Tipping in Singapore and Malaysia

If you are traveling to Singapore or Malaysia, you may be wondering how much of a tip to leave and how tipping compares with other countries you have visited. Hence, the Conde Nash Traveller Tipping Guide (which is available on the Conde Nash website and is also downloadable in pdf format) offers a very handy and useful reference guide for tipping in more than 35 countries around the world.

According to the guide, travelers visiting Singapore should note that a 10% tip is included in the meal and leaving extra is not expected. However, if your hotel concierge has performed a special favor for you such as securing hard-to-get dinner reservations, a tip of up to US$10 is warranted. For bellboys, a standard US$1 per bag is sufficient while cleaning staff could be left with a few dollars per day if you wish (but this is not expected). And if a guide is taking you out for a full day, a tip of US$15 to US$20 per person should be expected (this will be split with the driver) while just rounding up the fare and leaving the change is sufficient for tax drivers.

For travelers visiting Malaysia, a 10% tip is included in the meal and Malaysians will usually round up the bill and leave the change. Hence, you may choose to do the same or leave an extra 10 to 15% if you wish. At hotels, the standard tip for bellboys is US$1 per bag but this is not actually required while private guides and drivers should get between US$5 to US$10 per person per day.

And remember, although US$ is acceptable, it is always better to tip in the local currencies in both Malaysia and Singapore as locals will consider it an unnecessary hassle to exchange small amounts of foreign currency.