Singapore bus and MRT fares 2026: what you actually pay
Tap your card for a short bus ride and it costs S$1.28. Pay for the same ride in coins and it's S$2.10. Those are the adult fares from 27 December 2025, when Singapore's buses and trains went up again. Here's what public transport costs you now on the bus and MRT, how the fares are worked out, who pays less, and how to keep your monthly spend down.
How are bus and MRT fares worked out?
You pay for the distance of your whole journey, not for each bus or train you board.
Buses, the MRT and the LRT all use the same distance bands. So it doesn't matter which you take, or how many times you switch, as long as you stay inside the transfer rules. A 10km trip costs the same on a regular bus as on a train.
That's why you tap in and tap out. The reader needs both taps to measure how far you went. Forget to tap out and you're charged the maximum fare for that leg. On a long line, that can mean S$2.57 for a two-stop hop.
There are two kinds of fare. Card fare is what you pay when you tap a contactless bank card, SimplyGo, EZ-Link or NETS FlashPay. Cash fare is for buses only, since trains don't take cash, and it costs a lot more. The gap is there on purpose, to move everyone onto cards.
How much is an adult card fare from 27 December 2025?
An adult who taps a card pays S$1.28 for a trip of up to 3.2km. The longest trips, over 40.2km, cost S$2.57.
The same table covers the MRT, the LRT and regular buses. Express services cost more, and they're in the last column.
Each band adds a few cents, and the jump gets smaller the further you go. So the longest trip costs about twice the shortest, even though you travel many times as far.
| Distance (km) | Basic services ($) | Express services ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 3.2 | 1.28 | 2.28 |
| 3.3 - 4.2 | 1.38 | 2.38 |
| 4.3 - 5.2 | 1.49 | 2.49 |
| 5.3 - 6.2 | 1.59 | 2.59 |
| 6.3 - 7.2 | 1.68 | 2.68 |
| 7.3 - 8.2 | 1.75 | 2.75 |
| 8.3 - 9.2 | 1.82 | 2.82 |
| 9.3 - 10.2 | 1.86 | 2.86 |
| 10.3 - 11.2 | 1.90 | 2.90 |
| 11.3 - 12.2 | 1.94 | 2.94 |
| 13.3 - 14.2 | 2.02 | 3.02 |
| 15.3 - 16.2 | 2.11 | 3.11 |
| 17.3 - 18.2 | 2.20 | 3.20 |
| 20.3 - 21.2 | 2.30 | 3.30 |
| 25.3 - 26.2 | 2.42 | 3.42 |
| 30.3 - 31.2 | 2.50 | 3.50 |
| 35.3 - 36.2 | 2.54 | 3.54 |
| Over 40.2 | 2.57 | 3.57 |
How much do concession card holders pay?
If you hold a concession card, short trips didn't go up at all this round.
It covers about 2 million concession card holders, for journeys up to 3.2km. Go further and students, seniors, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and Workfare Transport Concession holders pay only 3 to 4 cents more a journey.
Seniors and PWDs share one fare table. The Workfare Transport Concession Scheme is for lower-wage workers, and its fares sit between the concession and adult rates.
- Student rates cover Primary, Secondary, ITE and Polytechnic students, university undergraduates and full-time National Servicemen who hold the right concession card.
- The senior concession starts at age 60. You apply for the card through SimplyGo.
- For the PWD concession, you register with SG Enable before you can get the card.
- The Workfare Transport Concession follows your Workfare eligibility for the work year.
| Distance (km) | Student ($) | Senior / PWD ($) | Workfare ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 3.2 | 0.52 | 0.69 | 0.78 |
| 3.3 - 4.2 | 0.60 | 0.79 | 0.89 |
| 4.3 - 5.2 | 0.66 | 0.87 | 0.98 |
| 5.3 - 6.2 | 0.71 | 0.94 | 1.06 |
| 6.3 - 7.2 | 0.74 | 1.00 | 1.13 |
| Over 7.2 | 0.78 | 1.07 | from 1.20 |
Quick maths: how much more does paying cash cost you?
Paying cash costs an adult about 80 to 90 cents more a ride, and it only works on buses.
