How much it costs to travel around Singapore (bus, taxi, and more)
Singapore has a fantastic and well thought out transport system that can help visitors quickly move around the city to get in all the popular sights and tourist attractions. It can be pricey though, especially compared to its neighbours.
I put this guide together as a comprehensive resource to help visitors to Singapore figure out:
- How much it costs to travel around Singapore
- How to pay for transport
- What the popular methods of getting around are
MRT
A single ride on the MRT starts at S$1.09. The fare increases based on the distance travelled and has a cap of S$2.37 per journey. There is no daily cap on the number of journeys per day, and there is no additional fee if you interchange to another train (even at stations where you have to use the ticket barrier as part of the interchange).
Expect to pay roughly S$1.20 to S$1.50 as a visitor to Singapore for each MRT journey you take. Slightly higher fares visitors might pay include:
- Changi Airport - to/from costing roughly S$2 each way
- Mandai wildlife attractions - to/from costing roughly S$2 each way
Credit or debit card is the easiest way to pay for the MRT in Singapore. Visa and Mastercard are accepted, including cards issued in another country. Non-Singaporean Visa and Mastercards attract a fee of 60 cents per day; the fee is charged once per day regardless of whether you made multiple trips or not.
EZ Link and SimplyGo are prepaid cards that can be used to pay for public transport in Singapore. They can be purchased at Changi Airport or any MRT station costing S$10 and coming with S$5 credit.
The Singapore Tourist Pass is technically an EZ Link card loaded with 1, 2, or 3 days of unlimited rides that starts at S$22. I generally do not recommend buying the Singapore Tourist Pass for the unlimited rides as you to use a lot of public transport to make it worth it.
Check out the References section at the end of this guide for more detail on how to buy an EZ Link card or what’s included in the Singapore Tourist Pass.
Bus
Bus is my most-often used way to get around Singapore, but I hear from many visitors that it can be a bit intimidating to figure out how to catch the bus.
A single ride on the bus starts at S$1.09, and it follows the same distance-based fare structure as the MRT. Bus fares increase based on the distance travelled and have a cap of S$2.37 per journey. There is no daily cap on the amount of journeys charged for, and there is no additional fee for changing between buses.
It is possible to catch the bus from Changi Airport to the city, but I do not recommend it to most visitors - except those staying in the Marine Parade / East Coast Rd area, you can take bus 36. For most areas that visitors go to from the airport, taking the MRT is faster (and it costs the same).
Credit and debit cards are also the easiest way to pay for a bus ride in Singapore. Visa and Mastercard are accepted, including cards issued by non-Singaporean banks. A 60 cent fee is added for each day a foreign card is used on the network (this is a single fee regardless of how many bus or train rides you took).
The prepaid EZ Link and SimplyGo cards can also be used on buses. An EZ Link or SimplyGo card can be purchased at the airport or at any MRT station, costing S$10 and including S$5 of credit. It can be topped up at MRT stations or convenience stores.
Buses accept cash fares in Singapore. The cash fare is slightly higher - roughly adding 70-80 cents then rounding up to the nearest 10-cent number (e.g. a S$1.09 fare becomes S$1.90 when paying by cash). I do not recommend paying by cash when using a bus in Singapore - you need to know the correct fare (as change is not available) and it’s more expensive, even when compared to using a foreign credit or debit card.
If you need more help catching the bus in Singapore, check out my complete guide here: reachingsingapore.com/singapore-catch-bus-guide
Taxi and Ride-hailing
Typical taxi fares in Singapore cost between S$13 and S$35. The fare varies based on distance travelled, time spent waiting, and surcharges based on location and time of day. Location surcharges apply for rides starting at Changi Airport, Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa, the downtown city area, and the Mandai wildlife area amongst others. Time of day surcharges include peak hours and between midnight and 6am.
Some typical fares visitors to Singapore can expect to pay are outlined in the table below (these numbers are based on my recent experiences):
| Journey | Time of day | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Changi Airport to Downtown (Fullerton Bay) | Morning off-peak | S$24.20 |
| Sentosa to Changi Airport | Evening peak | S$34.10 |
| Orchard to Sentosa | Morning off-peak | S$15.40 |
| Boat Quay to Orchard | Night | S$12.40 |
| Mandai to Orchard | Afternoon off-peak | S$21.50* |
* my fare from Mandai did not include the Wildlife Reserve surcharge - if you are taking a taxi from the zoo, night safari, or bird paradise, there is an additional S$3 surcharge added.
