Singapore Essentials · 04 of 04
Getting Around Singapore: MRT, Buses, Taxis and How to Pay
You do not need to buy a ticket to ride Singapore’s trains and buses. Tap the contactless card or phone you already carry, and the fare is charged to it.
By Jeremy Jeevan, STB-licensed tourist guide · Checked September 2026 against the Public Transport Council, SimplyGo, SBS Transit, ComfortDelGro and Changi Airport
At a glance
How to pay
Tap your own card
Contactless Visa or Mastercard, or your phone. Foreign cards add S$0.60 per day of use (SimplyGo).
MRT or bus fare
S$1.28 to S$2.57
Per journey, by distance. Changing trains or buses does not start a new fare (PTC).
Taxi from Changi
S$20 to S$40
On the meter, about 30 minutes to the city, plus an airport surcharge of S$6 or S$8 (Changi Airport).
How to Pay for the MRT and Buses
Four ways to pay work on both trains and buses:
| Option | What to know |
|---|---|
| Contactless bank card | Visa or Mastercard, tapped directly at the gate. Foreign cards pay S$0.60 per day of use. Maestro and Cirrus debit cards do not work. |
| Phone or watch | Apple Pay, Google Pay and similar, linked to a supported card. |
| SimplyGo EZ-Link card | A stored-value card sold at MRT station counters. Useful if your bank card does not work. |
| Singapore Tourist Pass | Unlimited basic bus and train rides for one to five days, from S$17 for one day. |
For most visitors on a short trip, your own card is the right answer. The Tourist Pass only pays off on a day of heavy travel, and it excludes premium services such as the Sentosa Express (pass operator).
Worth knowing: use the same card both ways
Tap in and tap out with the same card or the same phone. If you tap in with your phone and out with the card behind it, the system cannot match the two ends of the journey and you can be charged twice. If you forget to tap out, you pay the maximum fare.
What a Journey Costs
Fares are charged for the whole journey as one trip, even when you change between trains and buses. You can make up to five transfers within two hours, as long as the next bus is a different service number (SBS Transit).
The MRT
Six MRT lines cover most of what a visitor needs:
- North-South Line (red). Orchard, City Hall, Marina Bay.
- East-West Line (green). Across the island, with a branch to Changi Airport.
- North East Line (purple). Chinatown, Little India, and HarbourFront for Sentosa.
- Circle Line (orange). A loop linking interchanges, including Botanic Gardens.
- Downtown Line (blue). Bugis, Chinatown and the downtown core.
- Thomson-East Coast Line (brown). Includes a station at Gardens by the Bay.
Large stations have many exits, often a long walk apart. Check which exit you need before you tap out.
Buses
Raise your hand as your bus approaches. It will not stop unless someone flags it or wants to get off. Tap your card again when you get off, because the fare is worked out by distance.
LTA’s MyTransport.SG app shows live bus arrival times (iOS, Android).
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
From Changi, a taxi to the city takes about 30 minutes and costs S$20 to S$40 on the meter. Private-hire cars from Grab, Gojek, TADA and Ryde pick up at the arrival pick-up points in every terminal (Changi Airport).
Metered taxis add surcharges on top of the fare. These are the ones you are most likely to meet.
| Surcharge | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Peak hour | Mon to Fri 6am to 9.29am; daily 5pm to 11.59pm; Sat, Sun and public holidays 10am to 1.59pm | 25% of metered fare |
| Late night | Daily 12am to 5.59am | 50% of metered fare |
| Changi Airport pickup | Daily 5pm to 11.59pm | S$8 |
| Changi Airport pickup | All other times | S$6 |
| City Area (CBD) | Daily 5pm to 11.59pm | S$3 |
| Gardens by the Bay or Resorts World Sentosa pickup | Any time | S$3 |
| Paying by credit card in the taxi | Any time | 10% of fare, plus GST on that charge |
Worth knowing: surcharges stack
A late-night airport run adds 50 per cent and the S$6 airport charge, and paying by credit card in the cab adds another 10 per cent plus GST (ComfortDelGro). Book through an app with an upfront price, or pay by another method.
The Verdict: Tap Your Card, and Use Taxis for the Airport and Late Nights
A contactless card is all you need to get around Singapore.
The main downside is the heat. Trains are cheap and frequent, but the walk from a large station to where you are going can be long at midday. Check the exit before you tap out.
On a short trip, tap your own card and skip the Tourist Pass. On a day with a lot of travel, compare the pass with your card first. Take a taxi or a ride-hailing app to and from the airport with luggage, late at night, or for a group of three or four, where the fare splits well.
Tap in and tap out with the same card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard, or your phone, at the gate. Foreign cards pay an admin fee of S$0.60 per day of use. Maestro and Cirrus cards do not work.
S$1.28 to S$2.57 for an adult paying by card, depending on distance.
No, if you have a contactless Visa or Mastercard. An EZ-Link card is useful if your bank card does not work.
Only on days of heavy travel. It costs from S$17 for one day. For most visitors, tapping your own card costs less.
About S$20 to S$40 on the meter, plus an airport surcharge of S$6, or S$8 from 5pm to midnight.
Yes. Grab, Gojek, TADA and Ryde all pick up at Changi Airport’s arrival pick-up points.
You are charged the maximum fare for that journey.