The best eSIM for Singapore, including on a stopover

The layover question, answered properly

If you are staying airside

Changi has free wifi across all terminals, and unlike a lot of airports it is genuinely usable. You can connect for a set period per session and reconnect. For a two to five hour transit, checking in for your onward flight, messaging home and watching something, that is enough.

Buy nothing. We sell Singapore eSIMs and we are telling you not to buy one for a short airside transit, because for most people it would be a waste of five dollars.

The exception: if you have a tight connection and you need to be reliably contactable, or you are dealing with a disruption and cannot afford to be hunting for a wifi login, a A$4.95 plan is cheap insurance. That is a real reason, not an upsell.

If you are going into the city on a long layover

Singapore is unusually easy to do this in. The MRT runs from Changi into the city in about half an hour, immigration is fast, and a six hour layover is genuinely enough for a meal and a look around.

For that, you want data. Maps, transport apps, a restaurant booking, and getting back to the airport on time.

1GB is plenty for a day trip. Ours is A$4.95 for 1GB over seven days, which is the size we would actually recommend rather than the one with the better margin.

More on the mechanics of this, including installing before you fly: using an eSIM for a layover and travel eSIMs for stopovers.

What it costs

Our Singapore ladder, in Australian dollars. The SIM Shop is not registered for GST, so GST is not charged and the checkout total is the amount we charge you:

Simify charges its flat rate on Singapore as it does everywhere: A$49.00 for 10GB over 30 days, and A$29 for 5GB over 7 days.

We have not verified current Singapore prices for Airalo, Ubigi, SimCorner, Nomad or Saily, and we are not going to publish estimates. All five sell Singapore plans. What we can tell you is where they sit on comparable Asian destinations, which is a reasonable guide but not a price:

• On Thailand, Airalo is A$16.00, Ubigi A$21.00 and SimCorner A$14.00 for 10GB over 30 days
• On Japan, Airalo is A$26.00 and Ubigi A$29.00
• Nomad and Saily bill in US dollars with no Australian dollar option

Check their Singapore pages directly before deciding on price. We would rather send you to do that than print a number we have not confirmed. When we capture them, they will appear in travel eSIM prices in Australia, which we re-check on the first of every month.

Holafly sells unlimited by the day at their usual Australian dollar ladder: A$6 for one day, A$31 for five, A$43 for seven. For a layover, their A$6 single day is genuinely the cleanest option if you want unlimited data for one day without thinking about it.

How much data do you actually need in Singapore?

Less than almost anywhere.

Singapore is one of the most connected countries on earth. Free public wifi is widespread, hotels and malls all have it, and the MRT has coverage throughout.

A day trip from the airport: well under 1GB.

Three or four days in the city: two to four gigabytes. Maps, Grab, transport apps, messaging, photos.

A full week: four to six gigabytes for most people.

The heavier items are Grab bookings running maps continuously, and photo uploads if you back up at full resolution.

Our 5GB plan at A$14.95 covers most week-long trips. We are saying that rather than pointing you at the 10GB tier because it is true, and because the difference is nine dollars.

Full guide: how much data you need for Singapore.

Should you buy a regional Asia plan instead?

Often, if Singapore is one stop of several. Not always.

A regional Asia plan makes sense if you are doing Singapore plus Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia on one trip. One plan covering the lot removes the friction of installing and activating several.

A single-country plan makes sense if Singapore is your only Asian stop, or if the regional price is much higher than the single-country one, which it usually is.

Regional pricing, for context: our seven-country Southeast Asia plan is A$34.95 for 10GB over 30 days. It covers Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The captured alternatives were Nomad at A$29.31 for 14 countries, SimCorner at A$34.00, Airalo at A$36.50 and Ubigi at A$48.00.

Compare Singapore plans on the same allowance, validity, coverage and billing currency. Check the exact current offer before buying; this guide does not claim a live price winner.

Check the coverage list either way. Regional Asia plans vary considerably on which countries they include, and Singapore is usually in them but the countries around it are not always.

What to compare before choosing

For Holafly, compare the current total price for your Singapore dates, then check speed, hotspot and refund conditions. A plan sold by the day should be compared with enough fixed data for the same trip, not with a different-duration headline price.

If you are comparing Ubigi for Singapore, check the exact plan’s high-speed allowance, reduced speed and allowance period. Check its current reload and reinstallation rules too. Compare those terms with the other plan you are considering, rather than treating one policy as a category-wide winner.

Airalo commits to tethering in writing, publishes its throttle threshold, runs a tiered loyalty programme paying 5% up to 10%, pays Australian referrers A$5 in Australian dollars, and has an offline mode in its app for retrieving installation details with no connection. On a layover that is a real advantage.

For SimCorner, check the current Singapore offer, whether it is a physical SIM or eSIM, and any delivery or installation requirements. Compare the exact plan and refund terms before paying. Read current independent reviews directly if they matter to your choice.

