Where to Get Cheap Haircuts in Singapore — KCuts, Snip Avenue, Kimage Hairdressing School & More

Unless you’re new in town, you would already know at least a couple of places for cheap haircuts in Singapore. And no, we’re NOT talking about your first day of National Service.

Where to go for cheap haircuts in Singapore

The whole cheap haircut craze began with express hair salon chains that offered budget haircuts in under 10 minutes: QB House ($12), EC House ($12/$15) and KCuts ($12). Then came a hairdressing chain that knocked prices down even more: Snip Avenue ($3.80 to $5.80).

Going to one of these places feels like being a cow at a dairy farm – fast in, fast out. If you’re on a tight budget, yet want to feel a bit more valued than a piece of livestock, don’t worry — there are some other barber shops and budget hair salons in Singapore you can visit too.

Here’s a price guide to them all:

15 affordable barber shops & hair salons in Singapore

Barber shop / hair salon	Location	Haircut price
Snip Avenue	Various outlets	$3.80 to $5.80
Kimage Hairdressing School	City Hall	$6 / $15
TenDollar.com Salon Group	Serangoon North, Pasir Ris	$6 & up
KIMarie Hair & Beauty Training Centre	Novena	$7 / $18
eZen Hair, Nail & Beauty	Taman Jurong, Bukit Panjang, CCK, Woodlands	$8
Peter & E Hair Studio	Yishun, Serangoon, Fernvale	$8
The One Salon	Bedok	$8
Aoska Unisex Hair Styling	AMK, Whampoa	$8 to $12
Kcuts	Various outlets	$12
New Star Hairdressing Saloon	Little India, Siglap	$10
Dragon Phoenix Unisex Beauty Salon & Hair Spa	Toa Payoh	$10 & up
QB House	Various outlets	$12
EC House	Various outlets	$12
Kojimaya	Clarke Quay	$12
Hair Buzz Salon	Serangoon	$15

Snip Avenue ($3.80 to $4.80)

Snip Avenue is known for being hands down the cheapest hair salon in Singapore. At $3.80 to $4.80 for a haircut, it’s even cheaper than those budget express haircut chains.

What’s more, unlike Kcuts, QB House and EC House (which I’d say are their main rivals), Snip Avenue is a full salon in that they offer hair treatments and services as well.

For instance, a digital perm that’ll cost $150+ elsewhere is only $59.80 at Snip Avenue. Rebonding is the same price as well. If you just want to pamper your tresses, the hair treatment is $19.80. Add that to your haircut price, and the entire experience will still be under $30. Shiok.

From online reviews, the quality of your cut will depend on the outlet and hairstylist. The Bukit Batok one seems to have good reviews, so you can start there.

 

Kimage Hairdressing School ($6)

Kimage Hairdressing School is where popular hair salon chain Kimage trains their protégés.

At the hairdressing school, you pay only $6 for a haircut including a wash and blowdry, whereas at their salons you would have had to fork out $40 to $70! In addition, you can get all the services available at the regular salons except at much lower prices – from $23 instead of from $70.

The major con is that you’re leaving your locks in the hands of student stylists, though they’re constantly under the watchful eye of their supervisors. Your haircut will probably also take a lot longer than you’re used to, so budget at least 2 hours.

According to some reviews we’ve read, you can also request your hair to be cut by a fresh grad from the hairdressing school. It will cost more at $15, but at least you know they won’t be too shabby skills-wise.

 

TenDollar.com Salon Group (from $6)

This heartland hair salon promises colour, perm, treatment and rebonding on top of cuts. Its name is a little misleading because, at $6 and up, its haircuts are much less than $10.

From the online reviews, it sounds like their quality is way better than the price would lead you you expect. As with many of these budget heartland hair salons, it helps if you come armed with photos of the cut you want.

 

eZen Hair, Nail & Beauty ($8)

With its multiple locations and cheap haircuts, eZen Hair, Nail & Beauty is fast becoming the new Snip Avenue without the uneven service quality. Its 6 outlets are in the west and north: Jurong, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands.

A standard haircut costs just $8 here, but if you find a stylist you like, you can join as a member for $25 a year. Member’s price is $4 for a haircut. And as you might have already guessed by their name, they also offer nail and beauty services from $8 onwards.

 

Peter and E Hair Studio ($8)

Peter & E Hair Studio is a budget hair salon with 3 outlets in Yishun, Fernvale and Serangoon. Basic haircuts used to be dirt cheap at just $3.50 but prices have since climbed to $8. Their membership deal where you sign up as a member ($30 for a year), and get $1 shaved off per haircut is also no longer available.

 

The One Salon ($8)

The One Salon is like any other neighbourhood hair salon, except super cheap at $8 for a haircut. They have a 16-session wash and cut package for $200 too.

