How much it costs to get to Changi Airport
Heading to Changi Airport at the end of your visit to Singapore? If so, then this is the guide for you. This guide is crafted especially for visitors to Singapore looking to return to the airport and leave the country; it provides clear cost breakdowns of each of the different ways to reach Changi Airport. From efficient public transport to quick taxis, I’ve mapped it all out for you.
Fares you can expect to pay coming from popular hotel regions in the city are listed in the table below:
| Region | Train | Bus | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bugis | S$1.89 | S$2.02 | S$20 |
| Orchard | S$1.99 | S$2.07 | S$26 |
| Chinatown | S$1.99 | S$2.07 | S$26 |
| Katong | NA | S$1.68 | S$17 |
| Sentosa | S$2.07 | S$2.17 | S$31 |
It typically costs between S$1.50 and S$2.50 to catch public transport to Changi Airport. The actual amount depends on distance travelled. Buses and trains reliably run to Changi Airport between 6:30am and 11:30pm. Bus route 36 is the most popular bus route for tourists, while the East-West Line has a branch specifically serving Changi Airport.
For taxis, it typically costs S$15 to S$40 depending on how far you are travelling to get to the airport. Peak and late-night surcharges are added by taxi drivers depending on the time of day you are using the service.
I’ve gone into more detail on how these fares are calculated and why they can vary in sections below.
By taxi
Out of the 5 regions I tested, taxi and ride hailing cost between $15 and $36 to get to the airport.
| Region | Taxi Fare |
|---|---|
| Bugis | S$17 to S$23 |
| Orchard | S$22 to S$30 |
| Chinatown | S$21 to S$30 |
| Katong | S$15 to S$20 |
| Sentosa | S$25 to S$36 |
The variability in the pricing arises due to variable pricing in ride hailing and whether or not you’re paying a peak hour surcharge. LTA has more detail on exactly what these surcharges are if you’re curious.
Ride hailing can be slightly cheaper, particularly if there’s no demand surge at the time. My favourite ride hailing apps to use in Singapore are CDG Zig (technically a taxi booking app where you can select a ride hailing option) and TADA. Others that exist include Grab (they blocked my account because I changed phones and refuse to do anything about it), Gojek, and Ryde.
My preferred way of getting to the airport is by booking a taxi using the CDG Zig app.
By train
Changi airport is connected to Singapore’s MRT network with its own branch from the East-West Line (green coloured). This means that if your accommodation is near an MRT station, you can use the train to easily and cheaply get to the airport.
It roughly costs between $1.50 and $2 to get to Changi airport by train. This fare will increase slightly in 2024, however you still shouldn’t expect to pay more than $2.50 to get to the airport.
| Region | Train Fare |
|---|---|
| Bugis | S$1.89 |
| Orchard | S$1.99 |
| Chinatown | S$1.99 |
| Katong | NA |
| Sentosa | $2.07 |
Katong and its surrounds are not really served by a train station at the time of writing. You can walk to a train service from Eunos MRT but it is a very long walk and I do not recommend it (may as well walk to Bus 36 - see below). While there is an MRT coming to the area in 2024, this is unlikely to be connected to the airport before 2026.
Trains are generally available between 6am and 11:30pm every day of the week. (note: The train service starts earlier and runs later than this, but depending on where you are coming from it can be tough to get to Changi Airport outside of these hours).
Fares can be paid using a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card. Even foreign ones will work (though an extra 60 cent charge will be added). A prepaid EZ Link card can also be purchased at the train station.
By bus
Bus fares are also charged based on distance travelled. As you can see from the table below, catching the bus is a slightly longer distance than by train and the fares end up slightly higher.
| Region | Bus Fare |
|---|---|
| Bugis | S$2.02 |
| Orchard | S$2.07 |
| Chinatown | S$2.07 |
| Katong | S$1.68 |
| Sentosa | S$2.17 |
Most of the city relies on Bus 36 to get to the airport. This bus doesn’t directly serve Chinatown or Sentosa (or much of the central and west areas of the city) and hence you will need to catch another bus to connect with it. Bus 36 uses the express way for a lot of its journey and that makes it a lot quicker than the other routes that serve Changi.
There are other bus routes available, such as 24 (mostly serving from Geylang, but it takes a very slow route); 27 (Punggol and Tampines - not many hotels around here); and 858 (Yishun and Woodlands - also not many hotels).
Bus 36 technically runs from 6am to midnight every day, though for a reliable trip to the airport, I wouldn’t expect to see one until 6:30am.
Fares for buses can be paid using credit/debit card (Visa or Mastercard only), prepaid EZ Link card, or by cash. The cash fare is slightly higher than my table above, and change will not be given (so make sure you have small notes and coins to pay the fare as you won’t be getting any change back).
By airport shuttle
The shuttle service operated by Changi Airport does not appear to collect passengers from hotels to return them to the airport (I’ve never tried it personally).
There used to be private shuttle services that would service hotels, but these seemed to have stopped business in recent years.
Alternative ways to get to the airport
It is possible to walk or cycle to Changi Airport.
There is a path from East Coast Park that joins to the Changi Jurassic Mile and then on to Terminal 4. This path can be walked or cycled.
It is free to walk to Changi, it is the absolute cheapest way to get to the airport if you need to save a couple of dollars.
Most tourists won’t have a bike, and while there are one-way hires along East Coast Park, these don’t extend to the airport. Which means you would have to leave your bike nearby and walk the rest of the way to the airport. Bike hire cost is $2 to $10 depending on which service you use and how long you hire for.
Unfortunately there is no real way to fly to Changi airport from within Singapore. I couldn’t find any helicopter service willing to fly me to the airport, nor are there many public helipads available in the city for use. The only other civilian airport in the city is Seletar, and I couldn’t find any companies willing to fly from Seletar to Changi.
References
Fares were calculated using the LTA fare calculator, more detail can be found here.
Taxi trip costs were generated using the CDG Zig app.
I also made a whole video about the different transport options around Singapore, if you’re interested, check it out below:
