How Much to Spend for Singapore Travel (in Philippine Peso)
Singapore is one of the countries that is considerably near the Philippines (along with Hong Kong and Taiwan). This explains why a lot of first-time travelers choose this country over others, despite the common perception that Singapore is an expensive country.
In this article, we'll be breaking down how much you will need to budget for a Singapore trip, and briefly talk about the accommodations, food, transportation and activities.
Other than the airfare, accommodation is the expense that will eat up most of your budget.
You will not have to worry about the trains and MRTs, because they are really tourist friendly. It's easy to know the bus stops and the route you will need to take.
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This is how food stalls or shops normally look like in Singapore
Overall Budget Needed for Singapore
Despite the connotation of Singapore's expensiveness, travel cost to this country is still within a reasonable range. When I was preparing to write this article, I expected to talk about how pricey things are, but to my surprise, the average daily spend ended up not as high as I expected it to be. For example, if you are planning for a typical 4D 3N stay in Singapore, the average daily budget needed is around ₱6,750.
These are estimates as of February 2025. Prices may vary due to inflation and other factors
What is the breakdown of these expenses?
Like in most countries whenever you travel, the airfare will consist a huge chunk of your budget. In fact, for a 4D 3N duration, the airfare will mostly be your top expense, averaging at ₱8,500 for a budget airline such as Scoot, Jetstar or Cebu Pacific.
Ibis Budget Hotel is a common choice for travelers as it provides relatively affordable rates
This is how a room for ₱2,250 per person per night looks, limited space and straightforward
Accommodation in Singapore, if you are not very particular about the quality and amenities, is not as expensive as I imagined. Staying at a 3-star or any budget hotel can average ₱2,250 per person per night (if you share the room with someone). However, if you are very particular about those things, prepare to shell out at least ₱5,000 per person per night.
Dessert bowls are common in Singapore, each bowl costs around ₱200+
food in Singapore is generally expensive!
The next bulk of expenses will go into food. Prepare to allot about ₱1,500 per day. The only affordable meals you can have are in hawker stalls, but you will still need to spend about ₱250-₱300 per meal. Non-hawker casual ones, including fast food, are ranging between ₱300-₱500. While restaurants approximate about ₱800 to 1,000 per person per meal.
Kaya Toast is one of the 'national treasures' of Singapore when we speak of food!
After accommodation and food, perhaps the next big item will be for activity, specifically Universal Studios Singapore. The ticket for the theme park costs less than ₱3,000. We book ours from Klook, and if I can remember correctly, it's cheaper to avail it there.
WaterWorld is very entertaining show in USS, and can even get you wet!
If there's something I can say that is surprisingly affordable in Singapore, it's public transportation.
Bus rides and MRT tickets cost only about ₱50 per trip for reasonable distances. I cannot believe it at first, but it was really the case. The only time that you'd say that transportation is expensive is if you take Grab. Rates there are almost double here. Meaning for short distances expect to still pay at least ₱300 to ₱500. Also, taking a Grab from Airport to your hotel is estimated to be around ₱2,000. Hence, if you are on budget, avoid ride-hailing apps, and go for public trains or buses.
The Jewel Changi Airport is an instant feast for the eyes
You will not have to worry about the trains and MRTs, because they are really tourist friendly. It's easy to know the bus stops and the route you will need to take.
Tips to Lower Down Travel Expenses
Food
When we speak of food, the only way to lower down your spend in this area is to maximize the hawker stalls. All others are really relatively expensive. Fast food are not cheap either when you compare them to the prices here in the Philippines.
For drinks, there's one thing I find very interesting. It's the iJooz which sells a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice for less than ₱85. Similar cup costs ₱150+ here, and the quality may not even be as great. It's funny because I drink iJooz almost every day. Sometimes more than once in a day.
iJooz vending machines sell freshly squeezed orange juice for only 2 SGD
If you want to experience slightly fancy dining yet with a discount, you may try browsing Klook for some vouchers. Sometimes they sell 100 SGD worth of coupon for only 60 SGD. Such was the case when we dined in The Malayan Council, Bugis.
Roasted Duck in The Malayan Council, very juicy and tasty!
There are also smaller stalls or food shops spread across Singapore, and normally prices there are relatively reasonable.
I guess if there's something I'd say is very expensive in Singapore, it will be dining out
Author together with his friends in a small dessert shop in Geylang, Singapore
Transportation
This may be a little obvious, but I'd say it anyway. If you want to really hit your budget, do not ride Grab or any other ride-hailing apps. I suggest having Google Maps with you, as the navigation there is accurate. It will tell you which bus stops to go to, and which particular bus number to ride to.
Foreign exchange fee
You can survive Singapore without cash. However, given that you will need to dine in Hawker stalls in order to lower your travel expenses (aside from it being a great experience), you will need to have some cash with you. Keep only an ample amount of cash with you. I suggest using GCash Visa Card or any other credit cards with low foreign exchange fee. That way, you will not incur any "lugi" or losses from steep exchange rates for cash.
Having a card with you that has a PayWave function allows you to travel around Singapore seamlessly. All you need to do is to tap it upon riding the MRT or buses. For more information about how to do that, you may read my article here: Can you ride buses and MRT just using debit/credit card?
This is a mural in Bugis, one of the great spots for exploring Singapore's nightlife
Attractions and activities
If it's your first time in Singapore, there are lots of things to see around wherein you don't have to spend anything. First off, the Jewel Changi Airport already has hidden gems within it, including the huge Rain Vortex. The iconic Merlion is also accessible and easily viewed within the area near Marina Bay Sands (which by itself is a great sight to behold).
The iconic architecture of Singapore: Marina Bay Sands
There you go, I hope somehow this article gave you more idea how much you'd be spending more or less if you travel Singapore.
If you have any questions feel free to drop a comment below, and if you have some tips to share that will be appreciated.
