How EXPENSIVE is SINGAPORE? - on a BUDGET

Spending the day in Singapore on a budget to see how much you can get for your money and how expensive things are in Singapore. It is known for being an expensive city but I may have found some secrets to travelling cheap in this city!
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[@KennethOngQW]

Having grown up in Singapore, my 2cents : yes we're known to be "expensive", however, we do have really cheap and affordable food options (especially if you eat local), as you've rightfully mention and shown in this very nice video! Something about Singapore ~ We have SUPER expensive stuff that we create locally and also import from across the globe, but we also have really affordable and cheap stuffs (and honestly, cheap here does not always translate to "BAD quality", which is great!)😁 Condolences to you and your loved ones. Thanks for showcasing my hometown!

[@jamiechuashify]

completely agree ~ luxury is expensive, but it is also possible to live a normal and affordable life :))

[@Joelfriend]

I agree, and hopefully realise it is a place for everyone whether you want luxury or to do things on a budget. The cheaper food we ate was SOOOO good as well!

[@simplyme3306]

For cheaper food options you will need to get your food from hawker centres or coffee shops at those local neighbourhood areas...basically non-airconditioned eateries. You can have a meal at $2.50 your ice kopi c will be under $2. Kopi c is slightly more expensive than kopi by the way. Cheaper fruits are tropical fruits. Berries are never cheap as they travel to Singapore on a plane and chilled😆

[@MrAdcdefgh]

The waterfall in the cloud garden is now the 2nd tallest indoor waterfall haha. The tallest indoor waterfall is in Jewel Changi.

[@BonanzaRoad]

So sorry to hear about your grandfather. Not long ago I lost one of my grandparents, so I know how you must feel. All best wishes to you and your family. And in the midst of your family concerns you still managed to pull off an informative, entertaining and yes, fun video! Thank you so much! It is always great to see you guys.

[@epocalypseful]

For $0 you could have gone to see flowers at the Singapore Botanical Gardens which is an UNESCO heritage site. The Flower Dome is an overhyped tourist location.

[@robintoh2383]

it is always so heartwarming to see travelers enjoying their stay in Singapore and ofc enjoying the food here too

[@DaveLakers]

We have made Hainanese Chicken Rice so many times since we visited a few years back. Its so good. Hawker centres are the best places to eat on a budget, for everything.

[@Joelfriend]

Yea, they are great, really great food too!

[@mpower6004]

First of all sorry about your Grandad . Second is that we share your opinion about travel - it is not always pure fun and excitement, there are also difficulties and disappointments when visiting a new place but that is ok everybody had that experience . But we can never let a few negatives discourage us from travel . Keep up the good work , because you guys are so cool together and we found your videos informative , entertaining , and educational as well .

[@Joelfriend]

aww thank you so much! 😊

[@RaahilAbhay]

👏 completely agree

[@Ethanolic]

Sorry to hear about your granddad. I’m glad you guys enjoy Singapore and welcome back anytime. Sending lotsa love to you and your fam.

[@lilithswonderlust4travel920]

I’m sorry for your loss of your Grandad, you will always have him with you. Thank you for sharing how to visit Singapore on a budget, that hostile was amazing really very nice I’ll definitely have to check it out when I visit.

[@wendytham611]

To be honest Singapore has Hawker centres that sell food for very cheap price

[@foodmore]

If u are in the city Center. Things will generally be more expensive. If u take the train out to the heartlands where Singaporeans really live, and eat at hawker centres. You will find much tastier and cheaper foods. Plus fruit juice will be cheaper if u get it at hawker centres rather than boost 😅

[@rosstravels.official]

Hopefully your grandfather is able to make it a little while longer! I know you weren't saying that for the comments , you were just being honest about traveling and etc. Which I respect because that's hard to say and do . But we all care about you and Emilia and so we'll do whatever we can to brighten you up. You're amazing guys! Keep doing your thing! 😁

[@elaineang993]

Nice video👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 hope you have enjoyed your stay in Singapore 🇸🇬.. happy travelling 😊😊

[@6975allow]

If you are finding for cheaper beverages and other items, always go to local supermarkets where the majority of the locals go, a hint here, convenience stores such as 7-11 or cheers are generally more pricey. Hawker centers are all over Singapore, head down to local residential areas for cheaper options, rather than china town or town areas (dishes of the same kind are much expensive in these areas).

[@Bonbon-lk9gv]

I think it depends. Sometimes cheers and 7-11 have discounts and promotions for drinks which are way cheaper than supermarkets. Cheers usually have 2 for $2+ and 7-11 have $1 bottled drinks.

