Singapore Per Day Expenses: Real Budget Breakdown for Indian Backpackers (2026)
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-23
Plan on ₹6,713-₹10,443 (~90-140 SGD or ~$69.68-$108.39) per day for a real Singapore backpacker budget (1 SGD ≈ ₹74.76). That gets you a hostel dorm, three hawker meals, an EZ-Link card for the MRT, and one paid attraction.
Singapore is the most expensive Southeast Asian city for Indian backpackers, by a wide margin. A meal that costs in Bangkok runs ₹448-₹895 (~6-12 SGD or ~$4.65-$9.29) here, a dorm bed that runs ₹858 (~$8.91) in Chiang Mai runs ₹2,238-₹4,102 (~30-55 SGD or ~$23.23-$42.58) here, and a beer is ₹895-₹1,343 (~12-18 SGD or ~$9.29-$13.94) instead of ₹229-₹343 (~$2.38-$3.56). The good news: the MRT is genuinely cheap, hawker centres are an honest answer to “what’s for dinner,” and you don’t need a tour operator for almost anything. The bad news: there is no Southeast Asian-style “backpacker Singapore” the way Chiang Mai or Hanoi has one. You will be spending more than anywhere else on this route.
This guide gives you real line-item costs (hostels, hawker food, MRT, SIM, sightseeing, beer) so you can budget properly before you fly. Every figure is in SGD for what you pay on the ground, with the rupee equivalent worked out from the current rate of 1 SGD ≈ ₹74.76 (you’ll find rupee figures throughout for quick mental math).
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget daily total (hostel + hawker + MRT) | ₹6,713-₹10,443 (~90-140 SGD or ~$69.68-$108.39) | , |
| Tight budget (shared room, cheapest food, walking) | ₹4,848-₹5,967 (~65-80 SGD or ~$50.33-$61.94) | , |
| Comfortable (private room + mid-range food + attractions) | ₹13,426-₹19,393 (~180-260 SGD or ~$139.36-$201.30) | , |
| Hostel dorm bed (city-centre) | 30-55 | , |
| Hawker meal (chicken rice, nasi lemak, thosai) | 4-7 | , |
| Coffee (kopi at hawker centre) | 1.2-2 | , |
| MRT single trip | 0.99-2.50 | , |
| Tourist SIM (Singtel/M1, 7 days, 50GB) | 15 | , |
| Sentosa entry (free on foot, paid if attractions) | 0-60 | , |
| Pint of beer at a bar | 12-18 | , |
| Currency | 1 SGD ≈ ₹74.76 | , |
What Counts as “Per Day” in Singapore?
Three things make Singapore’s daily cost different from the rest of Southeast Asia. First, accommodation is the single biggest line item. Singapore has few true budget hostels, and the ones it has sit at the ₹2,238-₹4,102 (~30-55 SGD or ~$23.23-$42.58) mark for a dorm bed, far above Bangkok or Hanoi. Second, food is genuinely cheap at hawker centres but jumps the moment you sit in a mall food court or a tourist-area restaurant. Third, transport is fixed at roughly ₹75-₹186 (~1-2.50 SGD or ~$0.77-$1.94) per MRT ride, regardless of how far you go, so a single day of moving around the city adds up faster than the per-trip price suggests. Add entry tickets to Gardens by the Bay, the Singapore Flyer, or Sentosa, and a “budget day” can become a ₹14,918 (~200 SGD or ~$154.85) day quickly. For a broader country-by-city breakdown across the region, see our Southeast Asia backpacking hub.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Most Indian travellers blow their Singapore budget in the first 48 hours by eating in the malls (₹895-₹1,343 (~12-18 SGD or ~$9.29-$13.94) a meal) and not realising hawker centres exist. Once you find a hawker centre near your hostel and switch to kopi + chicken rice + teh tarik, your daily food cost drops from ₹3,729 (~50 SGD or ~$38.71) to ₹1,119 (~15 SGD or ~$11.61).