An adult cash bus fare starts at S$2.10 for up to 3.2km and tops out at S$3.20. By card, the same rides cost S$1.28 to S$2.57. On the shortest trip, coins cost you about 82 cents more.
Adult bus fare by card and in cash, from 27 December 2025
| Trip length | Card | Cash |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 3.2km | S$1.28 | S$2.10 |
| 10km | S$1.86 | S$2.70 |
| Over 40.2km | S$2.57 | S$3.20 |
Cash also uses much wider distance bands, so you often land in a dearer band than your real distance.
There's no transfer discount with cash either. Every cash ride is charged in full. So if you take two buses to get somewhere, you pay two full fares, with none of the savings distance fares are built for.
| Distance (km) | Cash fare ($) |
|---|---|
| 0 - 3.2 | 2.10 |
| 3.3 - 6.2 | 2.30 |
| 6.3 - 9.2 | 2.50 |
| 9.3 - 11.2 | 2.70 |
| 11.3 - 15.2 | 2.90 |
| 15.3 - 19.2 | 3.00 |
| 19.3 - 23.2 | 3.10 |
| Over 23.2 | 3.20 |
How do you keep a transfer free?
Stay inside the transfer rules and a bus, then the MRT, then another bus costs the same as one ride of that total distance.
Within one journey you can make up to five transfers, which is six rides in all. You're charged once, for the combined distance of every ride.
Can you hop off for a quick errand on the way? Yes, as long as you board your next bus within 45 minutes and it isn't the same service number.
- Up to 5 transfers a journey, so up to 6 bus or train rides in total.
- You get 45 minutes to transfer between two buses, or between a bus and a train.
- You get only 15 minutes to transfer between two different train stations.
- Board the same bus service number again and you lose the transfer.
- Leaving and re-entering the same MRT station counts as ending your journey.
- Break any rule and the next ride starts a new journey, so you pay a fresh base fare.
Why did fares go up, and by how much?
Fares rose 5.0% on average from 27 December 2025. For most adults, that's 9 or 10 cents more a journey.
The Public Transport Council (PTC) sets the rise in its fare review. In the 2025 review, the most it could allow was 14.4%. The fare formula alone gave 1.5%. The rest was a large backlog of increases held back in past years, which operators were entitled to recover.
PTC granted 5.0% and carried the other 9.4% forward to future reviews, instead of passing it all on at once. The Government also added more than S$200 million in subsidies for 2026 to soften the rise.
Here's what that means for each journey:
- Adults: 9 cents more a journey up to 17.2km, and 10 cents more beyond that.
- Concession card holders: nothing extra up to 3.2km, and 3 to 4 cents more for longer trips.
- Cash fares: 20 cents more for adults and 5 to 10 cents more for concession groups, so the gap between card and cash got wider.
Is a monthly travel pass worth it for you?
A monthly pass only saves you money if your fares would cost more than the pass.
The Adult Monthly Travel Pass dropped to S$122 from S$128 this round. It covers unlimited basic bus and train rides, and the concession passes got cheaper too.
Say you pay S$1.86 each way, so S$3.72 a day there and back. Even 32 days of that comes to about S$119, still under the S$122 pass.
At S$2.20 each way, or S$4.40 a day, the pass wins from day 28. No month has that many weekdays, so the pass only pays off if you also ride a lot after work or at weekends.
So add up a real month of your taps before you buy. A short or irregular commute almost always costs less if you pay per trip.
- Passes don't work on express, premium or City Direct bus services.
- Buy or top up a pass in the SimplyGo app, at ticket offices or at kiosks.
| Pass holder | Bus ($) | Train ($) | Hybrid (bus + train) ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult (single hybrid pass) | - | - | 122.00 |
| University / NSF | 55.50 | 48.00 | 81.00 |
| Polytechnic / Secondary | 29.00 | 26.50 | 49.00 |
| Primary | 24.00 | 21.00 | 39.00 |
| Senior / PWD | - | - | 55.00 |
| Workfare | - | - | 92.00 |
How can you spend less on getting around?
Transport is a fixed line in most monthly budgets, so any saving repeats every month. These moves work in Singapore:
- Always tap a card, never pay cash. The cash surcharge alone costs around S$0.80 a ride. For a daily commuter, that's over S$400 a year.
