andrewLet’s face it, Singapore is not cheap.
Some say it is the most expensive city/country in the world but it does not have to be. You can easily travel to Singapore on a budget.
Yes, it considerably more expensive than the other countries in south-east Asia. Yes, it is more costly than bordering Malaysia but you can keep it on the cheap side. If you are ever in Southeast Asia you should really not miss Singapore. Below is some information and advice on how to keep the cost down in this unique city-state.
Marina Bay area
Visit the many free attractions and sites Singapore has to offer.
While many attractions such as Universal Studios are quite expensive, Singapore has many free attraction and sites to enjoy. Most involve the heart-healthy activity of walking. One of those being Gardens by the Bay.
Gardens by the Bay is one very impressive site. Gardens by the Bay may be one of the most impressive man-made wonders in Singapore. It is a huge nature park and there happens to be a light show there every night. Apart from the trippy music is a pretty fantastic place to go. For more information see the official website. It is by far a favorite place in Singapore.
Walk the Southern Ridges
The Forest Walk Section of The Southern RidgesThe Southern Ridges is a 9 km trail connecting Kent Ridge and Harbour Front Parks. It is a very easy walk and will take no more than 3 hours.
It is mostly paved so don’t expect a long jungle hike. it is ideal for a leisurely walk. You even see some wild-life such as snakes and monkeys but don’t feed the monkeys. You could be fined hundreds of dollar for that.
Eat at Hawker Centers and Food Courts
Singapore Version of Carrot Cake or Chia Tow Kway. The secret ingredient is actually radishes and not carrots at all .Singapore has many delicious places to eat street food. A “Hawker Center” is a Building that houses many street food stands.
This means you won’t have to hunt for street food like in Siem Reap for example. There will be many vendors and varieties of food in one hawker center. One hawker Stall may sell Satay, noodle dishes, Chicken Rice and fresh fruit juices among other tasty local foods.
You should never paid over ten dollars. You can eat a massive helping of soup and fresh juice for 5 dollars. restaurants and cafes are quite pricey but the street food is so good you may not need them. Some stalls even have a Michelin Star.
Just walk around, admire the architecture and save on public transport fare.
Alkaff Bridge
Public Transport is great, efficient and affordable in Singapore, however, much of the city is compact enough to go by foot. If you want to save a few dollars, walking may be an options. If you like to walk as much as me it will also be a pleasure. You can walk an average of 15 miles a day in Singapore. That’s a great way to burn off the hawker food.
Don’t Break the Rules!
Respect the laws in Singapore’s public transport.
Singapore is serious about breaking rules and loves being clean. Breaking them could mean massive fines. It is best not to break them. Don’t think about drugs either as the consequences are massive. They don’t mess around with the laws here. And don’t bring any durian of the train. They reek of B.O. , onions and honey anyway .
Walk around the many shopping malls to window shop or enjoy the air-conditioning. Enjoy some unique piece of art near the Raffles City Mall!
Some of the top malls include VivoCity, Paragon Mall, Suntec City and Ion Orchard .You can enjoy the aircon and take a well deserved break from the heat and humidity and Singapore is very humid.
If the window shopping may really, really make you want to buy something, a suggestion is little things like this. It costs only about 5 dollars and cut the urge to buy more. Get cheap little items from the mall.
Marina Bay Boardwalk
Instead of an expensive night out, walk along the Marina Bay Boardwalk at night.
Marina Bay Boardwalk and the Brilliant Lights ar eperhaps the most famous attraction in Singapore. Marina Bay is beautiful at night. You can walk along the boardwalk or have a seat on the wooden lawn chairs and just observe the city.
Even if solo, it is perfectly safe. You can go there all alone and will find peaceful. Another factor is a night of alcohol and bar hopping could cost you hundreds of $$. Night time at Marina Bay is worthy of a bucket-list Item. Give up alcohol when in Singapore. Maybe?
Alcohol is very pricey in Singapore. Even at a hawker center, you could be set back by 6- 8 USD. If you must drink a 7-11 will be a much cheaper options. You can get a canned Beer for 2 to 5 USD. The point is if you want to cut something out to save a bit of cash, cutting alcohol could help with that. Of course you may want to splurge and drink in one of those fancy rooftop bars.
Explore Different Neighborhoods
China Town in Singapore is worth a look!
Singapore is a melting Pot of many cultures like bordering Malaysia (Singapore was once part of Malaysia). In Singapore this is obvious from the many different neighborhoods. You have little India, China Town and even an Arabic Quarter. You also have the Colonial District. The good thing is that you can walk around and see this all of this for free.
Stay in a hostel to save!
Hotels are also quite expensive. For many solo travelers and backpackers this one may be an obvious choice.
The Little India Area has the cheapest hostels, like RuckSack Inn @ Lavender. You can stay for only 11 dollars. It is near two public transport links too so easy to move around. This hostel has a nice rooftop bar and very helpful staff. You can go with cheap basic dorm or fancy pod dorm.
