Singapore has a reputation as one of Asia’s pricier city breaks, but working out a realistic Singapore trip cost does not have to leave you guessing. A holiday here can suit a range of budgets, and the final figure depends far more on your choices than on the destination itself.
The total you pay comes down to your departure airport in the UK, your travel dates, how long you stay, where you sleep, how you eat, which attractions you pay for, and whether you travel solo, as a couple or as a family. Booking everything separately or choosing a package can also shift the number. Throughout this guide we quote costs in pounds sterling first, then add Singapore dollars where it genuinely helps.
By the end you’ll have a proper idea of what to budget for three, five or seven days and whether booking independently or picking a package offers better value for the way you like to travel.
Singapore Trip Cost at a Glance
Here’s a scannable summary of the main cost categories for a one-week visit. Use it to spot where your money goes and where you can flex the budget.
| Cost category | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return flights from UK | £500 to £700 | £650 to £900 | £1,000+ |
| Accommodation (share of room) | £120 to £250 | £400 to £750 | £1,400+ |
| Food and drink | £90 to £150 | £200 to £350 | £500+ |
| Public transport | £15 to £30 | £25 to £50 | £50 to £120 |
| Airport transfers | £2 to £4 | £15 to £30 | £40 to £70 |
| Attractions | £20 to £60 | £90 to £180 | £250+ |
| Travel insurance | £15 to £35 | £25 to £45 | £40 to £80 |
| Mobile data (eSIM) | £4 to £10 | £6 to £12 | £10 to £20 |
| Personal spending | £40 to £100 | £100 to £250 | £300+ |
| Emergency allowance | £30 to £60 | £60 to £120 | £120+ |
Figures assume two adults sharing one room, so accommodation is shown as one person’s half. Attractions are optional and shown as typical spend. Personal shopping is included. Flight and hotel prices move with dates and demand.
The total Singapore trip cost is a planning guide only, as live package prices may vary according to availability, inclusions and your chosen travel dates.
Cost of Flights to Singapore from the UK
Flights are usually the largest single line in your budget. The good news is that Singapore is one of Asia’s better-connected long-haul destinations, so competition keeps economy fares reasonable outside peak dates.
When Should UK Travellers Book Singapore Flights?
Long-haul fares fluctuate with demand, so there’s no single magic day to book. Booking earlier matters most for school holidays and Christmas, when seats sell fast. Comparing flexible dates around your preferred week often reveals savings, and midweek departures can be cheaper than weekends. Ignore claims that one weekday is always cheapest, and always check the total fare with baggage rather than the headline price.
| UK departure airport | Quieter-month return | Typical return | Peak-period return |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £450 to £600 | £650 to £850 | £1,000+ |
| Manchester | £500 to £650 | £700 to £900 | £1,100+ |
| Birmingham | £520 to £680 | £720 to £950 | £1,150+ |
| Glasgow | £540 to £700 | £730 to £980 | £1,150+ |
| Edinburgh | £540 to £700 | £730 to £980 | £1,150+ |
Economy return fares per person, excluding paid seat selection and any baggage that is not already included. Live prices depend heavily on dates, how far ahead you book and availability.
Flight prices can change quickly depending on travel dates, departure airport, airline availability and how far in advance you book.
Singapore Accommodation Costs
Hotel prices in Singapore vary widely by neighbourhood, room size, date and standard. Rates are quoted per room per night rather than per person, so two people sharing effectively halve the cost each.
Hostel and Capsule Hotel Prices
Dormitory beds start from around £18 to £30 (roughly S$30 to S$50) per night, with capsule pods offering a private, self-contained sleep for a little more. Shared bathrooms are the norm at this level. Solo travellers save most here, and staying in Little India, Chinatown or Kampong Glam keeps you central without the premium of Marina Bay.
Budget Hotel Costs
Basic two and three-star properties from chains such as Hotel 81 or Fragrance typically run £35 to £55 (about S$60 to S$95) per room per night. Rooms are compact, and room-only rates are cheaper than including breakfast. Picking a hotel near an MRT station, and staying just outside the Marina Bay core, stretches the budget nicely.
Mid-Range Hotel Costs
Comfortable three and four-star hotels usually cost £90 to £180 (approximately S$150 to S$300) per room per night, often with a pool, fitness room and breakfast options. Bugis, Chinatown and Clarke Quay offer central locations with good value, and many properties have family rooms.
