Is it possible to experience Singapore on a budget?
Singapore has a reputation for being expensive – and it certainly can be. For a start, Singapore is famous for its exclusive hotels, including the Fullerton and Raffles Hotels and the newer Marina Bay Sands. This gives the impression that it mainly attracts wealthy tourists. Secondly, Singapore is Asia’s main headquarters for many large, multinational corporations. I would hazard a guess that most people who work for these companies are pretty well-paid. In turn, this can increase the cost of living on all fronts.
However, that does not mean that everything in Singapore is expensive. In this article I’ve outlined five ways you can experience Singapore on a budget without missing out on the energy and excitement the island nation has to offer.
1. Just walk around
This sounds obvious, but you’ll experience authentic Singapore simply by walking around. Singapore’s design seemingly has people in mind, meaning that lots of its iconic sights are visible and free.
I recommend using the marina as your focal point. Read my article which takes you on a walk around Singapore’s marina.
2. Free gardens and parks
Despite having nearly the highest population density on the planet, there is a huge amount of green space in Singapore. Even better, many of its parks and gardens are free to access. This includes the iconic Gardens by the Bay – not only its myriad plants but also its famous Supertrees.
The icing on the cake is that the Gardens by the Bay and the Supertrees are accessible pretty much 24/7 so you can see them brilliantly illuminated at night, right up close.
There is a treetop boardwalk around the Supertrees for which you would need to buy a ticket. But I’d say this isn’t a necessity for appreciating them. Just seeing the Supertrees from underneath was enough for me to be starstruck.
Another free garden not to miss in Singapore is, of all places, at the airport. Opened in 2019, the Jewel is a spectacular indoor waterfall cascading from the high roof designed to resemble a jewel. In typical Singaporean style, the waterfall is surrounded by plants, giving it the feel of a magnificent, giant greenhouse. Make sure you build in time to visit the Jewel when you’re at Changi Airport (20-30 minutes should be enough). It is genuinely remarkable.
3. Free open air concerts at weekends and public holidays
You can also experience cultural events for free in Singapore.
Along the Waterfront Promenade on the marina’s northern side is the DBS Foundation Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. Here, you can catch a free performance every weekend day and every public holiday. See what’s on when you’re in Singapore here.
4. Marina Bay Overpass Viewing Point
The Marina Bay Sands is probably the most famous building on Singapore’s skyline.
I’ve written separately about where to get the best views of the Marina Bay Sands. I would say that the classiest spot to see it for free is the Marina Bay Overpass. This is a boardwalk at the back of the hotel, accessible through The Shoppes (shopping mall). You get to see Marina Bay Sands right up close, and this is even more spectacular if you go in the evening when it’s all lit up. You can walk further along the boardwalk to the Gardens by the Bay which, as I’ve said above, are amazing at night.
Incidentally, to access the boardwalk you actually walk through the Marina Bay Sands hotel on an indoor bridge. Despite it having three distinct towers from the outside, it actually has a huge, hollow space on the inside. The towers are only separated from about the tenth floor, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at it because the building is so huge! Curious (nosy) travellers like me may enjoy seeing how the other half live, and it’s fun to stand on the bridge inside the hotel and debate which part of the Marina Bay Sands hotel you’d stay in if you had the money.
5. Eat at Lau Pa Sat Market
Obviously you’ll have to eat in Singapore. The cost of eating out in a city can rack up fast so you might be wondering how to eat in Singapore on a budget.
Your answer is Lau Pa Sat Market. This was possibly our best discovery in Singapore. Lau Pa Sat is a huge covered market with over 80 different food stalls selling so many different cuisines that even the most decisive visitors will find themselves vacillating about what to eat.
Not only that but the market is a historical monument. It’s been around since 1824 and has a clock tower which piercingly chimes the quarter hour.
How does this fit with visiting Singapore on a budget? Quite simply, the food in Lau Pa Sat is super cheap compared to my preconceptions of Singapore. We were paying £3-4 per meal. And you could eat all of your meals at Lau Pa Sat and not run out of options.
Splashing out
If you’re following these tips for experiencing Singapore on a budget, don’t feel guilty for splashing out on one or two things whilst you’re there. What about one of the following ideas?
A nice meal or drink along Boat Quay
There are plenty of nice restaurants along the riverfront at Boat Quay. You don’t have to budget for anything extortionate. It’s just a lovely place to sit and watch the boats cruising up and down the river whilst you sip a cocktail or eat your dinner.
A Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar
The Raffles Hotel is one of Singapore’s classiest and most exclusive hotels. It was built in 1887 and named after Stamford Raffles, the British founder of modern Singapore. It’s an emblem of the 150-year British command of Singapore which (rightly or wrongly) forms a major part of Singapore’s history.
The Long Bar is free to access, and is the only bar at the Raffles Hotel without a dress code. This is the place to treat yourself to a Singapore Sling – the cocktail was invented here. Women were historically discouraged from drinking alcohol in public in Singapore but the Singapore Sling was created with the intention of disguising an alcoholic drink as a plain old fruit juice.
Drinks at the Raffles are not cheap but the experience is undoubtedly unique to Singapore.
SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands
SkyPark is on the flat top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Whizz up to the 56th floor and see the magnificent sight of Singapore from above. Try and get a slot during the evening so that you can experience Singapore as a vast carpet of twinkling lights.
As of February 2025, tickets cost 39 Singapore dollars at peak time (5-10pm) or 35 Singapore dollars at non-peak time (10am-4:30pm). This is equivalent to roughly £23/USD29 and £21/USD26 respectively. You’ll need to book in advance as tickets will inevitably sell out.
This was one of the best things we did in Singapore. On one side of the viewing platform are skyscrapers as far as the eye can see. And on the other are the lights of Indonesia across the Singapore Strait. You see the Supertrees from above, and many of Singapore’s most iconic buildings reflected in the marina. In my opinion, a trip to SkyPark is well worth the price.
Enjoy Singapore!
Just a final word on Singapore’s vibe. I was prepared for a hectic city but Singapore is exponentially more chilled out than I expected. I hope you like Singapore as much as I did. I can’t wait to go back – I’m holding out for a business trip there!