sure your phone is compatible with the Fiji mobile networks, that you’ll have a phone signal where you are going, and that you’re aware of registering your Fiji phone number.

Make Sure Your Phone Works in Fiji

Here are the criteria your phone needs to have to work with a Fiji SIM card:

  • Your phone is a GSM dual-band or tri-band phone
  • Your phone operates on a 900Mhz frequency.

Know Where You’re Likely to Get Coverage

Both phone networks in Fiji have similar coverage across Fiji. The strongest coverage is in the most populated areas. The minor differences are that Vodafone has a stronger coverage in the northern Yasawa Islands and around Vanua Levu, while Digicel has stronger coverage in some parts of inland Viti Levu.

You Need to Register Your Phone Number

Fijian law requires all phone numbers in Fiji to be registered. This is all part of the process when you get a SIM card from any official Vodafone or Digicel store. Find out more in What are the Fiji Phone Networks?

Make Sure You Have the Right Travel Adapter

Ok, so this is an obvious one but just in case, make sure you can charge your phone by having the right electricity adapter. See the 8 Best Travel Adapters for Fiji.

The Best SIM Card in Fiji For Travellers© FijiPocketGuide.com

Vodafone SIM Cards

Vodafone Fiji has the convenience of having a store right in the arrivals hall of Nadi International Airport. The phone network offers reasonably-priced “Tourist Packs” including the SIM card, but you might find that the standard Vodafone Fiji SIM card is all you need. Check out the rates below.

Flat Rates for Vodafone Fiji

  • Calls to Vodafone numbers: 20c/17c* per 30 secs
    Calls to Landlines: 23c/20c* per 30 secs
    Calls to Digicel numbers: 24c*/21c per 30 secs
    *Peak rate (7am to 5pm)/Off-peak rate (5pm-7am)
  • Texts to Fiji & international numbers: 18c per text
  • Mobile internet browsing: FJ$2.79 per MB (or free for accessing Vlive or the Vodafone Fiji website)
  • Picture messages to Fiji & international numbers: 30c per MMS.

Data Bundles on Vodafone Fiji

  • 24-Hour Bundles, ranging from the Daily Pass 1GB for FJ$1.99 to Daily Plus FJ$3.99 for 3GB.
  • 7-Day Bundles, ranging from the Weekly Pass FJ$6.99 for 3GB to the Weekly Mega FJ$11 for 11GB
  • 30-Day Bundles, ranging from the Monthly Plus FJ$35 for 20GB to the Giga 50 FJ$50 for 50GB.

Tourist Packs on Vodafone Fiji

Tourist Packs are also available with Vodafone Fiji, providing a selection of free minutes, texts and data for up to 15 days. Packs, including the SIM card, are priced between FJ$35 and FJ$100, with the more you pay the more minutes, texts and data you get. Note that once the 15 days are up or you go over your limit, you will need to pay the Tourist Pack flat rates, which are more expensive than the normal Vodafone Fiji flat rates listed above.

Vodafone Fiji Store Locations

Suva, Sigatoka, Nausori, Nadi town, Nadi International Aiport, Lautoka, Tavua and Labasa.

The Best SIM Card in Fiji For Travellers© FijiPocketGuide.com

Digicel SIM Cards

For travellers who want to go heavier on the data, Digicel Fiji presents a better SIM card. Like Vodafone, Digicel Fiji offers a “Tourist SIM Card”, which is not too different from their standard SIM card. It could well be a good choice, considering you get free limited data and calls for the first 48 hours. Digicel Fiji also offers an easy-to-use app to organise your bundles.

Flat Rates for Digicel Fiji

  • Calls to Fiji numbers: 17c per 30 secs
    Calls to international numbers: 42c-FJ$2.85 per minute (depending on the country you are calling)
  • Texts to Digicel numbers: 14c per text
    Texts to Vodafone numbers: 16c per text
    Texts to international numbers: 17c per text
    Texts to satellite phones: FJ$1.90 per text
  • Mobile internet browsing: 21c per MB
  • Picture messages to Fiji & international numbers: 30c per MMS.

