What’s the best way to stay connected to the internet overseas?
The first option that comes to our mind is usually getting an overseas SIM card, but we often encounter the problem of not being able to purchase one at international airports.
When this happens, three other options allow you to stay connected – Travel eSims, Data Roaming and Portable/Pocket Wi-Fi.
If you’re still wondering which option to go for, this is an article you should bookmark because we’ve compiled some of the best affordable options that will be suitable for your travel needs!
TL;DR: Travel eSim vs Data Roaming vs Pocket Wi-Fi
- For solo travellers, a travel eSim would be the cheapest option most of the time.
- For those travelling in groups, a pocket Wi-Fi device could be the more affordable option as you can split the cost.
Click here to jump:
- Travel eSim vs Data Roaming vs Pocket Wi-Fi: Which Should You Pick?
- Travel eSims
- Data Roaming providers, prices and data limit
- Portable Wi-fi prices and data limit
Disclaimer: All prices reflected are accurate as of 1 December 2023. We will only be considering one-off purchase data plans/products. Recurring plans will be excluded.
Travel eSim vs Data Roaming vs Pocket Wi-Fi: Which Should You Pick?
For solo travellers, a travel eSim would be the cheapest option most of the time. But if you’re travelling in a group, a pocket Wi-Fi device could be the more affordable option as you can split the cost. However, this assumes that your group does not split up and you are okay with being held liable for the loss or damage of the device!
If you’re undecided, here are a list of pros and cons of each product category:
| Travel eSim | Data Roaming | Portable / Pocket Wi-Fi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costs | 1GB/7 days: From $4.50 | 1GB/7 days: From $8 | Unlimited/7 days: From $17.01 |
| Pros | - Flexibility to choose from different providers | - Better for individuals who generally use more data while travelling | - Cost saving as you can share with more people - Better for group travelling and multi-country hopping - Once daily data usage exceeds the limit, router speed will slow down but can still connect and use |
| Cons | - Need to adjust phone settings such as Access Point Name | - A constant need to turn on-and-off - Limited to data roaming plans provided by your telco - Might be limited to a number of countries only - Need to adjust phone settings such as Access Point Name | - Requires charging - Need to place a deposit and can be chargeable for any damage or loss of router - Travel group must stay together to surf the web |
Travel eSims
Travel eSims are the most affordable options with so many providers these days that we had to do a whole article on it:
In general, travel eSims from providers such as Airalo, alosim and more are cheaper than data roaming plans.
Data Roaming & Best Providers
If you prefer to use data roaming plans from your telco, here are the various roaming plans (non-exhaustive):
| Travel Data Plans | Price (Data/Validity) | Countries supported |
|---|---|---|
| Circles Life GoRoam (APAC) | 1GB for 7 days: $8 2GB for 7 days: $16 5GB for 7 days: $40 | Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam |
| Circles Life GoRoam (EU) | 100MB for 7 days: $7.50 200MB for 7 days: $15 | Malta, France, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Albania, UK, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey |
| gigaRoam APAC pass | 1GB for 5 days: $5 | Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam |
| gigaROAM ROTW (Rest of the World) | 1GB for 15 days: $15 | Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and United States of America |
| GOMO by Singtel (Asia) | 1GB for 5 days: $6 4GB for 15 days: $15 | Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam |
| GOMO by Singtel (Worldwide) | 1GB for 7 days: $12 4GB for 15 days: $30 | Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam |
| M1 Data Passport ($15) | $15 (changes your local data to roaming data for a month) | Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand |
| M1 Data Passport ($35) | $35 (changes your local data to roaming data for a month) | Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mauritius, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA |
| My Republic Roam Like Home - Essential | 500MB for 30 days: $6 2GB for 30 days: $18 | Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong |
| My Republic Roam Like Home - Neighbours | 1GB for 30 days: $6 | Malaysia, Indonesia |
| My Republic Roam Like Home - Pacific | 1GB for 30 days: $55 | Australia, New Zealand |
| My Republic Roam Like Home - Popular Asia | 1GB for 30 days: $55 | China, Macau, South Korea, Japan |
| My Republic Roam Like Home - Emerging Asia | 500MB for 30 days: $15 | India, Myanmar, Vietnam |
