The best eSIM for travel is the one with the lowest cost per day for the data you will really use, on a phone that supports it. For many short trips in Asia, a Singapore telco’s roaming pack costs about the same as a travel eSIM and needs no setup. The option to avoid is unplanned pay-per-day roaming, which Singtel lists from S$19 a day as at November 2026.
This guide compares the three routes: a travel eSIM, a telco roaming pack and a local SIM.
How We Compared eSIM, Roaming and Local SIM
We used prices from each provider’s own page as at November 2026. We compared:
- the price for a typical 7-day trip;
- data allowance and validity;
- whether your Singapore number keeps working;
- the setup you have to do, and what can go wrong.
We priced Singtel’s packs in detail because its roaming page lists every plan in one place. StarHub’s page gave one add-on price. We could not read plan prices from other telcos’ pages for this article, so check your own telco. Local SIM prices vary by country and shop, so we describe that route without figures.
The Best eSIM for Travel Is a Cost-Per-Day Question
| Route | Stated price, November 2026 | Data and validity | Keeps your Singapore number? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo travel eSIM (Japan, Thailand, Malaysia) | From $5.50 for the smallest package | Varies by package | Yes, on your Singapore SIM alongside |
| Singtel ReadyRoam Neighbours (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand) | $5 for 1GB, $12 for 6GB | 30 days | Yes |
| Singtel ReadyRoam Asia (19 destinations) | $18 for 6GB | 30 days | Yes |
| Singtel ReadyRoam Worldwide (135 destinations) | $40 for 6GB | 30 days | Yes |
| Singtel Unlimited Data, single destination (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and others) | $20 | 7 days, 1GB a day at high speed | Yes |
| Singtel Unlimited Data, Malaysia | $8 | 5 days, 1GB a day at high speed | Yes |
| Singtel DataRoam Unlimited Daily | From $19 a day | Unlimited, charged per day | Yes |
| StarHub DataTravel add-on | $15 for 10GB in Asia-Pacific | Check StarHub’s page for validity | Yes |
| Local SIM bought on arrival | Varies by country | Varies | No, unless your phone takes two SIMs |
Singtel also lists ReadyRoam for 210 destinations at $60 for 1GB. That shows how expensive roaming gets outside the main packs, and it is where an eSIM is most likely to cost less.
A Worked Example: Three Trips
Illustration only, using our own usage assumptions and the prices above.
Long weekend in Kuala Lumpur, light use (about 1GB in total). Singtel ReadyRoam Neighbours costs $5. An entry-level eSIM costs about the same. There is little to choose between them, and roaming needs no setup.
Seven days in Japan, about 1GB a day. Singtel’s Unlimited Data pack costs $20, or $2.86 a day. ReadyRoam Asia costs $18 but gives only 6GB. An eSIM competes if its 7-day package with enough data costs less than $20.
Seven days in Japan with no plan bought. Daily roaming at $19 a day comes to $133.
The lesson from the third line is larger than the difference between the first two. Whichever route you choose, buy it before you land.
The short version: For trips within Asia, compare one eSIM package against your own telco’s pack on cost per day. They are often close. The expensive mistake is landing with no plan at all and paying daily roaming rates.
When Each Route Makes Sense
Travel eSIM
Makes sense when your telco’s pack for the destination is expensive, when you are visiting several countries on one regional plan, or when you are a light user who wants the smallest package.
The catches: your phone must support eSIM and be network-unlocked. Setup is your responsibility. Calls on a local number may not be included, so check the package. Refund terms vary by store. Airalo’s terms, for example, refer to a separate Refund Policy and are governed by English law.
For one store in detail, see our Airalo eSIM review.
Telco roaming pack
Makes sense for short trips to nearby countries and for anyone who wants their Singapore number to work for calls and texts with no setup. Billing is through the telco you already have.
The catches: “unlimited” usually means a high-speed allowance followed by reduced speed, as Singtel states for its packs. Outside the main destination lists, prices rise steeply.
Local SIM
Makes sense for longer stays, heavy data users and travellers who need a local number.
The catches: time spent buying it on arrival, possible passport registration, and a single-SIM phone loses the Singapore number while the local SIM is in.
Who a Travel eSIM Does Not Suit
- Owners of older or network-locked phones.
- Travellers who are not comfortable switching data lines in their phone settings.
- People on short trips to Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand, where a telco pack starts at $5.
- Anyone who needs voice calls on a local number.
The Hidden Cost: Bank OTPs and Payments
A dead data connection is more than an inconvenience. Wallet apps need data to top up, and some card payments ask for confirmation in an app.
Keep your Singapore line active for texts, with its data roaming switched off, and set up your bank’s digital token before you fly. Carry a second way to pay. Our guide on how to pay less on overseas spending covers which cards and wallets to carry, and the multi-currency cards comparison lists their fees.
What To Do Next
- Check whether your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.
- Look up your own telco’s roaming pack for your destination and work out the cost per day.
- Price one eSIM package for the same days and data, in Singapore dollars.
- Buy and set up your choice before departure, and switch off data roaming on any line you are not using for data.
- Add the cost to your trip in the budget planner, and sort out travel insurance at the same time.