- Use a contactless bank card that earns rewards on transit. Some Singapore credit cards give cashback or miles on SimplyGo rides, so a fixed cost pays you a little back.
- Chain your errands into one journey. Stay inside the 5-transfer, 45-minute window and the whole loop is charged as one journey, by its total distance.
- Check your CDC vouchers. The 2026 tranche of CDC vouchers can cover some household costs, which frees cash for transport without dipping into savings.
- Be honest about driving. Before you buy a car, work out the full cost of a car in Singapore, with COE and ERP 2.0 in the sum. For a city commute, public transport usually wins by thousands a year.
- Track it in a monthly budget so you know what transport really costs you each month. A S$5 daily commute is roughly S$110 a month, money that could go to your emergency fund instead.
What can you pay with, and do kids ride free?
You've got three easy ways to pay the card fare.
A contactless Visa, Mastercard or NETS bank card taps straight onto the reader and bills your account. It's the simplest choice if you want no extra cards in your wallet.
SimplyGo EZ-Link and SimplyGo concession cards hold value you top up, or link to an account. Older EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards still work with the value stored on them.
Do kids ride free? Yes, if they're below 0.9m tall and travelling with someone who pays a fare.
A child between 0.9m and 1.2m tall, who is under 7 and not yet in Primary 1, also rides free. They should carry a Child Concession Card to prove it. The card is free, and you collect it at a SimplyGo ticket office.
Once a child starts Primary 1, they pay the student concession fare, even if they're still under 1.2m.
Which card or ticket makes sense for you?
You can't buy a paper ticket at the gate anymore. Singapore stopped selling the single-trip standard ticket in 2022, so you tap something, and the only question is what.
For residents, the cheapest choice is a contactless bank card you already own. There's no card to buy, and the fare bills straight to your account.
Want to keep transport money separate? A SimplyGo EZ-Link card costs S$10: a S$5 card fee you don't get back, plus S$5 of travel value. A subsidised one is S$6, with S$3 of that as travel value.
Either card lasts five years from the date it's encoded and holds up to S$500 in stored value.
Visitors who'd rather not top up a card can buy the Singapore Tourist Pass for unlimited basic bus and train rides. It's S$17 for one day, S$24 for two days and S$29 for three days.
The pass doesn't cover premium and express services such as the Sentosa Express. For a short trip it rarely beats tapping a bank card, so count the rides you actually plan first.
- Top up a stored-value card in the SimplyGo app, at ticket offices or kiosks, at 7-Eleven or at EZ-Link vending machines. Get its balance refunded at any SimplyGo ticket office, and cards on auto top-up refund to your linked account.
- A card that earns rewards can make transit pay you back a little. Our guide to Singapore credit cards covers cards that rebate SimplyGo spend.
| Payment method | Cost to start | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Contactless bank card (Visa / Mastercard / NETS) | $0 (use your own card) | Residents who want nothing extra in their wallet |
| SimplyGo EZ-Link card | $10 ($5 fee + $5 value) | Keeping transport spending separate |
| Subsidised SimplyGo EZ-Link card | $6 ($3 fee + $3 value) | A cheaper entry stored-value card |
| SimplyGo concession card | Varies by scheme | Students, seniors, PWDs, Workfare holders |
| Singapore Tourist Pass (1 / 2 / 3 days) | $17 / $24 / $29 | Short-stay visitors riding a lot each day |
The catch: what happens if you forget to tap?
Not tapping your card can cost you a S$50 penalty fee.
The Public Transport Council runs a penalty fee system to stop fare evasion, and each offence carries a S$50 penalty fee. Not tapping your card when you board a bus, or enter or leave an MRT or LRT gate, counts as one.
The same S$50 applies if you don't pay your fare, use a concession card that isn't yours or travel on an invalid ticket. The amount is set in the PTC (Bus or Train Fare Evasion) Regulations 2016.
Trained public transport officials can inspect your card and issue the penalty on the spot. They carry an authority card you can ask to see. If you get a notice, you have 14 days to pay.
That's on top of the everyday cost of forgetting to tap out, which is the maximum fare for that leg.
