By The Diary desk · Last verified 28 September 2026

Singapore charges public transport fares by distance, not by the number of rides. On a card, an adult pays S$1.28 for a journey of up to 3.2km, and more as the distance grows. Switch between buses and trains within the transfer rules and it all counts as one journey with one fare. Paying cash costs more, and you lose the transfers.

Quick facts

• Adult card fares start at S$1.28 for up to 3.2km, from 27 December 2025.
• Adult cash fares start at S$2.10.
• Seniors pay from 69 cents and students from 52 cents on a card.
• A single journey allows up to five transfers, within two hours.
• Children below 7 travel free.
• The adult monthly pass costs S$122.

What does a trip cost?

These are the adult fares on basic bus services from 27 December 2025:

Distance	Card	Cash
Up to 3.2km	S$1.28	S$2.10
3.3–4.2km	S$1.38	S$2.30
4.3–5.2km	S$1.49	S$2.30
5.3–6.2km	S$1.59	S$2.30
6.3–7.2km	S$1.68	S$2.50
7.3–8.2km	S$1.75	S$2.50
8.3–9.2km	S$1.82	S$2.50
9.3–10.2km	S$1.86	S$2.70
10.3–11.2km	S$1.90	S$2.70
11.3–12.2km	S$1.94	S$2.90

Adult card fares on the MRT follow the same distance bands as basic buses, and on basic services they top out at S$2.57 for the longest journeys.

How do distance fares work?

The fare is worked out on the total distance of the journey, whichever mode you use, with no fresh boarding charge for each leg. To keep it as one journey:

• Make no more than five transfers.
• Allow no more than 45 minutes between a train and a bus, or between two buses.
• Allow no more than 15 minutes when you walk between two different train stations.
• Tap in for the last leg within two hours of the first.
• Don’t take the same bus service twice in a row.

Some things always start a new journey. Switching to the same bus number or its variant (98, 98A and 98B, for example) does. So does using a premium bus, a shuttle or a tourist bus, or tapping out and back in at the same station. The exceptions are Bukit Panjang, Newton and Tampines, where changing lines means tapping out and back in within 15 minutes.

Is there a cheaper time to travel?

Yes. Tapping in at an MRT station before 7.45am on a weekday, excluding public holidays, earns a lower fare; under the 2024 fare table, the early fare was 50 cents less. Check the current table before you set an alarm for it.

What about concessions?

Seniors, students, persons with disabilities and Workfare concession cardholders all pay lower card fares. In the December 2025 fare review, concession fares for journeys up to 3.2km were kept unchanged, and the prices of monthly passes were cut by up to 5 per cent. The adult monthly travel pass is now S$122. Children below 7 travel free. Those under 0.9m need no card; those between 0.9m and 1.2m need a Child Concession Card.

Express and premium buses

Express buses cost more: from S$2.28 to S$3.57 for adults on a card. Premium buses charge S$3 to S$6 and don’t count towards transfers.

Why does cash cost more?

Cash is paid per ride, and cash passengers don’t get the transfer discount.

The WahLiao Verdict

Always tap a card; never pay cash. Plan your changes inside 45 minutes, and if your shift starts early, tap in before 7.45am.

Questions people ask

Do I need to tap out on the bus?

Yes. If you don’t, you’re charged the maximum fare.

Does changing to the same bus number count as a transfer?

No. It’s treated as a new journey.

Can visitors use their own bank card?

Yes; the payment guide on this desk explains how, and the extra fee for foreign cards.

Is there a fare calculator?

Yes, LTA runs an online one.

Sources: PTC, fare dataset on data.gov.sg (effective 27 December 2025); PTC, Fare Review Exercise 2025; PTC, distance fares and transfer rules; SimplyGo, transfer fare rules; SBS Transit, fares and concessions; Land Transport Guru.

Read next: How to Pay for the MRT and Buses · Taxi, Grab or Gojek in Singapore · Back to The Diary

For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.