Since the rise of millennials and our strange need to document everything online, overseas wifi router rental services like ChangiWiFi had a huge surge in popularity.
I mean, I get it. A huge part of the modern travel experience is spreading wanderlust and envy throughout social media. What’s a vacation without that dopamine spike that comes with each Instagram like, right? Pics or it didn’t happen.
So if you’re planning for an upcoming vacay, here’s a useful price comparison of the top 3 travel wifi egg rental services in Singapore.
Travel wifi router rental services in Singapore – which is the cheapest?
I’ve shortlisted some popular travel destinations, and singled out the cheapest travel wifi vendors for it.
Take note that we’re comparing the base rental rates and not promotions, since the promos tend to change pretty quickly throughout the months.
| Destination country | Cheapest price | Wifi router rental company |
| Malaysia | $3.90 / day | Yogofi |
| Thailand | $3.90 / day | Yogofi |
| Hong Kong | $3.90 / day | Yogofi |
| Taiwan | $3.90 / day | Yogofi |
| Japan | $3.90 / day | Yogofi |
| Korea | $3.90 / day | Yogofi |
| China | $3.90 / day | Yogofi |
| Australia | $9.90 / day | Yogofi |
| New Zealand | $9.90 / day | Yogofi |
| Europe | $9 / day | Y5 Buddy |
| United Kingdom | $8 / day | Y5 Buddy |
| United States of America | $9.90 / day | Yogofi |
These overseas wifi rental services charge by the day, and in general, prices are around $4 to $8 for destinations in Asia, and $9 to $12 for Australia, New Zealand, Europe and America.
Y5 Buddy
Looking across the board, Y5 Buddy‘s rates aren’t the most attractive. There are definitely cheaper pocket wifi rental elsewhere. Here, a list of Y5 Buddy’s base rental rates:
| Destination country | Y5 Buddy prices |
| Malaysia | $8 / day |
| Thailand | $5 / day |
| Hong Kong & Macau | $5 / day |
| Taiwan | $5 / day |
| Japan | $5 / day |
| Korea | $5 / day |
| China | $9 / day |
| Australia | $10 / day |
| New Zealand | $12 / day |
| Europe | $9 / day |
| United Kingdom | $8 /day |
| United States of America | $12 / day |
| Delivery / pickup | Free pick-up at CBD, $14 for 2-way delivery |
However, they do have an ongoing promotion where you can get $5 off with the promo code VTL5 (no end date).
Also do note that there’s an upfront $50 cash deposit for Y5 Buddy rental. If you’re a Scrooge like me, always wary of deposits, then this might not be for you.
You can keep up with their latest promos on their Instagram page which was last updated in March with this March School Holiday travel promo code:
View this post on Instagram
Yogofi
Yogofi is one of the newer players in the market for home broadband and travel wifi devices. They have some of the cheapest rates. However, the website is not the most user friendly. You’re forced to download their mobile app to check rates and get anything done.
Here are their base rental rates:
| Destination country | Yogofi prices |
| Malaysia | $3.90 / day |
| Thailand | $3.90 / day |
| Hong Kong | $3.90 / day |
| Taiwan | $3.90 / day |
| Japan | $3.90 / day |
| Korea | $3.90 / day |
| China | $3.90 / day |
| Australia | $9.90 / day |
| New Zealand | $9.90 / day |
| Europe | $9.90 / day |
| United States of America | $9.90 / day |
| Delivery / pickup | Free local delivery, self pick up available |
Over the March school holidays, Yogofi had a VTLSALE promo code which brought rental rates down to a nifty $2.90 per day. If you missed that, the $2.90 promo came back on the 14 April 2022. Yay! Use promo code travelopens for rental rates as low as $2.90 per day (no end date).
On top of that, they also offer free local delivery within 3 business days.
I personally prefer the idea of courier to pick-up, because I’m usually bogged down with work and last-minute preparations the few days before my flights. One of the best things about Yogofi, besides its competitive rates is that charges are only made after you return the router and you’ll only be charged for the number of days of usage. If you’ve spent an entire day on the plane without using the router at all, you won’t have to pay additional.
They also run frequent promotions which you can look out for on their Instagram page:
View this post on Instagram
ChangiWiFi router by Changi Recommends
ChangiWiFi‘s base rental prices are way more expensive than its competitors’. There are promo codes to lower the prices. However, you’ll run into things like compulsory email newsletter sign ups and $7 delivery fees.
