Best SIM-Only Plans Singapore 2026: Cheapest 5G Compared

Best SIM-only plans Singapore 2026: the short answer

If you want the cheapest 5G SIM-only plan in Singapore right now, Simba leads on every tier. Their entry plan is S$5 per 30 days for 500GB local data plus 3GB global roaming, and their flagship S$25 per 30 days plan ships 800GB local plus 80GB regional roaming and 15GB global. No other Singapore telco prices below this on a per-gigabyte basis as of 10 May 2026.

Singtel hi!, StarHub Mobile+, M1 Maxx, Circles.Life, MyRepublic and Giga (Singtel's no-frills sub-brand) all run higher monthly costs for comparable data quotas. Each has a niche: incumbents win on indoor 5G coverage, Circles wins on weekend unlimited data and rolling promos, MyRepublic wins on fibre-bundle pricing.

Pair the SIM-only plan with a credit card that pays elevated cashback on telecoms (Maybank Family and Friends, UOB EVOL, DBS Live Fresh) and you save another 5 to 8 per cent on the monthly bill. Stacking covered in the credit card section below.

Every Simba SIM-only plan in Singapore (live as of 10 May 2026)

All Simba plans run on the TPG Singapore 5G network with eSIM and physical SIM options, free voice roaming, unlimited calls to Singapore mobiles, unlimited local SMS, and rollover of unused data and minutes for up to six cycles. Prices verified directly from simba.sg on 10 May 2026.

Why Simba leads on price-per-gigabyte in 2026

Simba is the consumer brand of TPG Singapore, the fourth mobile network operator licensed in 2016 to break the Singtel-StarHub-M1 incumbency. TPG built its own 5G network and runs Simba as an aggressive price challenger. The result: prices roughly 30 to 60 per cent lower than incumbent SIM-only plans on equivalent data, with the exact gap depending on tier.

What you give up: Simba 5G coverage indoors and in older buildings is generally weaker than Singtel and StarHub on their own networks. If you live in a basement or work in a heavily shielded office, run the Simba SIM as a secondary line for a month before porting your number. Most users see no difference outdoors and in modern buildings.

How Simba compares to Singtel hi!, Circles.Life, MyRepublic and Giga

Singtel hi!, StarHub Mobile+ and M1 Maxx are the three incumbent SIM-only lines, each on their own native 5G network with the strongest indoor coverage. Pricing runs roughly 50 to 100 per cent above equivalent Simba tiers; the premium buys reliability for users who cannot risk a dropped work call.

Circles.Life is an MVNO on M1's network with strong app experience and frequent unlimited-data weekend promotions in the S$20 to S$40 band. MyRepublic Mobile is best as a fibre-broadband bundle. Giga is Singtel's no-frills sub-brand at mid-tier pricing, useful if you want Singtel-grade reliability without paying full Singtel hi!. Verify each telco's current pricing on their own site since incumbent plan tiers shift quarterly.

Roaming-included SIM-only plans: the Simba edge

Most Singapore SIM-only plans treat data roaming as a paid add-on (typically S$15 to S$25 per day or a separate roaming pack). Simba bundles regional and global roaming into every tier, which makes the value gap on travel-heavy users larger than the headline price suggests. Regional covers Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and APAC partner networks; global covers 60+ countries. Voice roaming is free across all tiers and roaming activates automatically when you land.

Trip math: monthly weekend visits to JB or KL fit comfortably under 18GB APAC (S$12 plan). Quarterly Bangkok or Bali with heavier streaming step up to 25GB APAC (S$15 plan). Asia-wide travellers with frequent Tokyo, Seoul or Taipei stops sit best at 50GB APAC (S$20 plan). For trips outside Asia, pair the global allowance with a separate travel eSIM.

eSIM activation in 2026: how it works in Singapore

All Simba 5G plans support eSIM on iPhone XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, Google Pixel 4 and newer, and most other modern phones. After signing up online and verifying your NRIC via Singpass, you receive an activation QR code by email. Scanning it with your phone provisions the eSIM in minutes. Prefer a physical SIM (or older phone): Simba ships next-day to a Singapore address with the same activation flow.

Dual-SIM trick: if you currently use Singtel, StarHub or M1 and want to test Simba coverage in your home and office before fully porting, run Simba as the second eSIM line for a month. Most modern phones support two active eSIM lines plus a physical SIM. Once you confirm coverage, port your primary number across.

Port-in promo stacking: how to get free renewals

Simba runs rolling port-in promotions. As of the late-April-to-early-May 2026 window (24 April to 10 May), the deal was: new SIM gets one free plan renewal, port-in SIM gets two free plan renewals. Verify the current promo on their site before checkout, since the offer cycles every few weeks.

How to maximise the port-in stack:

• Pick the right tier first. Free renewals match whatever tier you sign up for: S$15 means S$30 of free service vs S$10 at the cheapest tier.
• Time your port-in. Mid-contract on Singtel, StarHub or M1: check the early termination fee. Sometimes the Simba savings cover it within four months.
• Bring NRIC and current bill. Singapore mobile number portability is regulated by IMDA so the port itself is free and takes 1 to 3 working days.
• Pair with a cashback credit card. The first paid bill (after free renewals expire) earns cashback at the rates in the next section.

The cheapest way to pay your telco bill: credit card stacking

Singapore credit cards typically code mobile recharges and SIM-only top-ups under telecoms MCC (Merchant Category Code 4814). Several cards offer elevated cashback for this category, which compounds with whatever SIM-only deal you picked.

