How to get from Kota Kinabalu to Singapore

Why visit Singapore?

For a small island city-state, Singapore is a huge tourist hub in Southeast Asia. In 2017, the number of tourists visiting Singapore was actually 3x more than its population!

This is for good reason. Head to downtown Singapore and you’ll find a number of tourist attractions, all connected by efficient and high-quality transportation.

To revisit your childhood, there’s Universal Studios and the resort island of Sentosa. For shopping, head to Orchard Road. For art, visit the Kampong Glam area. For an amazing night and light show, you have to visit Marina Bay Sands.

What you can’t bring in to Singapore

One important thing to keep in mind when entering Singapore is that they can be very strict about what you bring into the country. Allow me to share with you my own experience when crossing the Malaysia-Singapore border by bus.

“My friend and I had a big bottle of gin when we checked in for customs and immigration. We were taken to a separate room for around 30 minutes before they finally let us leave with the alcohol. All the time we were so scared our bus would leave without us!”

Apparently, you can bring alcohol into Singapore, but there is a 1-litre limit when coming from Malaysia. If you exceed that, you’ll have to pay a hefty fine.

So pay attention to what goes into your luggage when travelling from Kota Kinabalu to Singapore. They won’t care if you don’t know the rules or if you just forgot to take it out of your bag. Prepare to spend a fortune on fines if you’re caught carrying any of these into Singapore:

• Chewing tobacco and imitation products, including e-cigarettes
• Chewing gum, except those used for medical/dental purposes
• Any object that looks like a weapon (toy guns or cigarette lighters shaped like a gun, etc.)
• Pirated materials (movies, software, etc.)
• Illegal drugs, firecrackers, or any form of unlicensed weapon
• Obscene materials (magazines, videos, etc.)

Visit Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority website for more info.

The flight is the only suitable way for travelers to cross the distance of 430 kilometers (267 miles) from Kota Kinabalu to Singapore. The journey takes around 3 hours 30 minutes, and ticket prices start from 63 SGD ($48.50).

The flight from Kota Kinabalu to Singapore takes only 2.5 hours, but both airports are located outside the city centre. Including the extra transfers, the total travel time will take about 3 hours 30 minutes.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

From Kota Kinabalu city centre, you’ll first have to travel 8 km south to reach the airport. You have 2 transport choices: a 40-minute bus or a 30-minute taxi.

Buses bound for the airport depart from Merdeka Square. Hourly trips are available from 07:30-20:30 and a ticket costs 5 MYR ($1.20).

If you prefer to take the taxi, we highly recommend that you book one with Klook. Rates start from 36 MYR ($8.40) for a 3-seater car. Minivans are also available for larger groups.

Taxis in Kota Kinabalu are known for overcharging and not using their meters. So unless you’re willing to pay double or triple the normal price, make the effort to book a Klook ride beforehand.

Air Asia operates the only 2 daily flights from Kota Kinabalu to Singapore. These depart at 08:35 and 14:35. Flight time is around 2.5 hours and airfares start from 190 MYR ($45).

From Singapore Changi Airport, you’ll have to travel 20 km west to reach downtown Singapore, where most of the tourist hotels are located. You have 4 options: a city shuttle for 9 SGD ($6.90); a taxi from 25 SGD ($19.20); the train for 2.70 SGD ($2.10); or a public bus for 2 SGD ($1.50).

The city shuttle is our preferred ride for their good mix of comfort and affordability. Although a shared ride, they offer free drop-off to most hotels in the city centre. You can book them at the airport upon arrival or online beforehand via Klook. They offer the same price of 9 SGD ($6.90) but with Klook, you get to skip the long airport queues.

If you’re looking for cheaper rates and are not in a hurry, the train is a good alternative option. For more details, check out our page on Singapore Airport.