15 Ways to Save Money in Singapore in 2026
The fastest way to overspend in Singapore is queueing for the S$50 ($39) SkyPark ticket when a free rooftop a few minutes away gives you the same skyline. Here are 15 real ways to cut cost, backed by verified prices, not vague “eat local” advice.
1. Get an EZ-Link card on day one
Buy one at Changi Airport or any MRT station and top it up as you go. It covers every MRT line and city bus, and skips the per-ride cash-fare markup you’d pay buying single tickets at machines.
2. Book the sub-S$8 ($6) ticket cluster, don’t skip it
Singapore’s cheapest attractions are also genuinely good ones, not discount versions of something better:
| Attraction | Price |
|---|---|
| National Gallery Singapore Ticket | S$5 ($3.89) |
| River Wonders Ticket | S$5 ($3.89) |
| Sentosa Discovery Pass | S$5 ($3.89) |
| Jewel Changi Airport Attraction Ticket | S$7 ($5.80) |
Skipping these to “save” S$5-S$8 ($4-6) barely dents a trip budget. Save your real cuts for the line items below instead.
3. Skip the MBS SkyPark queue for a free skyline view
The Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck runs S$50 ($39). Marina Barrage’s rooftop, covered in our free things to do guide, gives you the same skyline a short walk away for nothing. Book the SkyPark only if you specifically want the infinity pool view angle, not just the skyline.
4. Choose SkyHelix over Skyline Luge or the Cable Car
All three sell a Sentosa view. SkyHelix runs S$18 ($13.95) on Klook, the Cable Car SkyPass S$32 ($24.79), Skyline Luge S$33 ($25.80). If it’s the view you want and not the luge ride itself or a cable crossing, SkyHelix is the cheapest way to get it.
5. Book the S$4 ($3.17) Chinatown tour, not the S$97 ($75) food version, if budget’s tight
The Chinatown Walking Tour covers the neighborhood’s history for S$4 ($3.17). Food-tasting versions like Eat and Snap run S$97 ($75.39). Book the paid food tour only if tastings are the point, the historical walk itself is a fraction of the price.
6. Buy a tourist SIM with transport card bundled in
The Singtel 5G/4G Tourist SIM with SG Transport Card runs S$7 ($5.40), cheaper than most single-day roaming passes and it doubles as transit fare.
7. Check both platforms before booking Madame Tussauds
Klook lists the same attraction at S$38 ($29.45), Viator’s Madame Tussauds e-ticket at S$35 ($27.50). Same attraction, a S$3 ($1.95) gap, and it won’t be the last time the two platforms price the same ticket differently.
8. Use luggage storage instead of a late checkout or day room
Luggage storage in Kampong Glam runs S$12 ($9.04) for a full day. A late checkout fee or day-use room booking typically runs several times that for the same problem, somewhere to leave your bags after checkout.
9. Pick the S$7 ($5.80) Jewel Changi ticket over the guided tour
Jewel Changi’s basic attraction ticket runs S$7 ($5.80). The guided Half-Day Discovery Tour of the same building runs S$60 ($46.45). Walk the Rain Vortex and Canopy Park yourself on the cheap ticket, book the guided version only if you want the narrated context.
10. Book a budget hotel with MRT access, not a Sentosa resort
Hotel 81 Premier Star runs S$77 ($59.49) a night. Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa runs S$653 ($505.89). Both put you close to attractions, only one leaves budget for the tickets above.
11. Travel outside Chinese New Year and Golden Week
Chinese New Year (a moving date, usually late January to mid-February) and China’s Golden Week both spike hotel pricing and crowd every major attraction. Shifting a trip two or three weeks outside either window meaningfully cuts hotel cost for the same room.
12. Choose the group Chinatown food tour over a private one
The Small Group Chinatown Walking Tour with 6 Food Tastings runs S$77 ($59.52). Private versions of a similar route run well past S$129 ($100). Unless you need a private guide, the shared group delivers the same tastings for less.
13. Eat at hawker centers, save the food tour for one
A hawker center meal costs a fraction of a restaurant plate and is often the better version of the same dish. Book one guided food tour to learn the stalls and etiquette, then eat independently at hawker centers for the rest of the trip.
14. Skip the rental car entirely
Singapore’s MRT reaches nearly every attraction on this list, and Grab fills the rest. A rental car adds parking costs (genuinely steep downtown) and ERP toll charges that a S$3-S$4 ($2-3) MRT fare or a short Grab ride never does.
15. Compare Klook and Viator before defaulting to one
Klook’s Singapore catalog leans toward flat entrance tickets, Viator’s toward guided tours and reviewed experiences. Check both before booking, see our Klook vs Viator Singapore and GetYourGuide vs Klook Singapore breakdowns for what each actually covers.
What not to cut
Don’t skip the Chinatown food tour’s reservation fee to save S$13-S$19 ($10-15). Small-group tastings sell out, and the cost per stall is already low, the saving isn’t worth the risk of a sold-out slot on your only free evening.
Don’t downgrade the SIM to save S$6 ($5). Bundled transport-and-data SIMs solve two problems at once, cutting it to save a few dollars means separately sourcing an EZ-Link card and a data plan anyway.
Don’t skip travel insurance to hit a lower trip total. It’s not on this list as a cut because it isn’t discretionary the way a Sentosa resort night or a private tour is.
Quick reference: cheapest options by category
| Category | Cheapest option | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Culture ticket | National Gallery Singapore | S$5 ($3.89) |
| Sentosa view | SkyHelix Sentosa | S$18 ($13.95) |
| Walking tour | Chinatown Walking Tour | S$4 ($3.17) |
| SIM + transport | Singtel Tourist SIM | S$7 ($5.40) |
| Budget hotel | Hotel 81 Premier Star | S$77 ($59.49)/night |
None of these cuts require sacrificing the trip. Get the EZ-Link card, buy the sub-S$8 ($6) tickets instead of skipping them, and skip the SkyPark queue for the free rooftop view. That combination alone saves more than any single “hack” on its own. For the full cost breakdown, see our Singapore budget guide, and check best time to visit Singapore before locking your dates.
Prices verified as of July 13, 2026.
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#singapore#budget travel#money saving tips
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the single biggest way to save money in Singapore?
Skip the MBS SkyPark queue. The observation deck ticket runs S$50 ($39), and Marina Barrage's free public rooftop gives you the same Marina Bay skyline a short walk away at zero cost.
Is Singapore actually cheap to visit, or is that a myth?
Tickets and transit are cheap, hotels and food-with-a-view are not. National Gallery, River Wonders, and Sentosa Discovery Pass all run S$5 ($3.89), but a room at Marina Bay Sands runs S$1,078 ($835.39) a night. Budget by category, not by city reputation.
Should I book Chinatown tours in advance?
Only the food-tasting ones, they run small groups with fixed capacity. The S$4 ($3.17) walking tour and free wandering don't need booking ahead, walk in whenever your schedule allows.
Is a Singapore SIM card worth buying versus using hotel Wi-Fi and roaming?
Yes, at S$7 ($5.40) for a tourist SIM bundled with a transport card, it's cheaper than most single-day international roaming passes and covers MRT planning, Grab, and maps for the whole trip.