[@ignxtius1683]

Need to find those neighbourhood bubble tea shop 😂

[@Cnmong]

@@ignxtius1683 the cheapskate crushed orea milk tea

[@jiiizen4460]

Thatz the fun of travelling exploring new places and honestly in Singapore there are many affordable delicious food around but you have to look for it. Just follow the locals

[@H3adx]

I am starting to realise most 711 stalls in tourist areas don't put up $1 promotion. Remember to ask the staff for any $1 drinks promotion so it will be much worth!

[@dylightfullygeekedout]

Honestly, as a Singaporean myself - you can find good, relatively affordable food if you know where to look - get to know or ask a local for recommendations. People have a misconception that everything in Singapore is expensive (which is true to SOME extent lol) but if look more closely, there's many things which are value for money.

[@ricoaranilla5949]

im from philippines what work can singapore offer for senior high grad?

[@dylightfullygeekedout]

@@ricoaranilla5949 how old is senior high? Because generally if you don't have a diploma or degree, it's easier to get part-time or flexible jobs

[@ricoaranilla5949]

@@dylightfullygeekedout 16-17 but now im 1st year college im 18

[@ricoaranilla5949]

@@dylightfullygeekedout i have diploma

[@dylightfullygeekedout]

@@ricoaranilla5949 well in Singapore, a diploma is usually associated with Polytechnics, not really a High School diploma. So I'm not sure if companies here are gonna recognise it in the same way. It would be better to finish your degree (or even better be an exchange student in Singapore).

[@Danyal_aka_Amagibestfox]

If you want to get cheaper bottled drinks in SG, you should try to find a minimart or "mama shop", usually in HDB housing estates. They sell bottled drinks for about $1 SGD per bottle.

[@hihisocr]

so sorry to hear about your grandpa's demise. My condolence. Glad you enjoy Singapore, all the best for you in KL =)

[@Joelfriend]

Thank you very much! :)

[@watcherquek263]

1) Finally watched this; so much talk about it 2) The Pod is next to where my first job was 27 years ago :D

[@MoonLiteNite]

@9:05 singapore is only "really clean" in the tourist areas... go up to kangji, or just places like behind beautyworld or the back roads in chinatown, or punggol. Plenty of roads and "sidewalks" that look like you are in LA or NY. You can easily find piles of smokes, litter, paper, piles of plastic bags and trash, beer bottles, just like everyplace else in the world.

[@MariNate1016]

Prayers up for your family. Sorry to hear about your grandfather

[@Fledermausmann]

Condolences on the loss of your Grandad... Honestly, though there are ton of either free or super budget things to do here. The most important point though is just to eat all your meals at hawker centres. Cost you maybe 3 and half quid at most or 5 SGD? Drinks should cost you less than 50p or 80 cents for a coffee/tea. I've been urging most of the tourists I meet to go to places like Bukit Timah Nature Reserve or the Botanic Gardens because well, its free and it'll be a nice way to take in the country. The Botanic Gardens especially is a fantastic place. Highly recommended.

[@edstravel]

Great video 📹 guys

[@granelyst]

Nice video. The next time you're here, get a local to bring you around. if you think what you had are cheap, there's even more cheaper options which are equally delicious. Also 7-11, go for those "offers". They usually have a $1 drink bottle option. and in general, fruits are expensive especially those which doesn't grow in the region. Had to import them. If you get ice kopi-c from a hawker centre, it's less than $2 as well. :) Regarding the travel part, it's not easy especially if you're vlogging. the recording, the editing, all that is time consuming and hard work. Could literally take hours to do a simple 10-20 mins video. Sorry about your grandfather. Hopefully things will look up for you.

[@ineeddks]

Sometimes, you can get the attraction spots tickets really cheap on websites like klook. Since you’re using a digital ticket, you can avoid queues too. (If you’re planning for a budget trip, of cus. Otherwise you can just buy at the entrance)

[@veenassa]

Local fruits or regional fruits tend to be cheaper like papaya, apples, oranges

[@user-um8wi5ym4y]

Cheapest hot coffee/ kopi-c is around S$1.10, iced kopi-c is around S$1.60 at the hawker centre and there's one pretty popular one called Golden Mile Food Centre about 5-10 minutes walk from The Pod. Cheapest bottled water/ drinks are from supermarkets not 7-11. Bottled drinks at 7-11 are around double to triple the price than those at supermarkets.

