MRT and Bus Fares Singapore: Paying Cash Costs Up to 67% More

An adult card fare on a bus or train runs from $1.28 to $2.57 across 39 distance bands. The same journeys paid in cash run from $2.10 to $3.20, and cash only comes in 8 values against the card's 39.

That coarseness is where the money goes. The cash premium peaks at 67% on a 3.3 km - 4.2 km trip, $1.38 by card against $2.30 in cash, and falls to 25% on the longest journeys. Cash punishes short trips hardest, which are exactly the ones people are most likely to pay for in coins. Every figure here is from the Public Transport Council's published tables, read on 9 September 2026. They are the fares set by the 2025 Fare Review Exercise, which took effect on 27 December 2025.

The $122 monthly pass does not pay for a commute

The Adult Monthly Travel Pass costs $122.00 for unlimited basic bus and train rides. Divide that by the fare it replaces and the ride count needed is higher than most people's month:

• At the highest adult card fare, $2.57, the pass needs 47 rides to break even.
• At the median band, $2.33, it needs 52 rides.
• A plain commute, two rides a day across 22 working days, is 44 rides.

So the pass starts paying past the commute, once weekend travel or a midday trip out and back is added. For an ordinary five-day commute on a card, it is $19.48 worse at the median fare.

Every adult band, card against cash

Distance	Card	Cash	Cash premium
Up to 3.2 km	$1.28	$2.10	+64%
3.3 km - 4.2 km	$1.38	$2.30	+67%
4.3 km - 5.2 km	$1.49	$2.30	+54%
5.3 km - 6.2 km	$1.59	$2.30	+45%
6.3 km - 7.2 km	$1.68	$2.50	+49%
7.3 km - 8.2 km	$1.75	$2.50	+43%
8.3 km - 9.2 km	$1.82	$2.50	+37%
9.3 km - 10.2 km	$1.86	$2.70	+45%
10.3 km - 11.2 km	$1.90	$2.70	+42%
11.3 km - 12.2 km	$1.94	$2.90	+49%
12.3 km - 13.2 km	$1.98	$2.90	+46%
13.3 km - 14.2 km	$2.02	$2.90	+44%
14.3 km - 15.2 km	$2.07	$2.90	+40%
15.3 km - 16.2 km	$2.11	$3.00	+42%
16.3 km - 17.2 km	$2.15	$3.00	+40%
17.3 km - 18.2 km	$2.20	$3.00	+36%
18.3 km - 19.2 km	$2.24	$3.00	+34%
19.3 km - 20.2 km	$2.27	$3.10	+37%
20.3 km - 21.2 km	$2.30	$3.10	+35%
21.3 km - 22.2 km	$2.33	$3.10	+33%
22.3 km - 23.2 km	$2.36	$3.10	+31%
23.3 km - 24.2 km	$2.38	$3.20	+34%
24.3 km - 25.2 km	$2.40	$3.20	+33%
25.3 km - 26.2 km	$2.42	$3.20	+32%
26.3 km - 27.2 km	$2.43	$3.20	+32%
27.3 km - 28.2 km	$2.44	$3.20	+31%
28.3 km - 29.2 km	$2.45	$3.20	+31%
29.3 km - 30.2 km	$2.46	$3.20	+30%
30.3 km - 31.2 km	$2.47	$3.20	+30%
31.3 km - 32.2 km	$2.48	$3.20	+29%
32.3 km - 33.2 km	$2.49	$3.20	+29%
33.3 km - 34.2 km	$2.50	$3.20	+28%
34.3 km - 35.2 km	$2.51	$3.20	+27%
35.3 km - 36.2 km	$2.52	$3.20	+27%
36.3 km - 37.2 km	$2.53	$3.20	+26%
37.3 km - 38.2 km	$2.54	$3.20	+26%
38.3 km - 39.2 km	$2.55	$3.20	+25%
39.3 km - 40.2 km	$2.56	$3.20	+25%
Over 40.2 km	$2.57	$3.20	+25%