Data Bundles for Digicel Fiji

  • 24 Hours to 3-Day Bundles, ranging from the Daily 2GB Data for FJ$2 to the Big Phat 4GB Data for FJ$4
  • 7-15-Day Bundles, ranging from the Big Phat 7GB Data for FJ$7 to the Big Phat 15GB Data for FJ$15
  • 30-Day Bundle is one option: the Big Phat 25GB for FJ$25.

All data bundles allow you free access to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Whatsapp, Viber and Facebook Messenger. They also include free calls and texts to Digicel numbers.

Tourist SIMs for Digicel Fiji

Digicel Fiji offers Tourist SIM cards where you’ll pay FJ$29, FJ$49 or FJ$99 for a loaded number of data, minutes and texts. Note that their cheapest Tourist SIM bundle only includes data and lasts just seven days, while the latter two options include calls, texts and data for up to 30 days. Digicel Fiji also offers a free Tourist SIM with 1.5GB and 10 minutes call time that is valid for 48 hours.

Digicel Fiji Store Locations

Suva, Sigatoka, Nausori, Nadi town, Nadi International Airport, Ba, Tavua and Labasa.

phone sim cards in fiji© Pxhere

Fiji Pay-As-You-Go Rates Comparison

If you want to get a Fiji SIM card, top it up and start calling, browsing and texting straight away, then you will be charged the pay-as-you-go rates. You will pay for each minute/30 seconds per call, each text message and each MB of data. Using the pay-as-you-go rates is the best option if you don’t plan on using your phone too much, but would still like the option to.

Digicel Fiji Pay-As-You-Go Rates

  • Calls to Fiji (mobile and landline) numbers: 24c per 30 secs
    Calls to International numbers: 42c-FJ$2.85 per minute (depending on the country you are calling)
  • Texts to Digicel numbers: 14c per text
    Texts to Vodafone numbers: 20c per text
    Texts to International numbers: 25c per text
    Texts to Satellite Phones: FJ$1.90 per text
  • Mobile Internet Browing: 21c per MB
  • Picture Messages to Fiji & International numbers: 30c per MMS.

Vodafone Fiji Pay-As-You-Go Rates

Vodafone Fiji’s voice call flat rates are determined by peak (7am to 5pm)/off-peak (5pm-7am) times.

  • Calls to Vodafone numbers: 20c/17c per 30 secs
    Calls to Landlines: 23c/20c per 30 secs
    Calls to Digicel numbers: 24c/21c per 30 secs
  • Texts to Fiji & International numbers: 18c per text
  • Mobile Internet Browing: FJ$2.79 per MB (or free for accessing Vlive or the Vodafone Fiji website)
  • Picture Messages to Fiji & International numbers: 30c per MMS.

Vodafone Fiji Tourist Pack Pay-As-You-Go Rates

If you purchase a Tourist Starter Pack bundle from Vodafone (see below), you will need to pay the tourist pay-as-you-go rates if you over your bundle limits and/or your Starter Pack expires.

The flat rates are not determined by peak times when on the Vodafone Tourist Pack.

  • Calls to Vodafone numbers: 28c per 30 secs
    Calls to Landlines: 31c per 30 secs
    Calls to Digicel numbers: 32c per 30 secs
  • Texts to Fiji & International numbers: 18c per text
  • Mobile Internet Browing: FJ$2.79 per MB (or free for accessing Vlive and the Vodafone Fiji website)
  • Picture Messages to Fiji & International numbers: 30c per MMS.

