How much a bus ride costs in Singapore (visitor guide)
Singapore has an extensive bus network that penetrates every district across the island. There are dozens of routes with buses that come frequently at all hours of the day. And this system is accessible to tourists, thanks to the ease with which tickets can be bought.
So how much does it cost to catch the bus in Singapore? The cheapest fare for a bus journey is S$0.99 while the most expensive is S$2.26. The fare depends on how fare you are travelling. Most visitors to Singapore can expect a single journey to cost them between S$1 and S$2. There is also a 60 cent per day charge if you pay for your fare using a foreign credit card.
Below are some example journeys and the corresponding fares:
| Journey | Fare |
|---|---|
| Orchard to Mandai (Zoo, Night Safari, Bird Park) | S$1.85 |
| Changi Airport to Orchard Rd | S$1.99 |
| Changi Airport to Bugis | S$1.89 |
| Orchard Rd to Bugis | S$1.09 |
Bus fares in Singapore are distance based and start at S$0.99 for a single journey (including interchange). The fare increments by 10 cents every couple of kilometres and has a cap of S$2.26. Express services cost slightly more, but visitors are unlikely to use these.
I’ve gone into further detail below about some of the common bus journeys in Singapore, as well as what sort of ticket can be used. If you need more help, I wrote a full guide on how to catch the bus here, and my favourite website for bus route planning can be found here.
This guide focuses on public buses within Singapore, though I’ve included a section at the bottom about catching the bus to Malaysia.
If you need more detail about how to catch the bus (e.g. how to plan your journey, where to sit on the bus), check out another guide I wrote here.
Tickets and the Singapore Tourist Pass
The easiest way to pay for bus rides in Singapore is by using a credit card. Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards can be used as contactless payment for bus journeys in Singapore.
Foreign credit cards will work if the foreign bank allows them to. There is a payment processing fee of 60 cents per day for foreign credit cards (that is, if you take 1 journey there is a 60 cent charge, or if you take 5 journeys in one day there is still a 60 cent charge).
I recommend every visitor that can use a Visa or Mastercard when riding the bus in Singapore (and preferably a credit card). Even with the 60 cent fee, it is much easier than worrying about the prepaid balance and card costs of the alternative EZ Link (which are not refundable).
A prepaid EZ Link card can also be used to pay for buses in Singapore:
- EZ Link can be purchased at train stations and the airport
- Costs S$10 and comes with S$5 of credit
- Can also be purchased at convenience stores (e.g. 7/11) but they are allowed to charge more for the same S$5 of credit.
Cash can also be used to pay for the bus in Singapore. The fare is slightly higher if paying by cash, and you must prepare the correct amount of money for your trip (no change is given when paying by cash). I don’t recommend visitors rely on cash as a method to pay for bus fares.
The Singapore Tourist Pass offers UNLIMITED rides per day on Singapore buses and trains. It is expensive though costing S$29 for 3 days of unlimited public transport. This means that you would have to ride the bus (or train) at least 4-5 times per day to make the tourist pass worth it. See References at the end of this article for more details on the Singapore Tourist Pass.
Bus FROM Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport is connected to the rest of Singapore by a number of bus routes. There are bus stops located near each of the terminals. The bus routes connecting to Changi Airport are:
- 24: Tampines, Bedok, Geylang, Ang Mo Kio
- 27: Tampines, Pasir Ris, Punggol, Sengkang, Hougang
- 34: Tampines, Pasir Ris, Punggol
- 36: Siglap, Marine Parade, Bugis, Orchard
- 53: Pasir Ris, Hougang, Bishan
- 110: Pasir Ris, Sengkang
- 858: Pasir Ris, Sengkang, Woodlands
Most visitors to Singapore will use Route 36 as it serves a significant number of hotels in Marine Parade, Bugis, and Orchard areas.
Expect to pay between S$1.50 and S$2.20 for bus journeys from Changi Airport to the rest of Singapore. The bus fare from Changi Airport is the same distance-based fare as the rest of the city (there’s no airport surcharge). Changi Airport is comparatively far from the city, and that’s why the fare is a bit higher than normal.
Bus TO Changi Airport
Changi Airport can be similarly be accessed using the same bus routes. You can also catch another bus and interchange to get on one of the above routes.
There is no additional fee for interchange.
Express buses
Singapore has a small number of express bus routes that mostly serve the CBD and Orchard areas. These express buses are designed to cater to peak hour office workers, and probably won’t be used by tourists.
Express buses in Singapore cost around 60 cents more than the same distance with a regular bus.
I’ve never shown a visitor around Singapore and needed to catch an express bus.
Bus to Malaysia
There are public bus routes that go to Malaysia and private coaches. the public routes are:
- 170X from Kranji
- 170 from Queen Street Terminal
- 169 from Jurong East
- 950 from Woodlands
These public routes use the same distance based fares and cost roughly S$1.65 to S$1.90.
There are also special Causeway Link routes which cost around S$4.80. Private coaches are also available. I’ll leave a link to a full guide in the References section of this article.
References
If you’re interested in further reading, or in some of the sources I used in putting this guide together, check out the websites below:
- For more detail on how to buy a Singapore Tourist Pass and what other perks it has, check out their website here.
- Full guide I’ve found helpful when figuring out how to get to Malaysia from Singapore: Here.
- LTA fare calculator can be found here.
- I wrote a full guide on how to catch the bus in Singapore. Check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/catch-bus-guide