Where to Stay: Hostel & Accommodation Costs
A clean dorm bed in a central hostel runs ₹2,238-₹4,102 (~30-55 SGD or ~$23.23-$42.58). Singapore has fewer than a dozen proper backpacker hostels, and the city-centre ones (Bugis, Little India, Chinatown) fill up fast on weekends. Anything under ₹1,865 (~25 SGD or ~$19.36) is almost always a noisy party hostel or a capsule hotel with shared bathrooms well outside the centre.
Private rooms in hostels (still shared bathroom) run ₹5,221-₹8,205 (~70-110 SGD or ~$54.20-$85.17), and a basic private hotel room with ensuite starts around ₹8,951-₹13,426 (~120-180 SGD or ~$92.91-$139.36), climbing fast once you add weekends or MRT proximity. Budget 2-3 nights longer than you think you’ll need if you’re arriving on a Friday, since the cheap dorms go first.
Safety Alert: Most “hostels” listed on Booking at ₹1,119-₹1,492 (~15-20 SGD or ~$11.61-$15.48) in Singapore are workers’ dormitories or illegal guesthouses. Stick to the well-reviewed ones in the shortlist, and book at least 3-4 weeks ahead in July and December (peak season).
For a broader comparison of hostel vs. Hotel pricing across the city, see our cheap hotels in Singapore guide.
Food Costs: Hawker Centres Will Save Your Trip
Hawker centres are the single reason Singapore is backpacker-doable on a budget. A proper hawker meal (chicken rice, nasi lemak, char kway teow, thosai, bak chor mee) runs ₹298-₹522 (~4-7 SGD or ~$3.10-$5.42), and kopi (coffee) is ₹90-₹149 (~1.20-2 SGD or ~$0.93-$1.55). You can eat three meals at a hawker centre for under ₹1,343 (~18 SGD or ~$13.94) a day, which would cost ₹3,729-₹4,475 (~50-60 SGD or ~$38.71-$46.45) if you ate in Orchard Road malls.
For a deeper dive into which hawker centres are worth the MRT ride, see our best hawker centres in Singapore under ₹373 (~5 SGD or ~$3.87) guide.
A few real spots worth knowing by name:
- Ming’s Cafe & Pub, casual local spot for a cold drink and a simple bite when you want to sit down somewhere a step up from a hawker stall.
- Sanook Kitchen - Square 2, surprisingly affordable Thai food near Novena, useful when you want something other than Chinese or Malay.
- Yogiyo Korean restaurant, solid Korean food at Singapore mall prices, good for a change-of-pace dinner.
- Joya Onsen Cafe. Japanese-inspired onsen cafe with food; the entry fee plus a meal is on the higher side, treat it as a half-day activity, not a regular dinner.
Indian Food in Singapore (Veg-Friendly Spots)
When the dal-chawal craving hits, you have three good real options:
- Sahebs - The Indian Restaurant | Orchard Road | Indian Cuisine | Singapore, proper North Indian food on Orchard Road, the kind of place where the menu has butter chicken, paneer tikka, and a real dal makhani. Prices sit at the higher end of the Indian-restaurant range in Singapore.
- Zaffron Tandoori Restaurant @ Boat Quay Singapore, tandoori dishes in a riverside setting, popular with both tourists and the Indian diaspora. Good for a slightly special dinner.
- Black Pepper Multicuisine Restaurant Singapore, covers North and South Indian, so dosas and idlis are available alongside the standard Punjabi menu. Modern setting, slightly more expensive than the Boat Quay option.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Strict-veg travellers should ask for “no egg, no meat stock” explicitly, even at Indian restaurants. Most Singapore Indian restaurants use dairy ghee freely and a few soups use chicken stock as a base. The three spots above all handle the request well, but phrase it every time.
Transport: MRT, Buses, and the EZ-Link Card
The MRT is the backbone of any Singapore trip. A single trip costs ₹74-₹186 (~0.99-2.50 SGD or ~$0.77-$1.94) depending on distance, paid by EZ-Link card. The card itself costs ₹746 (~10 SGD or ~$7.74) at any MRT station counter (a ₹373 (~5 SGD or ~$3.87) non-refundable deposit plus ₹373 (~5 SGD or ~$3.87) stored value), and you top it up as needed.
