Nomad in Hungary: checked at source, and longer than we thought

Ten plans, six of them metered

An earlier version of this page held two rows, priced at $7.00 for 3GB rather than $9.00 and $14.00 for 10GB rather than $16.00, and said Nomad sold nothing shorter than 30 days and no unlimited data in Hungary. The prices were low and the gaps were imaginary. Airalo's Hungarian prices, quoted below for comparison, were read at source on 13 August 2026.

The earlier listing for this product also recorded that hotspot tethering is supported, which is worth knowing if a laptop is travelling with you.

Where it wins, and where Airalo takes it back

Ten gigabytes over thirty days is the size most two-week visitors actually want. Nomad charges $16 for it against Airalo's verified $19, and at 20GB the margin is far wider: $20 against $32, which is $1.00 a gigabyte against $1.60.

The one thing that beats it is Airalo's 50GB plan at $36, or 72 cents a gigabyte, against Nomad's own 50GB at $45 and 90 cents. So if you are a heavy user the maths flips, and it flips cleanly rather than marginally — nine dollars for the same allowance over the same month.

Below 10GB the picture is duller. Nomad's $9 for 3GB runs a month where Airalo's verified $8 runs a week, and at 5GB Airalo's $12 undercuts Nomad's $12.50.

What Nomad does not sell here

Less than this page used to claim. It sells a 1GB week at $4.50 and unlimited from three to ten days, so the weekend gap it was criticised for does not exist. What it lacks is a fortnight-length metered plan — every metered plan except the 1GB runs exactly 30 days — and any unlimited window longer than ten days, where Airalo's $48 for fifteen days and $69 for thirty are the only options.

At the very bottom Saily's verified $3.99 for 1GB over seven days still undercuts Nomad's $4.50, and Airalo's verified $4 for 1GB over three days matches it on price for a shorter window.

Network and coverage

Nomad publishes no host network for Hungary, or for anywhere else. An earlier version of this page said its listing names Magyar Telekom and Yettel; that was not something Nomad publishes, and it has been removed rather than softened.

What holds regardless of provider are Hungary's dead spots: the remote Zemplén Mountains in the north-east, patches along the southern shore of Lake Balaton, and the deep parts of the Aggtelek caves. Budapest, the motorway network and the main Balaton resorts are straightforward.

The alternatives worth pricing first

A prepaid SIM from Magyar Telekom, Yettel Hungary or Vodafone Hungary costs about $8 at the airport and needs no ID — you buy it and walk. Against Nomad's $16 that is a genuine saving, at the cost of swapping a SIM and dealing with a Hungarian-language top-up process.

And if your home plan comes from an EU or EEA country, roam-like-at-home means your normal allowance usually works in Hungary at domestic rates. Check that before spending anything. The Hungary hub has the full comparison; our cheapest eSIM roundup is the better starting point if Hungary is one stop on a longer trip.

Verdict

Nomad is the best-value mid-size plan in our Hungary data, and the number that makes it so has now been checked. For a fortnight with a laptop in tow, Nomad's 10GB month at $16 or its 20GB at $20 is the buy — cheaper per gigabyte than anything Airalo sells short of 50GB, with tethering supported. Once you expect to use more than about 25 gigabytes, Airalo's 50GB plan at $36 is the better arithmetic.