How to travel Singapore on a Budget – A complete step-by-step Guide
Contrary to what is popularly believed, it is very much possible to travel Singapore on a budget. While it remains true that Singapore is not the cheapest of destinations, a trip to this marvellous city does not have to break the bank if you come prepared!
We visited Singapore last year on quite a tight budget. And, we are happy to report that it is not only possible, but you also do not have to miss out on much either!
In this step-by-step guide, we share our best tips and practices for travelling Singapore on a budget! From accommodation to transportation and sightseeing, you will learn how to make the most of your budget. And, that way, you can enjoy your trip to Singapore to the fullest!
How to successfully plan a trip to Singapore when on a budget
Singapore is a stunning city that, in our opinion, everyone should experience at least once. Marvelling at the colourful Supertree Grove, strolling around Chinatown or Marina Bay and most importantly, sampling all the amazing food? I mean, who wouldn’t want that?
In this post we will go over the five major pillars that make up any trip: getting there, accommodation, getting around, sightseeing and food. And, for each section, we share our best tips and practices to reduce the cost associated with each of these categories. So, let’s get started!
Currently planning your trip to Singapore? Then you MUST read:
Overwhelmed by what to see and do in Singapore? Read
Step 1: Getting to Singapore on a budget
The first hurdle you are likely to encounter is the irksome task of finding out how to get to Singapore as cheaply as possible. Now, the solution to this definitely depends very much on where you are travelling from.
Getting to Singapore from within Southeast Asia
If you travel to Singapore from one of the surrounding Asian countries, chances are this category is taken care of rather quickly. Due to a number of budget airlines such as e.g. Scoot and AirAsia, getting to Singapore can be done for less than 100€ one-way.
✈️ Check Your Flight Options Now!*
Getting to Singapore from overseas (or e.g. East Asia)
However, if you are travelling to Singapore from overseas or an Asian country located further away, chances are that flights get more expensive rather quickly as the distance increases.
In that case, the best tip we can give for getting to Singapore on a budget, is to link a stay in Singapore to another trip as an extended layover. Changi Airport is a prominent layover hub for intercontinental travels and therefore actually makes for a perfect break on a long journey.
If you are flying from Europe to Australia or to another Southeast Asian country anyway, stopping in Singapore for a few days might not add any cost to your overall budget flight-wise and is therefore definitely worth considering!
As an example: We visited Singapore as an extended layover on our journey from Japan to Thailand! And then again on our journey from Malaysia to Germany! Flying via Singapore did not add any extra cost to our trip and was a great option for us!
Note: Whether a stop-over in Singapore makes sense of course also depends on how much of a detour you would have to take as well as on flight fares, which can vary depending on the month of the year (due to holidays etc.) and how much in advance you book!
Step 2: Best Budget Hotels in Singapore
Once you are in Singapore, the most expensive part of your trip is probably going to be your accommodation. It certainly was for us!
Just to give you a better idea: The price we paid for our hotel made up 70% of the total budget we spend within Singapore!🫠
Ultimately if you wish to find a hotel that is located not too far from downtown Singapore and simultaneously won’t break the bank, there is only one thing you can do: Book well in advance!
How much does a hotel room cost in Singapore?
- As a rule of thumb, the only thing you will get for less than 100€ per night is either a bed in a hostel dorm or a capsule hotel.
- 100-200€ per night will get you a double bed in a budget or lower mid-range hotel.
- For 200€+ per night you can get a room in an upper mid-range hotel.
- And everything above that we will not talk about here😉.
The category that will be booked out first, in our experience, are the 100-200€ hotel rooms with great location. Which, if you are like us, is the category that you will likely be most interested in too.
In that case, make sure to book your hotel room at least a few months prior to your arrival in Singapore. Depending on the season, some hotels are already booked out 6 months in advance, just to give you an idea.
Where to best stay in Singapore when on a Budget?
We found that the best budget hotels in Singapore, price-quality and location-wise (close to downtown Singapore and Marina Bay), are located somewhere between Boat Quay area and Chinatown. Roughly alongside South Bridge Road as marked on the map down below.
