SINGAPORE — A popular Canadian travel YouTuber has generated some online buzz for showing that a trip to Singapore can be budget friendly. 

In a video posted on June 19, Ms Alina Mcleod, 33, who has 302,000 followers, detailed how she spent a total of S$136.20 over one day while visiting popular tourist attractions. It included a hostel bed.

She titled the video: "How Much I Spent In A Day As A Tourist In Singapore, SEA's Most Expensive City."

In response to queries from TODAY, Ms Mcleod said on Tuesday (July 2) that she was prompted to produce this video as a common question she receives from her viewers is: "How expensive is Singapore?"

The first tip Ms Mcleod gave in the video was staying in shared accommodation rather than at a hotel. 

She paid S$43 to share a bunk bed with another person at Wink, located along McCallum Street.

In her video she also advised people to eat at hawker centres, calling them a "great place to try local and budget friendly meals".

She paid S$2.80 for traditional soft-boiled eggs, kaya toast and coffee for breakfast at Lau Pa Sat and ate at food courts in 313@Somerset and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

Over the course of the day, she explored popular spots in Singapore such as MacRitchie Reservoir, the shopping district at Orchard Road and the ArtScience Museum.

In the evening, she went to the SkyPark Observation Deck located above the Marina Bay Sands hotel.

She did not have high expectations for the observation deck but found the bird's eye view of Singapore to be "absolutely stunning".

Later at night, she also visited the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay. 

She recommended using public transport to get to these locations, stating that the cost was "extremely reasonable for the high quality of public transport".

"There is really no reason to get any sort of taxis here."

In her response to TODAY's queries, Ms Mcleod said that she first visited Singapore in February 2023 and wanted to return as she loved how clean, safe and well organised the city is. 

She added: "I love many cities in SEA, but I really miss being able to safely walk everywhere, as many other big cities solely rely on Grab and don't have good sidewalks."

Her favourite part of her latest trip was being guided by local friends to areas such as Geylang Serai Market and Katong.

The video had garnered more than 46,000 views and 1,400 likes as of Tuesday morning. 

Most commenters felt that her video was an accurate portrayal of the cost of travelling to Singapore. 

One netizen wrote: "Very reasonable price for one of the most expensive cities in the world that provides fantastic infrastructure, safety, clean, variety culture and food (sic)."

Another said: "US$100 (S$135.50) for one day's costs in Singapore is very reasonable indeed."

"I am Singaporean. Thank you for showing the world that it doesn't cost thousands to have a decent time in Singapore," said another.

However, despite Ms Mcleod's video, some netizens maintained that Singapore is expensive for visitors. 

One wrote: "Singapore is an expensive place to visit and even more expensive to live long term."

Another wrote: "Can't spend enough to visit this world's most expensive city state."