Singapore has been a fantastic start to our trip - it’s clean, dishes up some great food and is a very safe place to explore. There are some things we were thankful we knew from the start - the laws are very strict here (a gulp of water on public transport can get you a $500 fine) and that it can be very expensive.

Thanks to a close friend who's been a local in this part of the world for around 9 weeks, she’s helped us keep to a small budget without compromising what we wanted to see in Singapore. Here’s a few of her tips:

Buy a Travelcard

It’s reassuring to hear that the public transport in Singapore is regular, reliable and cheap. It can cost you as little as 80c for a long journey around the city. As it’s best to hop on and off trains and buses (taking advantage of that deliciously cool AC as you go), you’ll best need a Travel Card. Our travel cards cost $12 and there was $7 already loaded to get us around the city. You’ll need to top up every couple of days. We got our EZ Link cards from an MRT Station.

Stay Connected with a Local Sim Card

Let’s be honest with ourselves, could we rely on our own sense of direction to get from A - B? Probably, but it would take us a hell of a lot longer than it needed to be. For a worry free day, we bought a local sim card (Singtel) for data to use on the go. We honestly thought that there would be more free WiFi points than there were so this is the best solution if you like using Google Maps to get around.

Grab Authentic Singaporean Food from the Hawker Centres

Wandering around the main touristy parts of Singapore will have it’s costs, so save money on where you dine. Our friend showed us many amazing local pop up/street food places called Hawker Centres. Here you can sample what the locals like to have for dinner and pay around $3 for an evening meal. If you’re concerned about the quality, you’ll soon be taken back with the food that gets served up. There’s even one street food vender in Singapore that’s been awarded a Michelin Star for its food (we actually found this on and it’s in Chinatown)!

If you want a drink, get it at the Airport

Alcohol is extremely expensive in Singapore, so prepare for a monster of a bill if you’re at any of the bars. As we’re staying with a friend at her student flat the odd pre-drink is bound to happen. The airport’s duty free (after you exit Passport Control and Immigration) has lots of cheaper options. You’ll then just need to buy your mixer at a very cheap cost. We bought a 1lr Gordon’s Gin for $16.

Spend the Day on Foot

Before you get sucked into the amazing hotels, the ferry boats to nearby islands or even a cable car ride, make sure to explore Singapore on foot. We discovered so many awesome walks through bustling streets and open parks so close to where we were staying - all of these are free to do! Our favourites have been the Chinese Gardens where we saw hundreds of Bonsai Trees and a couple of fancy Pagodas.


Another great walking route was the Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay. You may think you have to pay up to see these sorts of places as they are in a major tourist location but if you’re happy not to venture inside, there’s no need to pay. Personally we thought we saw enough by simply wandering around!

Turtle and Tortoise Museum at Chinese Gardens