Luxury Hotel Costs
Five-star stays in Marina Bay, Orchard Road or Sentosa start around £230 to £300 (roughly S$400 to S$500) and climb well beyond that for skyline suites, club lounge access or an iconic address. Marina Bay Sands sits at the top end. Harbour and skyline views, and resort upgrades on Sentosa, all carry supplements.
| Area | Typical price level | Best for | Budget consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little India | Budget to mid-range | Value seekers | Good transport access |
| Chinatown | Budget to premium | Food and culture | Central but lively at night |
| Bugis | Mid-range | First-time visitors | Handy MRT connections |
| Orchard Road | Mid-range to luxury | Shopping | Premium central rates |
| Marina Bay | Luxury | Iconic views | Usually the priciest |
| Sentosa | Premium resort | Families and couples | Extra island transport |
Rates are per room, not per person, and may exclude service charge and GST. Some hotels take a refundable deposit at check-in. Always verify live rates before booking, as availability shifts prices.
Hotel rates may vary by season, location, room type, occupancy level and major events taking place in Singapore.
Food and Drink Prices in Singapore
Singapore can be pricey if every meal is rooftop dining, but hawker centres make it surprisingly easy to eat brilliantly without blowing the budget. This is where careful travellers save the most.
Hawker Centre Food Prices
Hawker centres are the backbone of the local food scene, with dishes generally £2 to £5 (about S$4 to S$8). A plate of Hainanese chicken rice runs around £2.50 to £4, a bowl of laksa similar, satay skewers and roti prata cheaper still, and fresh juices a pound or two. Eating three hawker meals a day can total as little as £8 to £14 (roughly S$15 to S$25). For anyone watching the pennies, they’re a godsend.
Cafe and Casual Restaurant Prices
Coffee-shop breakfasts, café brunches and casual lunches usually sit between £6 and £14 (about S$10 to S$24). Food courts inside shopping malls are air-conditioned and slightly dearer than hawker stalls but still good value. A sit-down dinner at a casual restaurant might be £12 to £25 a head.
Fine Dining and Rooftop Restaurant Costs
Set menus at smart restaurants, celebrity-chef venues and Marina Bay dining rooms commonly start around £40 to £90 per person and rise sharply. Rooftop bars may apply a minimum spend, and a 10% service charge plus 9% GST is typically added. Drinks are rarely included in menu prices, so factor those in separately.
Alcohol Prices in Singapore
Alcohol pushes a daily budget up quickly. A beer is often £6 to £9, a glass of wine similar or more, and a cocktail in a smart bar £11 to £16 (roughly S$18 to S$28). Hotel bars sit at the higher end. Happy-hour promotions help, so keep an eye out if you fancy a drink without the sting.
| Dining style | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Drinks and snacks | Daily total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | £3 | £4 | £5 | £3 | £15 |
| Mid-range | £7 | £12 | £20 | £8 | £47 |
| Luxury | £15 | £25 | £90 | £20 | £150+ |
Per person, per day. The budget assumes mostly hawker centres. Luxury assumes one fine-dining dinner with drinks. Service charge and GST usually apply in restaurants but not at hawker stalls.
Travel dates can make a big difference to flight and hotel prices, so check our guide to the best time to visit Singapore before choosing your holiday dates.
Singapore Transport and MRT Costs
Singapore’s public transport is clean, reliable and budget-friendly. For most visitors, using the MRT and buses is the cheapest way to get around.
| Transport option | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MRT | £0.75 to £1.50 per journey | Fast travel between major attractions |
| Public bus | £0.60 to £1.40 per journey | Short local trips and sightseeing |
| Singapore Tourist Pass | From £10, around S$17 per day | Travellers making five or more daily journeys |
| Taxi or Grab | £5 to £12 for short city trips | Families, groups and late-night journeys |
| Changi Airport MRT | £1 to £1.90 | Solo travellers and visitors with light luggage |
| Changi Airport taxi | £16 to £30 | Families, heavy luggage and late arrivals |
| Private airport transfer | Usually higher than taxi fares | Pre-booked convenience and larger groups |
Money-saving tip: Contactless Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay can be used on the MRT and buses. Foreign-issued cards may carry an administration fee of around S$0.60 per day. Always tap in and out using the same card.
Which option offers the best value? Pay-as-you-go travel is usually cheaper for visitors taking three or four journeys per day. The Singapore Tourist Pass may offer better value when making five or more journeys daily.
Transport prices are estimates and may change due to fare updates, surcharges, exchange rates and travel times. Check the official Visit Singapore travel information before travelling.