Compare Singapore plans on the same allowance, validity, coverage and billing currency. Check the exact current offer before buying; this guide does not claim a live price winner.

Saily publishes its throttle in full, includes an ad blocker and web protection free, and contracts Australians through CyberQuay Pty Ltd, Sydney.

For our Singapore plans, check the exact option’s coverage, allowance, validity, speed and hotspot terms before buying. You can also read our public refund policy and company details. If reviews matter to your decision, open the current independent profile and read the recent feedback rather than relying on an old count here.

Will it work on your phone, and can you keep your number?

Almost certainly, if it was bought in Australia in the last five or six years and is not carrier locked. Check before you fly rather than at Changi: check your phone before buying an eSIM.

Install before you leave Australia, and this matters more on a layover than anywhere. Installing an eSIM needs a working internet connection, and you do not want to be doing that on airport wifi with a tight connection. Install at home, leave the line switched off, and turn it on when you land.

Your Australian number keeps working for calls and texts on your existing SIM as long as you leave that line on with data roaming off. Keeping your Australian number.

So which one

Buy nothing if you are transiting airside for a few hours. Changi’s free wifi is enough.

Buy our 1GB plan at A$4.95 if you are going into the city on a long layover, or you want cheap insurance against a disrupted connection.

Buy Holafly’s A$6 day if you want unlimited for exactly one day and no thinking.

Buy our 5GB plan at A$14.95 if you are staying three to seven days. That covers most people and the 10GB tier is usually more than you need.

Compare our plan with SimCorner if Singapore is one stop on a trip through Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam. SimCorner is A$0.95 lower on the captured price; ours is A$1.55 below Airalo and A$13.05 below Ubigi. Check the country lists before choosing.

If you are comparing Ubigi for Singapore, check the exact plan’s high-speed allowance, reduced speed and allowance period. Check its current reload and reinstallation rules too. Compare those terms with the other plan you are considering, rather than treating one policy as a category-wide winner.

If you have decided what you need, our Singapore eSIM plans list the current sizes and validity periods.

Questions people actually ask

Do I need an eSIM for a Singapore layover?

If you are staying airside for a few hours, probably not. Changi has free wifi across all terminals and it works well. If you are going into the city, or you have a tight connection and need to be reliably contactable, a 1GB plan at around A$5 is cheap insurance.

What is the cheapest eSIM for Singapore from Australia?

Ours starts at A$4.95 for 1GB over 7 days and A$23.95 for 10GB over 30 days. Simify charges A$49.00 for 10GB. We have not verified current Singapore prices for Airalo, Ubigi, SimCorner, Nomad or Saily, so check their pages directly rather than relying on an estimate.

How much data do I need in Singapore?

Less than almost anywhere. Free public wifi is widespread and hotels and malls all have it. A day trip from the airport uses well under 1GB, three or four days uses two to four gigabytes, and a full week is four to six for most people.

Should I buy a Singapore plan or a regional Asia plan?

Single-country if Singapore is your only Asian stop. Regional if you are also doing Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia or the Philippines on the same trip. Our seven-country plan is A$34.95, A$0.95 above SimCorner and below Airalo and Ubigi. Nomad’s captured 14-country plan was lower at A$29.31. Check coverage first because each provider’s country list differs.

Can I install an eSIM at Changi?

Buy before departure and save your setup email. Wait until you have landed before installing. Join working airport wifi and open a normal webpage to check the connection first. If it is unreliable, use hotel wifi or another steady trusted connection. Then install from the email and follow the selected plan’s instructions.

Is Changi’s free wifi any good?

Yes, genuinely. It runs across all terminals with session-based access you can renew. For a few hours of messaging, checking in and streaming, most people will not need to buy data at all.

Can I keep my Australian number in Singapore?

Yes. The travel eSIM is data only and sits alongside your existing SIM, so your Australian number keeps receiving calls and texts including bank codes. Leave that line on and turn its data roaming off.

Does a Singapore eSIM work in Malaysia?

No. A single-country Singapore plan covers Singapore only. If you are crossing to Johor Bahru or beyond, you need a regional plan or a separate Malaysian one. Check the coverage list before you buy.

Sources

Our own prices from our live Singapore product page. Simify’s from their Australian store and public product feed. Singapore-specific prices for Airalo, Ubigi, SimCorner, Nomad and Saily were not captured at the time of writing, and the comparable Asian destination prices quoted for context are maintained in travel eSIM prices in Australia. Our regional prices and Nomad’s A$29.31 Asia Pacific example were rechecked 25 August 2026. Policy quotes from Airalo’s fair use policy, Saily’s Terms of Service, Ubigi’s Terms and Conditions, Nomad’s terms, Holafly’s refund policy and destination pages, and SimCorner’s refund policy. SimCorner’s review count from ProductReview.com.au, stated as observed.

Written by Lachlan, who runs The SIM Shop from Brisbane and answers the support email himself.