[@user-if1vh8po2f]

If you want a really cheap bus ride to KL, take bus 170 (it makes several stops along the way) from Queen St - same place as other express bus services to Johore Larkin Station - hold on to your bus ticket when going through both Sg and Malaysian immigration/customs. Carry every piece of luggage to clear both boarder crossings. You can board any same bus number on to Larkin after both boarder clearances - show your ticket on boarding. At Larkin, good for reasonably priced meals - buy another ticket on to KUL. Your total bus tickets cost can be around 60% of the cost of the direct bus fare from Sg to KUL.

[@catherinehui795]

@Godfrey Yeo. Thank you for useful bus info. Have a great week

[@dr.wanpharmd2389]

Whether the prices are expensive or cheap really depends local people's stipend.

[@anishnikhil7246]

You should have visited the cloud place at night...it looks awesome. 28 SGD seems too high...3 years back it was 10SGT. Also in the airports do pick up the Singapore map along with some tourist spots leaflets. Those leaflets contain plenty of vouchers which also brings down the ticket costs at multiple tourist destinations.

[@MoonLiteNite]

Local vs foreign pricing. Tourist have to pay a bit more, i think it was around 33% difference

[@rollie206]

2:19 The truly Singaporean way to have chicken rice is to dump a ton of chilli sauce and dark soy sauce on the rice, mix that all up and then eat it with the chicken as a side dish 😆

[@Joelfriend]

I’ll try that next time! It tastes so good!! 😊

[@jackie5765]

if you want to have quality chicken rice, you have to go to hawker centers to get them, not those in the MRT stations/food courts/shopping malls. They are not as good as those in hawker centers.

[@tantutor837]

Hi for drinks and snacks, you can try NTUC fair price supermarkets.

[@zenthumb]

This reminds me of our talk in the hostel. It is great to know that you can find something cheap in Singapore if you look hard enough. I'm sure you will be very rich soon with how you are good with money. Sorry to hear about your grandad. And by the way don't throw away your motor keys. LOL

[@xavierheng5378]

Try eating and drinking coffee in hawker centre or coffee shop, it's a lot cheaper.

[@Joelfriend]

OO okay thanks for the idea! :)

[@kimschan2642]

Bro,bro,STATUS,MORE EXPENSIVE,THE BETTER,Like BUYING L V

[@Paninaro98]

my condolences to the passing of your Grandad! Rest In Peace and take care of yourselves! Hope you'll be back in Singapore soon.

[@tenga3tango]

cheap , cheaper, cheapest . eat at Ghim Moh market.

[@zephyrkhambatta]

So having grown up in Singapore and now living there for 34 years (I'm 34), the noodles and the chicken cutlet you guys said was good, and those waffles, I wouldn't touch them with a pole just based on health concerns. HAHAHAHAHA. But thank you for making this Vlog about our city and best of luck in your travels :) Thank you and love to collaborate or chat sometime! ❤️

[@modikiramaisa4619]

Omg

[@limchyehock6722]

You can get kopi at neighbourhood hawker centre for $1.00 - $1.20.

[@keangwooichoo6138]

Well if you can survive food court food daily, and live in a capsule hotel you can save money for visits to tourist spots.

[@1changi]

The locals pay about $3.80 for a punnet of strawberry from Australia in a local supermarket which has about 8 to 9 pieces.

[@jemchan]

Thanks for loving my country!

[@Joelfriend]

Our pleasure!

[@koyonari1843]

You can eat at Hawker centres, chicken rice can cost $3 SGD but Hawker centres have no air conditioning

[@danbakes9602]

Kaya has no butter in it. It’s not so much like a coconut jam as much as its a custard based coconut and pandan concoction

[@maxilus1256]

Everything is expensive in Singapore. I'm a citizen here, i suffered too. But it okay, work hard and enjoy your day. 😊

[@caseytan3983]

Yes on a budget. Come stay for long term and do another vid.

[@foodleveling]

Nice review Singapore expenses I Food leveling

[@psychojaden2455]

The peach tea that you bought some other convenient stores would sell it at around 1.50 to 1.70 Singapore dollars

[@tttan1843]

Lol fruits ain't expensive, just strawberry and cherries as they are all airflown over. Go to any hawker center, u can get a slice of papaya, honey melon, watermelon for a dollar a piece, all slice up. Fresh fruit juice like $2 upwards. Do check up the orange juice machine. Quite fun.

[@MrAlvinSinfulSong]

$2.20 waffles in Singapore is actually pricy xD My shop sells $1.30 xD

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

When compared and pit with the surrounding countries in the region Singapore will always be expensive no matter how the budget level is set. Just the daily hotel/lodging accomodation expenses is already expensive alone. Going budget also mean we can't see most of the city attractions and landmarks that require a entrance ticket.

