Singapore Essentials · 03 of 04
What a Trip to Singapore Costs: Stays, Food, Transport and Tax
Your hotel will be the biggest cost of a Singapore trip. Food and public transport cost less than most visitors expect.
By Jeremy Jeevan, STB-licensed tourist guide · Checked September 2026 against STB, SingStat, KAYAK, IRAS, Singapore Customs, NParks, SimplyGo and Changi Airport
Where the Money Is Worth Spending
Two paid experiences from our own reviews that earn their price:
From S$15, standard adult
National Orchid Garden
The only ticketed part of the Botanic Gardens, and the one worth paying for (NParks). Read our review.
Ticketed
Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay
An air-conditioned conservatory with an indoor waterfall, and a good break from the heat. Read our review.
Accommodation
Where you stay decides more of your budget than anything else. The official figure first: the average hotel room in Singapore cost S$273 a night in 2025, with hotels about 82 per cent full across the year (Singapore Tourism Board).
For a feel of what each type of stay costs, these are KAYAK’s figures from its users’ searches. They are in US dollars and change daily, so treat them as a rough guide. KAYAK does not publish a 3-star average, so we checked five 3-star hotels on KAYAK ourselves: Hotel 1900 @ Chinatown, Amrise Hotel, Santa Grand Hotel East Coast, Philip Hotel and Social On Mayo.
| Type of stay | Price per night (US$) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 5-star hotel | Around US$382 average | KAYAK |
| 4-star hotel | Around US$180 average | KAYAK |
| 3-star hotel | Around US$90, average of five hotels we checked | Our check on KAYAK |
| Hostel dorm bed | US$40 to US$57 average, depending on the month | KAYAK |
KAYAK’s data also shows October as the most expensive month for hotels, at around US$473 a night, and June as the cheapest, at around US$275 (KAYAK). October is Grand Prix month, so book early if your dates fall there.
A room near an MRT line you will use every day saves you money and an hour a day. For a mid-range example, see our Four Points Riverview review.
Food
Hawker centres are where much of Singapore’s best local food is, and they are also the cheapest place to eat.
| What you order | Typical price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kopi or teh, no milk | S$1.22 average | SingStat |
| Canned drink | S$1.71 average | SingStat |
| Noodle dish, such as mee siam or fishball noodles | S$3.65 to S$5.35 | SingStat |
| Rice dish, such as chicken rice or nasi briyani | S$3.82 to S$6.52 | SingStat |
| Chicken rice at a famous Maxwell stall | S$5 to S$10 | Our review |
| Café meal | S$6 to S$16 | Our review |
A sit-down restaurant is a different price bracket, and the menu price is often not the final bill. See tax and service charge below. For where to eat, see our EAT guides.
Attractions
Some of the best things in Singapore are free. Where there is a charge, visitors pay the standard rate, which is higher than the resident rate.
| Attraction | Adult price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Botanic Gardens | Free | NParks |
| Gardens by the Bay outdoor gardens and Supertree Grove | Free | Gardens by the Bay |
| Fort Canning Park, Fort Siloso, Singapore City Gallery | Free | Our reviews |
| Sultan Mosque, Thian Hock Keng Temple | Free | Our reviews |
| National Orchid Garden | S$15 | NParks |
| Flower Dome and Cloud Forest | S$46 (child S$32) | Gardens by the Bay |
| Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Floral Fantasy, with shuttle | S$58 at time of checking (usually S$73) | Gardens by the Bay |
More ticketed attractions are in our PLAY guides, with current prices from each venue.
Transport
Public transport is the cheapest part of a trip. Fares are by distance, and changing between trains and buses in one journey does not start a new fare.
| Getting around | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MRT or basic bus, tapping a card | S$1.28 to S$2.57 per journey, by distance | Public Transport Council |
| Foreign Visa or Mastercard admin fee | S$0.60 per day of use | SimplyGo |
| Bus, paying cash | From S$2.10 | Public Transport Council |
| Singapore Tourist Pass | From S$17 for one day | Pass operator |
| Taxi, Changi to city | S$20 to S$40, plus S$6 or S$8 airport surcharge | Changi Airport |
Full detail, including taxi surcharges, is in Getting Around Singapore.
Tax, Tipping and Paying
GST in Singapore is 9 per cent (Singapore Customs). Many restaurants add a service charge on top, and a price shown with “++” means both will be added to the bill.
That service charge is usually 10 per cent, and it replaces a tip. Tipping is not expected in Singapore, including at hawker centres, where there is no service charge at all (common practice).
Getting GST back on shopping
Visitors aged 16 or over can claim a GST refund under the Tourist Refund Scheme (IRAS):
- Spend at least S$100, including GST, at a participating shop. Up to three same-day receipts from the same shop count together.
- Show your original passport when you pay. Photocopies and photos are not accepted.
- Claim at an eTRS kiosk at Changi or Seletar Airport before you fly, and take the goods with you within two months of buying them.
The refund is less than the GST you paid, because a handling fee is deducted (IRAS). Airport steps are on the Singapore Customs refund page.
Cards and cash
Cards and contactless payment work on the MRT and buses (LTA), and in most shops and restaurants. Carry some cash for hawker centres. Many stalls take cards or QR payment, but not all, and the QR options locals use often need a Singapore bank account.
Worth knowing: take your passport shopping
The refund only works if the shop records your original passport at the moment you pay. Leave it in the hotel safe and you cannot claim later (IRAS).
The Verdict: Your Hotel Is the Biggest Cost
How much a Singapore trip costs depends mostly on your hotel.
The average room is S$273 a night, and prices are higher in October. You decide how much of that you pay.
If the room is just somewhere to sleep, do not pay for a central address. Stay further out, next to an MRT station. Trains are frequent, a journey costs S$1.28 to S$2.57, and on KAYAK the most searched area, Kallang, averaged around US$138 a night against around US$323 for Singapore as a whole (KAYAK). Put the difference into the experiences instead.
If the hotel matters to you, for example for a rooftop pool or a bay view, it is worth spending more. Book early, and avoid Grand Prix week.
Either way, eat at hawker centres because that is where the best food is, tap your own card on the MRT, and save your money for one or two paid experiences that earn their price.
Whatever you spend, choose a hotel near an MRT station.
Frequently Asked Questions
9 per cent.
Yes, under the Tourist Refund Scheme. Spend at least S$100 at a participating shop, show your original passport when you pay, and claim at an eTRS kiosk at Changi or Seletar Airport.
The average hotel room cost S$273 a night in 2025, according to the Singapore Tourism Board. On KAYAK, 4-star hotels average around US$180 a night and 5-star around US$382, and October is the most expensive month.
In 2023 an average plate of chicken rice cost S$4.15, and most rice dishes cost between about S$3.82 and S$6.52. Prices have risen since.
No. Restaurants usually add a 10 per cent service charge instead, and hawker centres do not expect tips.
Yes. Contactless Visa and Mastercard cards work, with an admin fee of S$0.60 per day of use.
About S$20 to S$40 on the meter, plus an airport surcharge of S$6, or S$8 from 5pm to midnight.