We’re sorry, ChangiWiFi. We love all things Changi Airport, I used to even love the smell of the air there…
Here are ChangiWiFi’s base rental rates:
| Destination country | ChangiWiFi prices |
| Malaysia & Indonesia | $4.50 / day |
| Thailand | $12 / day |
| Hong Kong | $12 / day |
| Taiwan | $12 / day |
| Japan | $12 / day |
| Korea | $12 / day |
| China | $12 / day (no VPN) |
| Australia | $12 / day |
| New Zealand | $12 / day |
| Europe + United Kingdom | $12 / day |
| United States of America | $12 / day |
| Delivery / pickup | Pick-up & drop-off at Changi Airport, $7 local delivery |
Despite the price difference, some people who value convenience of being about to collect and return the routers at Changi Airport may still prefer it over the other retailers.
However, upon time of writing, there’s this compulsory Changigo signup and eNewsletter that you’re forced into upon online check out. There seems to be no obvious way to opt yourself out of it. It’s a huge turn off for people like me who are always running away from and unsubscribing from email newsletter sign ups, you know?
Ok, let’s get back to the price and promotions. During peak travel seasons such as the recent launch of VTLs, Changi Recommends ran promotional prices as low as $3/day South Korea and $3.50/day for Taiwan and Japan (ended on 15 Apr 22).
Current ChangiWiFi promotions are pretty complicated (valid until 31 Dec 22). Sit tight, let’s break it down:
– Use promo code HOORAY370 for $3.70/day rental for South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam
– Use promo code HOORAYFOC1 for $4.50/ day rental for Malaysia and Indonesia. You also get 1 day fee waiver, and $3.50 local delivery. However, you need to book a minimum of 8 days. Here’s the sneaky part about this promo code: the base rates without promo code are also $4.50/day actually. We’ll highly suggest you get data roaming from your telco instead (scroll below).
– Use promo code HOORAY750 for $7.50/ day rental for Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Philippines. Ok, there’s a loophole in this promo code: if you’re going to Sri Lanka and Cambodia, try plonking this promo code upon checkout and you’ll realise it actually brings your rental cost down to $3.50/day and not $7.50/day. Confusing, right? But cheap… so don’t complain.
– Use promo code VTLFOC1 for Europe and United Kingdom (minimum 3 days rental). I was very excited to see that ChangiWiFi actually covers Ukraine in their network. However, when I tried to book my hypothetical trip to Ukraine, the country has been removed from their drop down menu.
– Use promo code HOORAY1130 for $11.30/day rental for the Middle East, Fiji, and Maldives. If you remember, the base rates are $12/day. So, your savings would just be 70cents per day.
View this post on Instagram
Overseas wifi routers vs data roaming plans
These travel wifi egg rentals have forced local telcos to price their data roaming services more competitively, and although prices are indeed a lot lower than they used to be, they’re not quite as cost-effective as travel wifi router rentals. But if you’re only leaving for a few days, data roaming plans might make a whole lot more sense.
Let’s have a look at some of the telcos’ offerings:
M1 Data Passport
The M1 Data Passport service lets you use your local data “allowance” overseas for $12 to $30 per month (single destination). Take note that there is a one-time activation charge of $5 per Data Passport and a flat $5 monthly charge if you use multiple SIM cards.
Starhub DataTravel
The Starhub DataTravel add-on bundles 1GB to 3GB for $5 to $50, depending on your destination and travel destination. The cheapest option is $5 for 1GB of data over 3 days, for selected countries in Asia.
Singtel ReadyRoam
Singtel ReadyRoam packages the destination countries into 4 categories – Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand ($5/GB), 9 Destinations ($12/GB), 18 Destinations ($20/2GB) and 56 Destinations ($35/3GB).
As you can see, all data roaming plans put a cap on your data consumption. (Okay, so there are unlimited usage plans too, but those are even more expensive so I’m not even going to include them.)
If you’re planning to use the internet to route your way around and upload photos and videos to social media, that 1GB will be used up in no time. Travel wifi routers offer unlimited data, which is more cost-effective.
Furthermore, 1 device can be shared among up to 5 to 6 devices so you can split the cost with your friends and family.
Granted, for certain countries the unlimited data clause may be subject to the provider’s fair usage policy – which is a data cap to prevent abuse – but technically you still get unlimited internet, it’ll just be dramatically slower.
If it even applies, the fair usage policy limit is usually quite generous anyway (think 500mb to 1GB per day), so if you’re just sharing between 2 to 4 pax, you should be fine.
To make sure you’re getting the best deal, compare a full list of data roaming plans comparison here.
Don’t go overseas without a travel insurance policy! Use our travel insurance tool to compare the best travel insurance policies in Singapore.
Are you a fan of travel wifi routers? Tell us your experience in the comments below.
Related Articles
Withdrawing Cash Overseas When You Travel – What To Look Out For & Withdrawal Fees
9 Best Credit Cards in Singapore for Overseas Spending (2024)
Travel Insurance Singapore Guide (2024): Must-Knows for Choosing the Best Travel Insurance
The Ultimate Guide to 24-Hour Money Changers in Singapore
Comparing Digital Multi-Currency Accounts: Wise, YouTrip, Revolut, and More