Currency

Figuring out how much you are spending on a cup of coffee in a foreign country can be one of the most frustrating aspects of travelling. Having to constantly calculate the conversions in your head and figure out whether you are getting a bargain or getting extorted can be very challenging.

To make things a bit easier for travellers, here are a number of things you need to know about Singapore currency.

The official currency is the Singapore Dollar which is divided into 100 cents and abbreviated as S$. Their currency is in the form of coins, paper and polymer notes. Coins are in the denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 dollar. Notes, on the other hand, come in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 1000 dollars. Lets also not forget the world’s most valuable banknote, the S$10,000.

Here are the current conversions at the time of writing: 1 US dollar will give you S$1.40, for every British pound you’ll receive S$1.95, an Australian Dollar fetches S$1.00, while one Euro exchanges for S$1.55.

Singapore caters to tourists with all kinds of budgets. Whether you’re backpacking across the country on a shoestring budget or looking to splurge on designer everything, there is an establishment for you.

A three-course meal in a decent restaurant will set you back about $50, while a combo meal at McDonald’s is about $7. If you ever get parched, you can grab a bottle of water for $1.10, enjoy a delicious cappuccino for $5.17, or kick back with a local cold beer for about $8.52. It is wise to note that taxis charge an average of S$0.60 for every kilometre, plus surcharges.

Visitors should note that when visiting a restaurant, there is a surcharge of 10% for GST plus a further 7% service charge added to all bills. As a service charge is included in your bill, tipping is not expected nor required.