Singapore on a Budget
A famously expensive city has a genuinely free Supertree Grove and hawker food cheap enough to eat every meal, here’s how to keep the rest of the costs down too.
Singapore has a genuine reputation for being expensive, but several of its most striking sights, the Supertree Grove, most of the Marina Bay waterfront, cost nothing at all. Here’s how to keep the rest of the costs down without cutting the trip short.
The Supertree Grove and Marina Bay are free
Walking the Supertree Grove, the Marina Bay waterfront and the Art Path costs nothing, only the Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and OCBC Skyway charge admission. The nightly light show at the Supertrees is free too, worth timing an evening visit around.
Visit outside major holiday weeks for lower prices
Singapore’s hotel prices spike around Chinese New Year and major regional holidays, considerably higher than the rest of the year. Booking outside these windows offers noticeably lower rates.
Use the MRT over taxis
Singapore’s MRT is genuinely excellent, clean, efficient and considerably cheaper than taxis for nearly every journey. An EZ-Link card covers the whole system, worth picking up on arrival.
A hawker centre beats a Marina Bay tourist restaurant
Chicken rice, laksa and chilli crab from a proper hawker stall are widely some of the best food in the city, considerably cheaper than a sit-down restaurant near Marina Bay Sands. Maxwell Food Centre and Chinatown Complex both remain excellent, affordable options.
Consider Chinatown or Kampong Glam over Marina Bay
Hotels right at Marina Bay sit at the top of the price range given the location. Chinatown and Kampong Glam, both a short MRT ride away, run noticeably cheaper while offering a genuinely strong, more local food and heritage scene of their own.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
