Singapore is one of those milestone trips you spend years planning. It’s such a wonderful place with loads of things to do and see - not to mention it’s surrounded by other delightful travel destinations. You can easily spend months in Singapore, but you could equally go there for a week and still feel like you’ve had fun.
There is just one small downside: it’s notorious for being quite an expensive travel destination. This puts some eager travellers off, but with the tips in this post, you’ll be able to enjoy Singapore without spending all of your savings in one go.
Eat at hawker centres
Hawker centres are popular throughout Southeast Asia, and they’re effectively massive food courts. You’ll find loads of stalls selling various delights in these places - and they’re designed to be affordable. Follow the locals here, and you will save a fortune on dinners. Plus, it gives you the most authentic taste of Singaporean cuisine and heritage, so don’t be sucked in by fancy restaurants that cost a bomb.
Take advantage of freebies
There’s no telling just how many free things you’ll come across during a stay in Singapore. Free tickets to certain tourist attractions are available all the time, though it’s also worth looking up free samples in Singapore to save more money. You’ll find websites that source different freebies for you to claim while you’re there - this could include free food samples, free toiletries, and so on. When you’re on a budget, these little freebies can help you get by without dipping into your wallet.
Get to grips with public transport
Avoid taxis in Singapore. This is your default transportation choice when you arrive in a foreign country, purely because it’s convenient. Well, taxis cost a lot of money - and they’re not worth it. Singapore has one of the best public transport systems in the world. It’s squeaky clean, very brightly lit and has plenty of trains/buses every day. The government has also worked extremely hard to make the network as extensive as possible, which means it’s possible to go all over the island by public transport with ease.
To give some context, some of the trains/buses here will cost just over S$1 and rise to under S$3 at most. For taxis, you’re never paying less than S$10 per journey, and usually way more than that anyway.
Stay in an Airbnb
This is not an advert, but Airbnb has become the go-to term for any accommodation that someone privately owns and lets you stay in. Instead of a hotel, you stay in an apartment or someone’s spare home. It works out cheap for long-term stays because you don’t pay for all the hotel amenities - like washing/drying services, breakfast, room service, etc. Plus, you can save even more money on food by going to the shops and buying fresh ingredients to cook in the kitchen when you get “home”. A smart idea, especially if you’re there for a while.
Singapore doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg; you just need to be smart with how you spend your money and look for ways to slash the expenses here and there.
