Is Renting a Car in Singapore Worth It for a Weekend in 2026?

Renting a car in Singapore for a weekend in 2026 is usually worth it for families and groups, and usually not for one or two people. According to Trip.com at the time of writing, Singapore car rentals cost about S$116 to S$374 a day, so a two-day weekend starts at roughly S$232 before fuel and parking. With no ERP charges on Sundays, according to LTA, a well-planned weekend drive can make sense.

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Is renting a car in Singapore worth it for a weekend?

It comes down to how many people are in the car and how many stops you have. Singapore is small and well served by trains and buses, so a car rarely saves much time for a single trip into town. Where a weekend rental tends to pay off is when the car replaces several rides at once.

A weekend car is usually worth it when:

• You are a family of four or more. One car moves everyone, plus a stroller, cooler box or beach gear, for one price.
• You have several stops across the island. A Saturday that takes in the west for a nature walk, the east for lunch and a mall in the north is slow on public transport.
• You are carrying something bulky. A furniture run, a big grocery shop, or moving a few boxes between flats.
• You are taking older relatives out. Door-to-door trips are easier for anyone who finds long walks or transfers hard.
• You want to test what owning a car feels like. A weekend rental is a cheap way to see how often you would actually drive before thinking about buying.

A weekend car is usually not worth it when:

• It is just one or two of you and your plans sit along MRT lines.
• Most of your time is in the city centre, where parking can be hard to find and ERP can apply on Saturdays.
• You would leave the car parked most of the weekend. You pay for the rental by the day whether it moves or not.

A simple test: add up what you would spend on rides for the whole weekend for everyone in your group. If that total is close to or above the rental plus fuel and parking, the car is likely worth it.

Car rental Singapore: what a weekend actually costs

Start with the daily rate, then add the running costs. Trip.com's Singapore car rental page lists the following recent price ranges at the time of writing:

Rental length	Price range listed by Trip.com
Per day	about S$116 to S$374
Per week (7 days)	about S$812 to S$2,618
Per month (30 days)	about S$3,480 to S$11,220

For a two-day weekend, that works out to roughly S$232 to S$748 for the car alone. Trip.com also says that in recent months Thrifty has offered the lowest car rental prices on its site for Singapore, with an average daily price of about S$98 for a compact car, and that compact cars are the most popular rental type in Singapore.

Then add the costs that come with driving:

• Fuel. Most rentals come with a fuel policy, such as return at the same level. Check it in the booking terms.
• Parking. Malls, attractions and HDB car parks each charge their own rates. Check the car park signs or app at each stop.
• ERP. Charges depend on the gantry and the time you pass it.
• Insurance excess waiver. Trip.com says excess waivers and other options can be bought at pick-up, so ask the price before you sign.
• Additional drivers and equipment. Trip.com says fees for additional drivers and equipment, such as a child seat, are paid at the branch.

How ERP and timing change the weekend maths

Sunday is usually the lowest-cost day to drive, because there is no ERP. LTA's ERP page says there are no ERP charges on Sundays and on all public holidays. It also says ERP stops at 1pm on the eve of New Year's Day, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and Christmas Day.

LTA says ERP rates are reviewed every quarter and are generally set in half-hour periods, so a Saturday drive through the city can cost more or less depending on when you pass a gantry. Long weekends that include a public holiday give you a day of ERP-free driving, which is one reason they are popular for rentals.

One plan that often works: pick up on Saturday morning, keep Saturday's driving outside the busiest areas, do your longer trips on Sunday, and return the car on Sunday evening or Monday morning if the supplier's hours allow.

Car rental Singapore 2026: what you need to rent

You will usually need a valid driving licence, a passport or ID, a credit card in the main driver's name and your booking voucher. Trip.com's Singapore car rental FAQ lists these as common requirements and says the exact documents depend on the supplier.

Other points from Trip.com's Singapore page at the time of writing:

• Age. Most suppliers generally require drivers to be at least 21, and some charge a young driver fee.
• Credit card. Staff may refuse to release the car if you cannot show a valid credit card in the main driver's name with enough available credit, and Trip.com warns you may not get a refund in that case.
• Payment. Trip.com says rental fees are paid with a credit card at pick-up for Singapore rentals.
• Insurance. Common cover types include Collision Damage Waivers, Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Effects Coverage. Read what is included before you add more.
• Changes. Confirmed bookings cannot be modified online. You can cancel and rebook, or contact the supplier.

If you plan to drive across to Malaysia, check that the supplier allows it before you book, as cross-border rules differ by company.

Car rental Singapore best deals in 2026

The best weekend deals usually come from booking the right car class, comparing two booking sites and using each site's own perks.

• Book the smallest car that fits. Compact cars are the most popular class in Singapore on Trip.com and are usually the lowest-priced.
• Compare the final total, not the headline rate. Match the car class, insurance and fuel policy on each site before you compare price.
• Use the booking site's member perks. Trip.com says it offers exclusive car rental deals for guests with a Trip.com Flight + Hotel itinerary. Trip.com Rewards is free to join, and members earn Trip Coins that can be used like cash on prepaid bookings including car rentals. Trip.com lists 100 Trip Coins as worth about S$1.28 at the time of writing.
• Plan around public holidays. A long weekend gives you an ERP-free public holiday as well as Sunday.
• Watch sale dates. Booking sites often run promotions around online sale days such as 11.11 and 12.12. Check the live terms on the site before you pay.

