Travel Costs Breakdown: Nigeria to Singapore and Malaysia

How much will it cost to travel to Singapore and Malaysia from Nigeria? In this post, I’ll be writing about the costs of my trip to Singapore, Penang* and Kuala Lumpur. I made this trip from Nairobi, so the flight costs will differ slightly if you’re flying from Lagos or Abuja. But everything else – the visa, accommodation, food, transport, and entertainment – applies directly to Nigerian travellers.

This breakdown is based solely on my experience and is only intended for trip planning and presenting a fair idea of how much to budget. All prices stated here represent the cost per person and are either approximate or exact at the time of this writing.

Before diving in, you might be wondering: why Singapore and Malaysia?

In my view, this is one of the best regional combinations you can make in Southeast Asia – particularly if Singapore is your primary destination. Singapore is a remarkably small country, and a well-planned itinerary can cover the highlights in just a few days. If you’re flying in from Nigeria, that’s a significant journey for a short stay, so pairing it with a nearby country makes the trip feel far more worthwhile.

Malaysia is the natural choice as it is only a few hours away. One important note for Nigerian passport holders, though, entry into Malaysia is only permitted through the airport, so plan accordingly to avoid the situation I faced.

Getting There: The Singapore and Malaysia Visa & Required Documents

Nigerians visiting Singapore for tourism require a visa. I applied for mine independently and have written an extensive breakdown of how to go about it, including the documents required – you can find that post here. At the time of this writing, the visa fee cost me $23.

Applying independently can be a bit of a hassle, since you need to get a letter of introduction from the Nigerian government, so if that’s proving too hard to get, you can always go through an accredited local visa agent instead. I recommended a few in this post.

For Malaysia, Nigerian passport holders can obtain an evisa. Mine cost $30 and I have also written an extensive post about the application process here.

Flights: Lagos or Nairobi to Singapore

At the time of this writing, there are no direct flights from Nigeria to Singapore and Malaysia. Several airlines make the trip with stops at their respective hubs. I flew with Qatar Airways for both legs of the journey – from Nairobi to Singapore and from Kuala Lumpur back to Nairobi. My return flight cost me about $1,250 – but I booked so close to my travel dates.

I also paid $70 for a one-way flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.

While putting this post together, I checked flights a few months out and spotted Qatar Airways fares as low as $575. Qatar Airways is one of my favourite airlines for long-haul travel – the service and overall experience make even the longest journeys considerably more bearable. So if you’re planning this trip, I recommend booking early to save costs on flights.

Transportation Costs

My total ground transportation cost came to $120. This covered all my city transport, including the MRT and buses in Singapore, as well as Grab rides around Kuala Lumpur. It also includes the ticket I lost on my failed attempt to get to Penang with Sri Maju.

Accommodation Costs

In Singapore, I stayed at Lyf Funan Singapore on Hill Street for four nights. It proved to be an excellent base – within walking distance of Fort Canning Park, Merlion Park, Clarke Quay, and the Marina Bay area. I paid $150 per night, which came to $600 in total for my Singapore stay.

This was by far my most expensive stay in the region. I only booked it about three days before my trip because my visa came through quite late. Singapore is famously expensive, but if you plan ahead and book early, you can usually find more affordable options.

In Penang, I had booked Jen Penang Georgetown for two nights at $50 per night, bringing the total to $100. Although I ended up skipping Penang due to the travel mishap, it’s a place I still think I would have enjoyed staying in, so I’m leaving the recommendation here.

In Kuala Lumpur, I stayed at Santa Grand Signature Hotel for five nights at $50 per night, which came to $250 in total. All prices are per room, so if you’re travelling with a partner, the cost can easily be split between two people.

Feeding & Entertainment

Most of the sights I visited were free to walk around. Singapore is particularly generous in this regard – the Garden Rhapsody light show at Gardens by the Bay, Merlion Park, the Old Hill Street Police Station, Fort Canning Park, and the Spectra show at Marina Bay Sands all cost nothing.

It was the same in Malaysia, where I visited Batu Caves, Thean Hou Temple, and several parks, all of which had no entry fees.

My total food bill across the entire trip came to $100 and I spent about $200 on entertainment, which covered my visit to the ArtScience Museum, an indoor skydiving experience on Sentosa Island, and a photo walk on my first day in Singapore.

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Here is an overview of everything I spent:

Again, this breakdown is based solely on my experience and is intended only for trip planning. All prices are approximate or exact at the time of this writing.

Items & Activities	Prices	Comments
Flights (Nairobi to Singapore, Singapore to KL and KL to Nairobi)	$1,320	Qatar Airways – Flights can be as low as $575 depending on when you book.
Singapore Visa	$23	Applied independently
Malaysia Visa	$30	eVisa
Accommodation in Singapore (4 nights)	$600	Lyf Funan Singapore, $150/night
Accommodation in Penang (2 nights)	$100	Jen Penang Georgetown, $50/night (I ended up cancelling this stop but leaving this cost here for reference)
Accommodation in KL (3 nights)	$150	Santa Grand Signature, $50/night. (I stayed here for 5 nights at $50/night)
Overnight bus Singapore to Penang (Sri Maju)	$50	Inclusive of my return journey to Singapore airport
Singapore MRT rides, KL Grab Rides	$70	MRT, taxi and bus rides
Food (across the full trip)	$100
Entertainment & Sightseeing	$200	ArtScience Museum, Indoor skydiving experience, photoshoot in Singapore
Total costs for one person	$2,650	Rounded up

I hope you find this Singapore and Malaysia trip cost breakdown helpful. Leave me a comment below if you have any questions!