What's The Best eSIM For Tourists in Singapore? We've Compared the Top 16 Providers in 2026 to Find Out.

Known for its blend of East Asian cultures and cosmopolitan city life, Singapore is popular with tourists for good reason. If you're planning to visit soon, it should come as no surprise that you won't be able to talk, text, or access the web on the go with your mobile phone as you usually would at home. Furthermore, getting connected via roaming can result in hefty additional charges.

However, none of this means you should leave your mobile phone at home. If your device is a newish model (i.e., from 2020 or later), there's a good chance it'll support an eSIM. These nifty digital SIM cards are changing the game regarding affordable global connectivity. They can be downloaded and installed before you travel and promise blazing-fast internet in Singapore at a very low cost compared to roaming. An eSIM is also much more convenient compared to buying a physical SIMs.

The market in Singapore is described by leading eSIM comparison platform Simsurf as "an extremely competitive market, with 15 providers offering a wide variety of plans (from 0.5GB to unlimited)".

In this guide, we outline everything about eSIMs in Singapore and compare the best deals for you to consider based on our extensive comparison data. According to our review and comparison of the 16 top options on the market, the best eSIMs for Singapore are Saily (use coupon MONITO15 for 15% off ✨), Airalo, and Yesim, depending on your needs and preferences. If you'd like to skip ahead and find the best deal instantly, just try out our free comparison engine below.👇

As we'll explore in more depth in this guide, when choosing an eSIM, you have two options. The first option is to go through a digital eSIM provider, and the second is to purchase an eSIM directly from your regular home carrier. We strongly recommend the first option. After all, with reputable online providers, you can always be sure you'll get good support, excellent rates, and quality instructions that generally exceed those of the big carriers.

Here are a few key facts:

Data from January 2025. Subject to change.

1st: Airalo (Best Monito Score)

Airalo is an excellent eSIM provider for Singapore, supporting access to data through big local carriers. In Singapore, for example, Airalo works directly with Singtel to provide high-speed coverage directly from their networks, wherever you are in the country.

Our team has tested Airalo in many countries, including America, Britain, Switzerland, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Singapore. We experienced excellent connections and easy installation on every try. The eSIM pioneer scored the highest of all eSIM providers in our Monito Score Methodology and served more than 20 million customers to date, making it the most used travel eSIM company worldwide.

Monika Macur

Once-off prices for eSIMs for Singapore range from $4.50 to $26 and include between 1 GB and 20 GB of data as of March 2024. Ordinary travellers should be able to get by with these amounts without any problems. We also had no complaints about the Airalo app, which lets you install, activate, top-up, and contact customer support simply and speedily:

In our test, it took us just two minutes to install and activate an eSIM (watch our how-to video on YouTube to see how it's done). Moreover, you can easily top this up via the Airalo app if you start running low on data during your trip. This lets you save time and hassle compared to buying a physical SIM, where you'd usually need to stand in line at the counter to purchase or top up your card or package. To learn more, take a look at our in-depth Airalo review.

✨ Use our exclusive promo code MONITO15 to get 15% off your first Airalo eSIM or MONITO10 for 10% off if you're a returning customer. Go to Airalo now to get started.

2nd: Holafly (Best Unlimited Data Plan)

Holafly is another trusted eSIM service that only provides packages with unlimited data to dozens of countries worldwide. Although these packages are certainly more expensive than Saily's or Airalo's, in return, they offer the certainty that you'll never use up all your data.

For trips to Singapore as of March 2025, Holafly's unlimited data costs between $6.90 and $139.90 and can be purchased for any duration between one and 90 days. Like Airalo and Saily, Holafly also works with local network carriers, so you'll get coverage like a local no matter where you travel in the country (although in remote regions, coverage can become spotty).

Although Holafly's packages are generally great if you'd like uncapped access to the web, it's worth remembering that most travelers don't usually need such a large sum of data and that typically, 5 GB to 10 GB, at most, should be enough for everyday travel needs in Singapore like navigating, browsing, and using social media.

Monika Macur

Moreover, your speeds might be temporarily throttled if you use a super extensive amount of data (e.g., for non-stop HD streaming or downloading large files). During our test in the U.K., this happened to us at around 4.5 GB of heavy usage. Sadly, Holafly's fair use policies don't clearly outline when networks throttle speeds since it comes down to the individual network or carrier and the country you're browsing in.

If you're curious, we tested Holafly extensively to see if its data plans really live up to their 'unlimited' promise. The short answer? Yes, but there are a few things you should know. Take a look at our Holafly review to find out what they are.