For most backpackers, ₹1,119-₹1,492 (~15-20 SGD or ~$11.61-$15.48) of stored value is enough for 3-4 days of MRT rides. Add a few bus trips (₹67-₹186 (~0.90-2.50 SGD or ~$0.70-$1.94) each) and you’re at ₹1,865-₹2,238 (~25-30 SGD or ~$19.36-$23.23) for a 5-day transport budget.
Grab is the ride-hailing app and runs ₹597-₹1,119 (~8-15 SGD or ~$6.19-$11.61) for most central trips. Use it after midnight when the MRT closes, or when you’re lugging a bag from the airport. Don’t use it for short hops, the MRT is faster and a tenth of the price.
For detailed routes across the city, our city-by-city local transport guides cover Singapore in depth.
Connectivity: SIM Card & eSIM
The two main tourist SIM options are Singtel and M1, both available at Changi Airport counters right after immigration. The standard 7-day tourist SIM runs ₹1,119 (~15 SGD or ~$11.61) and comes with roughly 50GB of data, which is more than enough for a week of MRT navigation, Google Maps, and WhatsApp calls back home.
You can buy the same SIM cheaper at a 7-Eleven or Singtel shop in town if you don’t want to queue at the airport, but the airport counter is genuinely the easiest option if you’re arriving late.
If you’d rather skip the physical SIM, Get Nomad eSIM ships a data-only plan to your email before you fly, so you have data the moment the plane lands and don’t need to queue at the airport at all.
Sightseeing & Entry Fees
Singapore has a lot of paid attractions, and the trick is picking 2-3 per day, not stacking everything in. The Singapore Flyer runs around ₹2,461 (~33 SGD or ~$25.55) for a standard ticket, Gardens by the Bay’s two conservatories are around ₹2,238 (~30 SGD or ~$23.23) combined, and the Supertree light show is free. Universal Studios Singapore on Sentosa starts at ₹4,475 (~60 SGD or ~$46.45)+ and goes up fast on weekends.
For free or near-free activities, the Macritchie Treetop Walk Trailhead is a free 8-10 km hike through real rainforest ending at a 250-meter suspension bridge, with monkeys and monitor lizards if you’re lucky. Check it out here: Macritchie Treetop Walk Trailhead tour.
The TreeTop Walk itself is the suspension bridge section of that same trail, free to access once you’re on the path. See current options here: TreeTop Walk tour.
If you want the city skyline, the Singapore Flyer is the classic option. The standard entry ticket is here: See Singapore Flyer Entry Ticket tours on GetYourGuide. The Flyer observation wheel alone (without a package) is also bookable here: See Singapore Flyer tours on GetYourGuide.
For adrenaline, Mega Adventure - Singapore has Asia’s steepest zip line and a decent aerial obstacle course. Worth a half-day if you’re into that: See Mega Adventure - Singapore tours on GetYourGuide.
For an overview of the city in one go, the Guided City Tour by Amphibious Duck Boat drives and then floats through Marina Bay: See Guided City Tour by Amphibious Duck Boat tours on GetYourGuide.
For a calm evening, the Singapore River Cruise, Garden Rhapsody & Spectra by CYT combines a river cruise with the two free light-and-sound shows (Garden Rhapsody at Supertree Grove and Spectra at Marina Bay Sands). One ticket, three things to see.
