Stay Connected in Baku
Network coverage, costs, and options
Connectivity Overview
Baku's got pretty solid mobile connectivity, especially in the city center and around the main tourist areas. You'll find 4G coverage is reliable enough for maps, messaging, and video calls throughout most of the capital. The three main carriers—Azercell, Bakcell, and Nar Mobile—all offer decent service, though coverage can get spotty once you venture into more remote parts of Azerbaijan. Internet speeds are respectable by regional standards, certainly good enough for streaming and work calls. WiFi is widely available in hotels, cafes, and restaurants, though as with anywhere, the quality varies. Most travelers find staying connected in Baku straightforward—it's not like you're heading somewhere off the grid. The main decision you'll need to make is whether to grab a local SIM or sort out an eSIM before you arrive.
Get Connected Before You Land
We recommend Airalo for peace of mind. Buy your eSIM now and activate it when you arrive—no hunting for SIM card shops, no language barriers, no connection problems. Just turn it on and you're immediately connected in Baku.
Network Coverage & Speed
Azerbaijan's mobile infrastructure has improved quite a bit over the past few years. The three main carriers are Azercell (the oldest and largest), Bakcell, and Nar Mobile. All three offer 4G LTE coverage throughout Baku and other major cities, with Azercell generally having the edge in terms of nationwide coverage if you're planning to travel beyond the capital. Speeds in Baku typically range from 10-40 Mbps on 4G, which is perfectly adequate for most travel needs—Google Maps, WhatsApp calls, uploading photos, that sort of thing. 5G is starting to roll out in limited areas of Baku, but it's not widespread yet, and honestly, 4G works well enough for most purposes. Coverage inside the old city (İçəri Şəhər) is solid, as you'd expect for a major tourist area. Signal strength tends to drop off once you're heading toward mountain regions or rural areas, though the main highways are generally well-covered. Worth noting that all three carriers use standard GSM/LTE bands, so compatibility with international phones isn't usually an issue.
How to Stay Connected
eSIM
eSIM is increasingly the smarter option for Baku, particularly if you're coming for a week or two. The main advantage is convenience—you can purchase and activate your plan before you even leave home, so you're connected the moment you land. No hunting for SIM card shops, no language barriers, no dealing with registration paperwork. Providers like Airalo offer Azerbaijan plans that work out to roughly $4-8 per GB, which isn't the absolute cheapest option but falls into the "worth it for the hassle saved" category for most travelers. The plans activate quickly and work across all three local networks. The downside? It's definitely more expensive than a local SIM if you're comparing pure data costs. And obviously, your phone needs to support eSIM technology—most recent iPhones (XS and newer) and many Android flagships do, but it's worth checking before you commit to this route.
Local SIM Card
Local SIM cards are widely available and genuinely cheap if you're willing to deal with the setup process. You can buy them at the airport (though prices are slightly inflated there), at official carrier stores throughout the city, or at various convenience shops and kiosks. You'll need your passport for registration—Azerbaijan has mandatory SIM registration rules. Azercell and Bakcell have English-speaking staff at their main branches, which makes things easier. Tourist-oriented prepaid plans typically run around 10-20 AZN ($6-12 USD) for 5-10GB of data lasting 30 days, sometimes with included local calls. Activation is usually immediate once the registration goes through. The catch is time and effort—you might spend 30-45 minutes sorting everything out, and if you arrive late at night, your options become more limited. Data top-ups are straightforward through apps or at kiosks once you're set up.
Comparison
Here's the honest breakdown: local SIM is the cheapest option by a decent margin—you're looking at roughly half the cost per GB compared to eSIM. That said, eSIM wins on convenience and time saved, which for a short trip might actually be more valuable than saving $10-15. International roaming through your home carrier is almost certainly the most expensive option unless you've got some special travel plan. For a week-long trip, eSIM makes the most sense for most people. Staying a month or more? Local SIM becomes more compelling. The "I need internet the second I land" factor also pushes things toward eSIM.
Staying Safe on Public WiFi
Public WiFi in Baku—hotels, cafes, the airport—comes with the usual security risks you'd face anywhere. When you're connecting to open networks, your data isn't encrypted, which means anyone else on that network could potentially intercept what you're doing. That's particularly sketchy when you're accessing banking apps, booking sites with your credit card details, or checking emails with sensitive information. Travelers are obvious targets since we're constantly logging into valuable accounts. The straightforward solution is using a VPN, which encrypts your connection even on dodgy networks. NordVPN is a solid choice for this—it's reliable, works well in Azerbaijan, and genuinely does protect your data when you're working from hotel lobbi or airport lounges. Not trying to be alarmist here, but it's worth the small effort to protect yourself, especially when you're dealing with passport scans and payment information on the road.
Protect Your Data with a VPN
When using hotel WiFi, airport networks, or cafe hotspots in Baku, your personal data and banking information can be vulnerable. A VPN encrypts your connection, keeping your passwords, credit cards, and private communications safe from hackers on the same network.
Our Recommendations
First-time visitors: Go with eSIM through Airalo. You'll land in Baku with connectivity already sorted, which means you can grab a taxi using your own apps, navigate confidently, and message your hotel without the stress of finding a SIM shop after a long flight. The convenience factor is genuinely worth the modest extra cost when you're figuring out a new city.
Budget travelers: Look, if you're on a really tight budget and every dollar matters, a local SIM will save you maybe $10-15 over a week. That's real money if you're backpacking. Just factor in the time cost of sorting it out—that's an hour you could spend actually seeing the city.
Long-term stays (1+ months): Local SIM makes clear sense here. The cost savings add up over time, and you've got the time to deal with registration and setup without it eating into precious vacation days. Plus you'll want a local number for deliveries, bookings, and daily life.
Business travelers: eSIM is really your only practical option. Your time is valuable, you need reliable connectivity immediately, and the last thing you want is dealing with SIM card shops when you've got meetings to attend. Sort it before you travel and don't think twice about it.
Our Top Pick: Airalo
For convenience, price, and safety, we recommend Airalo. Purchase your eSIM before your trip and activate it upon arrival—you'll have instant connectivity without the hassle of finding a local shop, dealing with language barriers, or risking being offline when you first arrive. It's the smart, safe choice for staying connected in Baku.
Exclusive discounts: 15% off for new customers • 10% off for return customers