Whether you have just moved to Singapore or have been here for years, apps are always a great way to make the most of a country. From food delivery, getting a job or navigating public transport, these useful apps are guaranteed to make living in Singapore that much easier! Here are our recommendations.
Shopping apps
Carousell: An active marketplace for buying and selling second-hand products, from tech and gadgets to designer handbags. Addictive!
Zalora: Browse and shop hundreds of local and international brands on the go, with free delivery in Singapore.
Lazada: Shop thousands of products across health, beauty, home, living, electronics and more.
Shopee: Another popular app for buying and selling using your phone; good for bargains and deals.
Gumtree SG: Singapore’s version of the free classifieds site; connect with local buyers and sellers and post ads yourself.
Amazon Prime Now: No time to trawl the shops? Order endless daily essentials and gift items with this app.
Qoo10: Newest products and trends from Singapore and the world at discounted prices.
Travel apps
iChangi: Up-to-date flight arrival and departure info so you’ll never be too early to the airport again.
Singapore Checkpoint Traffic: Great if you live over the border, this app shows the traffic situation at the links between Singapore and Malaysia.
SG Traffic News: A fast news app with traffic info on accidents and jams that might affect your drive.
Public transport apps
SGBuses: Locate your next bus when you’re feeling impatient, or identify buses and routes if you’re lost, with this user-friendly app.
Singapore MRT Map: This app provides simple access to Singapore’s most updated MRT and LRT maps.
EZ-Link: This new app monitors your EZ-Link transactions over the past three months, and highlights available discounts.
Gothere: An idiot-proof transport guide that helps you work out the best route to get from one spot to another.
Singapore City Guide: Created by TripAdvisor, this app helps you navigate Singers – great for newbies, and no need for a live data connection.
MyTransport Singapore: A transportation guide with bus routes, arrival times, taxi stands, live traffic updates and parking lot availability.
Taxi apps
ComfortDelGro: Easily book a taxi with Singapore’s best-known cab companies: Comfort and City Cab.
Grab: Get an estimated fare and full details of your taxi driver, and rate the journey afterwards, if you like.
SMRT: Yes, it’s another taxi booking app, but it’s good to have several of these in case one is busy and you’re in a hurry.
Gojek: This new ridesharing app aims to get you around the city faster, cheaper and better.
Tada: Another new app for hailing a ride, this one driven by blockchain
Traffic & parking apps
Carpark SG: Compare car parking rates in the city, plus the number of available spots and more.
Parking.sg: Pay for parking using your mobile devices at all coupon parking car parks.
SG Checkpoint Traffic: Shows the traffic situation at the links between Singapore and Malaysia.
SG Instant Traffic News: A fast news app with traffic info on accidents and jams that might affect your drive.
Job apps
FastJobsSG: Looking for work? Browse part-time, temporary, freelance and holiday jobs with this app
JobsDB: Another jobsearch app providing a wide range of work opportunities and vacancies.
Jobstreet: Jobs on offer from over 230,000 employers in Singapore and the region.
Food and restaurant apps
Deliveroo: Get food delivered to your door from local restaurants in a flash: just type in your postcode to see what’s available.
UberEats: Partnered with lots of local restaurants, UberEats delivers from eateries within your postcode range.
Foodpanda: Another of the island’s popular food ordering apps that puts an array of menus right at your fingertips.
Chope: Make instant online reservations at your favourite restaurants, and check prices, menus and recommended dishes.
Burpple: Get clued up on the newest and hottest eateries in town, and read honest reviews from fellow users.
RedMart on Lazada: Get fresh food, pantry goods, specialty products or home care necessities delivered to your door when you’re strapped for time!
Openrice: A dining guide containing hundreds of restaurant listings, plus weekly and monthly promotions.
Chug: Redeem drinks at various venues with a monthly subscription.
BottlesXO:Delivers high-quality wine and beer to wherever you are in Singapore.
The Entertainer: One-for-one drinks and dining at participating bars and restaurants
Property & business
PropertyGuru iProperty: Search for all types of property in Singapore and filter by price, area and number of rooms to see what’s available.
iProperty: Another app for searching the latest listings for available real estate in Singapore.
Singapore (SG) Stocks: This easy-to-use app allows you to see stock activities, company exchanges and more.
Dash Singapore: Why withdraw cash from banks to your wallet? Store money in the app instead and make transactions on the go.
Fun & leisure
Happy Hours Singapore: Immediately locate bars in your proximity and find out current discounts, along with ratings and comments.
Culture Explorer: Snap a picture of cool landmarks with your phone, and this app will name and show you other things to see in the area.
Hosay!: Brush up on your Singlish (Singapore English) so you can order your kopi in a thick local accent.
Sistic: Keen to see a show? Sistic is the largest ticketing service provider in Singapore.
XE Currency: Find live exchange rates for any country – handy for all the travelling you’ll be doing.
WeatherLah: Accurate weather info from data collected from reliable local sources.
SG Air: Skies looking a little hazy? Get an air-quality report for Singapore with SG Air.
For more helpful tips, head to our Living in Singapore section.
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This article first appeared in the City guide 2019 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
Michaela Bisset
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