has been named the joint  to live in alongside New York - but you can still have a stand-out time in the Asian city-state on a shoestring budget.
On a recent visit to this fascinating island country, I found that it was chock-full of beautiful free-to-visit urban parklands, low-cost museums, and hawker centres brimming with superb cheap eats - one street-food vendor even has a Michelin star.

Hotels can be costly, but you can get a bed in a budget hostel for around £12 (20 Singapore dollars) to £28 (45 Singapore dollars).
There are even budget ways to enjoy the glitzier side of the city, such as taking advantage of happy hour deals in the most exclusive of cocktail bars.
Don't let any preconceptions of priciness put you off visiting. Here's how to enjoy Singapore on a budget…Changi Airportp>  Singapore has been named the joint most expensive city to live in, alongside New York - but that doesn't mean that you can't have a stand-out time on a shoestring budget on the island city-state

>Above is the Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall, which lies inside the free-to-enter Jewel complex in Singapore's Changi Airp
>p> RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share 35 shares Changi Airport's mind-bending ‘mirror maze' hall of mir
r>Singapore's  is a destination in itself, with many Singaporeans spending the day at the airport even when they don't have a flight to ca
r>It doesn't cost a penny to step inside the airport's Jewel building, a diamond-patterned retail complex set outside terminal on

r>Thundering through its heart is the Rain Vortex, which at 40 metres (131ft) in height is the world's tallest indoor waterfall. Illuminated by coloured lights and 식품위생교육 ringed by plant walls, it's a sight straight out of a science fiction movie. Other experiences inside Jewel cost, such as the 'walking net' that's suspended 25m (82ft) above ground or the mind-bending ‘mirror maze' hall of mirrors, but you can get bundle deals to experience several activities in one go, priced at £24 (39 Singapore
l
.  Terminal one also holds a verdant butterfly garden and a rooftop cactus garden, complete with a bar that overlooks the runway, while in terminal three you'll find the world's tallest airport slide, a twirling silver structure that's 12m (3

. Cheap eats at the hawker ce
s
an> In 2016, Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle Stall (above) became the first street-food stall to earn a M
l
tarCelebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once said: ‘Singapore is possibly the most food-centric place on Earth, with the most enthusiastic diners, the most varied and abundant, affordable dishes — available for cheap — on a per-square-mile basis.' Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the city's hawker centres, street-food halls that have gained cult status in the world of gastronomy. While prices have risen slightly in recent years, you can still pick up a bowl of noodles for around £3 (five
gapore
lars). These centres originated in the mid-20th century, when street-food sellers were instructed by the government to sell their produce under one roof for food hygiene purposes. In 2016, two of the city's street food vendors - and - became the first of their kind to receive a Michelin star, earning a reputation for serving the world's cheapest Miche
starre
als.  Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle Stall has since lost its star, but in that time, many more street-food vendors have earned recognition from the  and received Bib Gourmand status for 'good co
g and
value'. Ailbhe lunched at Tiong Bahru Food Centre, one of the city's oldest hawke

s.

'Everything was delicious, but the standout for me was a portion of ice kachang, a multicoloured dessert of shaved ice, jelly
syrup,
e says  Many dishes bring unconventional flavours together at the family-run Keng Eng Kee Seafood, a hugely popu
Singap
eatery There are more than 100 hawker centr

y.

They often get busy at lunchtime, so when you arrive, you need to 'chope' a table - reserve your spot with a packet of tissues while you scour the food stalls. I lunched at Tiong Bahru Food Centre, a centre set in one of Singapore's oldest residential neigh
hoods.
Everything was delicious, but the standout for me was a portion of ice kachang, a multicoloured dessert of shaved ice, jelly and syrup that costs no more than a
Singap
dollars.Keng
Kee Se
dThis family-run restaurant got its start with a stall in the Old Havelock Road Hawker Centre back in the 1970s, but it has since moved to its current premises in the Alexandra Village Fo

e.

It's hugely popular, so it's important to make a reservation - on weekends they seat around 700 to 800 diners, owner Paul Liew, whose grandparents founded the restaurant, told me. The atmosphere is laid-back and casual, [https://telegra.ph/food-hygien i
more a
dable alternative. The bar is so high up that my ears popped in the lift on the way to the top. Make sure to get a table with a skyline view, so you can spend your night picking out the sights below, such as the world's first floating Louis Vuitton shop in Marina Bay. When the sky is particularly clear, look closely and you might see Mala
and I
esia on the horizon.Cocktails are priced at £15 (25 Singapore

).

I tried the Summer Love cocktail, a refreshing blend of thyme-infused gin, Peruvian pisco, peach and prosecco. The ‘daily special' beer buckets for a group of five are pric
t £39
Singapore dollars).  The Ce La Vi SkyBar & Club terrace looks out over Marina Bay Sands' famous infinity pool, so you can watch swimmers
ng self
as you sip your drinkAs a bonus, the terrace looks out over Marina Bay Sands' famous infinity pool, so you can watch swimmers tak
selfies
you sip your drink. If you're enjoying the taste of the high life, happy hour deals await in the best bar in Asia, , which
in the
ra Singapore hotel. t Canning Park On a visit to the hilltop Fort Canning Park, climb through the iconic Fort Canning Tree Tunnel, a spiral staircase t
frames
canopy of trees aboveWalk around the hilltop Fort Canning Park, set in the centre of the city, and you'll get a flavour of what it's like to

re.

Local Singaporeans picnic across lawns and in the shade of the trees, with Tupperware full of home
ked foo
read out around them.Climb through the iconic Fort Canning Tree Tunnel, a spiral staircase that opens up to a canopy of trees, before meandering along the park's , which takes in sights such as the Fort Canning Centre, constructed in 1926 as a British army barracks. History enthusiasts will be further enthused by the Battlebox, the underground complex of 26 rooms that served as a British command post d

II.

It's here that the British surrendered , where every surface is adorned with beautiful Buddhist artworks in shades of gold, pi

ed.

Travel up to the fourth floor, where what's said to be the left canine tooth of Buddha is housed in a golden stupa (a type of Buddhist monument), before heading to the serene rooftop garden, which is complete wit
richly
rated prayer wheel. Admission is free and 식품위생교육 eve
aturday t
are free guided tours.Next, head to Temple Street to check out the work of the Singaporean artist , who has painted a retro three-storey mural of the Chinatown he remembers from his
dhood on
side of a building.   While in Chinatown, wander through the stalls
he China
Complex Market (above) The most novel way to see Singapore is by vintage Vespa
urtesy of
gapore Sidecars (above)Explore the Chinatown Complex Market - maybe stopping for a freshly-squeezed mango juice from Blenz Fruit Juice (£1.55 / 2.50 Singapore dollars) - or pick up a tic

the .

It's £7 (12 Singapore dollars) to enter, and free for children. Inside you'll find a curious archive of antique musical boxes, including one box that was fated to sail on the Titanic - b
uckily ne
made it on to the ship.ld">Sidecar tourThe most novel way to see Singapore is by vintage Vespa, courtesy of Singap

cars.

Tucked in the Vespa's sidecar, I motored around the city as my driver, Kevin, supplied endless fascinating facts about supersized skysc
rs and hi
ical sites we passed. At 180 Singapore dollars (£109), the pricing might sound steep, but it's ideal if you're on a stopover - you can pack in a tonne o
ghtseeing
a short window of time.Before the pandemic, the tour company used to offer discount bundle rates with hotels and other experiences

city.

While the scheme is currently on hold, the firm plans to reboot it in the near future. Visit