Southeast Asia Internet Speed Comparison 2026

Internet speed can make or break your nomad experience. I tested speeds across 11 cities in Southeast Asia. Here's what I found in 2026.

The Big Picture

Fastest countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand
Slowest countries: Indonesia, Philippines
Best value: Malaysia (fast + cheap)
Worst value: Philippines (slow + expensive)

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Country Rankings

#1: Singapore — 500+ Mbps

Average speed: 500-1000 Mbps

Pros:
- Fiber everywhere
- 5G widely available
- Extremely reliable
- Government-backed infrastructure

Cons:
- Expensive ($50-100/month for fiber)
- Expensive country overall

Best for: Premium nomads who need guaranteed fast internet

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#2: Malaysia — 200-400 Mbps

Average speed: 200-400 Mbps (urban areas)

Pros:
- Very fast (especially KL)
- Reliable
- Affordable ($30-50/month)
- Good coverage

Cons:
- Rural areas slower
- Some dead zones

Best for: Best balance of speed + cost

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#3: Thailand — 100-300 Mbps

Average speed: 100-300 Mbps (Bangkok, Chiang Mai)

Pros:
- Fast in cities
- Affordable ($40-60/month)
- Good fiber coverage

Cons:
- Slower on islands
- Inconsistent in rural areas

Best for: Budget + speed balance

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#4: Vietnam — 70-200 Mbps

Average speed: 70-200 Mbps (major cities)

Pros:
- Fastest growing
- Cheap ($20-30/month)
- Good coverage in cities

Cons:
- Inconsistent speeds
- Slower outside cities

Best for: Budget nomads

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#5: Indonesia — 30-100 Mbps

Average speed: 30-100 Mbps (varies widely)

Pros:
- Improving rapidly
- Cheap ($20-40/month)

Cons:
- Inconsistent
- Frequent outages
- Slower on islands

Best for: Lifestyle nomads (speed not priority)

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#6: Philippines — 20-80 Mbps

Average speed: 20-80 Mbps

Pros:
- English-speaking
- Cheap ($20-40/month)

Cons:
- Slowest in this list
- Unreliable
- Expensive for the speed

Best for: Short visits only

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City-by-City Breakdown

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Average: 300-500 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- Time (fastest)
- Unifi (most reliable)
- Maxis

Coworking speeds:
- Common Ground: 300-400 Mbps
- WORQ: 350-450 Mbps
- Colony: 400-500 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 30-100 Mbps (varies)

Apartment fiber: 300-500 Mbps ($30-50/month)

Verdict: Best internet in Southeast Asia

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Singapore

Average: 500-1000 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- Singtel (fastest)
- StarHub
- M1

Coworking speeds:
- WeWork: 500+ Mbps
- JustCo: 500+ Mbps
- The Great Room: 500+ Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 50-200 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 500-1000 Mbps ($50-100/month)

Verdict: Fastest but most expensive

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Bangkok, Thailand

Average: 150-300 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- True (fastest)
- AIS (reliable)
- 3BB (cheap)

Coworking speeds:
- The Hive: 200-300 Mbps
- JustCo: 250-350 Mbps
- WeWork: 300-400 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 30-100 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 100-300 Mbps ($40-60/month)

Verdict: Fast, affordable, reliable

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

Average: 100-300 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- AIS (fastest)
- 3BB (good value)
- True (available)

Coworking speeds:
- Punspace: 150-250 Mbps
- Yellow: 150-200 Mbps
- Alt_ChiangMai: 130-180 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 20-80 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 100-200 Mbps ($30-50/month)

Verdict: Fast, cheap, reliable

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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Average: 100-200 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- Viettel (largest)
- FPT (fastest)
- VNPT (state-owned)

Coworking speeds:
- Enouvo Space: 150-250 Mbps
- CirCO: 100-180 Mbps
- Dreamplex: 120-200 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 20-80 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 80-150 Mbps ($20-30/month)

Verdict: Fast, cheap, improving

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Hanoi, Vietnam

Average: 80-150 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- Viettel
- FPT
- VNPT

Coworking speeds:
- 100-180 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 20-60 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 70-120 Mbps ($20-30/month)

Verdict: Good, improving

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Da Nang, Vietnam

Average: 70-120 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- Viettel
- FPT

Coworking speeds:
- 80-150 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 15-50 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 60-100 Mbps ($20/month)

Verdict: Decent for beach city

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Bali (Canggu), Indonesia

Average: 40-100 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- Telkomsel (most reliable)
- IndiHome (fiber)
- First Media (limited)

Coworking speeds:
- Dojo: 80-150 Mbps
- Outpost: 70-130 Mbps
- BWork: 60-120 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 10-50 Mbps

