We have put together a Singapore trip cost guide to help you work out the right budget for your trip! When planning a trip to Singapore, working out a budget is one of the most important steps. This handy guide breaks down all the costs you can expect to pay for flights, accommodation, transport, activities and food.
We’ve even detailed an average daily budget guide for three different styles of travel – budget, mid-range, and luxury. This guide covers an approximate budget for every style of traveller!
Let’s dive right in…
Tips for Saving Money in Singapore
Most people don’t think of Singapore as a budget travel destination, but you’ll be surprised to know that it’s actually really easy to visit Singapore on a budget. There are plenty of great ways to spend less money in Singapore, here are our top tips:
- Eat at Hawker Centres – The food is really good at Singapore’s Hawker Centres and it’s clean. You can generally enjoy a meal for under S$10!
- Book a hotel or hostel with breakfast included – Most hotels offer breakfast included and even some hostels even offer a light breakfast with items such as toast and cereal.
- Take advantage of free attractions – Singapore has so many wonderful free attractions. Think gardens, temples, and even wandering around exploring the colourful neighbourhoods and street murals is a great way to get a feel for the cultural vibe!
- Use the MRT or explore on foot – The MRT is a fantastic, cheap way to get around Singapore, and Singapore is also a very walkable city with clean, well maintained footpaths everywhere!
- Purchase a Singapore Go City Card – If you want to experience some of the paid activities in Singapore, it might work out cheaper to purchase a Go City Card Explorer or All-Inclusive Card and visiting as many paid attractions as your can within a day or two. If you plan strategically this will be more cost effective than paying for each attraction separately.
Read: Our full guide on How to do Singapore on the Cheap!
Cost of Flights to Singapore
Depending on where you are coming from, flights to Singapore will undoubtedly be the biggest single cost item for your budget. The good news is that Singapore is a major airline hub in Asia and there are plenty of airlines flying to/from Singapore from all over the world, even low cost airlines.
As Singapore is a major transit hub, it’s likely your trip to Singapore may be a stopover when travelling between Europe and Asia or Australia. So, it’s good to know that Singapore Airlines offers free stopovers on most routes when transiting between two cities. We regularly stopover in Singapore for a few days at a time when flying between Australia and Europe or Asia!
As always, purchasing a round trip ticket is usually better value than point-to-point tickets, however there are some bargains to be found with low cost airlines offering cheap one-way tickets.
Expert Tip: The absolute best way to find a good price on flights to Singapore is to book early (at least 4-6 months in advance), or jump on a sale fare as soon as they are released. You can even opt-in for price-drop alerts with Skyscanner.
Flights to/from Australia
By booking during an airline sale or well in advance, you’ll be able to score return flights to Singapore from major Aussie cities for A$500-800 with Singapore Airlines. But wait too long or travel during school holidays, and you could be paying double that!
Expert Tip: You’ll find that generally Qantas and Emirates tend to charge much higher prices and surcharges than Singapore Airlines does, but the quality of the product offering between these carriers is generally on par.
Flights to/from Europe
Snagging early-bird deals from Europe to Singapore can bring prices down to around €500 return, depending on which European city you are flying out of. In contrast, booking last-minute or during Christmas and summer holidays can push fares well past €900.
Flights to/from Asia
The advantage of booking flights to Singapore from other cities in Asia is the number of low cost carriers that service these routes. Some can often offer deals under S$100 for nearby countries like Malaysia, Thailand, or Vietnam. However, prices can surge during festivals or last-minute getaways, especially from cities like Tokyo or Seoul.
Flights to/from USA
Flights from the US to Singapore can dip to around US$700 return if you plan months ahead or catch a sale. But booking close to departure or flying around Thanksgiving or Spring Break, you can expect to fork out well over US$1,200.
Flights to/from the Middle East
There are several Middle Eastern carriers that fly to Singapore. Planning ahead from hubs like Dubai or Doha can land you return fares under S$500. During peak travel time – events, religious festivals, or school holidays, though, prices often climb significantly higher.
