Singapore on a Budget: Free and Cheap Things to Do

Singapore has a reputation for emptying wallets, and it earns that reputation if you let it. But it is also one of the easiest cities in Asia to enjoy on very little, because the best of it (the gardens, the skyline, the nightly light shows, the street food) is either free or costs a couple of dollars. I have done this city on a tight budget and on an expense account, and the cheap version is genuinely more fun. This guide to Singapore on a budget covers where to eat for the price of a coffee back home, which viewpoints let you skip the S$32 ticket, and how to cross the island for pocket change. Quick currency note: S$1 is roughly INR 63 (approximate), so run that maths as you go.

Free gardens and light shows

The single best free thing in Singapore is the light show at Gardens by the Bay. The outdoor gardens and the Supertree Grove cost nothing to walk through, and Garden Rhapsody, the sound and light show under the Supertrees, runs twice every night (around 7.45pm and 8.45pm). Lie on the ground, look up, and it holds its own against anything you would pay for.

A ten minute walk away, Marina Bay Sands puts on Spectra, a water and light show over the bay, free from the waterfront promenade (nightly, usually 8pm and 9pm, with a later show on weekends). String the two together in one evening and you have a full night out for zero rupees.

More free green space and views:

• Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage site, free to enter (only the National Orchid Garden charges, about S$15)
• Merlion Park and the Marina Bay promenade, the classic skyline photo, free at any hour
• The Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport, the world's tallest indoor waterfall, free to stand under even if you are not flying
• Fort Canning Park and its much photographed spiral staircase tree tunnel

Hawker centres: cheap things to do in Singapore start at the table

This is where budget Singapore is won or lost. Skip the sit-down restaurants at Clarke Quay and eat where locals eat, at hawker centres. A plate of chicken rice, char kway teow or laksa runs about S$3 to S$6 (roughly INR 200 to 400), and it is some of the best food in the country.

Where to go:

• Maxwell Food Centre for Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice
• Chinatown Complex Food Centre, home to Hawker Chan, once the cheapest Michelin listed meal in the world
• Lau Pa Sat, and its satay street that spills onto the road after 7pm
• Old Airport Road Food Centre for old-school classics
• Tekka Centre in Little India for South Indian food and biryani when you miss home cooking

Breakfast is a kaya toast set (toast, soft eggs, coffee) for around S$5. Tap water is clean and drinkable across the city, so carry a bottle and refill rather than paying S$2 to S$3 for bottled water.

Getting around without a taxi

Grab and taxis are where budgets quietly bleed out. You almost never need them. Singapore's MRT is fast, clean and cheap, with most rides costing S$1 to S$2.50.

• The easiest option for Indian travellers is to tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard straight at the gate, no separate ticket needed
• Or buy a Singapore Tourist Pass for unlimited rides (about S$17 for a day, worth it only if you plan five or more trips)
• From Changi Airport, the MRT into the city costs around S$2, versus S$25 or more in a cab

Walking is underrated here too. The core sights around Marina Bay are closer together than they look on a map.

Cheap viewpoints (skip the S$32 deck)

The Marina Bay Sands SkyPark observation deck charges over S$30 for a look down. You can get similar views for far less:

• Pinnacle@Duxton Skybridge, a public housing rooftop on the 50th floor, costs about S$6, paid by tapping an EZ-Link card at the lift lobby. It is the best value skyline view in the city
• The Southern Ridges walk, including Henderson Waves, the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore, is free and green the whole way
• Mount Faber for sunset over the harbour, free
• The Marina Bay promenade itself, free, which gives you the postcard skyline without spending a cent

Skip this

A few paid attractions are not worth the money for most budget travellers. The Singapore Flyer (about S$40) gives you a slower, pricier version of a view you can get for S$6 at Pinnacle@Duxton. The Sentosa cable car (around S$35 return) is a nice ride but not a necessity, because you can walk onto the island free via the Sentosa Boardwalk. And Clarke Quay drinks are a fast way to lose a day's food budget in one round.

Free things Singapore does best: neighbourhoods to wander

Some of the best hours in Singapore cost nothing but shoe leather:

• Kampong Glam and Haji Lane, for the Sultan Mosque, wall murals and independent shops
• Little India, loud and colourful, with the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
• Chinatown, where the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is free to enter (dress modestly)
• Katong and Joo Chiat, for pastel Peranakan shophouses and a bowl of laksa

A few more cheap ideas

• East Coast Park, a long free stretch of beach, cycling paths and more hawker food
• Pulau Ubin, a step back into 1960s Singapore, reached by a bumboat that costs about S$4 each way
• Sentosa's beaches (Palawan, Siloso) are free, and you can walk over on the boardwalk instead of paying for the cable car

Know before you go

• Weather is hot and humid all year (around 30C). Rain is heaviest from November to January, so pack a light rain layer
• Tap water is safe to drink, which saves a surprising amount over a trip
• Alcohol is expensive (a beer can be S$12 or more), so budget for it or go easy
• Book any paid attraction tickets ahead on sites like Klook, which are usually cheaper than the gate price
• Flights from India are short and often cheap. Budget carriers like Scoot and IndiGo fly from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai in four to five and a half hours, with return fares from around INR 12,000 (approximate) in the low season

Do the sums and a full, satisfying day here (transport, three hawker meals, a light show and a cheap viewpoint) can come in under S$30, or roughly INR 1,900. That is what makes budget Singapore such a good trip. You are not skipping the highlights, because the highlights were free all along.

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