✨ Use our exclusive promo code MONITO5 to get 5% off your first Holafly eSIM. Use our exclusive link today to get started!

3rd: aloSIM (Best For Free Talk & Text)

Finally, no list of best eSIMs would be complete without aloSIM. On the face of it, aloSIM's plans and rates are very similar to those of GigSky or Airalo: it offers limited and unlimited plans at fair prices.

However, something unique stands out when we look closer at their offering. You're automatically eligible to receive a free phone number with talk and text whenever you purchase a regular prepaid mobile data package (e.g., for Singapore or anywhere else).

Unfortunately, this isn't something you get fully automatically by using aloSIM. Instead, you get free access and need to set it up separately by redeeming the aloCASH points you earn by making your aloSIM purchase. You can start from the aloSIM app by installing the Hushed app (aloSIM's sister company) on your phone and following the instructions. Luckily, the whole process is quick. It took us about two minutes.

This gives you:

• $1.00 free talk/text credit,
• 15-day validity,
• a U.S. or Canadian mobile phone number.

You can then use this credit and international number to call or SMS anyone internationally for free. The only drawbacks we noticed were that you'll need to use your credit sparingly to prevent it from running out and that you'll need to download a second app (Hushed) for everything to work. However, considering all this is free in addition to your eSIM purchase, we didn't find it a bad deal!

✨ Using our exclusive promo code MONITO3, you can get $3 off your first aloSIM eSIM. Just click here to get started!

4th: Yesim (Best For Flexibility)

Yesim is a swiss-based eSIM providers offering plans for 170+ countries. They are overall competitive and their app is easy to use, but one key differentiator they have are there flexible plans for frequent travellers:

With their Unlim Plans, you can purchase bundle of unlimited 24 hours plans, that you can use whenever you want during the year. This means you benefit from lower price of buying multiple days at once, but are flexible to use them on short trips throughout the year.

And if you are often abroad but don’t need much data, their pay-as-you-go plan Pay & Fly might be the absolute cheapest option you can get. It’s also ideal for short layovers.

✨ Using our exclusive promo code MONITO15, you can get 15% off your first Yesim plan ✨

5th: GigSky (Best For a Free 100 MB Test)

GigSky is a popular U.S.-based eSIM provider that offers a unique opportunity: it lets you download and install a free eSIM with 100 MB of allowance to test how eSIMs work without being obligated to pay more once you've used up your data.

Like Saily and Airalo, GigSky offers fixed data plans (usually just 1 GB, 3 GB, or 5 GB) in around 200 destinations worldwide, including Singapore. And like Holafly, it also offers unlimited plans. In addition, GigSky offers regional and global plans, with all of its data allowances competitively priced and its rates neck-in-neck with those of the other providers on this list.

We tested GigSky in the U.K. and Thailand and were very happy with the service overall. The free 100 MB data allowance didn't require card details and was easy to access and set up. Moreover, the app functioned well, and the speeds were decent throughout. Although we haven't tested GigSky in Singapore yet, we're pretty confident, based on our experience and reading others' reviews, that it won't disappoint you on your trip there.

✨ Using our exclusive promo code MONITO10, you can get 10% off your first GigSky eSIM. Just use our exclusive link today to get started!

Best eSIM to Singapore From Various Countries

Thousands of travelers use Monito's real-time comparison tool to compare eSIM deals monthly. Accordingly, we have extensive insight into which eSIM deal is cheapest for which country.

However, it typically doesn't matter which country you come from since eSIMs are commonly available internationally regardless of which country you purchase in. Still, here are the best deals we've seen in our comparison when adjusted for purchasing currency:

Best eSIM For Singapore From the U.K.

Saily offers the cheapest rates overall, but its eSIMs are only purchasable in dollars, making them slightly more pricey if you're paying with your card in pounds.

The best bet for Brits wanting to pay in pounds directly is SIM Local, which offers excellent rates and plans in pounds, dollars, and euros.

Best eSIM For Singapore From the U.S.

Hands down, Saily is the best eSIM if you're coming from the U.S. It's super affordable, and its data plans are available directly in USD.

Best eSIM For Singapore From Australia

If you're an Australian, we recommend Saily. Although it's only available in American dollars, the small exchange rate fee is worth it, considering it's so cheap and that no mainstream eSIM provider offers pricing in Aussie dollars.