Cost of Accommodation in Singapore
The cost of accommodation in Singapore largely depends on the location you plan to stay, and the style of accommodation you choose.
One of the things I love most about Singapore is the huge range of accommodation options to suit all budgets. Whether you’re looking for a hostel or budget hotel, or want to splurge on a luxury hotel stay, it’s possible to find all types of accommodation in Singapore.
Luxury Accommodation (S$500+ per night)
Generally speaking, the accomodation offering around Marina Bay tends to lean towards the higher end of the budget scale, with accommodation starting around S$500 per night. Most hotels have rooftop pools, luxury amenities, and city or Marina Bay views.
The Civic District, Downtown (CBD) and Sentosa Island also offer mostly luxury or 5 star accommodation, but at a more reasonable price than Marina Bay. You can expect to pay upwards of S$350 per night in these locations, so they are a better option for anyone looking for luxury without the price tag.
Mid-Range Accommodation (S$150 to S$350 per night)
For travellers searching for mid-range style of accommodation, there are plenty of boutique hotels and good 4-star accommodation options around Chinatown, Downtown (CBD), Robertson Quay, and Kampong Glam. You can expect to pay between S$150 to S$300 per night for a mid-range hotel.
There are also plenty of apartments or apart-hotels available in Singapore that offer more space and full kitchen/laundry amenities at a better price than the high-end hotels, around S$200 to S$350 per night. Apartments can be booked through platforms such as Booking.com or Agoda.
Budget Accommodation (S$50 to S$150 per night)
If you’re a budget traveller, then don’t worry, there are loads of budget hotels, hostels and capsule hotels in Singapore, and in our experience they are generally clean and well kept!
This style of accommodation is generally located around Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam areas with easy access to public transport. You can expect to pay between S$50 to S$150 per night for a hostel, budget hotel/guesthouse, or a capsule hotel.
Read: Our full guide to Accommodation and Where to Stay in Singapore
Cost of Transport in Singapore
In terms of public transport in Singapore, there are generally three methods of getting around that we recommend; MRT (Mass Rapid Transport), Taxi, or Grab.
Of course, Singapore is also a very walkable city, and there is options such as bike tours etc. But here we only compare the costs of using the MRT or Taxi/Grab.
MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)
The MRT is Singapore’s very efficient rail system. This is a great way to get around the city, as trains generally run between 2-5 minutes apart during the day. It’s also very clean and comfortable by comparison to trains in other major cities. The MRT is our favourite way to get around Singapore!
Single trip tickets on the MRT (metro) cost between S$0.80 to S$3 for adults. You can also get a multi-trip tourist pass starting at S$10 per day.
To use the MRT, we recommend purchasing a Singapore Tourist Pass. This card offers unlimited rides on Singapore’s public transport networks within a set period (1, 2, or 3 days) and is best if you plan to mainly use public transport to get around. Another alternative is the EZ-Link Card, which is a Pay-As-You-Go public transport card that you can top-up at any MRT station.
Taxi or Grab
Taxi or Rideshare is a very cost effective and efficient means of transport in Singapore. Taxis are cheap, relatively clean, and available all over the city.
Grab is the local Rideshare option in Singapore and the quality of this service is very good. Unfortunately, Uber is not available in Singapore, so you’ll need to download the Grab App if you wish to use Rideshare.
Generally for short to medium distances within the city, you can expect to pay between S$10 to S$40 (more for longer distances or during peak periods).
The only times I would not recommend using a Taxi or Grab is during peak hour. Road traffic can get very heavy during these periods and the cost of a trip via Taxi or Grab can increase quite a bit, even if it’s just a short trip. We recommend using the MRT during peak periods.
Read: Our guides on How to Get Around Singapore or How to Get from Singapore Airport to City
Cost of Food in Singapore
It’s important to factor in food costs for a trip to Singapore as there is a massive range of food options and costs. You can eat very well in Singapore on a relatively small budget, but you could also splurge on fine dining or Michelin starred restaurants.
