Eating at hawkers, sleeping at love hotels, drinking kopi and hanging out at suburban beach bars are tips to help you spend less when traveling to Singapore.
The British weekly Economist published its annual ranking of the world's most expensive places to live in 2023 at the end of November last year. Singapore and Zurich tied for first place. Marielle Descalsota, who has lived in Singapore for 20 years, says there are still ways for visitors to explore the world's most expensive destination on a budget. Here are some suggestions.
Eating at hawker centers
Hawkers or hawker centres are popular destinations for tourists and locals to eat and drink because of the cheap prices, delicious food and hygiene. Most main dishes cost no more than SGD 5, such as chicken rice if you visit Maxwell hawker centre in Chinatown. If you visit Changi Village Hawker Centre in the east of the country, the price is only about SGD 3.
Changi Hawker Center - a popular food court in Singapore. Photo: Insider
Drink kopi instead of trendy coffee
Instead of going to fancy cafes to order an expensive latte or cappuccino that can cost up to SGD 6, visitors can try kopi - Singaporean coffee that is hand-roasted with 15 different processing methods. Locals often drink kopi to start the day for SGD 1.2.
If you stay away from the downtown areas and tourist spots, you can also find a breakfast set of kopi, two slices of toast with coconut jam and soft-boiled eggs for SGD 3.
Kopi - Singaporean coffee. Photo: Asia one
Skip the touristy beach bars and pubs
Many tourists flock to Sentosa, an offshore island famous for its luxury resorts, clubs and bars. Food and drink prices are often high. A bottle of beer here costs S$16, four times more than in a convenience store.
Instead, party at Changi Beach, a beach club in the east of Singapore. Stella Lounge, a beach club in the area, sells draft beers for around SGD 13. There are also plenty of dining options under SGD 10 at many of the popular eateries.
Stay overnight at love hotels
Instead of spending money on luxury hotels, Marielle Descalsota suggests booking a room at a love hotel, which couples rent by the hour. She rates this as "the best value for money in Singapore".
Rooms at Hotel 81 Chinatown, one of the popular chains, cost SGD 95. Marielle described the place as “clean, spacious, centrally located” and with private bathrooms rather than shared ones like in budget hostels.
Hotel 81 chain in Singapore. Photo: Booking
Visit free places
Singapore has many famous but expensive attractions such as Universal Studios Singapore and the observation deck at Marina Bay Sands with entrance fees of 62 and 32 SGD respectively.
In addition, visitors can visit free destinations such as Grilman Barracks, a contemporary art complex that gathers many international galleries in Singapore, or the NUS Museum. Free concerts are often held outdoors at the Esplanade, a famous theater complex known as the "Durian Theater".
Anh Minh (According to Insider )
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