[@farhangalantino2425]

I agreed with you. Singapore hotel was crazily expensive. It was on par with Tokyo City Center hotel price. But with the same price, business hotel in Tokyo was much more cleaner, like day and night comparison. Dont forget that Japanese worker always nice to everyone, Singapore worker? Not so much, esp if you have Malay face.

[@Malin031]

Follow you, good channel. Many great videos !

[@00FG00]

you can try the mala store at your last meal

[@chitocucio4573]

I think why fruits in Singapore are expensive is because they are mostly imported from neighboring countries. Singapore being a city-state, there are no plantations to harvest them from.

[@Joelfriend]

That makes sense as there won’t be much land to be able to grow crops on

[@applehead7942]

it kinda depends on what fruit tho. those fruit shops which lays out all types of fruits (mango, watermelon, longan, mangosteen, durian) tend to be cheaper than that of supermarket. also depends if it’s in season, if so then it’s a lot cheaper. berries like strawberries, blueberries, grapes can be very pricey here hahaha

[@jen5138]

@@applehead7942 Also, wonder where they went that strawberries were $15? Definitely cheaper if they went to fairprice supermarkets instead.

[@applehead7942]

@@jen5138 Most probably Cold Storage since most of the products there are premium quality so to speak hahahaa

[@ninijo1234]

Tropical fruits like pineapples, bananas, mangoes and even exotic ones like mangosteen and rambutans can be cheap if you go to the wet markets. But of course they’re way cheaper in Malaysia / Thailand where they’re grown

[@bensgoodeats1493]

I hope your granddad can recover. Hope you still had a good time in Singapore though a very short stay.

[@TobyShenQingHua]

Should try other location which you will get better pricing :) overall nice content !!!

[@tadeloh6072]

Next time you are in sunny island I suggest you go to the heartlands and the cost of food is a third cheaper at least

[@viwen]

U can have Kaya bread without butter. Many locals will request butter to be excluded so it's quite normal.

[@keeheanlim2420]

For fruits just go for the local fruits which are numerous and exotic, not the western fruits like strawberries etc.

[@MegaLabman1]

Fun fact: The tallest indoor waterfall is in Jewel Changi Airport and the second tallest indoor waterfall is where you guys went

[@Joelfriend]

Ahhh i must have miss read it! We did see the Changi airport waterfall, we’ve see both! Thanks for that’ 😀

[@cloestine]

hey bro, taste is subjective but i like the coffee at Toastbox. you should be able to get it at lots of places.

[@sonnyday6830]

How much was the Pod stay? also the Geylang area has cheap accommodation and food, it is the red light district but you never see it unless you venture out late at night.....much different than other Countries red light area.

[@MariNate1016]

Do you have a link or name of that company for the kuala lampur bus ride? Gonna be in Singapore in December for a week and I’d love to do that

[@MrSebastianJOh]

Sorry to hear about your grandpa. Strawberries in Singapore? There are heaps other cheaper Tropical fruits to try bud. Though you seem to be eating in many expensive stalls too. Do try Golden Mile foodcourt, across the street from where you bought your bus tickets. Have fun exploring.

[@Joelfriend]

Perfect, thanks for the advise! 😊

[@Adam-oh2mo]

Hope you enjoy your trip in Kuala Lumpur. loves from Malaysia!

[@Joelfriend]

Thank you!

[@YasaiTsume]

There are places to eat cheaper food, but the conditions aren't as "nice" as the places you have visited. Some of the best food in SG are in markets and hawker centers.

[@jers21tvofw]

Guys having so much fun in singapore

[@emmettasinas8890]

How absolutely cute!!!

[@rexhosh]

I just went to Singapore today!

[@Joelfriend]

Ah awesome we love the city!

[@chalayan]

You can get Kaya butter toast in London for £5 and above. I tried it at the Wu's tearoom in Soho and it was so bad since I love my Kaya butter toast. You guys can drink water from the tap. Singapore tap water is one of the cleaniest and safest in the world you can drink from.

[@Joelfriend]

Yeah we did drink water from the tap, a great way of saving money! 😊

[@chalayan]

@@Joelfriend good to hear that and also, bottled water and drinks are not expensive in Singapore. Just got to Giants, NTUC fair price and Sheng Shion supermarket to get. Dont get from 7-11 as the price is 2x more. Also, you can get even like £3 meal with drinks at the non tourist hawker centre.