Best eSIM For Singapore From Canada

Similarly, we recommend Saily for Canadian travelers. Although it's only available in U.S. dollars, the USD-CAD exchange rate fee you'll probably pay with your credit card won't set you back much, given Saily's cheap rates.

Alternatives to eSIMs For Tourists in Singapore

If you'd like to connect to the web without an eSIM in Singapore, you have four other options:

Alternative 1: Physical SIM Card

Many retailers in Singapore sell regular physical SIM cards, including cell phone stores, kiosks, and convenience stores. They're available in almost all market streets and airports. Look for big local carriers' logos (e.g., Singtel, etc.) or signage for "mobile" services to find local SIM shops.

Although cheap and comes with in-country talk and text, buying a local Singaporean SIM does have drawbacks. For one, you'll need to visit a shop in person after arriving, which sometimes takes a little while if there are queues. Another is the possibility of being scammed. Try to seek out reputable outlets affiliated directly with local carriers to avoid this risk (buying a SIM card at the airport is almost always completely safe in this respect).

Alternative 2: WiFi Hotspot

Unlike SIMs, which connect you via mobile data, portable WiFi hotspots connect you via WiFi. The advantage here is that you can connect multiple devices to the same connection (including laptops, tablets, and smartwatches), and there are no device compatibility issues like with SIMs and eSIMs. As long as your device connects to WiFi, it'll work.

We recommend the Skyroam Solis Lite, which offers WiFi in more than 135 countries via the strongest signal available. It also doubles as a power bank if your phone runs low on battery. The best part yet is that it offers a lifetime data policy, giving you 1 GB per month for the lifetime of your hotspot. Look at our list of the best portable pocket WiFi hotspots for travel to learn more and compare options.

Alternative 3: Data Plan/Roaming

Roaming works when your home carrier has an agreement with a local Singaporean carrier. These agreements normally lead to you coming in short: they can often cost you anywhere between $0.50 and $2.50 per MB (that's right, per megabyte, not per gigabyte), which can lead to a staggeringly large bill at the end of the month if you're unlucky enough to browse for long in Singapore with your roaming turned on unwittingly.

You might also have an international phone plan with your home carrier that provides better rates than pure roaming, but these are still typically expensive compared with SIM and eSIM cards.

Alternative 4: WiFi Only

The final option for connecting to the internet in Singapore is a free WiFi network. WiFi is commonly free in big cities in hotels, restaurants, museums, libraries, universities, and other public places. However, it becomes rarer the more rural you go. Because of the security risks, we'd not recommend connecting to free networks in Singapore without a good VPN like ExpressVPN.

Which Singaporean Carrier is Best?

Singapore has several mobile network carriers, with two of the largest and most important being Singtel and StarHub.

No matter which carrier your eSIM gives you data through, you can rest assured that you'll enjoy good coverage in practically all urban areas and major tourist destinations in Singapore, including places like Marina Bay, Sentosa Island, and Gardens by the Bay. However, your coverage might become spotty or unstable if you travel to a more remote region or head off the beaten track.

When in doubt, we'd recommend visiting this handy map from nPerf.com to double-check which carriers support the best network coverage in the parts of Singapore you'll travel to.

Do I Need a SIM Card in Singapore?

No, you don't need a SIM card as a tourist in Singapore, but having one will enable you to make phone calls and texts and not rely solely on public or hotel WiFi to access the web.

A good place to start would be to review your contract from your mobile network carrier before you travel to Singapore. Most contracts are limited to use within your home country (or the European Union if you live in an E.U. country). For all other countries, so-called roaming charges typically apply. However, there is one exception: specific contracts sometimes allow you to use your data worldwide. If you have a global internet contract, you can also use it in Singapore without unexpected roaming charges.

Otherwise, although precise roaming charges differ according to your network provider, the fees for using mobile internet in Singapore are typically around $2 or $3 per 6 MB (six megabytes) of data used, though they could be higher still. 

For example, if you wanted to download an average-sized app from the Google Play Store onto your Android smartphone, you'd use around 24 MB and pay $8 to $10 in roaming charges. It should, therefore, be evident that roaming with your regular SIM card in Singapore is generally not worthwhile and can lead to enormous costs. 

As we'll see in a moment, purchasing a local Singaporean SIM card once you arrive or, better yet, an eSIM before you travel is significantly cheaper.

What Are eSIMs, Anyway?

