Singapore is one of the most popular expat destinations in the world, with an excellent quality of life, opportunities for career growth, and a large English-speaking population. So, if you've chosen Singapore as your next home, you've chosen well. Although moving can be a stressful and busy time, getting connected with a new mobile plan should be high up on your to-do list.
With 16 mobile providers in Singapore, comparing all available plans can be daunting. So, we've made it easy by scouring our database for the best mobile plans for expats in Singapore, taking into account price, data, roaming, and, of course, calls back home.
Best mobile plan for expats in Singapore overall
If you're after a solid all-rounder mobile plan with plenty of data, international calls, and roaming at a low price, it's hard to beat eight, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) running on the StarHub network.
For expats, our top pick is the Lucky Eight plan. For $14.80 per month (or $148 per year, if you pay annually), you'll get 628GB of 5G data for shared use in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Hong Kong, 28GB of data for use in 20 APAC destinations, 10GB of international roaming data, unlimited local calls, and 128 SMS. Importantly for expats, this plan also includes 628 international direct dial (IDD) minutes to 28 destinations. That's 628 minutes of included international calls back home to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US, and more.
Also consider:
Not sold on eight's plan? Below are some popular options from other providers that offer 5G access, international calls, and roaming data.
Best cheap mobile plan for expats in Singapore
If you don't need bells and whistles like 5G access, tons of international calls and dozens of gigabytes of international roaming data, there are plenty of cheap SIM plans available in Singapore.
Take Zero1, for example, which runs on the Singtel network. Its Starter Prime 4G plan costs just $7.06 per month and includes a decent 200GB of local data (with unlimited speed-capped data if you go over), 5GB of roaming data for use in neighbouring Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and India, a further 100GB Malaysia data (one-off, 365-day expiry), 100 free IDD minutes to selected destinations, 300 outgoing local minutes, and 100 local SMS.
Also consider:
If Zero1 isn't quite right, eight and SIMBA are also excellent choices.
Best mobile plan for expats with international calls
Got family and friends across the globe? A mobile plan with international calls is what you need to stay connected to home while in Singapore, and not only does SIMBA include IDD calls to selected destinations in every plan, but it also offers the best rates to most other destinations.
For $12 per month, the SIMBA SuperRoam 12 plan gets you 600GB of 5G data shared across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Hong Kong, plus a further 18GB for use in 15 APAC destinations, 8GB global roaming data for use in over 60 destinations, plus unlimited local calls and SMS. The best part? This plan includes 600 IDD minutes to over 20 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, and the US. For calls outside those destinations, SIMBA offers rates from as little as $0.03 per minute.
Also consider:
eight's plans also offer included IDD minutes, and MyRepublic offers low pay-as-you-go rates.
Best roaming mobile plan for expats in Singapore
Singapore mobile plans with voice and data roaming don't come cheap, but StarHub has everything you need to stay connected if you're a frequent flyer.
The 5G Unlimited+ Max plan is quite pricey at $78 per month, but it includes $20 worth of Device Dollars per month that you can put towards a new phone. You'll get unlimited calls and SMS both in Singapore and while roaming, plus 20GB global data (for use in a whopping 165 destinations) each month.
Also consider:
Most Singapore telcos include some roaming data. Below are some of the most popular plans.
Mobile plans for expats in Singapore FAQ
Do I need to be a Singapore resident to get a Singapore mobile plan?
To get a postpaid Singapore mobile plan, you must be a Singaporean citizen, permanent resident, or hold a valid employment pass or other long-term visit pass. Non-residents can get Singapore tourist mobile plans.
Is 5G worth it in Singapore?
Yes, Singapore has very widespread 5G access, so it's worth paying a bit more to get access to the 5G network.
Do Singapore mobile plans come with a contract?
No, very few SIM plans in Singapore come on a contract anymore. However, if you choose to add a phone and pay it off in instalments, your telco may require you to sign a contract.