The catch: most cards require a minimum monthly spend (commonly S$500 or S$800) to qualify for the elevated rate. If you only spend on telco and groceries, hit the threshold by also routing your weekly NTUC FairPrice and petrol spend to the same card. Our separate guide on credit card sign-up promotions covers welcome bonuses on the cards listed below.

The best telco-cashback card in Singapore right now is Maybank Family and Friends if you can hit the S$800 monthly spend threshold and pick telco as one of your bonus categories. UOB EVOL works well for app-based recharges (Simba, Circles.Life and Giga all support card-on-file in their apps).

If you cannot hit the minimum spend, just route the recharge through any free no-min-spend card (the MariBank Credit Card pays 1.5 per cent flat with no minimum spend) and accept the lower rate. The S$10 to S$25 monthly bill is small enough that the threshold optimisation is not worth contorting your spending pattern over.

Worked example: family of four on Simba

Four lines on the Simba S$15 plan (600GB local + 25GB APAC + 8GB global each) costs S$60 per month total. Pay via Maybank Family and Friends with telco as a bonus category, hit the S$800 monthly minimum across telco, dining and groceries, and cashback returns S$4.80 per month. Net cost: S$55.20 per month for four lines with regional roaming bundled.

Compare against four Singtel hi! lines at roughly S$30 per line per month: S$120 per month total, telco cashback applied, net cost roughly S$110 to S$115. Simba family stack saves about S$650 per year. Add the port-in promo (each line gets two free renewals = S$30 saved) and the family pockets another S$120 in the first quarter.

When to skip Simba (an honest counter)

Simba is not for everyone. Skip it if any of the following apply:

• Poor 5G coverage at home or work. TPG is fine outdoors and in modern buildings, weaker in older HDB blocks, basement offices and some industrial estates. Test with a friend on Simba first.
• Work calls that cannot drop. If a missed call costs you money, the monthly premium for Singtel hi!, StarHub Mobile+ or M1 Maxx is rounding error.
• Fibre + mobile bundle discounts. If your fibre is with Singtel, StarHub or MyRepublic and the bundle discount is meaningful, do the math: the bundle may beat Simba standalone.
• Heavy international voice calling. Some incumbent plans include free IDD minutes to specific countries; Simba covers IDD via app VoIP rather than carrier voice in most cases.
• Need a physical retail store. Simba is online-only. If you prefer in-person setup at a Singtel or M1 shop, factor that into your decision.

Frequently asked questions

Is Simba safe? Will my data work in basements and lifts?

Simba runs on TPG Singapore's 5G network, which has full national 4G LTE coverage and roughly 90 per cent 5G coverage in 2026 (per IMDA reporting). Indoor and underground coverage is generally adequate but inconsistent in older buildings. The dual-SIM testing trick above is the safest way to verify before porting your number.

Can I keep my existing mobile number when I switch to Simba?

Yes. Singapore mobile number portability is regulated by IMDA: the port is free, takes 1 to 3 working days, and you keep your number across all telcos including Simba. You will need NRIC, current carrier account number and the prevailing port-in form (Simba handles this in their signup flow).

Do Simba plans really include free roaming?

Yes for voice roaming on every plan, and yes for data roaming up to the per-tier APAC and global allowances above. Once you exhaust the bundled roaming GB, buy add-on roaming packs in the Simba app, or fall back on a separate travel eSIM.

Why is Simba so much cheaper than Singtel, StarHub or M1?

Three structural reasons: Simba (TPG Singapore) operates its own 5G network so does not pay wholesale fees to incumbents, Simba is online-only with no retail store overhead, and Simba does not subsidise handsets so the plan price is not cross-subsidising someone else's iPhone. The trade-off is weaker indoor coverage and no in-person support.

Is the Simba S$5 plan a real plan or a marketing teaser?

Real plan: 500GB local data, 3GB global roaming, 5GB APAC roaming, 400 SG and IDD minutes, unlimited SMS and free voice roaming. Verified directly on simba.sg on 10 May 2026. The trade-off vs higher tiers is fewer talktime minutes and smaller roaming allowances.

Can I use a Simba SIM in my Apple Watch or iPad?

Apple Watch cellular requires a Singtel, StarHub or M1 plan because of how Apple Watch eSIM provisioning works in Singapore (an Apple restriction, not a Simba one). For iPad cellular, Simba eSIM works fine on iPad Pro and iPad Air models.

Sources and methodology

Simba pricing was verified directly from simba.sg/plans/sim-only-plans on 10 May 2026. The promo window referenced (24 April to 10 May 2026) was live at the time of writing; check for current rolling promos before signup. Comparison commentary on Singtel hi!, StarHub Mobile+, M1 Maxx, Circles.Life, MyRepublic and Giga is qualitative since each telco's pricing pages were not reliably fetchable. Credit card cashback rates are headline rates as of 10 May 2026; read T&Cs for caps and minimum-spend conditions. Network coverage commentary draws on IMDA's quarterly reports and crowdsourced data; coverage in your specific home or office may differ.

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Bottom line

The 2026 Singapore SIM-only answer in one line: Simba S$12 plan paired with a Maybank Family and Friends card (telco bonus category, 8 per cent cashback). That delivers 600GB local, 18GB APAC roaming, 8GB global roaming and roughly S$11/month effective cost after cashback, with free voice roaming bundled.

Want more data: step up to S$15 or S$20 for 25-50GB APAC roaming. Need indoor coverage in a problem location: pay the premium for Singtel hi!, StarHub Mobile+ or M1 Maxx. Locked into a fibre bundle with MyRepublic or Singtel: do the bundle math first. Run the dual-SIM coverage test for a month, time your port-in to catch the rolling Simba renewal promo, and pick the right credit card.