New to Singapore?
Your First 3 Months: Do You Even Need a Car?
Welcome to Singapore. Your first instinct might be to buy or lease a car immediately. Here's why you probably shouldn't — yet.
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To Trust or Not
We tell you which providers to use — and which to avoid
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Up-to-date pricing
COE and FRT data updated monthly
The new arrival strategy: Spend your first 1–3 months using Grab and the MRT. Get to know your neighbourhood, your commute, and where your kids' school is. Then decide.
Your first month: use Grab and the MRT
Grab is everywhere in Singapore, reliable, and cheap. The MRT is air-conditioned, clean, and covers 97% of the island. MRT monthly pass: SGD $128. Grab for occasional trips: SGD $200–400. Total: SGD $330–530 vs SGD $3,500+ for a leased car.
Month 2–3: assess your real situation
By month 2, you'll know where you're living relative to the MRT, your commute pattern, and whether you have school-age kids. These are the three factors that determine whether you need a car.
When you should actually get a car
- You're more than 15 minutes walk from the nearest MRT
- You're doing school runs to multiple locations
- You're in Bukit Timah, the far West, or the North
- You're spending more than SGD $800/month on Grab
Quick reading order for new arrivals
- This page — give Grab and MRT a month or two.
- Should I Get a Car? — work through the decision framework once you've settled
- Leasing Guide — most new arrivals lease rather than buy
- Cost Calculator — plug in your numbers and see the real monthly cost
The bottom line: You don't need to rush. Give yourself 2–3 months, live with Grab and MRT, then reassess.