The above table includes surcharges, additional fees, booking fees, and the like.
I find it very complicated to calculate a taxi fare manually in Singapore (I rely on the app) as there are a lot of surcharges to consider including:
- Payment by credit card (10%)
- Peak hour 6am-9:30am or 6pm-midnight (25%)
- Late night midnight-6am (50%)
- Commencing your journey at RWS, Gardens by the Bay, or in the downtown CBD (S$3)
- Commencing your journey at Changi Airport (S$6 or S$8 if between 5pm and midnight)
I feel like Singapore loves surcharges…
My advice to most visitors is not to worry about it and instead expect to pay S$13-S$15 for a short journey, or S$30-S$40 for a long journey (to/from Mandai or to/from Changi Airport).
If you book a taxi using an app, it will tell you the total fare including all surcharges. Popular apps that visitors to Singapore can use include:
- CDG Zig
- Grab
- Gojek
I wrote a full guide on how much taxis cost in Singapore, check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/taxi-cost-Singapore
Car hire
I feel Singapore is in love with taxing car use. Hiring a car is expensive in Singapore, but if you need to, here are some of the costs you will face as a visitor hiring a car in Singapore:
- Daily car hire: S$120 - S$200 per day (even for basic economy models such as a Honda Fit)
- Parking: S$3-S$5 per hour
- Fuel: S$2.25 per litre
- Tolls: $3 per gantry
Thankfully some hotels offer free parking for guests (such as my regular favourite of Park Royal Beach Rd).
Cycling
I feel cycling is really underrated by visitors to Singapore. Singapore has an extensive network of scenic green paths that visitors can take advantage of to get a different perspective on the city. Cycling is even available as a way to stretch the legs between flights while in transit at Changi Airport.
Expect to pay S$15 per hour to rent a bicycle and cycle around Singapore. At this price you can expect to get a decently comfortable bike rented from a dedicated shop (such as GoCycling).
You can save a little bit by hiring one of their cheaper bikes (I do not recommend, but they start at S$10), or by using an app for bike sharing (such as HelloRide, roughly S$2 per hour once you get it working).
I like to make two recommendations to visitors wishing to explore Singapore by bike:
- East Coast Park to Marina Bay
- Around Changi Airport
East Coast Park is my favourite place to cycle in Singapore. It has wide, dedicated cycle paths, plenty of places to grab drinks and snacks, and lots of bike rental shops (meaning you can do one-way hires quite easily). The largest bike rental company here is GoCycling, which charges S$15 per hour for a bike.
I highly recommend checking out the East Coast Lagoon hawker centre here as well - it has great satay and is a bit hidden out of the way for most visitors as it can be hard to reach.
Changi Airport offers free bicycle rental for plane passengers transiting through Changi Airport. The offer is for 2 hours and they include maps of sample routes that can be followed within that time. You do have to pass through passport control to take advantage of the offer though (you are cycling out of the airport to experience some of the natural scenery of Singapore).
Even for someone fat and unfit like me, it is still worthwhile to get out of the airport and cycle around.
Shower facilities are available for a few extra dollars, but remember to bring a change of clothes. Check out the References section for more detail.
Bike sharing schemes are also available in Singapore. Anywheel, SG Bike and Hello Ride are the biggest, but I feel they are not as tourist-friendly as GoCycling. Once you’ve downloaded the app and figured that out, it costs S$2 per hour to rent a bike.
Walking
Despite the heat and humidity, I often recommend visitors to Singapore spend time walking around to experience the best of the city.
And walking is free!
Green areas in particular are best (and sometimes can only be) experienced by walking. This includes the iconic Gardens by the Bay and the UNESCO world heritage listed Botanic Gardens.
My advice when walking though:
- Try to stay in the shade
- Avoid the hottest parts of the day (typically around 11am to 2pm, it usually clouds over in the afternoon and if it rains everything will be cooler)
- Wear a hat and loose clothes
It is possible to adjust to Singapore’s climate as a visitor, but I’ve found it typically takes a few weeks (or months - depending on how much time you spend outdoors).
