Surprisingly, there are ways to enjoy Singapore without breaking the bank! Discover the fascinating little city-island-country in Southeast Asia without giving up meals or selling plasma. Backpackers and budget travelers have long been plagued by Singapore. Travelers from Southeast Asia often choose to forego or shorten their stay in Singapore due to its notoriously high prices and abundance of potential for fines.
Singapore is known mostly as a shopping mecca and excellent layover spot on the Banana Pancake Trail, even though it has a lot to offer (including the world’s best airport). Spending a few days—or more—in this vibrant international metropolis does not have to break the bank. To make the most of your money in Singapore, consider these suggestions.
At the Chinatown MRT Station, you can grab an automated ticket machine that accepts CEPAS/EZ-LINK cards
When they first arrive in Singapore, many tourists make the rookie mistake of not buying the city-wide transportation card. The cost of taking the bus or train adds up quickly instead. An EZ-Link card with S$7 worth of credit costs S$12 and can be purchased at rail stations. At 7-Eleven convenience stores, you can buy a card and load it with S$10 (which includes S$5 in credit). You can also avoid the long lines at the MRT ticket machines by using an EZ-Link card.
Use your EZ-Link card on the LRT, MRT, and the fantastic public bus system. The EZ-Link card allows you to pay based on the distance traveled, instead of a flat rate as most people do (drivers do not provide change).
Advice: To avoid overspending, touch your card on the reader as you get off the bus.
The Singapore Tourist Pass is a waste of money at the Kallang station on the MRT
When you visit Singapore for one, two, or three days, you can get the Singapore Tourist Pass, which is like an EZ-Link card but lets you ride unlimited. Not cheap, are the Tourist Passes: You can get S$10 back when you return your one-day pass, plus an extra S$10.
Just to break even, you’d have to take four or five MRT journeys every day! You are more likely to spend your time strolling about the attractions, inside enormous shopping malls, and exploring world-class museums rather than riding the train around the city, unless you truly enjoy doing so (trains are great).
Quench Your Thirst at the Singapore Changi Airport Water Fountain
Singapore has potable water available from the tap, unlike many other Southeast Asian countries. Good news, because a bottle of water at minimarts can cost about S$2! If you forget to bring your own water bottle, you may always buy a little one and fill it up at hotels or public fountains for free.
Indulge in Meals at Food Halls Singapore’s Chinatown
When it comes to food courts, food halls, and hawker street stalls, Singapore is truly blessed with some of Asia’s finest. Street food is quite safe to eat! As a matter of fact, one must eat street cuisine while visiting Singapore. The quality is usually even better than what you’d find in a street restaurant in a country like Thailand. Food halls offer a wide variety of excellent meals for prices ranging from S$4-6. If you’re craving noodle soup, you can get it for less than S$3.
Compared to freestanding food centers, the prices at the food courts located in upmarket malls and at the base of almost every skyscraper are marginally higher. See the enormous Chinatown food court or the inexpensive but wonderful Lau Pa Sat food court, both of which are close to the Raffles MRT station.
Refrain from Consuming Alcohol and Caffeine
Either of these vices will completely deplete your money in Singapore due to the high taxation. The cost of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes exceeds S$13, and the cost of alcohol is exorbitant even when compared to countries in the US or Europe. You should expect to pay up to S$30 for entry to nightclubs, which does include one fizzy drink.
If you’re looking for an expensive night out in Ibiza, a wild one could be just what you need. Travelers on a tight budget who are looking for a more communal experience outside of hostels frequently choose to grab a drink from the 7-Eleven at the end of Clarke Quay and then spend some time relaxing on the riverfront. Find the pedestrian bridge crowded with people relaxing there. Important note: In Singapore, electronic cigarettes are technically against the law. You must not bring one over the border!
Have fun at the Parks Beach resort at Singapore’s East Coast Park
Despite Singapore’s image as a concrete jungle, the city boasts a beautiful park matrix that weaves green spaces all over the place. Enjoy breath-taking vistas from elevated bike paths and skywalks. There is no cost to take in the sights of the parks and cityscape. Embrace the intricate web that connects parks and neighbourhoods and make the most of it.
Make Use of Freebies Street artist Extremely abundant
The riverbank, esplanade, and city center are great spots for art displays, public events, and street performers, as any competent traveler can tell you. On weekends in particular, there are always plenty of options for free things to do. While museum admission in Singapore is on the pricier side, visitors can enjoy special exhibitions for free on certain days or evenings each month.
Promotion dates can be found in the numerous free attraction magazines or at the counter. There are a variety of tourist passes that may be used to get discounted admission to many different museums and attractions. Unless you plan on doing a lot of indoor sightseeing, you might as well not get one of these permits.
Make Sure You Only Shop at Reputable Stores- The Singaporean Chinatown Night Market
You could spend months exploring all of Singapore’s shopping centers. Changi Airport, with all its modern conveniences, is really just a large shopping mall with the occasional airplane landing or taking off. A lot of these shopping centers charge exorbitant prices. Alternatively, you might peruse the tourist markets and inexpensive shops in Chinatown and Little India for any incidental or memento purchases.
Remember to bargain! Avoid the mini-marts in favor of the larger supermarkets found beneath many of the larger malls if you need to stock up on snacks, drinks, or toiletries. The biggest mall in Singapore, Vivo City, is located beneath Vivo Mart, which hosts regular food and drink promotions.
Singaporean lodgings can be pricey, so why not try couch-surfing instead?
S$20 or more is the going rate for a bunk bed in a packed hostel dormitory. You might have to donate blood just to stay the night in a cheap motel. In order to keep prices down, many tourists visiting Singapore choose to stay in hostels instead of hotels. You may sleep for free and get insider tips on how to make the most of your money in Singapore by couch-surfing with one of the numerous expats currently residing in the city.
Advice : if you’re not comfortable staying in strangers’ homes, look for hotels and hostels in the Little India area; they’re usually a little less expensive.
Stay Under the Radar In Little India, there is no spitting sign
The locals make a joke about how Singapore is a “fine” city, which might mean two things. The fine-payment kiosks strategically placed around the city are a sure sign that many individuals do in fact get punished here for apparently harmless acts, even though you hardly see police officers patrolling the streets.
Keep in mind the following, even though getting caught would need a stroke of bad luck: Missing a marked crosswalk is the leading cause of citations in Singapore. Never get behind the wheel without a seatbelt, and never, ever use a handheld electronic device while driving.
Particularly near the river, you are not allowed to ride a bike on walkways that are designated for pedestrians. On the MRT trains and other public transit, you are not allowed to chew gum, have snacks, or drink. “Vaping” and electronic cigarettes are against the law. The law makes it a crime if you don’t flush a public restroom. There is a hefty fine for spitting in Singapore. There is a S$500 punishment for feeding pigeons in the park!
