The Best Data Plans from Singapore Telcos – SIM-only Plans vs Phone Plans (2019)

Singaporeans love mobile data, and telcos have been falling over themselves trying to outbid each other.

We take a quick, dirty look and compare the SIM-only plans and phone plans of each telco in Singapore:

 

Data users who need at least 5GB a month

If you spend most of the time at home or in the office, or in public places with free Wi-Fi, then you probably won’t need more than 5GB of data a month. Here are your SIM-only and Phone Plan options:

At least 5GB: Total cost of 2-year phone plans vs no-contract plans 

Swipe left to see total costs

Phone plans	Data	Extras	Price per month	Cost of iPhone Xs 64GB	Total cost
Singtel Combo 6 (2 years)	6GB	Unlimited talk time, unlimited SMS/MMS	$95.90	$538	$1,688.80
Singtel SIM Only 5GB	5 GB	150 min talk time, 500 local SMS/MMS	$20	$1,799	$2,039
M1 mySIM (e) 40 (2 years)	5+10GB	100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS	$40.00	$800	$1,280
M1 mySIM 20	3+12 GB	100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS	$20	$1,799	$2,039
Starhub $25 SIM Only	13GB + unlimited weekend data*	100 min talk time	$25	$1,799	$2,099
Circles.Life base plan	6GB	100 min talk time	$28	$1,799	$2,135
My Republic Smart35	9GB	1000 min talk time, 1000 SMSes	$35	$1,799	$2,219

*For 12 months from sign-up only.

For comparison purposes, we use the undiscounted iPhone Xs (64GB) at the current price of $1,799 for the total cost of being on a no-contract plan. 

In terms of price alone, M1 is the winner for this category, as the mySIM 20 meets the data requirement, in fact, offering 15 GB and also offers some talktime and local SMS. It also does not require a contract.

When you consider the total cost of phone bills and the handset, M1 mySIM(e) 40 and Singtel’s 2-year Combo 6 total cost is the lowest as they offer steep discounts on their handset. 

That said, if you’re someone who likes to switch handsets sooner than every 2 years and hate to be bound by a contract, you will probably want to pay more for freedom. 

 

 

 

Data fans who need at least 10GB a month

Either you’re constantly on the go, or you’re the kind to put every second of your life on Instagram Stories. Either way, you need at least 10GB of data a month. Here are your SIM-only and Phone Plan options:

10GB or more: Total cost of 2-year phone plans vs no-contract plans 

Swipe left to see total costs

	Data	Extras	Price per month	Cost of iPhone Xs 64GB	Total cost
Singtel Combo 12 (2 years)	12GB	Unlimited talk time, unlimited local SMS/MMS	$239.90	$0	$2,878.80
Singtel SIM Only	10 GB	150 minutes of talktime and 500 SMSes	$36.05	$1,799	$2,231.60
M1 mySIM (e) 40 (2 years)	5+10GB	100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS	$40.00	$800	$1,280
M1 mySIM 20	3+12GB	100 min talk time, 100 local SMS/MMS	$20.00	$1,619	$1,859
Starhub $50 (2 years)	13GB + unlimited weekend data	100 min talk time	$50.00	$1,042	$1,642
Starhub $25 SIM Only	13GB + unlimited weekend data	100 min talk time	$25.00	$1,799	$2,099
Circles.Life	Unlimited	100 min talk time	$48.00	$1,799	$2,375
MyRepublic Mega 55	18GB	1,000 min talk time, 1000 SMSes	$55.00	$1,799	$2,459

For comparison purposes, we once again use the undiscounted iPhone Xs (64GB) at the current price of $1,799 for the total cost of being on a no-contract plan. 

M1’s mySIM (e) 4o 2-year plan comes up tops in terms of total cost of phone and bills.

The downside to it is that you will be tied to a 2-year contract. For slightly under $600 more, you can sign up for mySIM 20 to enjoy the freedom of a no-contract SIM Only plan, and get a discounted price of $1,619 from M1’s site, paying $1,859 in total.

Singtel’s $239.90 per month price tag seems totally ridiculous and some might reason that for that price, you get a phone handset totally free-of-charge. But comparing with the other plans, it is clear that the total cost of phone and bills is the highest with the 2-year Combo 12 plan.

If you are drawn to the talktime and SMSes, however, MyRepublic’s Mega 55 is great for that. It offers 1,000 minute talktime and 1,000 SMSes.

Also, something to mention is that if you are a MyRepublic broadband user, you get additional free data. This means that you can get the $35 Smart 35 plan, which has 9GB of data, and get 3GB of data free, adding up to 12GB. This means it is the cheapest for more than 10GB of data, plus it bundles 1000 minutes of talk time and 1000 SMSes.

If you’re the indulgent sort and likes to watch Youtube videos on the go, FaceTime your every moment, then you might want to go for the Starhub $25 SIM Only plan that gives you unlimited weekend data or the Circles Life $20 for unlimited data plan.

 

Which telco will win the data game in 2019?

It’s clear that Singtel and M1 are offering better deals for SIM-only plans if you don’t need more than 5GB of data a month.

M1, Starhub and Circles.Life are playing the data game so well, they’ve won on every other category. M1 and Singtel give ridiculous discounts on their phones, which means that if you’re someone who doesn’t mind paying more monthly, you should consider their 2-year plans.

Circles.Life’s lack of a contract ensures that it maintains a strong advantage over the competition. Although most of the traditional telcos are starting to offer strong no-contract plans, its recent $20 for unlimited data update is going to be hard to compete against. MyRepublic, on the other hand, offers a great option for people who need a lot of talktime. 

With data increasingly becoming a daily necessity, plans bundling big data are likely to become the norm. We’re seeing more and more data plans over 10GB that cost just slightly more than $20 a month, which would have been unbelievable a couple of years ago.

Are you a big data fan? Which telco do you prefer? Share your thoughts with us.