Singapore has a reputation as an expensive city, and for hotels and alcohol that's fair — but hawker food, public transit, and many of the best sights keep a budget trip genuinely realistic.
What a day actually costs
| Style | Per day (food + transit + one paid sight) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | S$50–70 | Hawker meals, MRT/bus, mostly free sights |
| Mid-range | S$120–180 | Mix of hawker and casual restaurants, a few paid attractions |
| Comfortable | S$250+ | Restaurant dinners, taxis, multiple ticketed attractions |
What's free (or nearly)
- Gardens by the Bay's outdoor gardens and the nightly Supertree light show
- Merlion Park and the Marina Bay waterfront
- Most temples and mosques
- The Singapore Botanic Gardens
Where to save
Eat hawker over restaurants for most meals, use the MRT over taxis, and note that many museums have discounted or free entry on specific evenings — worth checking before you buy full-price tickets.