How to Get from Changi Airport to the City Center: Every Option, Priced (2026)
Every way from Changi Airport to the city center with the price, the journey time and the catch, drawn from the AfterYouLand Singapore guide and checked against the operators.
Cheapest is bus 36 at about S$2 a person, a slow 60 to 80 minutes through Marine Parade to Orchard. Fastest is a taxi or Grab at 20 to 30 minutes. Door to door is the metered taxi at S$25 to S$45, or a pre-booked transfer at a fixed price.
Kiwitaxi, booked before you fly. The driver waits at arrivals with a name sign, and the price is fixed when you book. Affiliate link: AfterYouLand may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
1 The options, compared
MRT, East West Line.
One change at Tanah Merah puts you at City Hall in about 35 to 45 minutes, and you tap a contactless card, so no ticket is needed.
Bus 36, the cheapest.
The scenic budget route through Marine Parade to Orchard and Dhoby Ghaut, and the cheapest seat from Changi by a small margin over the MRT.
Taxi, metered.
Metered and regulated, with a S$6 to S$8 airport surcharge, a 25 percent peak surcharge and 50 percent more between midnight and 6 am.
Grab and Gojek.
Ride hailing from designated pick up points at every terminal, with surge pricing at peak times; there has been no Uber in Singapore since 2018.
Pre-booked transfer.
A driver waits at arrivals with your name on a sign, which is the calm option when you land after the last train.
Fixed price, agreed before you land. The alternative is Welcome Pickups, linked in the Singapore guide.
2 Late night and first trains
The last MRT leaves Changi at about 11:18 pm. After that, the night options are taxis and ride hailing only, so the guide advice is to pre-book a fixed price transfer and have a driver already waiting.
The guide prints no first train time from Changi. What it does promise is the morning pattern: the MRT from the basement of Terminals 2 and 3, about S$2.20 to City Hall with one change at Tanah Merah.
3 Groups and luggage
The bus stays cheapest at every group size, but the gap narrows: at four people the taxi works out at about S$6.25 to S$11.25 a head before surcharges, and it goes door to door.
Luggage: the MRT change at Tanah Merah is a short hop between platforms, but bus 36 is a city bus with no luggage hold and the ride runs past an hour. With a large case each, the taxi or a pre-booked car earns its premium.
4 Where you board
MRT
The station is in the basement of Terminals 2 and 3. From Terminal 1 or Terminal 4, ride the free SkyTrain or shuttle bus across first. Tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard at the gate; no ticket is needed, and you change at Tanah Merah for the city bound train.
Taxi and ride hailing
Taxis queue at the ranks outside arrivals at every terminal, metered and regulated. Grab and Gojek use designated pick up points at every terminal; follow the app to the numbered door it names.
Bus and pre-booked
Bus 36 leaves from the terminal bus stops and loops through Marine Parade to Orchard and Dhoby Ghaut; no change is given, so pay by card. A pre-booked driver waits inside arrivals with a name sign.
5 Questions
A metered taxi costs about S$25 to S$35 in the day and S$35 to S$45 in the evening, plus an airport surcharge of S$6 to S$8. Peak hours add 25 percent, and rides between midnight and 6 am add 50 percent.
Bus 36, at about S$2 a person. It loops through Marine Parade to Orchard and Dhoby Ghaut in 60 to 80 minutes. The MRT is nearly as cheap at about S$2.20 and much quicker.
About 35 to 45 minutes to City Hall, with one change at Tanah Merah onto the city bound train. The station sits in the basement of Terminals 2 and 3.
No. The last train leaves at about 11:18 pm, and after that the only options are taxis and ride hailing. If you land late, pre-book a transfer so a driver waits at arrivals.
The MRT station is in the basement of Terminals 2 and 3. From Terminal 1 or Terminal 4, take the free SkyTrain or shuttle bus to Terminal 2 or 3 first, then follow the train signs down.
6 Sources
- Changi Airport: ground transport, changiairport.com. Last verified November 2026.
- LTA: public transport fares and journey planner, lta.gov.sg. Last verified November 2026.
- ICA: entering Singapore and the SG Arrival Card, ica.gov.sg. Last verified November 2026.
- Visit Singapore: official visitor guide, visitsingapore.com. Last verified November 2026.
All prices and journey times are taken from the AfterYouLand Singapore guide, checked in November 2026.
First night in Singapore.
Where you stay changes this trip. Marina Bay suits the MRT ride to City Hall, Orchard Road is the end of the bus 36 route, and Bugis sits between Kampong Glam and the MRT. The guide scores the first night areas and names its hotel picks.
See where to stay in the guideThis page is the transfer chapter of the full guide: the Singapore first hour guide covers landing, money, data and your first night.
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