Although a full salon with colouring, perming and other hair services, I don’t suggest going there for whole-head makeovers. Not much is written about them online, but the few reviews that they have are all negative.

 

Aoska Unisex Hair Styling ($8)

Long before there was Snip Avenue offering haircuts in single-digit prices, there was Aoska, with 2 outlets in the heartlands (Ang Mo Kio and Whampoa).

It was the case where for $8, you can get your hair cut. Now the prices have gone up to $8 and $12, but it’s still a good place for other hair services as hair colouring starts at $35 (compared to upwards of $60 elsewhere) and a perm begins at $50.

 

KIMarie Hair & Beauty Training Centre ($9)

KIMarie Hair & Beauty Training Centre is another trainee hair salon. It’s been around since 1979 and was founded by a certified hairstyling trainer. For just $9, you can get your hair shampooed, cut and blown dry.

The experience is similar to that at Kimage Hairdressing School. Come with an open mind, low expectations, and a looot of time to spare.

Nonetheless, it’s had good reviews online, for whatever that’s worth. If you’re lucky, the teacher will be with the trainee the entire time so you’ll have not 1 but 2 people fussing over your hair.

But make sure to call before you go because sometimes, there are no students, which means no student cuts. Cuts by instructors are $18.

 

New Star Hairdressing Saloon ($10 to $12)

Established in 1960, New Star Hairdressing Saloon in Little India began as a barber shop. It has retained much of its old-school charm with prices to match. 

For $10, you get a no-fuss, no-frills cut that make it “the best Indian barber in Singapore”, according to some. And, guys, one of the best things you can do here is to go for a traditional Indian barber shop shave.

But New Star has also moved with the times. It is now a unisex salon offering everything from perms to hair treatments, rebonding, colouring and highlights.

 

Dragon Phoenix Unisex Beauty Salon & Hair Spa (from $10)

As you would expect of the super-obiang name, Dragon Phoenix Unisex Beauty Salon & Hair Spa is tucked away in a vintage Toa Payoh estate, among TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) shops, foot reflexology places and auntie beauty parlours.

Perhaps the only clue that behind its rather nondescript façade is a host of services is its bright fuchsia sign. Apart from the usual hairdressing services, Dragon Phoenix offers make-up and facials as well as image consultancy. Haircuts start from $10 and Anne (who sometimes spots pink hair to match the pink shop sign) has long-time customers who drive from all over the island to go to her.

You won’t find reviews on this place because Dragon Phoenix is this writer’s secret find. After this, though, the long lines to get Anne’s services may just get longer.

 

Kcuts ($12)

As far as cheap hair salons at shopping malls go, Kcuts has the best price of $12. And as with anything marketed with a Korean spin, Kcuts is super popular.

Kcuts offers “no frills Korean-themed hair cuts” in 10 minutes. You can expect the bare minimum — there are no wash, blow and shave services. Also, unlike at a salon where the stylists are usually very chatty, everything here is very transactional.

You purchase a ticket from a machine, wait your turn, and leave. If you miss your queue number, you’ll have to wait for 2 customers to finish their turn and then rejoin the queue.

 

EC House ($12 to $15)

EC House’s tagline is “all-range cuts”, because they are, ummm, orange (get it?). But more importantly, it is because they pride themselves on being adept at all kinds of hairstyles and haircuts.

Like Kcuts and QB House, you purchase a ticket at the EC House machine and wait in line for your haircut. Online reviews are split because there are just so many outlets and stylists. It’s a hit or miss.

Prices are usually $12 for children, adults, and elderly alike. However, if you’re headed to Thomson Plaza, 100AM, SingPost Centre, Anchorpoint, or [email protected], expect to pay $15.

QB House ($12)

QB House is another EC House — same price ($12), same concept. On their website, it states that they help customers maintain their hairstyles by trimming the ends only. However, it is possible to go there to have your long hair cut short too, they just may not be the best at it.

For hygiene purposes, each customer will get a new comb for use. You can keep it after. It’s also quite reassuring that there’s a microwave-looking steriliser machine to zap their scissors and other (non-disposable) tools.

 

Kojimaya ($12)

There aren’t many places in the city you can go to for bargain haircuts. So, Kojimaya at The Central, above Clarke Quay MRT, is quite a find.

For $12, you can get your hair cut by a stylist of your choice who isn’t rushed to finish the job in under 10 minutes, meaning better care and more attention.

 

Hair Buzz Salon ($15)

Another old-school hair salon complete with the iconic twirling red, white and blue barber’s pole outside the shop, Hair Buzz Salon is quite an icon in the Serangoon Gardens area.

Haircuts here are a little pricier than the others on this list, at $15, but there is a steady stream of regulars who have been coming to owners Freddy and Sabrina for more than a decade.

 

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