5 Things to do in Singapore on (EXTRA) low budget

There’s always something for everyone in Singapore. Apart from the fact that the city is safe, easy to get around and clean.

Here are 5 Things to do in Singapore with an extra tight budget (even tighter than Kim Kardashian’s dress 😀 #kidding).

1.Opt for a low budget stay

Beary Best! hostel is always in my top list when looking for budget accommodation in Singapore (with super friendly staffs and lots of teddy bears 😀 ). For SGD 30/bed/night in ‘6 bed mixed dorm’ we can get all the facilities: 24 hours coffee, tea & hot chocolate (this always be my life saver when running out of budget 😀 ), free WiFi, breakfast (toast, cereals, orange slices, milk – don’t forget to wash your own dishes), and of course comfortable and spacious bed.
The hostel is located just across MRT Station Chinatown exit F. For a video on how to get there, view this link https://youtu.be/ooIq3QNZMg4

Address: 16 Upper Cross Street – Nearest MRT: Chinatown – 24 Hours reception

bearybesthostel.com

  

2. Buy Singapore Tourist Pass

The Singapore Tourist Pass offers tourists unlimited travel on Bus and MRT trains. The 3 Days Pass costs SGD20 with additional of SGD10 refundable deposit. Buy and return the pass at Ticket Offices to get the deposit back. Remember that this pass is not valid for Sentosa train (check out no.5). Before buying the pass please check on the Ticket Offices’ location and opening hours in this link https://www.thesingaporetouristpass.com.sg/singapore-tourist-pass-faqs/#6

3. Eat like locals – aim for hawker foods!

If you (seriously) want to keep your budget tight when visiting Singapore, aim for the hawker foods! For this trip I set a budget of SGD4 per meal and believe me it is totally possible 😀 Singapore has plenty choices of delicious and affordable local food. The perks of staying at Beary Best! hostel: it is very close to the Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre – one of the best and cheapest hawker food centre. Try the economical beehoon at Chang Ji Gourmet that cost only SGD1! At first glance the portion might looks small but when you start to eat it, you can see it’s actually enough to make you full 😀

These are some hawker food centres that can be included in your itinerary (i chose these from long list of hawker centres because they are the nearest to MRT Station):

• Chinatown Complex market & Food Centre: MRT Station Chinatown, try Ye Ji Cooked Food for a portion of Economy Rice as low as SGD2 or Chang Ji Gourmet for Economy Beehoon, SGD1 only.
• Maxwell Food Centre: MRT Station Chinatown, try Fuzhou Oyster Cake for SGD2 or Zhong Guo Jie Peanut Soup for SGD1, or the famous Tian Tian and Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken rice (but be patient with the queue).
• Tiong Bahru Market: MRT Station Tiong Bahru, try the Tiong Bahru Fried Kwayteow for SGD2 and don’t forget the Jian Bo Chwee Kueh.
• Albert Centre: MRT Station Bugis, just behind the Bugis Market; try the Li Fang Porridge (the fish porridge is DA BOMB!)
• and last but not least:  Changi Airport Staff Canteen 🙂 for (still) a budget meal before and after your flight. You can find the Staff Canteen at T2 rooftop parking, it’s open for public, clean, lots of food choices with (of course) affordable price.

    

 

4. Morning run around Marina Bay Sands and end in Merlion

So I found the easiest, cheapest and most practical way to visit the ‘MUST SEE’ (and ‘MUST TAKE SELFIE’) places in Singapore: morning run! Plan for an easy morning run – start from the Marina Bay Sands (alight at MRT Station Bayfront and head towards the outside of the MBS mall building), pass the Louis Vuitton Island, Art & Science Museum, Helix Bridge, Youth Olympic Park, Esplanade, The Fullerton, and ends at Merlion. If you start early in the morning, you can even see the sun shines at the back of Marina Bay Sands from the Youth Olympic Park. Another perk of visiting earlier is there will be not so many tourists who will easily make your Merlion selfie fails 😀 There is no locker nor shower here so I just brought my phone and money in a Spibelt. Check out this link for the run course map: http://www.justrunlah.com/running_route/marina-bay/

    

 

5. Special offer Universal Studio Singapore (plus bring takeaway lunch)

A trip to Universal Studio Singapore can be the biggest lump in your budget plan — BUT there are few hacks that you can do to reduce and cut down the budget!

First

Tips for going to Sentosa for FREE: go through Sentosa Boardwalk; head to VIVO City Ground Floor and look for the Sentosa Boardwalk signage, you can use the travelator to walk to Sentosa without paying SGD4 for the Sentosa Express train. The plus point is you can take beautiful selfies along the boardwalk, which is facing the harbour and surrounded by tropical landscapes. Just walk straight and follow the direction to Universal Studio.

Second

Look for special offer! Plan your trip ahead and look for special offer from market place websites, travel agents or (your country’s) local ticket agent. I bought at a tourist agent in Indonesia which was around 10 dollars cheaper than the published rate. Awesome laah…

Third

Bring takeaway lunch 🙂 remember the Economy Rice i mentioned before? Buy Economy Rice for takeaway (if you want you may also bring your own lunchbox kit for a more convenient lunch time), bring some mineral water and bottled drinks and put them in the locker (SGD15 – the locker is quite spacious so you can share with friends and share the cost as well) before you enter the USS entrance gate. You can open the locker and lock it again at anytime. This can cut down your cost up to SGD20 and you can still have a decent meal.

SO…with all those 5 hacks, I managed to keep my last trip to Singapore (4 days 3 nights) at an extra low budget. We spend IDR 3,000,000 (around SGD 323) which already includes flight (Air Asia), accommodation (Beary Best! hostel), Universal Studio Singapore, Singapore 3 days Tourist Pass, visiting (almost) all the tourist objects (Merlions, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands mall, USS, Siloso Beach, Art Science Museum, Haji Lane, Kampong Glam, shopping at Bugis market, Orchard, etc.).

Not bad at all! 😀