Fares are based on distance, not transfers
The single most useful thing to understand about Singapore fares is that you pay for the distance of your whole journey, not for each train or bus. When you transfer between lines, or between bus and train, the system treats it as one continuous trip rather than charging you again from scratch.
This is why tapping in and tapping out matters. The tap-out is what tells the system how far you travelled, and therefore what to charge. Forget to tap out and you can be charged a maximum fare.
The adult card fare table
These are adult card fares per ride, based on distance travelled. The lower column applies when you tap in before 7.45am, an early-morning incentive to spread out the peak. All other journeys use the standard column.
| Distance | Before 7.45am | All other times |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 3.2 km | $0.78 | $1.28 |
| 3.3 – 4.2 km | $0.88 | $1.38 |
| 4.3 – 5.2 km | $0.99 | $1.49 |
| 5.3 – 6.2 km | $1.09 | $1.59 |
| 6.3 – 7.2 km | $1.18 | $1.68 |
| 7.3 – 8.2 km | $1.25 | $1.75 |
| 8.3 – 9.2 km | $1.32 | $1.82 |
| 9.3 – 10.2 km | $1.36 | $1.86 |
| 10.3 – 11.2 km | $1.40 | $1.90 |
| 11.3 – 12.2 km | $1.44 | $1.94 |
| 12.3 – 13.2 km | $1.48 | $1.98 |
| 13.3 – 14.2 km | $1.52 | $2.02 |
| 14.3 – 15.2 km | $1.57 | $2.07 |
| 15.3 – 16.2 km | $1.61 | $2.11 |
| 16.3 – 17.2 km | $1.65 | $2.15 |
| 17.3 – 18.2 km | $1.70 | $2.20 |
| 18.3 – 19.2 km | $1.74 | $2.24 |
| 19.3 – 20.2 km | $1.77 | $2.27 |
| 20.3 – 21.2 km | $1.80 | $2.30 |
| 21.3 – 22.2 km | $1.83 | $2.33 |
| 22.3 – 23.2 km | $1.86 | $2.36 |
| 23.3 – 24.2 km | $1.88 | $2.38 |
| 24.3 – 25.2 km | $1.90 | $2.40 |
| 25.3 – 26.2 km | $1.92 | $2.42 |
| 26.3 – 27.2 km | $1.93 | $2.43 |
| 27.3 – 28.2 km | $1.94 | $2.44 |
| 28.3 – 29.2 km | $1.95 | $2.45 |
| 29.3 – 30.2 km | $1.96 | $2.46 |
| 30.3 – 31.2 km | $1.97 | $2.47 |
| 31.3 – 32.2 km | $1.98 | $2.48 |
| 32.3 – 33.2 km | $1.99 | $2.49 |
| 33.3 – 34.2 km | $2.00 | $2.50 |
| 34.3 – 35.2 km | $2.01 | $2.51 |
| 35.3 – 36.2 km | $2.02 | $2.52 |
| 36.3 – 37.2 km | $2.03 | $2.53 |
| 37.3 – 38.2 km | $2.04 | $2.54 |
| 38.3 – 39.2 km | $2.05 | $2.55 |
| 39.3 – 40.2 km | $2.06 | $2.56 |
| Over 40.2 km | $2.07 | $2.57 |
Fares above are for adult travel using a contactless card or transit card. Concession fares for students, seniors and other groups are lower. The figures come from the published SimplyGo adult fare table.
- One fare for the whole journey
- Tap in and tap out every trip
- Tapping in before 7.45am costs less
How to pay
You do not need to buy a paper ticket for everyday travel. Most riders use one of:
- a contactless bank card or a phone wallet
- a stored-value transit card
- a concession card, if eligible
Whichever you choose, use the same card to tap in and tap out. Switching cards partway through a journey breaks the trip and can lead to an incorrect fare.
Why the distance rule saves money
Because the charge follows distance rather than the number of vehicles, a route with an extra transfer is not automatically more expensive than a direct one. That frees you to pick the journey that is quickest or least stressful, rather than the one that simply looks like it avoids changes.
Where MrtGo fits
MrtGo shows the fare for each route it suggests, so you can see the cost of a journey alongside its time and transfers before you decide. The distance rule means the cheapest option and the fastest option are often the same trip.