Singapore has a reputation as one of the world's most expensive cities, and for hotels, alcohol and taxis that is fair — but food and public transport are outstanding value, and many of the best experiences are free. That contrast means your daily budget depends heavily on your choices. This guide breaks down when flights to Singapore are cheapest, realistic daily budgets from backpacker to luxury, where the city is costly and where it is a bargain, and the best money-saving tips, from hawker meals and GST refunds to happy hours and advance tickets. Prices on the ground are quoted in Singapore dollars (SGD).
Singapore prices explained
1.When is it cheapest to fly to Singapore?
Singapore is a long-haul destination for most travellers, so flight prices form the biggest single cost of a trip, and timing your booking well can make a substantial difference. As a rough guide, round-trip economy fares to Changi tend to start from around $650 from Europe or Australia in the cheaper periods and climb to $800, $1,000 or more during the peak seasons, with prices from North America generally higher again given the distance. The cheapest month to fly is typically February, just after the Chinese New Year rush and outside the school holidays, along with the quieter shoulder periods of the year. The most expensive times to travel are the June-to-August northern summer, the December Christmas and New Year period, and around major regional holidays such as Chinese New Year itself, when both demand and prices surge. Because Changi is one of the world's great aviation hubs, served by a huge number of airlines and with excellent competition on many routes, there are frequently good deals to be found for those who are flexible. The classic advice holds: for long-haul fares, book roughly two to four months in advance rather than at the last minute or too far ahead, be flexible with your dates, and consider flying midweek, as Tuesday and Wednesday departures are often cheaper than weekend ones. Setting up fare alerts and comparing across airlines and dates, as our search tool lets you do, is the surest way to catch a bargain. Also weigh up whether a one-stop routing on a well-priced carrier undercuts a nonstop flight significantly. On the ground, Singapore is not a cheap city, so saving on the airfare leaves more of your budget for its superb food, attractions and hotels.
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Low season Feb & shoulder months; high season Jun–Aug and Dec
Price
Round-trip from ~$650 in the low season; $800+ over the summer and December peaks
Getting there
Compare fares in the search widget above; set price alerts and stay flexible on dates
Insider tip: February and the shoulder months are cheapest; book long-haul fares two to four months ahead and fly midweek for the best deals to Changi.
2.Daily costs & budget in Singapore
Singapore has a reputation as an expensive city, and for accommodation, alcohol and taxis it certainly can be, but it is also a place where careful travellers can eat superbly and get around cheaply, so your daily budget depends heavily on your choices. At the budget end, it is genuinely possible to enjoy Singapore on around S$80 to S$120 a day excluding your flight and hotel: hawker centres serve delicious, satisfying meals for just S$5 to S$8, the MRT and buses cost only a dollar or two a trip, and many of the city's best experiences — the Gardens by the Bay outdoor gardens and light show, the Botanic Gardens, the neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, the Marina Bay waterfront and its nightly Spectra show, and the beaches — are entirely free. A comfortable mid-range budget of roughly S$200 to S$350 a day adds a mix of sit-down restaurant meals, paid attractions like the aquarium or a Sentosa theme park, the odd cocktail and taxi, and a decent three- or four-star hotel. At the luxury end, with five-star hotels, fine dining, rooftop bars and premium attractions, you can comfortably spend S$500 a day and far more. The biggest budget-busters are alcohol, which is heavily taxed (a beer easily costs S$12 to S$15 and a cocktail S$22 to S$30), branded shopping, and high-end hotels, whereas food, public transport and many attractions offer real value. Tipping is not customary or expected, as a 10% service charge and 9% GST are added to most restaurant bills. The smart approach is to eat like a local at hawker centres, rely on the MRT, enjoy the many free sights, and save your splurges for a memorable meal, a rooftop view or a special experience.