For official currency, transport and visitor guidance, it’s worth a look at the official Visit Singapore travel information before you go.
Singapore Attraction and Sightseeing Costs
Singapore rewards travellers who mix free sights with a couple of paid highlights. Here’s what things actually cost rather than a general list of things to do.
Free Things to Do in Singapore
Plenty of the best experiences cost nothing: the Marina Bay waterfront, Merlion Park, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the outdoor areas of Gardens by the Bay, including the Supertree Grove, and the neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. The evening Garden Rhapsody light show at the Supertrees is free to watch.
Before setting your sightseeing budget, explore our guide to the best things to do in Singapore to decide which attractions and experiences are worth adding to your itinerary.
Affordable Attractions
Museums, observation points, walking tours, river cruises and smaller cultural sites generally fall between £6 and £20 per person. A river cruise is a pleasant, well-priced way to see the centre from the water.
Premium Attractions
Bigger-ticket sights sit higher. Gardens by the Bay conservatories (Flower Dome and Cloud Forest) cost around £27 (about S$46) for adults. The Marina Bay Sands SkyPark observation deck is roughly £19 to £23 (S$32 to S$39). The Singapore Flyer, Universal Studios Singapore, Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari, the ArtScience Museum and Sentosa attractions each range from around £20 to £55 per adult, with children usually cheaper.
Are Singapore Attraction Passes Worth It?
A pass only saves money if you’ll genuinely visit enough of what it includes within its expiry window. Compare the pass price against buying separate tickets for the specific attractions you want, check child pricing and any booking restrictions, and factor in whether transport is included. If your itinerary is relaxed, pay-as-you-go often wins.
| Attraction plan | Budget per person | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly free sightseeing | £5 to £20 | Budget travellers |
| Two or three paid attractions | £60 to £150 | First-time visitors |
| Premium attraction schedule | £250+ | Families and experience-led travellers |
Adult prices, booked in advance where possible. Children’s tickets are usually cheaper. Prices are optional spend and depend on how many attractions you choose.
Transport, food and attraction prices are estimates and may change due to operator updates, exchange rates, taxes or service charges.
Singapore Trip Cost for 3, 5 and 7 Days
These worked examples use the same method throughout: accommodation shown as one person’s share of a room, hawker-leaning food for budget and a mix higher up, MRT-based transport, and a sensible number of attractions.
Three-Day Singapore Trip Cost
A three-day stay suits stopover travellers, first-timers and anyone combining Singapore with Bali, Malaysia or Australia. Including three hotel nights, daily meals, airport transport, MRT journeys, two paid attractions and some personal spending, expect roughly £150 to £250 land-only for budget travellers, £350 to £600 mid-range and £900 or more for luxury. Add return UK flights on top.
Singapore Five-Day Trip Cost
Five days allow a fuller experience: five hotel nights, food, transport, three to five attractions, one nicer dinner, airport transfers and a small shopping allowance. Land-only, a solo budget traveller might spend £280 to £450, a couple around £550 to £900 between them, and a family more again. Mid-range and luxury tiers scale up from there.
Singapore One-Week Trip Cost
A one week trip to Singapore is where the numbers settle into the headline ranges. For seven hotel nights, return UK flights, meals, daily transport, major attractions, travel insurance, an eSIM, some shopping and an emergency buffer, budget travellers typically land at £1,100 to £1,800 per person, mid-range at £2,000 to £3,200, and luxury at £3,500 or more.
| Duration | Budget traveller | Mid-range traveller | Luxury traveller |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | £750 to £1,050 | £1,100 to £1,700 | £2,200+ |
| 5 days | £950 to £1,450 | £1,600 to £2,500 | £3,000+ |
| 7 days | £1,100 to £1,800 | £2,000 to £3,200 | £3,500+ |
Per person, flights included, based on two adults sharing a room. Solo travellers pay more per night for a private room. Totals shift with travel dates, especially UK school holidays.
Singapore Trip Cost for a Couple
Couples get proper value in Singapore because a shared hotel room, shared taxis and shared transfers spread the fixed costs across two people. The Singapore trip cost for a couple is often lower per person than for a solo traveller paying full room rates alone.
A couple’s budget covers return flights for two, one shared room, meals for two, public transport, airport transfers, attraction tickets, one romantic meal or experience, travel insurance and spending money. Here’s how three styles compare as a combined total for both of you.
| Couple travel style | Five-day total | Seven-day total | Main inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | £1,900 to £2,900 | £2,300 to £3,600 | Basic hotel and public transport |
| Mid-range | £3,200 to £5,000 | £4,000 to £6,400 | Four-star hotel and key attractions |
| Luxury or honeymoon | £6,000+ | £7,000+ | Premium hotel, dining and transfers |
Combined totals for two adults, including return UK flights. A honeymoon with skyline suites and fine dining sits at the very top of the luxury range and beyond.