[@mannsengshoo1657]

Budget in Singapore is from 5 Star fine dining to street food. If on a budget go for food court, shop restaurants and street food.

[@mappies123]

if on 5 star fine dining budget order cai png all seafood/meat

[@hippgal]

gastro beats event singapore u can make video eat nice food and game can play also , after 4pm

[@VesaJay]

Did we not go to Hawker Chan's??? wooooow!!

[@antonliverpool1]

I actually can’t believe how reasonable it is for most things. Say, compared to London

[@ttosh3394]

Finally, a British eating rice using a spoon instead of a fork

[@robicarm]

$21 USD 5 hr bus ride is cheap, here in the US 4hr trip in my car is more than double the price. Most of your food is served on real plates, and looks nutritious while in the US it's 5x the cost, greasy and served in a dinky cardboard box. Singapore also looks very clean. Plus English is a universal language too. What about the people, are they friendly and helpful to western people? It looks so beautiful. I so want to go there. 💖

[@dannnyyyyyhba]

Uhm for the strawberries - not all strawberries here in singapore are expensive. you went to the shops in the town area so which is why the fruits there are more expensive. fruits like mangoes, bananas and other tropical fruits are cheap here in singapore.

[@marcusyu7925]

Dear mate, do you require fully vaccinated to visit Singapore at the moment you were there , thanks and thumb up for impressing and catching-attention videos !

[@maurenahowe1919]

Joel, what was the name of the hostel you stay at in Singapore?

[@aceleraupmimster]

can i ask where was the hostel and which one it was?

[@smoonze4297]

in the neighborhood stores u can get those waffles for 1.80 sgd

[@Joelfriend]

No way! That's awesome will have to go there next time!

[@smoonze4297]

@@Joelfriend love your content 💜

[@wazirtan6801]

the cheapest food and good u can get is at work place industrial areas choffee shop,but mostly operate weekdays only 8am-4pm ,i myself a adult single singaporean,im do admit i am tired expenses here,wants a good food can really suck up your money really fast just for oneday 😂

[@youngking4363]

I like Amelia already!

[@ifuknjk]

do wat the locals do--avoid orchard road n a/c malls... go to chinatown n eat @ open food centres like peoples'park complex ...buses, taxis n mrt r the same... buy a ticket n go anywhere...coffee can b $1.10 or $6.00 @ starbuck...beest advice... ask the locals to point u to cheap foods.

[@clarisekylander]

Where do you buy the bus tickets online?

[@fatwhitetuna6659]

Food is always low end on your travel expenses, the most is the hotel.

[@gerardlim9048]

Will keep your Grandad in our prayers. BTW I'm from Singapore

[@Joelfriend]

Aww thank you :)

[@udllord]

Sigh all city food are expensive if you go to hawkers centre on the outside of the city urban areas they are cheap coffee at $2.70 is Soo damn expensive $1.30 a pack of coffee is better.

[@sayokora]

Where did you buy the bus ticket to kualar lumpur?

[@Unsweat]

Well being a Singaporean since I was born, I can say confidently that 2.20SGD is actually quite a lot for waffles lol. It usually costs around SGD1.60 if you buy from neighbourhood shops, but can be a bit hard to find. Usually shops that sell bread also sell waffles so :D

[@marukomu_7105]

Well I would agree too till I heard he say there was chocolate inside, then I think the price should be similar

[@Unsweat]

@@marukomu_7105 nah, the one opposite my house is 1.60 w chocolate, but no dine in

[@randomsh-t917]

Cabs can be cheaper to get around singapore if you have a group of 4.

[@yoyoamgamg6179]

For affordable travelling in sg - food wise go for Food courts or hawker Centers or coffee shop ( at local hosing estates) for town areas great to visit Waterloo streets - drinks get it from super market e.g Ntuc, seng siong or food counts etc. The most expensive item in sg for backpackers will be lodging.

[@ThewayforwardSG]

Welcome to Singapore :)

[@jasperxie2396]

Is the firstone they were talking about in kampong glam kaya

[@JoJo-es7tc]

From someone who has family in Singapore..why you not using hawkers, local stores etc.. way cheaper including fruit and veg. Sometimes the food vending machines can be OK...not brilliant but edible. We always use hawkers, especially in changi. Us local stores, not tourists as less expensive

[@jaekoh2695]

I'm proud of my homeland :D

[@kuysvonito6688]

Singapore Hainan Chicken Rice is the best!

[@quickthinker7582]

Come to Manila lots of vloggers have been coming.

[@danltm]

Deepest condolences.