| My Republic Roam Like Home - Canada & USA | 100MB for 30 days: $8 1GB for 30 days: $35 | Canada, USA |
| My Republic Roam Like Home - Europe | 100MB for 30 days: $8 1GB for 30 days: $55 | Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK |
| SIMBA Roaming | Group A: $4 per GB Group B: $6 per GB Group C: $15 per GB Group D: $30 per GB | List of countries |
| Starhub WOW Data Plan | 1GB for 3 days: $5 1GB for 7 days: $8 | Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America |
| VIVIFI Go - ROAM1 | 2GB for 14 days: $17 | Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam |
| VIVIFI Go - ROAM2 | 3GB for 21 days: $33 | Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam |
| VIVIFI Go - ROAM3 | 1GB for 21 days: $63 | Albania, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo DRC, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks and Caicos, UAE, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia |
| VIVIFI Go - ROAM4 | 3GB for 14 days: $22 | China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan |
| VIVIFI Go - MYS / THA / IDN | 1GB for 7 days: $5 | Malaysia / Thailand / Indonesia |
| Zero 1 Roaming (Asia Pacific) | 1GB for 30 days: $18 | Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam |
| Zero Roaming (Roam World) | 3GB for 30 days: $42 | Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan and Vietnam |
| Zero Roaming (Roam Malaysia) | 1GB for 7 days: $5 | Malaysia |
SIMBA.sg (formerly known as TPG)’s the only provider that offers a pay-as-you-go roaming service.
The caveat is that you’ll be billed every 10MB used, hence if you’ve exceeded your usage even by 1MB, you will be charged additionally for the 1MB used.
M1’s data passport is also another unique plan as you’ll be using your local data instead of a separate overseas data plan when you’re overseas.
However, this might not be a good option if you’re constantly busting your local data. Note that there is also a $5 activation fee for M1 data passports.
Pro tip: Try to activate your data roam at least one day before your trip in case you experience issues with activation.
Travel Data Using Pocket Wi-Fi
Most of us travel to take a break from work or school, and with Whatsapp being an active platform for business conversations, a portable or pocket Wi-Fi is an option for those who don’t see the need for calling or SMS-es.
Before choosing one, there’re a couple of factors to consider before renting:
- Size: A heavy-duty router that has stronger battery life would tend to be bulkier. You’ll need to choose between convenience and durability
- Download speed: Download speed will affect your connectivity and time spend on retrieving information
- Devices limit: There is usually a limit of up to 5 paired devices hence not everyone can use it at the same time if you’re travelling in a large group.
These are some affordable wifi rental service providers in Singapore:
| Portable Wifi Providers | Price (SGD) | Specifications | Daily Data Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changi Recommends | $3.45 - $10.47 per day | Devices: Up to 5 Download Speed: 4G/3G data Battery Life: Up to 6 hours | 500MB (3G/4G): Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Europe, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Laos, Macau, Middle East, Myanmar, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Russia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom Unlimited 4G: Canada, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, U.S.A, Vietnam | Does not include exotic areas such as Nepal, Turkey, Israel or countries in South America |
| Traveler-Wifi | $6 - $12 per day Note: $200 refundable deposit upon collection | Devices: Up to 5 Download Speed: Up to 300Mbps Battery Life: Up to 13 hours | Unlimited | List of countries |
| Travelwifi (formerly Yogofi) | From $2.43 per day | Devices: Up to 5 Download Speed: Up to 4G LTE Speeds Battery Life: Up to 12 hours | Unlimited | Does not include exotic areas such as Nepal, Turkey, Israel or countries in South America |
| Y5Buddy | $5 - $15 per day Note: $50 deposit upon checkout | Devices: Up to 5 Download Speed: Up to 4G LTE Speeds Battery Life: Up to 13 hours | Unlimited List of countries | Nepal, Turkey, Israel or countries in South America |
Changi’s Wi-Fi router is often a go-to option for travellers as you can collect it at the airport before you depart. It can be paired with up to 5 devices and have unlimited data in selected countries.
Pro tip: A Wi-Fi router with a download speed of 150 Mbps should suffice if you’re only accessing social media and Google. However, you may need a device that has a download speed of 600 Mbps or more for widespread access such as streaming services.
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