Daily Budget Breakdown (Real Numbers)
Here is what a real Singapore day looks like in three tiers. All figures in SGD, with the rupee equivalent at 1 SGD ≈ ₹74.76.
| Item | Tight Budget | Mid-Range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | 30 | 45 | , |
| Private room with ensuite | , | , | 150 |
| Breakfast (kopi + kaya toast) | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| Lunch (hawker / casual) | 5 | 8 | 18 |
| Dinner (hawker / Indian) | 7 | 15 | 28 |
| Snacks / coffee | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| MRT + bus (EZ-Link) | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| One attraction | 0 (free) | 20 | 35 |
| Beer or drink | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| Misc / SIM share | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Daily total (SGD) | ~55 | ~120 | ~284 |
| Daily total (₹) | ~4,110 | ~8,970 | ~21,230 |
A 5-day Singapore trip for a budget backpacker lands at roughly ₹22,377-₹33,565 (~300-450 SGD or ~$232.27-$348.41) plus flights. For a comfortable mid-range week with a private room and a couple of paid attractions, ₹74,590-₹104,425 (~1,000-1,400 SGD or ~$774.24-$1,083.94) is realistic, and flights from India typically run ₹18,000-₹30,000 (~$186.84-$311.40) round trip from Chennai, Bengaluru, or Hyderabad.
For context on how Singapore compares to the rest of the region, our Southeast Asia trip budget breakdown by city ranks it as the most expensive of the 10 main cities, ahead of Kuala Lumpur and well ahead of Bangkok, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh.
What Most Guides Don’t Tell You
Three things that catch Indian backpackers off-guard:
1. The “tourist tax” on alcohol is steep. A pint of beer at any bar in Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, or Orchard runs ₹895-₹1,343 (~12-18 SGD or ~$9.29-$13.94), and a cocktail is ₹1,492-₹2,089 (~20-28 SGD or ~$15.48-$21.68). Two drinks a night for a week adds ₹12,680-₹18,647 (~170-250 SGD or ~$131.62-$193.56) to your trip, which single-handedly moves you from “budget” to “mid-range.” If drinking matters to your trip, plan for it explicitly.
2. Air-conditioning is not optional. Singapore is hot and humid year-round (27-32°C), and every mall, MRT station, and most restaurants are heavily air-conditioned. You’ll want at least one t-shirt that covers your shoulders for indoors and you’ll be buying water constantly. Budget SGD 2-4/day for bottled water at hawker centres.
3. Indian SIM roaming eats your budget fast. A 1GB/day roaming pack from Jio or Airtel runs ₹300-500/day, which is SGD 4-7/day. Over a week that’s ₹2,100-₹3,500 (~$21.80-$36.33) you didn’t need to spend, since a Singtel or M1 tourist SIM is ₹1,119 (~15 SGD or ~$11.61) total. Switch to a local SIM or eSIM the moment you clear immigration.
Safety Alert: Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world for solo travellers, including solo women. Standard precautions apply (watch your bag in crowded MRTs, use licensed taxis), but violent crime against tourists is rare. For any pre-trip advisory, check the MEA Singapore page before you fly.
Money Tips: Cards, Cash, and the FX Trap
Three rules save you money in Singapore:
- Use a forex card (Niyo Global, HDFC ForexPlus, or Wise) for everything you can. You get the interbank rate plus a small markup, which is much better than the airport counter or any hotel exchange. Avoid dynamic currency conversion (DCC) at card terminals, always pay in SGD, never in INR.
- Carry ₹7,459-₹11,188 (~100-150 SGD or ~$77.42-$116.14) cash for hawker centres and small stalls. Most hawker stalls still prefer cash or PayNow (which needs a Singapore bank account, so not useful to you). Grab accepts cards, MRT top-ups need cash or the EZ-Link portal.
- Don’t change money at Changi Airport. The rate is the worst you’ll find in the country. If you forgot to bring SGD, use an ATM at the airport (your forex card charges apply) instead.
The current rate of 1 SGD ≈ ₹74.76 means every SGD 10 you spend is roughly ₹750 (~$7.79). Small daily purchases add up: a ₹895 (~12 SGD or ~$9.29) lunch + a ₹373 (~5 SGD or ~$3.87) kopi + a ₹112 (~1.50 SGD or ~$1.16) MRT ride is already ₹1,388 (~$14.41) before you’ve seen an attraction.