Apartment/villa: 30-80 Mbps ($30-50/month)

Verdict: Acceptable, inconsistent

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Ubud, Bali

Average: 30-80 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- Telkomsel

Coworking speeds:
- 50-100 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 10-40 Mbps

Apartment/villa: 20-60 Mbps

Verdict: Slower than Canggu

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Jakarta, Indonesia

Average: 50-100 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- IndiHome
- First Media
- Biznet

Coworking speeds:
- 80-150 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 20-60 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 50-100 Mbps ($25-40/month)

Verdict: Better than Bali, not great

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Manila, Philippines

Average: 20-80 Mbps

Best ISPs:
- PLDT (largest)
- Globe (competitor)
- Converge (fiber)

Coworking speeds:
- 50-100 Mbps

Cafe speeds:
- 10-40 Mbps

Apartment fiber: 30-80 Mbps ($30-50/month)

Verdict: Slowest in Southeast Asia

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Speed Test Results (March 2026)

Coworking Spaces

| Space | City | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|-------|------|---------|-----------|---------|
| Punspace | Chiang Mai | 200 Mbps | 180 Mbps | 150 Mbps |
| Dojo | Bali | 120 Mbps | 100 Mbps | 80 Mbps |
| Common Ground | KL | 400 Mbps | 350 Mbps | 300 Mbps |
| The Hive | Bangkok | 280 Mbps | 250 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Enouvo | HCMC | 220 Mbps | 180 Mbps | 150 Mbps |

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Cafes

| City | Average | Range |
|------|---------|-------|
| Singapore | 80 Mbps | 50-150 Mbps |
| Kuala Lumpur | 60 Mbps | 30-100 Mbps |
| Bangkok | 50 Mbps | 30-80 Mbps |
| Chiang Mai | 40 Mbps | 20-80 Mbps |
| Ho Chi Minh | 40 Mbps | 20-80 Mbps |
| Bali | 25 Mbps | 10-50 Mbps |

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Home/Apartment

| City | Fiber Speed | Cost/Month |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Singapore | 500-1000 Mbps | $50-100 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 300-500 Mbps | $30-50 |
| Bangkok | 100-300 Mbps | $40-60 |
| Chiang Mai | 100-200 Mbps | $30-50 |
| Ho Chi Minh | 80-150 Mbps | $20-30 |
| Bali | 40-100 Mbps | $30-50 |

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Mobile Data (4G/5G)

Country Rankings

Fastest 4G:
1. Singapore (80-150 Mbps)
2. Malaysia (50-100 Mbps)
3. Thailand (30-80 Mbps)
4. Vietnam (30-70 Mbps)
5. Indonesia (20-50 Mbps)
6. Philippines (10-40 Mbps)

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Best SIM Cards

Malaysia:
- Digi: 10GB/day for $12/month
- Celcom: Best coverage
- Maxis: Good speed

Thailand:
- AIS: Fastest, $15/month unlimited
- True: Good coverage
- DTAC: Cheapest

Vietnam:
- Viettel: Best coverage, 5GB/day for $10/month
- Vinaphone: Good
- Mobifone: Alternative

Indonesia:
- Telkomsel: Best coverage, 50GB for $15/month
- XL: Good in cities
- Indosat: Alternative

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Recommendations by Use Case

Video Calls (Zoom/Meet)

Minimum: 10 Mbps
Recommended: 25+ Mbps
Best cities: Singapore, KL, Bangkok, Chiang Mai

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Large File Uploads

Minimum: 20 Mbps
Recommended: 50+ Mbps
Best cities: Singapore, KL, Bangkok

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Streaming (4K)

Minimum: 25 Mbps
Recommended: 50+ Mbps
Best cities: All major cities

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Gaming

Minimum: 50 Mbps + low latency
Recommended: 100+ Mbps
Best cities: Singapore, KL, Bangkok, Chiang Mai

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Pro Tips

1. Always Test Before Renting

Ask landlord for:
- Speed test screenshot
- ISP name
- Fiber availability

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2. Have Backup

Minimum:
- Local SIM with data
- 2-3 cafes as backup

Best:
- Home fiber
- Mobile data backup
- Coworking space membership

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3. Check Before Traveling

Research:
- Nomad Facebook groups
- Coworking spaces
- Recent speed tests

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4. Use Ethernet When Possible

Speed increase: 2-3x faster than WiFi

Get: USB-C ethernet adapter ($15-30)

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Bottom Line

Best overall: Malaysia (speed + cost)
Fastest: Singapore (but expensive)
Best value: Thailand (Chiang Mai, Bangkok)
Cheapest: Vietnam (good enough)
Avoid for work: Philippines (too slow)

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What's your internet experience in Southeast Asia? Drop a comment!