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Price
Budget ~S$80–120/day; mid-range ~S$200–350/day; luxury S$500+/day (excluding flights)
Getting there
Use hawker centres, the MRT and free attractions to stretch a budget; save splurges for standout meals and views
Insider tip: Eat at hawker centres (S$5–8 a meal) and ride the MRT to keep costs down; splashing out on cocktails, taxis and mid-range restaurants is what quickly adds up.
3.Is Singapore expensive?
The honest answer to whether Singapore is expensive is: it depends what you spend on. Regularly ranked among the world's costliest cities, Singapore is genuinely pricey in several categories — hotel rooms command a premium, with even mid-range properties often costing more than their equivalents in many other cities; alcohol is heavily taxed, so a night of cocktails or beers adds up fast; car ownership is so restricted that this feeds into higher costs generally; and branded shopping is rarely a bargain. Yet in other crucial respects Singapore offers outstanding value, which is what surprises many first-time visitors. Its food, above all, is a revelation: the hawker centres that are the heart of local life serve some of the best-value great food anywhere on earth, with a full, delicious meal costing only S$5 to S$8, and even a Michelin-recognised hawker plate available for around S$6. Public transport is similarly cheap and superb, with MRT and bus fares of a dollar or two, and a great many of the city's headline attractions and experiences — its gardens, waterfront, light shows, temples, cultural neighbourhoods and beaches — are free to enjoy. So the key to managing costs is balance: you might splash out on a spectacular rooftop cocktail or a fine-dining dinner one evening, then eat brilliantly for a few dollars at a hawker centre the next, ride the efficient MRT rather than taxis, and fill your days with the abundant free sights. Handled this way, Singapore need not break the bank, and the money you do spend, particularly on food, tends to deliver exceptional quality. It is a city where budget and luxury sit side by side, and where the savviest travellers enjoy the best of both.
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Price
Expensive: hotels, alcohol, taxis, shopping. Great value: hawker food, MRT, many attractions
Getting there
Balance costly nights out with cheap hawker meals and the city's abundant free experiences
Insider tip: It's pricey for hotels, booze and shopping but a bargain for world-class food and transport — balance splurges with hawker meals and free sights to control the budget.
4.Money-saving tips for Singapore
With a little know-how, you can enjoy Singapore without overspending, thanks to a handful of practical money-saving strategies. First, take advantage of the Goods and Services Tax refund: tourists can reclaim the 9% GST on purchases over S$100 from participating retailers, processed easily via the electronic eTRS self-service kiosks at Changi Airport when you fly home, so keep your receipts and passport handy if you shop. Second, tame the cost of drinking, which is where budgets often blow out: seek out happy hours, which many bars run in the late afternoon and early evening with one-for-one or discounted drinks, and remember that hawker centres and coffee shops sell beer far more cheaply than rooftop bars. Third, buy tickets for attractions like Universal Studios, the aquarium and the Mandai zoos online and in advance, where discounts of 10 to 25% and combo passes covering multiple parks can deliver significant savings over gate prices. Fourth, eat where the locals eat: hawker centres and food courts offer world-class food for a fraction of restaurant prices, and even the mall food courts on Orchard Road serve cheap, tasty meals in air-conditioned comfort. Fifth, lean on the city's wealth of free experiences — the outdoor Gardens by the Bay and its nightly light show, the Botanic Gardens, the Southern Ridges and nature reserves, the cultural quarters, the Marina Bay Spectra show and the beaches all cost nothing. Sixth, use the cheap and excellent MRT rather than taxis for the bulk of your travel. Finally, consider visiting in the quieter shoulder seasons for lower flight and hotel prices, and note that tipping is not expected, saving you the customary surcharge of many other destinations. Combine these habits and Singapore becomes far more affordable than its costly reputation suggests.
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Price
GST refund of 9% on shopping over S$100; happy hours, combo tickets and hawker meals all save money
Getting there
Combine free attractions, cheap food and smart timing to keep costs low
Insider tip: Claim your GST refund at the airport on shopping over S$100, drink during happy hours, buy attraction tickets online in advance, and eat where the locals eat.