Best eSIM for Singapore and Malaysia: prices, networks and plans that cover both countries

Quick answer: which eSIM for Singapore and Malaysia

• Both countries on one trip: a plan that lists Singapore and Malaysia, often together with Thailand. More than 4,000 plans in our database cover both.
• Only Singapore or only Malaysia: a country plan with 3 to 10 GB; both countries are cheap destinations for mobile data.
• Day trip to Batam or Bintan: check that the plan also covers Indonesia.
• Heavy use or remote work: an unlimited plan with at least 2 GB a day at full speed.

Prices: the cheapest plans for Singapore and for Malaysia

Both countries are well covered: all 39 providers in our database sell plans for each of them, with about 1,700 country plans each. The tables show the cheapest plan for each data amount with at least 7 days of validity, including regional and global plans:

Prices differ a lot between providers. For a 5 GB plan valid for 7 to 30 days, the typical offer costs about three times as much as the cheapest one in Singapore and about four times as much in Malaysia. Per gigabyte, country plans for both countries are among the cheaper destinations in our database, and Asia plans cost about half as much again. Before you buy, also check:

• Validity: more than 500 country plans for each country, from every provider that sells them, run for 30 days or more.
• Day passes: more than 500 day passes cover each country, useful for a stopover at Changi or a short visit to Kuala Lumpur.

All plans with filters for data, validity, network and 5G are on our pages for Singapore and Malaysia, and current discounts are on our promo codes page.

One eSIM for both countries, and for Thailand or Indonesia

Singapore and Malaysia are often visited together, and providers know it. In our database:

• More than 4,000 plans from all 39 providers cover both countries, mostly Asia plans and some global ones.
• Compact plans: about 670 plans from 15 providers cover just two or three countries, in three variants: Singapore and Malaysia only (about 200 plans), plus Thailand (about 320) or plus Indonesia (about 160). Per gigabyte they are the cheapest option for this trip, even cheaper than country plans. About a third of them are unlimited, and their validity ranges from one day to a month, so compare the days as well as the data.
• Adding Thailand or Indonesia: more than 3,500 plans also include Thailand, and about 3,400 include Indonesia, which matters for a ferry trip from Singapore to Batam or Bintan.
• Adding Australia: for a stopover on the way to Australia, about 1,700 plans cover Singapore, Malaysia and Australia together.

So for a combined trip there is no reason to buy two eSIMs. Pick a plan whose country list includes every stop, with enough data for the whole journey. For a longer route through Southeast Asia, our Asia eSIM guide compares the regional plans, and our Thailand guide covers the networks there.

Unlimited data: daily allowance and speed

About three in ten plans for each country are sold as unlimited, almost all with a daily allowance at full speed. The most common allowance is 1 GB a day, followed by 2 GB; around a quarter of the unlimited plans keep 3 GB a day or more, while a cheap minority allows 500 MB or less.

The table shows the cheapest unlimited plans for Malaysia with at least 2 GB a day at full speed. After the allowance, speeds differ: only about a quarter of the unlimited plans for either country keep 1 Mbps or more, the largest group drops to 256 to 512 kbps, and almost one in five to 128 kbps, which is barely enough for messages. For maps, Grab and messaging, a fixed plan of 5 to 10 GB is usually enough and often cheaper. Our guide Unlimited eSIM plans: how unlimited are they really? explains the rules.

Singapore networks: Singtel, StarHub, M1 or SIMBA

Singapore has four mobile networks, and travel eSIMs use all of them:

• StarHub and Singtel: each named by about half of the Singapore-only plans in our database, from more than 20 providers each.
• M1: named by about three in ten plans, from 18 providers.
• SIMBA: the youngest network, formerly TPG Telecom, used by 7 providers.

Coverage is excellent across the whole island on all networks, so the choice matters less than almost anywhere else. About six in ten Singapore-only plans with network details can use two or more networks. One surprise: fewer than half of the Singapore-only plans in our database include 5G, compared with three quarters in Malaysia. If 5G matters to you, use the 5G filter on our Singapore page.

Malaysia networks: Maxis, CelcomDigi or U Mobile

In Malaysia, travel eSIMs mostly use the two largest operators:

• Maxis: named by almost six in ten Malaysia-only plans in our database, from 28 providers.
• CelcomDigi: Celcom and Digi merged in 2022. Plans still often name them separately; together they are the partner of more than half of the plans, from over 20 providers.
• U Mobile: used by 8 providers, often alongside Maxis or CelcomDigi.

In Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Malacca and the other cities, coverage is good, and about three quarters of the Malaysia-only plans state 5G. In the interior of Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak), in the highlands and on smaller islands it can be patchy; about two thirds of the Malaysia-only plans with network details can switch between two or more networks, which helps there. Download offline maps before trips into the rainforest or the mountains.

Johor Bahru, Batam and Borneo: border and travel tips

• Crossing between Singapore and Johor Bahru: near the Causeway and the Second Link, your phone may switch to the other country's network before you cross. With a plan that covers both countries this does not matter. With a single-country plan, set network selection to manual and choose a network of the country you are in.
• Ferries to Batam and Bintan: these Indonesian islands are an hour from Singapore. Check that your plan lists Indonesia, or buy an Indonesia plan for the day.
• Borneo: Sabah and Sarawak are part of Malaysia, so a Malaysia plan works there, but coverage outside the towns is thinner than on the peninsula.
• Calls and SMS: none of the country plans for Singapore or Malaysia in our database include calls or SMS. Ride-hailing and messaging apps work on data; keep your home SIM active for calls and bank codes, with data roaming switched off. See Dual SIM with a travel eSIM.

How to set up your eSIM

1. Check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked; see Does my phone support eSIM?
2. Buy and install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, a day or two before you travel. Many plans start only when they first connect at your destination; the plan details say when the validity begins.
3. Keep your home SIM for calls and SMS, and switch off data roaming on it.
4. After landing, turn on the travel eSIM, select it for mobile data and enable data roaming for the eSIM.
5. Test it at the airport. If you have no signal, see eSIM not working abroad.

Step-by-step instructions are in our guides for iPhone and Android.