Books are one of the few souvenirs that get better with a story attached. "Got this one in a tiny shop in Singapore" beats a fridge magnet any day, and you can find a good read here without spending much.
Singapore has a long book-shopping history, and one old HDB complex in the city centre is still the best place to start. Add a few second-hand shops, the occasional book fair and one very generous library event, and you have a decent budget book trail.
One honest note before you set off: small shops change their hours, stock and even their units quite often, and the guides we checked were written in different years. Treat the details below as a starting point, and check each shop's latest hours before you make a special trip.
Start at Bras Basah Complex, Singapore's "City of Books"
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Bras Basah Complex was built by the Housing and Development Board and is known in Chinese as 书城 (shu cheng), or "City of Books", according to the National Heritage Board's Roots.gov.sg. Bookshops that once lined North Bridge Road and Bras Basah Road moved in here. A 2023 article in the National Library Board's BiblioAsia magazine counted more than 90 of the complex's 117 units as bookshops or stationery shops. It is still a good one-stop book hunt today.
Here are some shops that appear in recent guides. Unit numbers and hours differ between sources, so use them as a guide only.
- Evernew Book Store (#01-07): a second-hand shop for fiction, non-fiction, biographies and cookbooks. A 2019 guide reported clearance-table books for as little as S$2, and a 2025 reviewer mentioned about 10 books for S$30. These are reviewers' reports, not official prices.
- Book Point (#03-17): listed in older guides for boxed sets and series sold below their original prices.
- Basheer Graphic Books: design, architecture, art and photography books and magazines. A 2017 guide said backdated magazines were sold at roughly half the newsstand price. Sources list it at #04-19 and #01-07, so check the directory when you arrive.
- Maha Yu Yi and Union Book Co: Chinese-language books, including children's titles. Handy if you read Chinese.
One shop you may see in older guides is Knowledge Book Centre. It closed in June 2022 because of high rent, so please do not go looking for it.
More second-hand stops around the city
Beyond Bras Basah, two other shops regularly show up in second-hand guides. Both listings are from older articles, so confirm they are still open.
- Book Treasure, Parklane Shopping Mall, 35 Selegie Road: a second-hand shop on the ground floor. One guide notes that fiction may be sealed in plastic, so you may need to ask at the counter to look inside.
- Ana Bookstore, Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road: a 2019 guide listed it on the fifth floor, near Orchard. It was described as good for bargain bestsellers and old comics.
If you like antiquarian books and have more to spend, GOHD Books at Burlington Square on Bencoolen Street sells hand-sewn and leather-bound books from about S$50. It is a treat rather than a bargain, and a 2019 guide showed it open Friday to Sunday only.
Cheap new books: sales and book fairs
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For brand-new titles, Popular Bookstore's flagship at Bras Basah Complex is a natural stop. In 2025, Popular's BookFest@Singapore ran from 14 to 23 November, with "Star Buys" of up to 70% off on selected items. I could not find confirmed 2026 dates, so watch Popular's website and store promotions page.
Book events are worth checking while you are in town. Singapore Book Street is on at VivoCity (Level 1 Central Court) from 2 to 8 November 2026, organised by the National Arts Council and the Singapore Book Publishers Association. Entry is free, and the focus is Singapore literature. It ends on 8 November, so it is only an option if you read this in time.
You may also see mentions of SG Culture Pass credits. Using them requires a Singpass login, so they are designed for residents. The reports we read do not say visitors can use them, so plan to pay normal prices and check with the shop.
Past book fairs have also included the Big Bad Wolf sale and the inaugural World Book Day - Singapore Chinese Book Fair (17 to 22 April 2026, National Library Plaza). Both are one-off events, so look up dates before you plan around them.
Free books: the NLB Big Book Giveaway
The National Library Board's Big Book Giveaway is the cheapest book event of all: it is free. The 10th edition, on 13 and 14 September 2025, put 60,000 pre-loved books on the Plaza of the National Library Building. Each visitor could take up to 10 books, first come, first served, and entry was by scanning a library ID, an NLB eCard or a QR code day pass.
TheSmartLocal reports that the 2026 edition was on 19 and 20 September, which has passed. NLB has not announced the next date that I could find, so a visit this month will not catch it. