Halloween costumes in Singapore cost roughly S$3 to S$200 depending on whether you rent, buy or build one yourself. Renting a ready-made outfit from a physical shop starts at about S$23 to S$45 per set, plus a refundable deposit of S$30 to S$150 that you get back when you return it clean and on time. Buying an off-the-shelf costume online runs about S$20 to S$70 from Shopee or Lazada, and as low as S$2 to S$15 if you assemble accessories from Daiso. The right answer is not the cheapest sticker price, it is the lowest cost per wear: rent the one-night statement piece, buy only what you will wear again, and DIY when a S$3 prop does the job. This guide gives the real 2026 prices at named shops, the deposit and late-fee rules that catch people out, and where the value actually sits.
A Halloween costume is a one-night purchase for most people, so the number that matters is cost per wear, not the price tag. A S$40 rental you use once costs S$40 a wear. A S$25 Daiso-and-wardrobe DIY you reuse three years running costs about S$8 a wear. A S$180 premium licensed costume you wear once is the most expensive way to do it, even if it photographs the best.
Three routes cover almost everyone. Renting from a costume shop suits the elaborate, full-set look you will never wear again, with prices from about S$23 to S$45 per set plus a refundable deposit. Buying online suits a costume you will reuse, or a cheap base layer you can dress up, at roughly S$20 to S$70. Building your own from Daiso props and clothes you already own is the cheapest, often under S$15 all-in. Pick the route by reuse, then optimise inside it. Slot whatever you land on into your monthly discretionary budget before you pay, the same as any other want.
One trap to watch: a deposit is not a cost, but it is cash out of your account for a week or two. A S$150 deposit on a premium rental ties up real money over a period when you are also paying for the party, drinks and a Grab home. Factor the cashflow, not just the rental fee.
Renting is the value play for a costume you will only wear on 31 October. You get a full, professional-grade outfit for a fraction of buying it, and you do not store it afterwards. Singapore has a cluster of established rental shops, most around Henderson, Kallang, Ubi, Geylang and Havelock, and their entry prices are low. Pan-In-The-Box lists costumes from about S$23.90 and accessories from S$3.90. Costumes 'N' Parties starts costumes around S$25 with accessories from S$8.90. Customade Costume & Merchandise (CCM) starts costumes from about S$24 and accessories from S$1.95. Absolute Costumez starts costumes from about S$28 (all as of June 2026; confirm current rates with the shop).
The catch with renting is the deposit and the return terms, which vary a lot by shop. TUTU SG, for example, sets a S$150 security deposit refunded on return, a standard one-week rental period, and a S$20 per day charge for keeping it longer. Funtime Parties charges overtime at 20 percent of the rental price per day past the return date. Other shops quote refundable deposits closer to S$30 for simple sets. None of these are fees if you return on time and undamaged, but a late return or a stain can quietly eat your deposit, so read the policy before you pay.
Book early. Rental stock for the popular characters thins out in the two weeks before Halloween, and shops across the board recommend reserving three to four weeks ahead. The money angle on early booking is simple: leave it late and you are pushed toward buying full-price or paying for a premium rental because the cheap sets are gone.
| Shop | Area | Costumes from | Deposit / terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pan-In-The-Box | Geylang East | S$23.90 | Accessories from S$3.90; enquire on deposit |
| Customade (CCM) | Kallang Place | S$24 | Accessories from S$1.95; rental and buy |
| Costumes 'N' Parties | Havelock Road | S$25 | Accessories from S$8.90 |
| Absolute Costumez | Ubi Road 1 | S$28 | Accessories from S$5 |
| TUTU SG | Online / studio | Enquire | S$150 deposit, 1-week period, +S$20/day late |
| Funtime Parties | Online | Enquire | Overtime 20% of rental price per day late |
Renting wins for a single wear, but the maths flips if you will use the costume more than twice. A S$40 rental used three times is S$120; a S$50 bought costume used three times is S$16.70 a wear. If you go to multiple costume parties a year, or have kids who will wear it again, buying or DIY beats renting on cost per wear.
If a costume earns its keep over more than one night, buying beats renting. Shopee and Lazada carry off-the-shelf Halloween costumes from roughly S$20 to S$70, with generic vampire, witch, skeleton and inflatable suits at the low end and detailed character sets higher. Funidelia Singapore lists costumes from around S$30. Amazon SG offers free delivery over S$60 for Prime members, which can tip the maths if you are buying for a group.
Taobao is the cheapest source if you can wait for shipping. The same character costume that sells for S$50 locally often lists at S$15 to S$30 on Taobao, but factor in delivery, the S$0.09 GST per dollar on low-value imports (the 9 percent rate IRAS applies to imported low-value goods since 2023), and lead time of one to three weeks. Order in early October or earlier, or you risk it not arriving in time. The same low-value import GST applies to overseas sites like HalloweenCostumes.com, so a US$30 costume is not really US$30 once shipping and tax land.
For a reusable base, skip the costume shop entirely. A black bodysuit, a plain hoodie or a white shirt from a fast-fashion retailer becomes a cat, a skeleton or a dozen other looks with a few accessories, and you keep wearing the base layer afterwards. That is buying for cost per wear, not for one night. If you are tempted to overspend on a costume you will wear once, remember the same logic that drives lifestyle creep: a small one-off splurge feels harmless until it becomes an annual habit.
The cheapest costume is the one built from things you mostly own. Daiso sells Halloween props, face paint, fake blood, cat ears and accessories from S$2.18 each in 2026, so a full DIY look often lands under S$15. Spotlight stocks craft supplies, yarn, stick-on eyeballs and fabric for a made-from-scratch costume. H&M and Cotton On Kids sell cheap basics, skeleton leggings, tulle skirts and glitter pieces, that double as costume parts and stay in your wardrobe afterwards.
The local-flavour DIY ideas going around cost almost nothing. A hawker uncle is a white singlet plus a hand towel over the shoulder. A Labubu is a brown furry layer and painted teeth. Squid Game tracksuits, KPop Demon Hunters looks and Coldplay-concert references all build from clothes you have plus one or two cheap props. The trade-off is time and effort instead of money, which is the right trade if your costume time is worth less than the S$40 you would spend renting.
Borrowing and swapping is the genuinely free option. If a friend rented or bought something last year, borrow it. Costume swaps among a friend group cut everyone's cost to zero. None of this photographs worse than a rental, and the money stays in your savings goal instead of a one-night outfit.
Carousell is the overlooked money move for Halloween. Costumes are worn once and listed cheap the following week, so you can buy a barely-used outfit at a steep discount on retail, then resell it after the party and recover part of what you paid. A S$50 costume bought used for S$20 and resold for S$15 nets a real cost of S$5 for the night, cheaper than most rentals and with no deposit tied up.
Timing the secondhand market matters. The best buying window is the first two weeks of November, when last week's party costumes flood the listings and sellers want them gone. For selling, list in early-to-mid October while demand peaks. Treat the costume like a short-term asset: buy low after the season, sell into the next season's demand.
Thrift and second-hand fashion stores also work for the base pieces of a DIY look, where a S$5 blazer or dress becomes the foundation of a costume. The point is the same across all of it: a costume does not have to be a sunk cost if you buy and sell smart.
The costume is rarely the whole bill. Makeup, wigs, contact lenses, accessories and the event ticket itself usually cost more than the outfit. A wig runs S$10 to S$40, novelty contact lenses S$15 to S$30 a pair, and face paint or special-effects makeup S$5 to S$25. If the night is a ticketed party or a Sentosa event, that ticket dwarfs the costume, so budget the whole evening rather than just the clothes.
Service charge and GST apply to rentals and party packages the same way they apply to dining out. A rental quoted at S$40++ is about S$48 nett once you add the 10 percent service charge and 9 percent GST, an extra 19.9 percent the headline does not show. Many shops quote nett prices, but check before you compare, because a S$40 nett rental is genuinely cheaper than a S$40++ one.
Set a total Halloween budget first, then split it across costume, accessories and the night out. If the party is the point, spend less on the costume and more on the experience. If the costume is the point, rent the statement piece and keep the rest cheap. Either way, decide the number before you start buying so the night does not quietly become a S$200 evening you did not plan for.
Renting is cheaper if you will only wear it once, with full sets from about S$23 to S$45 plus a refundable deposit. Buying wins if you will reuse the costume more than twice, because a bought outfit spread over several wears costs less per wear than repeated rentals.
Deposits run from around S$30 for simple sets to S$150 for premium costumes, for example TUTU SG charges a S$150 security deposit. It is refunded in full when you return the costume clean, undamaged and on time. Late returns or damage are deducted from the deposit.
The cheapest route is DIY from Daiso props (from S$2.18 each in 2026) plus clothes you already own, often under S$15 total. Buying used on Carousell and reselling after the party can net an even lower real cost. Taobao is cheapest for ready-made costumes if you order one to three weeks ahead.
Reserve rentals three to four weeks before 31 October, since popular characters sell out and you get pushed toward pricier options if you wait. For Taobao or overseas orders, buy by early October to allow shipping time and avoid paying for express delivery.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.