Hawker centres and food courts are the most affordable places to dine in Singapore, where you can get a dish for approximately SGD 3 to 8. Meals at a cafe or casual sit-down restaurant cost slightly more, between SGD 15 to 50 per person. Fine dining restaurants will set you back more again, with meals ranging between SGD 70 to 300+ per person.
Here is a quick rundown of approximate cost for some standard food items, so you have an idea of what to expect:
- Flat white or espresso coffee – S$5
- A beer at a local cafe or bar – S$12-17
- A dish for one person at a Hawker Centre – S$5-10
- Dinner and wine at a casual restaurant – S$30-50 per person
- Fancy meal at a fine dining establishment – S$70-250 per person
Some ideas to stretch your food budget include; staying in an apartment with kitchen facilities and cooking yourself, sharing a large dish between two people at a Hawker Centre, combine sightseeing with a food tour which usually offers more than enough food to cover a full meal, or booking accommodation with breakfast included.
Read: Our guide on the Best Places to Eat & Drink in Singapore!
Cost of Activities in Singapore
The thing I love most about Singapore is the amount of amazing free attractions including, Gardens by the Bay, Merlion Park, exploring the diverse neighbourhoods, and the laser light show. However, some of the best attractions require a ticket for entry, so it’s important to factor this into your Singapore trip budget.
Below is a guide to indicative costs for of the most popular paid attractions in Singapore:
- Entry to the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay – from S$32/18 per adult/child
- FutureWorld exhibit at the ArtScience Museum – from S$30/20 per adult/child
- Entry to the Marina Bay Sands Skypark Observation Deck – from S$32/28 per adult/child
- Day Pass for Universal Studios – from S$83/62 per adult/child
- Entry to the Singapore Zoo – from S$40/30 per adult/child
One great tip for saving money on the cost of your Singapore trip is to purchase a Go City Card. Instead of paying for each attraction separately, the Go City Card allows you to visit as many attractions as you can within a set period! If you plan on experiencing at least 3 or more paid attractions in Singapore then we recommend getting yourself one of these cards!
Read: Our guide on the 50 Best Things to See & Do in Singapore!
Recommended Daily Budget Guide
To give you an idea of how much you should plan to spend per day in Singapore, we have provided a daily budget breakdown below. You can use this as a guide to work out how much your Singapore trip will cost.
For your convenience, this daily budget guide has been broken down into three different categories – Budget, Mid-range, and Luxury. All prices are in Singapore dollars (SGD) (unless otherwise stated), but you can use this calculator to convert to your local currency.
The budget figures below include accommodation, meals, activities, and transport within Singapore, and are based on two people sharing a hotel room. If you are travelling on your own, you may need to add an extra cost for a single room or stay in a capsule hotel.
We have not included the cost of flights or transport to get to/from Singapore in this daily budget breakdown as these are one-off costs.
Budget (S$80-180 per person per day)
This daily budget amount is an approximate only and is based on budget-style accommodation and activities such as:
- Staying at hostels, guesthouses, or capsule hotels.
- Eating at hawker centres and food courts.
- Using the MRT to get around, or walking.
- Visiting mostly free or cheap attractions such as gardens, temples, and exploring local neighbourhoods.
- Avoiding expensive attractions and activities such as Universal Studios, Zoos and museums.
Mid-Range (S$200-350 per person per day)
This daily budget amount is an approximate only and is based on mid-range style accommodation and activities such as:
- Staying at mid-range or boutique hotels (3 or 4 star).
- Dining at a combination of hawker centres and casual restaurants and cafes.
- Using a combination of the MRT, taxi or Grab to get around.
- Being selective with the attractions and activities you choose (combination of free and paid attractions).
Luxury (S$450+ per person per day)
This daily budget amount is an approximate only and is based on luxury-style travel, including:
- Staying at luxury hotels (5-star).
- Dining at the best restaurants, cafes and cocktail bars.
- Using taxi, Grab, or private transport to get around.
- Experiencing all the top tours and attractions.
Expert Tip: Remember that this guide provides average costs at the time of writing and was last updated in May 2025. You could spend more or less depending on if you travel during peak or off-peak seasons.