Simply put, eSIMs are regular SIM cards that don't require inserting an actual microchip into your device while providing the same benefits. Newer smartphones (but also smartwatches, tablets, and other devices) can be equipped with eSIMs, and since you don't need an actual SIM card to install an eSIM, you can also get one before your trip to Singapore. To do this, you must visit an online eSIM service, purchase the eSIM you want, and follow the instructions to download and install it onto your device.

Like regular SIM cards, prepaid eSIMs come bundled with a certain fixed amount of data, SMSes, or telephone minutes, which you can use at your leisure while traveling. You get to choose the package you want, and you can generally extend your eSIM's validity easily from an app.

Pros of eSIMs

In general, eSIMs have numerous advantages and are often a better alternative to regular SIM cards for most tourists. In our opinion, the most significant advantages include:

• internet immediately upon arrival in Singapore,
• no negotiating with SIM card sellers at the airport,
• transparent and fair pricing,
• online extension is often possible,
• credit card payment is possible,
• local telecom provider networks are used.

We think there are only a few reasons against using an eSIM when traveling to Singapore (which we'll discuss below). In most instances, we're sure that it's a far better deal than using your regular SIM card from your home country on Singaporean networks.

Cons of eSIMs

As we've already seen, eSIMs have very few drawbacks and are an excellent option for accessing mobile internet on your Singaporean vacation.

However, one disadvantage is the slightly higher upfront cost than physical SIM cards. That said, eSIMs are still comparatively cheap, especially for use in Singapore from abroad. In our opinion, the significantly higher level of comfort and the possibility of having access to the internet immediately upon arrival are worth the extra pennies. Another disadvantage is related to installation, where the process may be unfamiliar if you've never installed an eSIM before. However, if you follow the instructions carefully, you'll be fine.

Finally, there's a compatibility issue: not all devices support eSIMs. If your device was released before 2020, we recommend double-checking on the internet or contacting eSIM customer support to confirm whether your device is compatible before you purchase an eSIM. In general, the following devices will support eSIMs though:

• iPhone 11 or later
• iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or iPhone SE
• iPad 7th generation or later,
• Galaxy S20 or later
• Google Pixel 3 or later
• and many other devices (see our full list of compatible devices)

Can I Call From Singapore With an eSIM?

Yes, you can call abroad from Singapore with an eSIM, but once again, using your regular network provider and SIM card could result in surprisingly high calling charges at the end of the month (we've personally encountered as high as $4 per minute!). Fortunately, you can call abroad without the high costs, and there are three ways of doing this. We go through each below:

1. VOIP (Voice Over IP) With Data

In most cases, eSIM packages are loaded with mobile data, not minutes or airtime. However, using your data, you can use web-based apps like WhatsApp, Google Meet, Skype, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, FaceTime, and others to stay in touch with family and friends abroad while in Singapore.

2. Talk/Text eSIM Plans

In rare cases, some eSIM services offer talk and text packages alongside normal data packages. These allow you to make direct phone calls or text via local networks in Singapore to your home country for only a slightly higher fee than regular data packages. Not all eSIM services offer this service, but some, including Airalo and Holafly, do in some countries. The only provider that offers it consistently in all destinations is aloSIM,

3. International Calling Apps

If you plan to make calls from Singapore (or anywhere else abroad) fairly regularly, then your most reliable and affordable option will be to use a third-party app. In our opinion, Rebtel is by far the best service out there, offering low rates and providing you with local Singaporean phone numbers with which you can make calls abroad as though they were domestic ones.

Although it's popular, we typically don't recommend using Google Fi for this purpose unless you plan to travel frequently between the United States (since Google Fi is only available to Americans and will not work if you spend more than 90 days abroad yearly). In general, Rebtel's rates are more affordable than Google Fi's. To learn more about our first-hand experience with Google Fi, read our in-depth review.

Recap: All About eSIMs in Singapore

Are you planning a trip in Singapore, and do you have a modern smartphone? Then, you should indeed at least consider getting an eSIM. We believe they offer almost nothing but advantages and are generally far superior to using your regular SIM card.

To find the right provider for eSIMs in Singapore, you should compare the available options. As we've seen, we recommend looking primarily at the network provider and the price. Depending on how long you want to stay in Singapore, Saily, Airalo, Holafly, or GigSky are the best choices. To recap, here are what each can offer you:

1. Saily: Best eSIM experience overall.
2. Airalo: Excellent for Singapore on a budget.
3. Holafly: Best eSIM for unlimited data.
4. GigSky: Best free 500 MB eSIM to test,
5. Rebtel: Best calling app for international calls.