The MoneyBees take: what we'd check first
We'd add up a normal month of your fares before buying a pass. The adult monthly pass costs S$122 and covers basic buses and trains only, so express rides still cost extra. Paying per trip keeps you flexible, and for a short or irregular commute it's almost always cheaper. Either way, you save about 80 cents a ride when you tap a card instead of paying cash.
What settles it is whether a normal month of your fares comes to more than S$122.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the MRT in Singapore in 2026?
An adult who taps a card on the MRT pays from S$1.28 for a trip of up to 3.2km. It rises in small steps to S$2.57 for journeys over 40.2km, from 27 December 2025. Buses use the same distance bands, so the same distance costs the same on either.
Is it cheaper to pay by card or cash on the bus?
Card, by a long way. An adult cash bus fare starts at S$2.10, against S$1.28 by card for the same short trip, a gap of about 82 cents. Cash gets no transfer discount either, so a trip with more than one bus costs far more. Always tap a card.
How many free transfers can I make in one journey?
Up to 5 transfers, so 6 rides in all, charged as one combined distance. You get 45 minutes to transfer between buses or between a bus and a train, and only 15 minutes between two MRT stations. You can't reboard the same bus service number.
Why did Singapore transport fares go up again?
The Public Transport Council granted an increase of 5.0% on average from 27 December 2025, well below the 14.4% it could have allowed. It passed on part of a backlog of held-back increases and carried 9.4% forward. The Government added over S$200 million in subsidies for 2026.
Is the Adult Monthly Travel Pass worth it?
It's S$122 a month for unlimited basic bus and train rides, so it pays off only if your fares would top S$122. For a S$1.86 to S$2.20 commute each way, that's about 28 to 33 days of return trips, more days than any month has weekdays. A short or irregular commute costs less if you pay per trip.
How much do students and seniors pay?
Students start at S$0.52 for up to 3.2km, seniors and persons with disabilities at S$0.69, and Workfare holders at S$0.78. Trips up to 3.2km didn't go up this round, and longer trips rose only 3 to 4 cents.
Do children travel free on Singapore public transport?
Children below 0.9m tall ride free with a fare-paying adult. A child aged 7 and below who is taller than 0.9m and not yet in primary school can get a free Child Concession Card. From Primary 1, they pay the student concession fare.
What happens if I forget to tap out on the MRT?
You're charged the maximum fare for that leg instead of the fare for your real distance. Not tapping in or out is also a fare evasion offence under the penalty fee system. If a public transport official catches it, the penalty fee is S$50 per offence. Tap at both ends every time.
How much does an EZ-Link card cost in 2026?
A SimplyGo EZ-Link card is S$10: a S$5 card fee you don't get back, plus S$5 of travel value. A subsidised one costs S$6, and only S$3 of that is travel value. Either lasts five years from encoding and holds up to S$500. Residents can skip the card and tap a contactless bank card instead.
Can I still buy a single-trip MRT ticket?
No. Singapore phased out the paper single-trip standard ticket in 2022, so there's nothing to buy at the gate. You tap a contactless bank card, a SimplyGo or EZ-Link card, or a Singapore Tourist Pass. Visitors who want unlimited rides can get the Tourist Pass from S$17 for one day.
Sources
- Public Transport Council - Fare Review Exercise 2025
- LTA - Bus and train fare table (effective 27 December 2025, PDF)
- Public Transport Council - Distance fares and transfer rules
- SimplyGo - Concession and monthly travel cards
- Land Transport Guru - Public Transport Fare Review 2025
- SimplyGo - FAQs for EZ-Link cards (card cost, validity, stored value)
- SimplyGo - Penalty Fee System FAQ (revised 2 January 2026, PDF)
- The Singapore Tourist Pass - Types of passes and prices
Keep exploring
- Ezlink card 2026: the real costs, the SimplyGo switch, and how to earn cashback on every ride
- Are Monthly Concession Passes Worth It? Adults vs Students
- Free and discounted MRT rides 2026: how to cut your MRT fare
- Personal finance calculator (1/3 rule)
- Singapore salary calculator (take-home + CPF)
- Bus and MRT fare calculator
- Emergency Fund
- Lifestyle Inflation
- CDC Voucher
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change, so verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).