Bugis Street in Singapore

Despite the obvious premises of being a safe, clean, and organized city, Singapore has some of the top ranked educational institutions in the world - the NUS (National University of Singapore) has consistently qualified as one of the Top 20 Universities in the World, according to several ranking lists - and of course, for anyone wanting to pursue an MBA, the options range from the outpost of France's renowned INSEAD to the local NUS and Nanyang programs. But despite the excellent academic premises and the relative proximity to South Asia, many students are put off heading to Singapore because they think living there will be insanely expensive. Well, Singapore IS expensive, no doubt, but being a student on a shoe-string budget is also quite feasible - and you'll still get to enjoy life outside academics!

We've listed here our Top 5 guide to why being a student in Singapore is not as expensive as one might think!

1. Singapore is considered to be the most "wired" country in southeast asia - you can sit in almost any cafe or public square and hook up to wifi access - most often for free.


2. Rent your textbooks online, instead of buying them at the bookstore! And if you're an avid book, fan read about how you can pick up a good book in the parks in The Tale of the Travelling Books in the Lion City.


3. Take the bus - for $1 a trip, getting around couldn't be easier.


4. Although the city is home to several Michelin starred gourmet restaurants, eating out at one of the street stalls is still everybody's favourite past-time - and eating out remains very inexpensive in Singapore. Although Little India, east of Orchard Road, is filled with cheap eats to fulfill homesick food cravings, also try the Nyanya cuisine (a blend of Chinese ingredients, Malay spices and cooking style) in the Peranakan neighbourhood. And of course there are a variety of options in the cooked food centres scattered around town.


5. If you have to buy clothes or things for the house, head for the bargain-basement prices on Bugis Street or Chinatown's night market and hawker stalls for cheaper priced goods. You'll find you have no need to go splurge on designer prices at one of the shiny malls on Orchard Road!

There's a variety of ways to be a student on a budget - if you have more tips, we'd love to hear your comments!