'Hotel was $1,200 per night': Tourist enrages netizens after saying Singapore is 'super expensive'

Singapore ain't a cheap place to visit, we know that.

But a tourist who splurged on a $1,200-a-night hotel room here found herself on the receiving end of online criticism after complaining about the city's high prices.

American TikTok user Tourdebree visited Singapore for five nights and took to social media on July 25 to share her shock at the cost of living here.

She asked: "Why nobody told me Singapore was so expensive?"

@tourdebree How much i spent in Singapore 🇸🇬 super expensive but very clean 😍 #singapore #solotravel #howmuchispent ♬ original sound - Tour Dè Bree

From Japan, Tourdebree hopped on a $470 AirAsia flight to Singapore. But once she touched down, her expenses kept going up, she complained.

When travelling, a big chunk of expenses tend to go to accommodation. And it wasn't too different for Tourdebree.

She claimed: "My hotel was $1,200 per night. Believe it or not, this was on the cheaper side.

"Airbnb is illegal in Singapore so all the hotels are hella expensive." 

She didn't say in her video which hotel she stayed at.

For context, one would have to fork out roughly $1,000 a night for the Deluxe Room at the world-renowned five-star Marina Bay Sands. At the Raffles Hotel, a night at the 1-Bedroom Residence King can even go above $2,000.

Meanwhile, an Urban Deluxe King Room with breakfast at the five-star Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay would set you back slightly over $500.

Tourdebree's transportation costs weren't cheap either. 

Not only did she say she splurged $90 for a one-way transfer from the hotel to the airport but transportation costs throughout her stay here came up to $800.

As for food, there's a chance that Tourdebree gave the food courts and hawker stalls in Singapore a miss.

"My tuna salad and calamari was $85 alone," she said.

Spending on menu items at that price point, maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that her total food expenses in Singapore was $1,500.

Describing Singapore as "super expensive but very clean", the Japan-based woman admitted to spending an eye-watering $9,090 for this trip.

AsiaOne has reached out to Tourdebree for more information.

Is Singapore that expensive?

A number of netizens were triggered by her post and took to the comments section to call her out. 

"I live here. My lunch is $7 and my transport from the east to west and back is only $4.40," one TikTok user commented.

There were also netizens, albeit few in numbers, agreeing with Tourdebree.

One said: "Yeah, Singapore is expensive! I also love Japan! I spent almost a year traveling different places there."

Tourdebree shared her thoughts and responded to some of the flak she received.

She was aware of the annoyance among some Singaporeans with regard to her spending, and how one can find cheaper alternatives in the country.

"But I didn't want to stay in a hostel or eat at stalls or ride in the train," Tourdebree wrote.

Singapore on a budget

It is possible to be a tourist here without spending a bomb.

Late last year, one Danish couple set themselves a budget of $100 per day to explore Singapore, and they almost made it work.

Their budget accommodation in Little India costs just $70 a night and to save on food, they ate mostly at food markets and hawker stalls.

On top of cheap food and accommodation, the couple opted to look for activities around the island that are free, such as watching the Supertree Grove Garden Rhapsody at Gardens by the Bay.

ALSO READ: Tourist spends about $140 a day in Singapore inclusive of accommodation and doing 'touristy things', considers it reasonable

amierul@asiaone.com

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