Singapore Family Holiday Cost
For a family of two adults and two children, costs depend heavily on the children’s ages, which affect flight fares, room configuration and attraction prices. Under-sevens travel free on the MRT, which helps.
Key family costs include a family room versus two rooms, child flight fares, extra beds, breakfast inclusions, family airport transfers, MRT journeys, Sentosa and wildlife attractions, snacks and drinks, and travel insurance. School-holiday dates raise both flight and hotel prices, so flexibility pays off where the calendar allows.
Family money-saving shouts:
- Look for a family room that includes breakfast to cover the first meal of the day.
- Compare attraction bundles carefully against individual child tickets.
- Stay near an MRT station to cut taxi spending.
- Carry refillable water bottles, as the tap water is safe and refill points are common.
- Mix free days with premium days out rather than paying for an attraction every single day.
Tell our UK travel team your dates, departure airport and budget, and we’ll put together a straightforward quote without the faff.
Hidden Singapore Travel Costs UK Travellers Often Miss
The sticker price of flights and hotels rarely tells the whole story. These are the extras that quietly add up, so it’s worth budgeting for them from the start.
- Checked baggage and seat reservations on the flight.
- UK airport parking or rail travel to the airport.
- Overnight airport hotels for early departures.
- Refundable hotel deposits taken at check-in.
- Early check-in and late check-out charges.
- Restaurant service charges and GST.
- Currency conversion and overseas bank-card fees.
- An eSIM or roaming for mobile data.
- Travel insurance and attraction booking fees.
- Souvenirs, alcohol, laundry and luggage storage.
- Unexpected medical or emergency transport costs.
We recommend adding a contingency fund of roughly 10% to your calculated budget rather than travelling with every pound already accounted for. A little breathing room can save a proper headache if your plans change.
When Is Singapore Cheapest to Visit?
No single month is reliably the cheapest, because prices respond to both UK and Singapore demand. Costs climb around UK summer holidays, Christmas and New Year, February half-term and Easter, and locally around Chinese New Year, the Singapore Grand Prix, major exhibitions and big concerts. Weekends and short booking windows also push fares up.
To keep costs down, aim for shoulder periods rather than school-holiday peaks, stay flexible on your departure date, consider midweek travel, and book well ahead for busy dates. Comparing package prices across several dates often surfaces a cracking deal you might otherwise miss.
For a proper bucket-list getaway, take a look at our trip.
How to Reduce Your Singapore Trip Cost
Rather than vague tips, here’s what genuinely moves the needle on your total.
- Compare several UK departure airports, including the cost of getting to each.
- Travel outside UK school holidays where you can.
- Stay near an MRT station and eat at hawker centres.
- Use public transport instead of taxis for routine journeys.
- Book only the attractions you truly want, and mix free ones with paid.
- Carry a refillable bottle and limit premium cocktails and rooftop bars.
- Check whether hotel breakfast is worth paying for or better skipped.
- Compare package inclusions and avoid poor currency exchange rates.
- Set a daily spending limit and keep a small contingency fund.
Where to Save and Where to Spend
Save on the things that don’t shape your memories: routine transport, everyday meals, unnecessary hotel upgrades and airport taxis. Spend where it counts: a well-located hotel that saves travel time, one standout attraction, a memorable meal, and travel insurance that actually covers you. That balance keeps the budget sensible without making the trip feel like a compromise.
Is Singapore Expensive for UK Travellers?
Singapore can feel expensive in specific areas: central hotels, alcohol, fine dining, premium attractions, taxis and Marina Bay experiences all carry a premium comparable to a major Western city.
Yet it offers proper value elsewhere. The MRT and buses are cheap and superb, hawker food is world-class for a few pounds, many top sights are free, neighbourhoods are walkable, and the infrastructure is clean and efficient, so you waste little money on hassle. Singapore is not the cheapest destination in Southeast Asia, but it can still offer cracking value when flights and hotels are planned carefully and daily spending is kept sensible.
Singapore Package Holiday Cost vs Booking Separately
Booking independently means arranging return flights, individual hotel stays, airport transfers, any internal flights for a multi-centre trip, checked baggage, separate supplier payments and attraction bookings yourself, and handling any disruption across several suppliers.
