Chauffeur Services in Singapore: Too Expensive?

Getting a cab in town requires a booking, with an added fee and a long wait, or supernatural powers. If you’re new in Singapore, you’ll also be confused; this might be the only country on Earth where cab drivers ask you how to get there.

For your own comfort and convenience then, you might need a chauffeur service. But how much does it cost? It depends.

 

Don’t own a car?

If you don’t have a car, you’ll want to go through a company like AVIS. Assuming you choose a standard vehicle, car rental companies charge around $55 for a point-to-point transfer. If you want to get somewhere in style with a Jaguar or something, the rate can be up to twice that.

A more rational choice is the disposal service. It means booking the vehicle for a certain period (usually four hours minimum). It’s $50 an hour, and during that time, the driver will take you anywhere you want to go.

Booking for a sustained period (like two or three months) can produce discounts of up to 20 percent. However, don’t expect the same car and driver each time.

Type of Service	Average Cost
Point-to-Point	$55
Disposal	$50 / hour (Minimum $200)
Point-to-Point (One or more months)	$45
Disposal (One or more months)	$40 / hour (Minimum $200 per day)

 

Hiring a private chauffeur in Singapore

If you have your own car, you’ll want to hire a private chauffeur. The prices vary:

If you want round-the-clock chauffeur services, the price is around $3000 – $3500 a month. This is usually a package deal which includes car maintenance. While the package includes one day off, most chauffeurs will happily accommodate the occasional urgent request.

This sort of deal is great for people with urgent medical conditions, or single parents who can afford it (the driver can pick the children up from school and send them anywhere).

Chauffeurs on a 12 – 15 hour day (9 am – 9pm or midnight) charge anywhere between $1800 – $2500 a month. You can take 30 percent off that price if you don’t task them with car maintenance (cleaning, washing, etc.) But it’s getting hard to find a chauffeur will agree to a “no maintenance” deal; most will insist that it’s part of the package.

Most chauffeurs work a six day week. This is the most common arrangement, and you won’t have trouble finding a driver. If you let the chauffeur drive home with your vehicle, you can bargain the petrol price. In these situations, some chauffeurs will agree to cover 25 – 33 percent of the petrol costs. Keep a log book and collect the receipts.

 

Personal chauffeur service for special events

There are special rates for day long events, such as weddings. Most chauffeurs who provide these services have their own vehicles. While you can request that they use your car, it will not affect their price. The standard rate is between $300 – $500 per day.

There may be an extra cost if you want modifications to the vehicle (e.g. adding decals, or mounting roof racks).

 

Is a chauffeur service worth it?

A one off, point-to-point chauffeur service is like an overpriced cab ride. It’s even in a standard car, so image wise, how much difference can it make?

The disposal service is a different story. I’d prefer it to a cab ride, especially for shopping sprees. Having a chauffeur on-call is also a nice option; at $2000 or so the price seems fair. If you’re an expat, perhaps consider it for your first few months. Just till you get a hang of Singapore’s roads.

Do you use chauffeur services? Comment and tell us how much you spend!