What Can You Get For $100 in Singapore? (The Most Expensive Country?)

Did you know that Singapore is one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in? Well, it really is. Rental for a regular three-bedroom apartment near the Central Business District here costs well over $4,500. And a similar apartment in the suburbs costs almost $2,800. Singapore is a city-state located in Southeast Asia, just south of Malaysia and west of the island of Borneo. It's known as one of the world's busiest financial hubs where its main industries are import, export, trade, and financial services. Journey with us to see how you can travel on a budget in this busy, bustling city to your heart's content with just $100. The first thing you'll want to settle when planning your trip in Singapore is lodging. Usually, three to four-star hotels in a city-state cost between $100 to $200 for a single night. That's definitely way out of our budget. Thankfully, there are so many hostels here that are really affordable. Among these are some really great capsule hotels. One of these is Space Pod at SG, which costs only about $38 a night. This futuristic-looking capsule hotel gives a brightly-lit space of your own which includes a bed, a mirror, free Wi-Fi, charging and power ports, as well as a shared bathroom. This setup is perfect if you're traveling alone and love an Instagrammable spot to spend the night. The toilets and bathrooms are shared but they're extremely clean and offer you the privacy you need. Apart from Space Pod at SG, there are many backpacker hostels starting from $30 USD per night all over the city. One example of this is the Battle Box Backpackers Hostel on Jutia Road. The most interesting thing about this hostel is that it's located in a heritage building so you'll get a first-hand experience of the inside of a Singaporean shop house from yesteryear. The hostel will host you a booked bed and there are many common areas and facilities to enjoy including a TV lounge, common computer room, a pool table, breathing area, and kitchenette. What's more, the hotel offers a complimentary sample breakfast so you don't have to leave for your travels on an empty stomach in the mornings. When it comes to transport, you don't have to worry one bit. Singapore has one of the best train systems called the MRT. It covers the entire island and you can enjoy unlimited rides on them for as low as $7 USD per day with the tourist pass. Just stop by any MRT station and buy the Singapore tourist pass which comes as one, two, or three-day pass package. These tourist passes are valid for any LRT, MRT, and basic bus routes across the island. Just tap it and you'll be able to go anywhere you want within that particular time frame. If you're wondering what's the best thing to do in Singapore first thing in the morning, we recommend heading over to Merlion Park in the Central Business District CBD of Singapore. Merlion Park is completely free to explore and it's located on the banks of the Singapore River. This river used to be the main import-export trade route in Singapore back in the day and therefore was filled with loads of sandpans or boats. Today, however, it's full of tourists and joggers who walk up and down this beautiful riverside quay filled with bars, restaurants, and malls. One thing you don't want to miss out on is visiting the Merlion statue. The Merlion is Singapore's official mascot and there are two in Merlion Park. Visitors will always take pictures with this statue that's spurting fountains of water out of its mouth. Another activity that's also within the vicinity of CBD is Gardens by the Bay. Entrance to the garden itself is free but you'll have to pay about 20 USD to enter the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome Conservatory as well as an additional 6 USD to go on LCBC Skyway. If you choose to skip paying for anything, you're still in for a treat as you're able to enjoy the Super Trees. These are tall vertical structures filled with ferns and other tropical plants which look like gigantic trees themselves. At night, they light up so prettily that the whole place looks like something out of Peter Pan's Neverland. Now it's time to think about meals. You can head on over to any of Singapore's many hawker centers for this. Examples of food courts you can head to include the Amoy Street Food Center, Maxwell Food Center, and Newton Food Center. At these hawker centers, you can get a full meal without 2.50 USD or less. For example, a plate of Chicken Rice is just 2.50 USD while a plate of Nasi Lemak is just 3 USD. There are just so many must-try dishes at these hawker centers, we don't even know where to begin. The aforementioned Nasi Lemak is a rice dish cooked in coconut milk and served with spicy sambal sauce with fried anchovies and peanuts on the side, as well as a boiled egg or fried egg. Many Nasi Lemak stalls will allow you to add on some form of protein like fried chicken, curry chicken, rendang chicken, and the like. Apart from Nasi Lemak and Chicken Rice, try the fried kway teow noodles, chewy kueh, roti paratha, and so much more. Once your tummy is full, it's time to learn about Singapore's history. To do this, you can head on over to National Museum of Singapore. Entries fee are a little under 11 USD for adults. However, for this price, you'll have access to all of the museum's exhibits. Start with the exhibit that explains the origins of Singapore, including how it was founded and how it developed to the bustling city-state as it is today. The museum itself is housed in an antique colonial building which has lots of spots to take pictures of, so you definitely won't be bored. Believe it or not, the National Museum of Singapore has been open to the public since 1849, so it's a relic in itself. There are many theme parks in Singapore that are world-renowned such as Universal Studios Singapore. However, none are more unique than Hau Par Villa, which you can gain entrance for absolutely free. Hau Par Villa is a quirky place built in 1937 by Singaporean millionaire and philanthropist Album Hau. It was supposed to be a park filled with dioramas and scenes from Buddhist, Taoist, and Chinese traditional lore to teach children moral values. However, some parts of the park have been deemed too shocking for children, especially a Hell's Museum, which you need tickets to enter. The current owners don't recommend the Hell's Museum portion for children under 9 years old, but adults can get in for as little as $13 USD. This part of Hau Par Villa contains scenes from the traditional Chinese version of Hell, complete with rather vivid torture scenes depicting what waits for those who commit evil while still alive. That aside, the park is still very educational and visitors get to learn in-depth about Chinese folklore and traditions. Something else that you can do for free in Singapore is take a stroll in Chinatown. This part of Singapore has so much to see and do. You can pick up some local snacks that won't cost more than $1 USD, like the honeycomb biscuits called Sejima from a restaurant called Panji Cook Food. At the heart of Singapore's Chinatown is the Buddha Tooth Temple and Relic Museum that hosts a piece of Buddha's own teeth. The structure is an imposing 4-story temple that was built in 2000 but imitates architecture from the ancient Tang Dynasty. There is no entrance fee needed for this temple and you're free to come in and explore it. No island visit is complete without a visit to the beach and the same goes for Singapore. If you want beaches, one place to head is to Sentosa Island, located at the southern part of Singapore. You can get here with the Sentosa Express train or public bus after aligning at the Harbourfront MRT station. Travel costs are no more than $3 USD per person and entrance to the island is free. There are several beaches on Sentosa Island including Silosa Beach, Tanjung Beach, and Palawan Beach. Palawan Beach caters more for young children and families while Tanjung Beach has a more relaxing laid-back vibe. Silosa Beach is where you go for water activities, if that's your thing. There are several other free activities on Sentosa Island including visiting Fort Silosa and hiking at Sentosa Nature Discovery. As you can see, with just $100, you can do a ton of things in Singapore. It's filled with surprises that don't cost much or cost nothing at all. If you pay a visit to this island in Southeast Asia, there's definitely so much to see and do that you'll want to extend your stay here.