Other car rental booking sites Singapore drivers check include Discover Cars, Expedia and Traveloka, alongside the rental companies themselves.

Klook vs Trip.com car rental Singapore price comparison 2026

Neither Klook nor Trip.com is cheaper every time, so compare both for the same car and dates. Both sell car rentals for Singapore, and both work with a range of rental suppliers, so the price you see depends on which supplier has cars on your dates.

Trip.com. Trip.com says its search shows prices from hundreds of suppliers and lets you filter by car type. Its Singapore page lists Thrifty and Goldbell Car Rental as popular suppliers. It highlights a flexible cancellation policy, and says that if your flight, train or bus booked on Trip.com for the same trip is delayed or cancelled, it can help you keep or cancel the car booking for free. Trip Coins earned on bookings can be used on later prepaid bookings.

Klook. Klook is best known for attractions, tours and transport passes across Asia, and it also sells car rentals. It is handy if you are already booking a weekend attraction or staycation there and want everything in one account. On ShopBack Singapore, Klook lists Car Rentals as its own category, separate from attractions and hotels.

A fair way to compare:

1. Search the same pick-up point, times and car class on both sites.
2. Open the rental terms and note the deposit, insurance, fuel policy and cancellation rules.
3. Compare the total on the payment page.
4. Go through ShopBack Singapore to the site you choose, then book.

Booking a Klook or Trip.com car rental in Singapore

Book through the site you picked, from its ShopBack page. The steps are the same on both:

1. Open the ShopBack Singapore app or website.
2. Search for Klook or Trip.com.
3. Tap through from the Klook page on ShopBack or the Trip.com page on ShopBack.
4. Search for your car, choose the supplier and book as normal.

Settle your pick-up and return times before you pay. Trip.com says confirmed car rental bookings cannot be modified online, so a change of plan usually means cancelling and rebooking.

Why ShopBack is the last step before you book

The last step before you book flights, hotels or a rental car: open ShopBack. It takes a few seconds and lowers what the car really costs you.

Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Once the booking is confirmed and the cashback clears, you can withdraw it.

Here is how it works on a weekend rental. On a S$250 weekend booking at an illustrative 5% rate, S$12.50 comes back to your ShopBack account, so the effective price is S$237.50. This rate is only an example; check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you tap through, because rates and eligible booking types differ by site.

When you set the rental against the cost of rides for the weekend, use the effective price, not the checkout price. It can be the difference between a car being worth it or not.

FAQ

Is renting a car in Singapore worth it for a weekend? It can be, if you are a family or group with several stops, bulky shopping or older relatives to move around. Trip.com lists Singapore car rentals at about S$116 to S$374 a day at the time of writing, so a two-day weekend starts at roughly S$232 before fuel and parking. For one or two people on MRT routes, public transport and the odd ride usually cost less.

How much does it cost to rent a car in Singapore for a weekend? According to Trip.com at the time of writing, recent Singapore car rental prices run from about S$116 to S$374 a day, which works out to roughly S$232 to S$748 for two days. Fuel, parking, ERP on Saturday and any insurance excess waiver bought at pick-up are paid separately.

Are there ERP charges on weekends in Singapore? LTA says there are no ERP charges on Sundays and on all public holidays. Saturdays can still have ERP charges at some gantries, so check LTA's ERP rates for your route and timing if you plan to drive into busy areas on a Saturday.

Which car rental company is cheapest in Singapore on Trip.com? Trip.com says that in recent months Thrifty has offered the lowest car rental prices on its site for Singapore, with an average daily price of about S$98 for a compact car, at the time of writing. It names Thrifty and Goldbell Car Rental as the most popular suppliers there.

Is Klook or Trip.com cheaper for car rental in Singapore? Neither is cheaper every time. Both sell car rentals in Singapore, and prices depend on the supplier, car class, dates and insurance. Search the same car and dates on both, compare the final total including deposit and cover, and book the lower one.

How old do you need to be to rent a car in Singapore? Trip.com says most suppliers in Singapore generally require drivers to be at least 21, and some charge a young driver fee. Age rules vary by supplier, so check the terms of the car you pick before you book.

Do I need a credit card to rent a car in Singapore? Usually, yes. Trip.com says staff may refuse to hand over the car if you cannot show a valid credit card in the main driver's name with enough available credit, and that fees for additional drivers and equipment are paid at pick-up.

Can I change a Trip.com car rental booking? Trip.com says confirmed car rental bookings cannot be modified online. You can cancel and rebook for new times, or contact the rental supplier for help, so settle your weekend timings before you book.

How does ShopBack lower the price of a weekend car rental? The last step before you book is to open ShopBack. Go to the Klook or Trip.com page on ShopBack Singapore, tap through and book as usual. Eligible bookings earn cashback that comes back to your ShopBack account as cash, so your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns. The live rate is shown on each store page.

Is cashback the same as Trip Coins or points? No. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Trip Coins are Trip.com's own rewards that you spend on later Trip.com bookings.

Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or travel advice. Rental prices, requirements, ERP rules, rewards programmes, cashback rates and eligible booking types change over time and may vary by supplier, date or account. Check current prices and terms with the rental supplier or booking site and on the relevant ShopBack Singapore store page before you book. Brand names are used for editorial reference only and do not imply endorsement by those companies.