Where to Buy a SIM Card in Porto

It is difficult enough to find your way around a whole new city without having to also worry about whether you’re putting a hole in your wallet by calling and sending messages. Let alone the fact that exploring a new city without mobile data available can be downright frustrating. So if you've found an apartment for rent in Porto, here are the general prices of SIM cards in Porto and where exactly you can buy them in the four most popular districts of the city.

Prices of SIM cards in Porto

The three leading phone operators in Porto are MEO, NOS, and Vodafone. There are two available options when buying a SIM card:

with a plan
without a plan

SIM cards without a plan are called pre-paid SIM cards, and they can be usually bought for under €10 from any of the operators mentioned above. It would be best to accept credit (either online or at one of their shops) to call and send messages from that SIM card.

SIM cards with plans vary wildly between and within different operators’ offers. You can get a plan that focuses mostly on mobile data and pay as much as for a plan with no mobile data but unlimited calls and messages. If you want unlimited access to calls, texts and have heaps of mobile data, you will pay about €35 per month.

Where to buy a SIM card in Riberia, Porto

Riberia does not have any phone operator shops but directly north of the district; there are plenty of shops from all three operators to choose from. NOS has a shop on Santa Catarina street 312-250, not far from Sé do Porto. MEO has shops near the Igreja dos Clérigos church on Rua da Picaria 5, 4050-478.

It is conveniently in the heart of the historical part of Porto, which makes it perfect for emergency credit top-ups. Vodafone has two shops that are in the area, one on Rua de Ceuta 89, and one on Rua de Sá da Bandeira 4000-428. However, neither is as conveniently close to a historic landmark as the previous two were.

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Where to buy a SIM card in Campanha, Porto

Campanha is a reasonably large area, most of which does not have that many phone operator shops. However, the northwest part of the district has a large shopping mall called Almeda Shop & Spot on Rua dos Campeões Europeus which is home to Vodafone and MEO stores, with a NOS shop right across the street on Rua dos Campeões Europeus 28-198. This is an excellent place for comparing the prices between the various operators and finding the best deal for you.

Where to buy a SIM card in Foz do Duoro, Porto

This whole district sadly has no physical shop of any of the three major phone companies in Porto. The closest one is a Vodafone shop on Av. da Boavista 2949, 4100-136, but that’s quite a way away. This is an excellent place to mention that you can also do most of your SIM card shopping online, but you won’t have a person explain all the ins and outs of various phone plans to you. However, that may be a plus, depending on what you need.

Where to buy a SIM card in Vila Nova Da Gaia, Porto

This district covers a huge area South of the river so, of course, there are lots of shops to choose from. Vodafone has two most notable ones in the Arrábida Shopping Piso which is on Praceta de Henrique Moreira 244, 4400-346. The second shop is on Av. da República 268, 4430-188, across the river from Sé do Porto.

NOS also has a branch in Arrábida Shopping, and it also has a shop down the same street as Vodafone does on Av. da República 911 917, 4430-201.

Overall, while you have an apartment in Portugal, you will have lots to choose from, so you don’t need to worry that you won’t find the correct SIM card company for you.