A package coordinates flights and hotels together, often bundles transfers and baggage, may include financial protection, gives you one point of contact and sometimes allows staged payments. That can be especially handy for multi-country trips.
| Cost or feature | Booking separately | Package holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | Booked individually | May be included |
| Hotels | Separate reservations | Arranged together |
| Transfers | Added separately | May be included |
| Financial protection | Depends on booking | Check package protection |
| Payment structure | Multiple payments | May allow staged payments |
| Support | Several suppliers | One travel contact |
| Flexibility | High | Depends on itinerary |
| Planning time | More research needed | Much of it handled |
A package is not automatically cheaper. Independent travel suits those who want full flexibility, while a package can offer better convenience or value once several flights, hotels and transfers are involved. Compare like for like rather than a bare flight-and-hotel price against a package that includes baggage and transfers.
Turn Your Singapore Budget into a Multi-Centre Asia Holiday
Many UK travellers use Singapore as a short, polished city stay before continuing on to somewhere more relaxed. Bali is a favourite for beaches and wellness, and Kuala Lumpur adds food, shopping and city sightseeing just a short hop away.
A multi-centre itinerary can cut the planning hassle because the flights, accommodation and transfers are coordinated as one journey rather than stitched together from separate bookings.
Prefer to have the flights, hotels and transfers sorted in one go? Explore our trip and request a personalised quote for your preferred dates.
Final Singapore Trip Cost Checklist
Run through this before you book so nothing catches you out.
- Return UK flights
- Checked baggage
- Airport parking or rail tickets
- Hotel accommodation
- Hotel taxes and deposits
- Food and drinks
- Public transport
- Airport transfers
- Attraction tickets
- Travel insurance
- Mobile data or eSIM
- Shopping money
- Emergency funds
Pricing note: All figures in this guide are planning estimates checked in, not fixed quotes. Flight fares, hotel rates and exchange rates change with dates, demand and availability. As a rough guide at the time of writing, £1 was worth around S$1.70, but currency rates fluctuate, so verify live prices before booking.
Final Thoughts on Your Singapore Trip Cost
Your final Singapore trip cost depends mostly on five things: UK flight prices, your hotel choice, how long you stay, your dining style and how many attractions you pay for. Get those right and the total becomes far more predictable.
Singapore genuinely works across budgets. Budget travellers can lean on hawker centres, public transport and free attractions. Mid-range travellers can enjoy comfortable hotels and the main sights without going overboard. Luxury visitors can spend considerably more on Marina Bay hotels, standout dining and private experiences.
Work out your ideal trip length, choose a sensible spending range and compare the full inclusions before booking. With the right plan, Singapore can feel like proper value rather than a destination that simply drains the wallet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Singapore Trip Costs
No. British citizens do not need a tourist visa to visit Singapore and can enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days for tourism, business or a short social visit. There is no visa fee to budget for. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of entry, and you should still submit the required arrival card before you travel.
Yes. The SG Arrival Card is completely free when submitted through the official Immigration and Checkpoints Authority website or the MyICA app. Every traveller must file it within three days before arrival, including children. Third-party sites may charge a fee for filing it on your behalf, but this is unnecessary, so use the official channel and pay nothing.
Yes. Tourists aged 16 or over can reclaim Singapore’s 9% GST on goods through the electronic Tourist Refund Scheme when departing by air from Changi or Seletar Airport. You must spend at least S$100 at a participating retailer, show your passport at purchase and take the goods with you. After the operator’s fee you typically get around 7% to 8% back.
No, tipping is not expected in Singapore and is not part of the local culture. Hawker centres do not add anything, and you simply pay the listed price. Many restaurants and hotels already add a 10% service charge along with GST, so an extra tip is not required. Rounding up or leaving a little for exceptional service is welcome but entirely optional.
No. The local currency is the Singapore dollar, and pounds are not accepted for everyday spending. Card payments and contactless are widely used, including on the MRT, so a travel-friendly debit or credit card is convenient. Carry a little cash for smaller hawker stalls. Watch for overseas card charges and poor exchange rates when converting or withdrawing money.
Yes. Many of Changi Airport’s free features, such as gardens and art installations across the terminals, can be enjoyed while transiting. The Jewel complex, including the Rain Vortex indoor waterfall, is reachable and free to walk through, though some experiences like the Canopy Park charge admission. Access can depend on your transit route and immigration arrangements, so allow time and check signage on arrival.
