One of the world’s most modern cities, Singapore has transformed itself in recent years to a must-see city for anyone going to Asia. It’s now quite expensive compared to most other large Asian cities, but it still mostly feels like good value.
Even before the exposure in Crazy, Rich Asians, Singapore had been known as one of the world’s great food destinations. Better still, many of the city’s best eateries are the super-affordable hawker stalls found in almost every neighborhood.
The architecture is also a huge highlight, especially with the amazing Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino that dominates the skyline.
| Population | 5,000,000 |
| Area | 5,000,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+8 |
| Currency | Singapore dollar |
| Airports | Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) |
Singapore has long been an excellent shopping destination with dozens of nice shopping centers featuring chain stores and one-offs at reasonable prices.
Again, the food scene in Singapore is legendary. You can find a dizzying array of Asian specialties at the traditional sit-down restaurants, and many other local delights at the famous hawker centers.
With its combination of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures, Singapore features a wide variety of temples and other cultural sights that feel like you are visiting several places at once.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 23.70 - 38.52 |
| 47.41 - 118.52 |
| 82.22 - 133.33 |
| 112.59 - 165.19 |
| 283.70 - 407.41 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 13.33 - 33.33 |
Food in Singapore is one of the main highlights, with its famous hawker stalls all over the city preparing excellent and generous meals for a very low cost, in very sanitary conditions. Drinks can be a bit expensive by Asian standards, but happy hour bargains can be found. Restaurants meant for tourists can be expensive, especially in the main hotel districts.
| Budget breakfast | Great and cheap meals can be found at the many hawker centers around the clock. | $3.11 - $5.93 |
| Budget lunch | Your lunch and breakfast choices will be the same, so this assumes a larger midday meal. | $4.00 - $7.41 |
| Budget dinner | Assuming you want a sit-down dinner in a real restaurant, things here get more expensive. | $9.63 - $18.52 |
| Beer (.63L bottle) | Big bottles of Tiger and Anchor are this cheap at hawker centers and some Chinese restaurants. Bars charge double or triple this. | $4.07 - $6.67 |
| Cocktails (glass) | Mixed drinks tend to be pricey, even at casual bars. | $7.41 - $11.11 |
| Single dish at a hawker center | These collections of vendors are the best deal in Singapore. With a light appetite you can eat cheaply, or stuff yourself with multiple dishes at a reasonable price. | $2.59 - $4.44 |
The hop-on, hop-off tours of Singapore are very worthwhile and a great way to get your bearings early in your visit. The main tourist districts are spread apart and being able to take a double-decker open-top bus between them is helpful.
Walking tours of Singapore are worth a look if they cater to your specific interests.
| Month | High F | Low F | PRECIP (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 85 | 75 | 9.9 |
| February | 88 | 76 | 6.8 |
| March | 88 | 77 | 7.6 |
| April | 89 | 77 | 7.4 |
| May | 88 | 78 | 6.8 |
| June | 88 | 78 | 6.8 |
| July | 87 | 78 | 6.7 |
| August | 87 | 78 | 7.7 |
| September | 87 | 76 | 7.0 |
| October | 87 | 77 | 8.2 |
| November | 87 | 76 | 10.0 |
| December | 85 | 75 | 10.1 |
More than just about any other place on earth, Singapore’s rainforest-like climate stays almost exactly the same every day of the year. You can count on it being hot and humid during the day and very warm and humid every night. It also rains a lot virtually every month so it’s a good idea to be prepared for a sudden downpour or two, also keeping in mind the sweltering heat and humidity you’ll still be swimming in.
November through January are the slightly wetter “monsoon” months, but that really doesn’t change things much in Singapore. Curiously, May is generally the hottest month of the year by a little bit, and it’s typically the most uncomfortable as well.
| 21 Mar | 7:09am | 7:16pm |
| 21 Jun | 7:01am | 7:13pm |
| 21 Sep | 6:55am | 7:02pm |
| 21 Dec | 7:02am | 7:04pm |
Hotels and even hostels in Singapore are now even more expensive than those in Tokyo, so this will be your biggest expense. You’ll find some cheaper places mixed in the listings, but they will all be in inconvenient neighborhoods and often there will be no window in the room. For a proper 3-star hotel (with a window), you’ll spend a small fortune.
Hotels and hostels in Singapore tend to be popular all year round, although there are some seasonal variations to be aware of. June and July tend to be high season in Singapore as many foreign tourists have free time during that period. November and December are also a high season for hotels in particular as many Malaysians and other nearby people have long holidays during this period.
The rest of the year could generally be considered the low season, but don’t expect the prices to drop much. If anything this just means you’ll have to book further ahead if you are coming during high season while during the rest of the year you have a decent chance of booking something in person or at the last minute.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 23.70 - 38.52 |
| 47.41 - 118.52 |
| 82.22 - 133.33 |
| 112.59 - 165.19 |
| 283.70 - 407.41 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 13.33 - 33.33 |
Most visitors arrive in Singapore into Changi Airport, which frequently tops the world’s-best airport lists. Fares from within Asia are usually very reasonable, and fares from Europe and North America are competitive as well.
Train service connects Singapore with Malaysia, although it’s necessary to go through immigration and customs and then change trains on the other side.
Bus service from Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere in Malaysia is frequent and affordable, although going through the border is similar to the train so it’s a bit more complicated than it could be.
Many of the tourist districts of Singapore are very pedestrian friendly and the island is almost completely flat, but it is always quite warm and humid so walking long distances isn’t always ideal.
The MRT is the metro system and it’s very affordable and efficient. It connects most of the tourist hubs as well as the airport.
Taxis in Singapore are easy to use and are more honest than most other places in Asia.
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport to city center | 14.81 - 22.22 |
| Shuttle bus from airport to city center | 6.67 |
| Subway from airport to city center | 1.70 |
| 3km taxi ride in Singapore | 3.70 - 5.93 |
| Subway/light rail ride | 0.59 - 1.63 |