Singapore on a budget

Singapore – October 2022

When travelling around Southeast Asia and further to Oceania, it is almost impossible not to pass by Singapore. While the city-state is famous for its luxurious Changi airport and the gardens by the bay, it’s just as notorious for its exorbitant prices. This is why the backpackers roaming around the much cheaper neighbouring countries are usually hesitant to explore the city-state on the equator outside the airport. While I agree that the accommodation can be very expensive, especially when visiting during weekends or special holidays, there are a lot of things to do which are completely free (at least at the time of writing this article).

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: if you’re travelling on a budget you will definitely want to stay at a hostel or capsule hotel. If you can plan ahead, it’s advisable to book in advance for cheaper prices. I’d recommend looking for a place in Chinatown or alternatively Little India. From these places, you can pretty much walk anywhere. Fortunately, public transportation is very affordable, safe, and widely available too. Single journeys on the metro range between 1.10 USD and 1.90 USD. Simply tap your contactless card to pass the gates. No need to buy a much higher-priced tourist pass. Busses are very convenient too, with real-time schedules available on Google Maps. And finally, one of my favourite things to do in the city was just walking around downtown.

The third-biggest source of expenses for me was food. However, if you stick to the widespread Hawker stalls and Food Centres, you will eat very delicious meals for around 2-3 USD per meal. Thanks to Singapore’s mixed cultural heritage, you get the best of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines. One thing that you definitely shouldn’t miss out on are the grilled Satay skewers. The eateries “Satay by the bay” in the gardens by the bay and “Lau Pa Sat” in downtown Singapore are great places for an accessible, local experience. Expect to spend more if you go to any international restaurants or want to indulge in alcoholic beverages.

And we’re already down to things you can do in Singapore which are completely free. My first stop on the evening of my arrival was the Gardens by the Bay. The big park next to the Marina Bay Sands hotel is home to the famous Super Trees which are illuminated at night. While you do have to pay to access the Sky Walk, you do not have to pay any entrance fee to simply stroll or bike through the gardens at any time of the day. Make sure to pass by the Dragonfly Bridge at night for views of Marina Bay Sands, the Super Trees and the illuminated dragonfly statues. Nighttime seems to be the preferred time for the inhabitants of the city to visit the gardens for some light sports activities, probably not lastly due to the slight decrease in temperature.

More parks to visit free of charge include the botanic gardens, Fort Canning Park, Ann Siang Hill, Neil Road Park and East Coast Park. And finally, possibly the most attractive of all of them in terms of sightseeing: the Sky Garden at Capita Spring. Between 8.30am and 10.30am as well as between 2.30pm and 6pm, levels 51 and 17-20 are accessible to the public. You simply take the designated elevator from the main lobby without even paying a single dollar. The views are spectacular and on the lower levels, there are even resting areas with tables, power outlets and free Wi-Fi which allow you to grab a bite from your take-away meal or do some remote work.

And if you are in need of a quick ocean fix: take the free monorail from VivoCity to Sentosa Island. While there are a lot of paid beach clubs, you can relax at Palawan Beach and Tanjong Beach for free. *The small island off of Palawan beach is said to be the southernmost point of Continental Asia. And to move between the different beaches you can use the free trams running regularly. The above-mentioned activities filled my multiple-day stay in Singapore and didn’t strain my wallet as much as I thought they would. So if your flight itinerary to Asia includes a stop-over in the city, why not extend it for a couple days more? And it’s only a short bus ride away from Malaysia too.