Singapore On A Budget: 6 Money Saving Hacks You Should Know

Singapore is an incredible country. With one of the biggest and busiest airports in the world, the country is a travel hub. While the flight tickets to the country are relatively cheap, the same cannot be said about everything else in Singapore

. If you are not careful, you will find that it will burn a hole right through your pocket! But don’t despair. We’ve spent a rather long while exploring the country and can tell you exactly how to travel Singapore on a budget. 

One thing that I have learnt to love about the city and the country at large is the vast number of travel experiences that it has to offer. As an ardent lover of experiential travel, this really appealed to me. That being said, it is wise to remember that not all the ‘experiences’ are free and many of the highly sought after ones come with a hefty price.

The key is to choosing travel experiences that fit with what you want to do and ones that fit within the budget that you have designated for your trip.

If you are curious about the different adventures that Singapore has to offer, check out our Singapore Travel Guide which covers almost everything the city has to offer.

Can you do Singapore On A Budget?

Believe it or not, I get asked this question a lot! I get it! I really do. Budgeting for an expensive country is scary. It is one of the reason we over analyze every trip we make to Europe. The answer to the question is that you can travel to Singapore on a budget. It is not impossible.

The only thing that I wasn’t able to drastically reduce the cost on was accommodation. Don’t get me wrong. You get good-ish accommodation but the prices are still higher than the rest of south east Asia. I’ll talk about accommodation in a little bit.

How Much Should I Budget For A Trip To Singapore?

I’m going to break down the costs for you. Accommodation which is the most significant cost would take about USD 40-50. Budget for another USD 30-50 for transport, activities and food. Note that activities on Sentosa do not factor into this equation since those are on the higher end.

All in all a budget of USD 100-120 would keep you extremely comfortable. You could also drop it down to around USD 80 by being really frugal but you ay lose out on many things that you want to see or do.

Singapore On A Budget: Tips To Spend Less As A Tourist

While Singapore on a budget is daunting, there are a lot of things that you can do to keep the expenditure in check. The best part is that it does not take the fun out of exploring either. I’m going to take you through all the tips that helped us in the time we spent. I hope it helps you too! Oh and if you have anything to add make sure you drop us a comment so we can add it to the list!

1. Let’s Talk About Accommodation

Accommodation is the single largest spend when it comes to travel in Singapore on a budget. We scoured the city for good budget accommodation and realised that the best way to get a good place on a budget was to follow the tips laid out below.

• Pick a hostel or a pod. This usually gives you better quality accommodation on a budget. The downside is that you probably would not have as much personal space as you would if you booked a room. Ideally if you choose a hostel or a pod hotel, make sure that you carry limited luggage. That way you can store your valuables in a locker and head out to the city without worrying too much.
• Book your accommodation in advance. Since accommodation is generally expensive everything that is relatively cheap gets sold out quickly. The one thing about planning a trip to Singapore on a budget is that you need to plan the bones of your trip out in advance.
• Travel with friends and split the accommodation costs. It is a win win situation all around!

2. Food On A Budget

If you are in Singapore on a budget, you have to check out the street food.

You don’t have to spend big bucks when you eat out in the city. In fact, there is a place to eat for almost every budget.

Street vendors and hawker stalls: Almost every corner has a hawker center where the food is extremely affordable. Chinatown in Singapore is a great place to explore and you have to try the Michelin Star Hawker Chan. Okay, I have to admit that since 2021, he no longer made the Michelin list but that doesn’t mean that his food is not good. You can catch a bite at his stall for as low as SGD 2.5! Note that the queues are large and the food gets over easily.

On the flip side, there are loads of hawkers that sell really good food in the area so if you don’t catch Hawker Chan you will still not miss out on the local delicacies.

Food courts: Food courts are also a great way to spend less while indulging in variety. Here the meals are slightly more expensive compared to the street vendors and you can look at spending around SGD 4-6 per meal.

Food Apps: Another thing to keep in mind are the apps like Eatigo that help you get great discounts on the restaurants in Singapore. It is worth looking into if you want a change from street food.

Convenience Stores: I find myself heading to convenience stores as a default when it comes to any city. Singapore is not an exception.

All in all, just because you are travelling Singapore on a budget does not mean that you miss out on all its mouth watering delicacies!

3. Transportation is not rocket science

Choose your mode of transport wisely if you are in Singapore on a budget.

The city has different modes of transport that you can use and as usual, there is something for every budget. Largely speaking, Singapore is a very walkable city. We generally got to an area and explore everywhere on foot. You can also rent cycles, electric cycles, Segways etc.

The best suggestion that I can give you when it comes to transport is consult Google maps. See what mode of public transport is advised and plan accordingly. This helps filter out the transport based on distance and timings. Use the bus, train and metro as much as possible. Together they connect almost all parts of the city.

Cabs are really expensive. We only used these when going to the airport.

4. Singapore has a lot of freebies

Chinatown is a popular place to visit in Singapore on a budget.

Not everyone knows it but there are loads of free (and fun!) things that you can do in the city. If you are travelling Singapore on a budget, this is definitely something that you want to check out. It doesn’t matter if you are in Singapore for 48 hours or for a week. There is always something to do.

Here are a few options that you may want to include in your Singapore itinerary.

• Singapore City Gallery
• Gardens By the Bay (wandering through most the gardens is free and you can catch a free light and sound show!)
• Visit the numerous religious structures and explore the religious heritage of Singapore.
• Wander through Chinatown.
• Explore the Botanic gardens.
• Pose with the Merlion.
• Wander through Sentosa.

5. Enjoy Happy Hour

Happy hour is a great way to enjoy the town if you are in Singapore on a budget.

If you are going out for a night on the town, I highly recommend taking a look at the happy hours. It saves you a ton when it comes to drinks. There are loads of places all over the city which have offers every day. Also check out some the roof top bars which give you an amazing vantage point of the city. Oh and some even have a pool to chill in.

Oh and if you are a woman then you will probably love Wednesdays as it is ladies night in most of the bars! It is one of the best ways to enjoy the town and explore Singapore on a budget.

6. Water is safe for consumption

One of the biggest expenses that we faced as travelers in Asia was the need to buy bottled water. Singapore is one country where the tap water is safe for consumption. I highly recommend carrying a water bottle which you can refill as you go. Aside from reducing the amount you spend on water, you also reduce the amount of trash you generate.

Have you been to Singapore? What are tips that helped you travel Singapore on a budget? Let us know if we’ve missed something important by commenting in the comment section below.

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