Our personal recommendation
We stayed in the Quay Hotel*, near Boat Quay in downtown Singapore. The latter is a budget hotel, so it only has basic amenities and their cheapest room, which we stayed in as well, has no window. But, the rooms were modern, very clean and the location is unbeatable. We would stay here again anytime!
Step 3: How to get around Singapore (easily and cheap)?
If you made it until Step 3, congratulations, you survived the worst categories in terms of trip expenses. From here on out, everything will be alright for your budget!
Getting around Singapore on a budget is actually fairly easy. For one, many of Singapore’s attractions are located in walking distance from each other. Furthermore, the city has a great public transport system, consisting of an extended bus and MRT/LRT (subway resp. train) system, that can get you pretty much anywhere. And, most importantly, the latter is air-conditioned!
Public transport fares depend on the distance travelled, and range anywhere from $1.09 to $2.37 per trip (Note: prices are in Singapore Dollar).
📱 Easily navigate Singapore's public transport system using Google Maps.
💳 We would recommend to get yourself an EZ-Link Card to pay for public transport. Find out more about where to get your EZ-Link card here.
Step 4: Sightseeing on a Budget: Free Things to Do in Singapore
As we have seen getting around Singapore is not expensive at all. Lucky for you, the same can be said about sightseeing! While there are a few exception, such as e.g. the popular Cloud Forest*, a lot of the interesting spots and attractions in Singapore can be enjoyed completely for free without any entrance fee!
We wrote a separate, more detailed guide covering all the best free attractions in Singapore. Make sure to check it out when planning what to see and do in Singapore!
Step 5: Where to eat the best (cheap) food in Singapore!
This category is probably our favourite one. Because, whether you are on a budget or not, we would recommend you these two places all the same!
And that is, for one, the Maxwell Food Centre near Chinatown, as well as the Lau Pa Sat Food Centre near Raffles Quay. Both are so-called Hawker Centers. The latter are essentially food courts made up of numerous stalls that all sell very affordable dishes.
Since Singapore is home to people from numerous different cultural backgrounds, the food you will find here is very diverse and simply divine! And, most dishes will only cost you between SG$3 – SG$5, while drinks cost roughly SG$1 – SG$2.
There are of course more Hawker centres throughout the city, however these two where the ones we frequented the most!
FAQ about travelling Singapore on a Budget
Before we reach the end of this post, we quickly wanted to answer some frequently asked questions about travelling Singapore on a budget.
How much should I budget for a trip to Singapore?
- 100 – 200€ per night for staying in a double room of a budget or lower mid-range hotel. Which you can ideally split with whoever it is that you are travelling with.
- For food, 5-10 € per person per day if you mostly eat at Hawker Centers.
- You could easily stick to free activities for the whole duration of your trip. However, if like us you still want to visit the Cloud Forest*, the latter will add ~35€ per person to your overall budget.
- If you are one to walk a lot, transportation can easily be less than 2€ per person per day.
Is Singapore still enjoyable on a budget?
If you wish to visit Singapore for the purpose of sightseeing, eating divine and cheap food and exploring all the colourful corners this city has to offer, then yes, Singapore is a very rewarding place to visit, even when on a budget.
However, if you are easily drawn to more luxurious experiences, be it fine dining, paid activities or shopping, then you might feel like you are missing out when visiting Singapore without the budget to do so. So, truthfully, this depends on your personal preferences.
When is the cheapest time to visit Singapore?
Since Singapore is a destination that can be visited year-round, prices tend to not vary that much. However, try to avoid public holidays and festivals. The latter include for instance Chinese New Year at the end of January/ beginning of February, Diwali at the beginning of November, the holiday season at the end of December, the Grand Prix in September, etc.
Final thoughts on visiting Singapore on a Budget
As we have seen throughout this post, Singapore is not ever going to be a super cheap destination. If only for its extraordinarily high accommodation prices. However, a trip to Singapore also does not have to break the bank.
We hope that we were able to give you a better idea of what a trip to Singapore on a budget will look like, as well as a realistic insight on what to plan for budget-wise! Make sure to check out our list of best free activities in all of Singapore! And with that, the only thing left to say is: Happy Travels!