Monthly passes, all of them

Pass	Covers	Price
Primary School Students	Bus only	$24.00
Secondary School Students	Bus only	$29.00
Polytechnic Students	Bus only	$29.00
University Students	Bus only	$55.50
Full-Time National Servicemen	Bus only	$55.50
Primary School Students	Train only	$21.00
Secondary School Students	Train only	$26.50
Polytechnic Students	Train only	$26.50
University Students	Train only	$48.00
Full-Time National Servicemen	Train only	$48.00
Primary School Students	Bus and train	$39.00
Secondary School Students	Bus and train	$49.00
Polytechnic Students	Bus and train	$49.00
University Students	Bus and train	$81.00
Full-Time National Servicemen	Bus and train	$81.00
Adults (Monthly Travel Pass)	Bus and train	$122.00
Senior Citizens	Bus and train	$55.00
Persons with Disabilities	Bus and train	$55.00
Workfare Transport Concession Cardholders	Bus and train	$92.00

Students, full-time national servicemen and university students each get a bus-only, train-only and hybrid version, and the split matters: a bus-only pass is cheaper than the hybrid by a wide margin for anyone whose route never touches a train.

How the distance is counted

Fares are charged on the total distance of one journey, not per vehicle. Two commuters covering the same distance pay the same, whether they went direct or changed bus and train several times, which is why a transfer costs nothing extra as long as the journey is treated as continuous.

Two exceptions sit on top of that:

• Feeder bus services are capped at 3.2 km, so a feeder ride never costs more than the first band.
• Express bus services charge a flat $1 more than the basic bus card fare for adults, and $0.50 to $0.70 more for concession groups.

When the fares last changed

The current table came out of the 2025 Fare Review Exercise and took effect on 27 December 2025, raising adult card fares by 9 to 10 cents a journey. The Public Transport Council names a 2023, a 2024 and a 2025 exercise, so a fare figure quoted without a date is worth little.

MRT and bus fares: quick questions

How much is an MRT ride in Singapore?

Between $1.28 and $2.57 by card, depending on the distance travelled. The same journeys cost $2.10 to $3.20 in cash.

How much is a bus ride in Singapore?

The same as a train ride over the same distance. Bus and train share one distance-based fare table, so a $1.28 card fare covers the first 3.2 km on either. The two exceptions are feeder services, capped at 3.2 km, and express services, which add a flat $1 for adults.

Is it cheaper to use a card than cash?

Always, and by a lot on short trips. The premium runs from 25% on the longest journeys to 67% on a 3.3 km - 4.2 km trip, where a $1.38 fare becomes $2.30.

Is the adult monthly travel pass worth it?

Only past about 47 to 52 rides a month. A five-day commute is roughly 44 rides, so the $122.00 pass loses money on commuting alone and starts working once weekend and off-pattern travel is added.

Do I pay again when I transfer?

No. The fare is based on the total distance of the journey rather than the number of vehicles, so a journey with transfers costs the same as a direct one over the same distance.

Why do express buses cost more?

They are priced a flat $1 above the basic bus card fare for adults, and $0.50 to $0.70 above it for concession groups, in exchange for skipping stops or running on expressways.

How much is a feeder bus?

Feeder services are capped at 3.2 km, which is the first distance band, so a feeder ride costs $1.28 by card and $2.10 in cash.

When did MRT and bus fares last go up?

On 27 December 2025, when the 2025 Fare Review Exercise raised adult card fares by 9 to 10 cents a journey. That is the table shown above.

What concession groups are there?

Six, each with its own fare table and pass: primary, secondary and polytechnic students, university students, full-time national servicemen, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and Workfare Transport Concession cardholders. Students, university students and national servicemen can each choose a bus-only, train-only or combined pass; the rest come as one combined pass.

Which monthly pass is cheapest?

The train only pass for primary school students, at $21.00. The bus-only version of the same pass is $24.00, and senior citizens and persons with disabilities both pay $55.00 for a pass covering bus and train.

Driving instead? The comparison sits in the cost of owning a car, with ERP rates and HDB parking rates alongside.