Subodh’s Take
Singapore is the one stop on a Southeast Asia trip where you can’t pretend it’s “the same as Thailand but with better English.” It will cost you twice as much as Bangkok for a comparable level of comfort, and the trade-off (clean streets, MRT that works, no scams) is real but not free. If your budget is tight, fly in for 3 nights, eat exclusively at hawker centres, do the free Supertree show, and skip Sentosa entirely. If your budget is comfortable, give yourself 5 nights, do the Flyer, the River Cruise, and one Sentosa half-day, and you’ll have a great time without feeling like you missed the city. Either way, don’t arrive without a forex card and a real daily number in mind, because Singapore doesn’t give you the option to “wing it” the way Hanoi or Chiang Mai does.
FAQ
How much money do I need per day in Singapore as an Indian backpacker?
Plan on ₹6,713-₹10,443 (~90-140 SGD or ~$69.68-$108.39) for a real budget day with a hostel dorm, three hawker meals, MRT travel, and one paid attraction. A tight budget with shared rooms and cheapest food drops to ₹4,848-₹5,967 (~65-80 SGD or ~$50.33-$61.94), and a comfortable day with a private room and a couple of drinks runs ₹13,426-₹19,393 (~180-260 SGD or ~$139.36-$201.30).
Is Singapore expensive compared to the rest of Southeast Asia?
Yes, by a wide margin. Singapore is roughly twice as expensive as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or Ho Chi Minh City for daily backpacker costs, and three to four times more expensive than Hanoi or Chiang Mai for accommodation. The main drivers are hostel dorms (₹2,238-₹4,102 (~30-55 SGD or ~$23.23-$42.58) vs ₹858-₹1,429 (~$8.91-$14.83)) and alcohol (₹895-₹1,343 (~12-18 SGD or ~$9.29-$13.94) a pint vs ₹229-₹343 (~$2.38-$3.56)). Hawker food and MRT rides are the only things that are still genuinely cheap.
Can I survive in Singapore on ₹3,729 (~50 SGD or ~$38.71) a day?
Only if you’re in a shared dorm with friends splitting a private room (₹1,865-₹2,238 (~25-30 SGD or ~$19.36-$23.23) each), eat two meals at hawker centres and skip breakfast, and walk or MRT everywhere without any paid attractions. That’s a ₹3,729 (~50 SGD or ~$38.71) floor, and it’s tight. For a more honest budget, add ₹1,492-₹2,238 (~20-30 SGD or ~$15.48-$23.23) for an attraction and a drink.
Do Indians need a visa for Singapore, and what does it cost?
Yes, Indian passport holders need a tourist visa. The fee is ₹2,119 (~$22) for a single-entry visa valid for 30 days. Apply via the ICA-authorised visa portal or a registered travel agent, processing takes 3-5 working days. You also need to show proof of onward travel and hotel booking, and the bank statement should reflect enough funds for the trip. The most common rejection reason is insufficient balance shown in the statement.
Is Singapore safe for solo Indian women travellers?
Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world for solo travellers of any gender. Public transport is safe at any hour, the streets are well-lit, and violent crime against tourists is rare. Standard precautions (watch your drink, don’t walk alone in industrial areas after midnight) apply, but the bar is far lower than in most other Southeast Asian capitals. For pre-trip advisories, the MEA Singapore page is the official Indian government source.
How many days in Singapore is enough?
3 full days covers the essentials (Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, hawker food, one Sentosa half-day). 4-5 days lets you add the Singapore Flyer, a Macritchie hike, and a night out in Clarke Quay without rushing. Anything over 5 days needs a day trip (Johor Bahru in Malaysia, or one of the Southern Islands) to feel worth it.
What’s the cheapest way to get around Singapore?
The MRT with an EZ-Link card. A single trip is ₹74-₹186 (~0.99-2.50 SGD or ~$0.77-$1.94) regardless of distance, the network covers every attraction backpackers visit, and trains run every 3-5 minutes from 5:30am to midnight. Buses fill the gaps (₹67-₹186 (~0.90-2.50 SGD or ~$0.70-$1.94)) but are slower. Skip Grab unless you’re out after midnight.
