Commuting on public transport in Singapore? These tips could save you up to $150 or more

Since Dec 28, 2024, adult commuters in Singapore have been paying 10 cents more per journey. This was announced by the Public Transport Council last year to collective groans all across the island.

Before the increase, an MRT ride from Tampines to Raffles Place on the East West Line cost $1.92, but this is now $2.02.

For someone who commutes daily (60 rides a month), that’s about $6 monthly or $72 annually – and that’s a conservative estimate. For those who are already spending $140 on public transport a month, this increase may push them past the $150 mark. A family with two adults or more will see a higher household expenditure.

For around two million concession card holders in Singapore, the fare increase is lower – just 4 cents more per journey. This group includes students, seniors, persons with disabilities, and recipients of the Workfare Concession Transport Scheme

There is also no change for those paying cash for their fares – whether it’s a one-off situation where you forgot or lost your card, or when your car is in the workshop – and no change for users of monthly travel or concession passes.

Switching to an Adult Monthly Travel Card – and purchasing the $128 Adult Monthly Travel Pass (AMTP) – can be a smart money-saving hack if you already spend more than that amount on bus and MRT fares. The AMTP allows unlimited travel on both trains and basic bus services – trunk and feeder services only. That’s not the only way to save on public transport in Singapore though.

Read on for more tips to help you cut your commuting costs.

Calculate the distance of your trip

While it can be troublesome to count every penny on a day-to-day basis, there’s a helpful fare calculator available on the Land Transport Authority website , and it might make more of a difference than you’d think.

For instance, someone living within walking distance of three MRT stations: Caldecott on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), and Toa Payoh and Braddell on the North South Line (NSL), can take a few routes to Orchard Road.

As fares are calculated by distance, using the TEL would cost them $1.50 (5.8km), while taking the NSL would cost $1.40 from Braddell (4.7km) and $1.29 from Toa Payoh (3.8km). Taking a bus from Toa Payoh Interchange to Orchard Station would also cost $1.50 (5.4km).

It’s easy to save up to 21 cents per trip by making the effort to walk just a little bit more to a specific station closer to your destination.

These distance-based fares are also why, when transferring from bus to MRT, or from bus to bus, we enjoy savings on the transfer.

However, the connection must be completed within 45 minutes, and the entire journey cannot exceed five transfers and two hours. And don’t forget to tap out when alighting! This helps if you need to make a quick trip to town to run an errand.

First, take the train there, then hop on a bus home to include this “transfer” savings in your round trip. Do remember to account for the time needed till the next bus arrives.

Skip the peak hour

Early birds can benefit from Morning Pre-Peak Fares. This initiative, in place since December 2017, allows commuters to enjoy up to 50 cent in savings when they tap in before 7.45am at any rail station islandwide on weekdays (except Public Holidays).

You may even be able to get on a free shuttle bus. For instance, residents in Marine Parade GRC, MacPherson and Mountbatten enjoy free hourly connectivity to amenities including MRT stations, polyclinics and hawker centres, from 10am to 4pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays.

Sign up for fare cards with perks

If tracking every single bus or MRT ride is becoming a pain, sign up for a Simplygo account and download the app. This allows you to see your travel expenditure and history easily when you add your bank cards and Simplygo EZ-Link cards.

You can also check your EZ-Link card balance on the go, activate automatic top-ups (even for your children), apply for the Adult Monthly Travel Card via the app, and even submit travel claims when wrong fares are charged.

There’s also a feature that helps you plan your trip and save your preferred routes, while calculating the exact fare and providing the estimated travel time.

The Simplygo app has other useful capabilities as well, such as blocking lost EZ-Link cards and recovering the remaining value. The stored value can also be used as an e-wallet, so you can make payments at retail outlets, and even earn points that can be redeemed for rewards.

Choose credit cards with cashbacks on transport

Those who link their credit card to Simplygo can also benefit from transport spend adding to their existing perks.

For example, the Maybank Family & Friends Card offers 8 per cent cashback per month on contactless bus and train rides via Simplygo.

And those chasing miles can look out for the Standard Chartered Smart Credit Card to enjoy 6 per cent cashback or 5.6 miles per dollar on public transport rides via Simplygo.

Saving on private car hires

There are times when private hire services such as Grab or taxis become a necessity. For instance, when travelling with the elderly or a baby, when your destination is too far from any bus stop or MRT station, or when you’re running late for an appointment.

And yes, ride-hailing apps – such as Grab, Gojek, Tada, and Comfortdelgro’s CDG Zig – have also seen a recent hike in platform fees of up to 50 cents per trip.

To save money, commuters using this method in tandem with public transport can consider the Citi SMRT Card, which offers up to 5 per cent cashback on bus and MRT transactions via Simplygo, as well as on taxis and private hire rides. They can also look out for discounts in the form of promo codes on ride-sharing platforms. These can be seasonal codes, a perk for new users, or a way to get an inactive user to resume using their service.

Ride-hailing services also allow some form of carpooling, such as Grabshare rides, which can be about 20 per cent cheaper than a regular Grab ride. You will take the same car as others who are heading in the same direction.

There is also Grabhitch, a service that matches passengers with drivers who are going in the same direction. As this is distance-based, it is unaffected by factors such as demand or rush hour, and might be up to 40 per cent cheaper than other commercial services.

To save you the stress and hassle of scrambling for a ride when you are in a rush, consider making a booking in advance.

This can be done via apps such as Grab or CDG Zig, and there may be promo codes from time to time. The fare varies depending on demand (and supply of drivers) and may not necessarily be cheaper than an on-demand booking or a street hail, but as they say, time is money.

Walk to save more

Ultimately, inflation catches up with everything. One way to save on public transport (while boosting your health) is to incorporate your exercise routine into your commute.

Instead of taking the feeder bus home, why not walk? Unless, of course, the fare calculator deems the cost savings negligible. Running errands? Combine the trip with a short jog or cycle. You could even alight a few stops earlier to reduce your fare – and get some extra steps in.

A TL;DR on saving

Since Dec 28, 2024, adult commuters pay 10 cents more per MRT/bus ride – roughly $72 more a year for daily riders. Concession card holders (students, seniors etc.) pay 4 cents more. Cash fare and monthly pass users aren’t affected.

TO SAVE MONEY: 

• Switch to a Monthly Travel Pass if you spend over $128/month.
• Use the LTA fare calculator to find cheaper travel routes based on distance.
• Tap in before 7.45am on weekdays to save up to 50 cents with Morning Pre-Peak Fares.
• Sign up for Simplygo to track travel spending, activate auto top-ups, and access rewards.
• Link a cashback/miles credit card to your transport spend (eg Maybank, Standard Chartered).
• Use carpool services like Grabshare or Grabhitch to cut ride-hailing costs.
• Walk or cycle part of the way to save money and stay active.