Traveling to Singapore on a Budget

Although Singapore is known to be one of the most expensive countries to visit, there are many ways to travel Singapore without spending too much. Actually, if you know where to eat, shop, stay and go, you could be spending less compared to other Asian countries. So without further ado, here are the ways to travel Singapore on a budget.

Where to Stay in Singapore

If you have already checked all the popular hotel booking sites in Singapore, you probably noticed that the cheapest hotels are all in Geylang. Most of them only cost $20 (1,000 Philippine Pesos) per night for 2 persons but that could go lower if you're willing to stay in a shared bedroom. When our team stayed in Singapore for 14 days, we tried three different low-cost hotel in Geylang and they were all okay.

Another reason why we will always choose to stay in Geylang is because of the countless hawker centers in every corner. A meal with two to three viand with a big portion of rice only costs 2 to 3.5 SGD (70 to 100 Philippine Pesos). And even though we ate there every breakfast and dinner time in our 14-day visit, we didn't mind because the choices of viands for each store were serving 10 to 15 different viands.

Little India is another area where many hotels are offered cheaper. However, our team hasn't tried any place from there yet so we can't recommend any hotel.

Is it safe to stay in a hotel in Geylang?

If you ask your Singaporean friends or taxi drivers, most of them will tell you that Geylang is not a good place to stay in. But so far, it wasn't really that bad. Yes, some of the cheapest hotels are not 100% clean but they were all safe to stay in. If you're looking for a clean, safe but affordable hotel, you should look for hotels at $75 to $100 USD a night (3,500 to 5,000 Philippine Pesos)

Another reason why locals are not enthusiastic of Geylang because it's their version of the red-light district. But in our experience, it wasn't really that bad. There were girls who will call the attention of guys while we walk but if you just ignore them - they will stop bothering you.

Budget Hotels in Singapore (Geylang) we Recommend:

• Bright Star Hotel ($75 to $100 USD a night for 4 persons)
• Lai Ming Hotel Cosmoland

Always remember that it's much cheaper to travel by group especially with the accommodation expense. Two of our favorite place to look for hotels are in Agoda.com and AirBnB.com.

Where to Eat in Singapore

The best place to eat in Singapore are the hawker centers in the street or the food court inside the mall. Prices vary from 2 to 3 SGD in hawker centers, 3 to 5 SGD in food courts inside the mall and our all-time favorite rectangle ice cream for only 1 SGD.

Some of our favorite food stalls in Singapore that are worth trying (and not too expensive) are the following:

• Old Chang Kee
• IKEA food place
• Takagi Ramen Shop in Ang Mo Kio
• Mong Kok Dimsum (not cheap but serves really good food)

Faucet Water is Safe to Drink

We also like the fact that faucet water in Singapore is very safe to drink! Since our team was on a budget on our last visit, we refilled our water bottles even in the comfort rooms of the mall. Some of our team members didn't like the idea of drinking water from a bathroom faucet so they opt to buy water.

Where to Shop in Singapore

As a certified Cheaparian and bargain shopper, I found a number of shops in Singapore where you can find branded goods at a discounted price. Sometimes, you can even get freebies from malls just for visiting them and finishing a simple activity. Below is a list of the shops you can find cheap goods to buy:

• Valu $
• IMM
• Chinatown

Free Places to Visit in Singapore

• Baba House
• Gardens by the Bay Supertrees and watch its 15-minutes sound and light show
• National Museum of Singaporean Museum
• Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park
• Merlion
• Sultan Mosque
• Changi Airport