Note that if you go over your bundle limits for both Vodafone and Digicel, you will be charged the pay-as-you-go rates.

best sim cards in fiji© Pixabay

Fiji SIM Card Data Bundles Comparison

Having access to the Internet is what most travellers care about. Compared to using the roaming on your home phone network, using a data plan from one of Fiji’s phone networks will save you a significant amount of money! Most of the data bundles with both Vodafone and Digicel include free access to the major social media networks, so posting your travel pics won’t be a problem! Plus, relying on unpredictable WiFi in your hotel definitely won’t be an issue (by the way, check out How to Get WiFi in Fiji). So if you’re planning on going heavy with the data while you’re away in Fiji, getting yourself a local SIM card and a data bundle is a no-brainer.

For both network providers, data bundles can be accessed on the go by dialling *555#, where the USSD will prompt you to choose a selection of data bundles. Just make sure you have enough phone credit in order to purchase a bundle. Alternatively, Digicel data bundles can be accessed through the My Digicel app.

Digicel Fiji Data Bundles

  • 24-Hour Bundles:
    Daily 2GB Data for FJ$2
    Big Phat 3GB Data for FJ$3
  • 3-Day Bundle: Big Phat 4GB Data for FJ$4
  • 7-Day Bundle: Big Phat 7GB Data for FJ$7
  • 10-Day Bundle: Big Phat 10GB Data for FJ$10
  • 15-Day Bundle: Big Phat 15GB Data for FJ$15
  • 30-Day Bundle: Big Phat 25GB for FJ$25.

Note that all bundles allow you free access to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Whatsapp, Viber and Facebook Messenger. They also include free calls and texts to Digicel numbers.

Vodafone Fiji Data Bundles

  • 24-Hour Bundles:
    Daily Pass 1GB for FJ$1.99
    Daily Promo 2GB for FJ$2.99
    Daily Plus 3GB for FJ$3.99
  • 7-Day Bundles:
    Weekly Pass 3GB for FJ$6.99
    Weekly Plus 4.5GB for FJ$7.99
    Weekly Mega 11GB for FJ$11
  • 15 Day Bundles:
    Tourist Starter Pack 8GB for FJ$65
    Giga 25 25GB for FJ$25
  • 30-Day Bundles:
    Monthly Plus 20GB for FJ$35
    Giga 50 50GB for FJ$50.

Note that some bundles allow you free access to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram and Wikipedia, as well as the Vlive and Vodafone Fiji website.

phone fiji sim cards© Pxhere

Fiji Phone Plans for Calls and Texts Comparison

There are many situations where you might find voice calls and texts extremely useful in Fiji. Visitors staying with friends and family in Fiji will want to easily be able to call them. Independent travellers may want to contact and book with activity and accommodation providers. And we don’t need to tell you that business travellers will need to pass phone calls regularly. While the call and text phone plans in Fiji are limited, here are your options.

Digicel Call and Text Bundles

  • 24 Hours of unlimited calls to a Digicel number: FJ$1.89
  • 3 Days of 500 texts: FJ$1.40
  • Data Bundles (see above) offer free calls and texts to Digicel numbers.

Vodafone Call and Text Bundles

  • 15 Days of free SIM card, $25 Recharge Card, 35 minutes calls and 35 texts to Vodafone numbers, 35MB of data – FJ$35 Tourist Starter Pack
  • 15 Days of free SIM card, $50 Recharge Card, 60 minutes calls and 60 texts to Vodafone numbers, 60MB of data – FJ$70 Tourist Starter Pack
  • 15 Days of free SIM card, $75 Recharge Card, 90 minutes calls and 90 texts to Vodafone numbers, 90MB of data – FJ$100 Tourist Starter Pack.
fiji-phone-networks-and-sim-cards© FijiPocketGuide.com

The Best SIM Card for Coverage in Fiji

Digicel and Vodafone both have very similar coverage across Fiji. As you might expect, the strongest coverage is in the most populated areas of Fiji.

Vodafone has a stronger coverage in the northern Yasawa Islands and around Vanua Levu. Digicel has stronger coverage in some parts of inland Viti Levu.

4G coverage is limited to the main towns and cities of Fiji, where Vodafone’s coverage is a bit more extensive than Digicel.

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Fiji Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

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