How I use US and Philippine carriers ๐บ๐ธ๐ต๐ญ
As someone who's lived in the Philippines a long time, I figured I'd share how I handle my US and Philippine phone lines.
I use two phones. Each has a US carrier on eSIM and a Philippine carrier on a physical SIM.
๐ฑ Phone 1
๐บ๐ธ Mint Mobile - eSIM
5GB data per month
$200.23 a year with tax
About $16.69 a month
๐ต๐ญ Smart - physical SIM
Smart Magic Data
65GB - โฑ749
No expiration
I just keep buying the 65GB package. When it runs out, I buy another.
๐ฑ Phone 2
๐บ๐ธ Tello - eSIM
2GB data per month
$10.76 a month with tax
About $129 a year
๐ต๐ญ GOMO - physical SIM
30GB - โฑ449
No expiration
I keep a 30GB package and top up whenever I need to.
๐บ๐ธ Tello
Tello supports Wi-Fi calling, so I can keep using my US number for calls and texts while living in the Philippines.
What I especially like is that Tello also works over Philippine LTE.
So even when I'm not on Wi-Fi, Tello basically rides on the Philippine SIM's data for my US calls and texts.
For $10.76 a month, that's pretty handy.
๐บ๐ธ Mint Mobile
Mint supports Wi-Fi calling too, and I'm on the 5GB/month plan.
Here's what my actual annual renewal came to:
Plan $180.00
Taxes and fees $20.23
Total $200.23
That's about $16.69 a month.
But I still haven't managed to get Mint to run over Philippine LTE the way Tello does. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me, or if you know how to set it up, let me know.
โ๏ธ What I really love about Mint: international travel
I called both companies myself and compared their international roaming.
For the amount of data I use abroad, Mint comes out a bit cheaper than Tello.
Tello is pay-as-you-go roaming in most countries, while Mint sells international packages. I really like Mint's approach because I know exactly what I'm buying before I leave.
Mint's current international passes:
1 day - $5
1GB data
60 minutes of calls
60 texts
3 days - $10
3GB high-speed data
200 minutes of calls
200 texts
10 days - $20
10GB high-speed data
500 minutes of calls
500 texts
On the 10-day package that works out to $2 per GB, with calls and texts thrown in.
So my rule is dead simple:
10 days or less = I usually buy the Mint international pass.
More than 10 days = I usually get a local SIM/eSIM.
On a short trip I don't want to fiddle with anything. I want to land, switch on my phone, and have service.
If I'm going somewhere for a month, Indonesia, Thailand, Africa, wherever, a local SIM makes more sense to me.
๐ฐ Basic costs
Mint:
$200.23 a year
5GB a month
Tello:
$10.76 a month
2GB a month
US lines combined:
About $329 a year
About $27.40 a month
Philippines:
Smart:
65GB - โฑ749
No expiration
GOMO:
30GB - โฑ449
No expiration
So I basically have no monthly Philippine data bill. When I actually use it up, I just buy more.
About $27 a month on the US side, and Philippine data as needed. With that I keep two US numbers and two Philippine networks, and traveling abroad is pretty painless.
As a long-term resident of the Philippines, this combo has worked well for me.
I'm curious how other long-term expats do it. Mint? Tello? Google Voice? Something else?
And if anyone has figured out how to get Mint to ride on the other SIM's Philippine LTE/5G the way Tello does, I'd love to hear how you did it.
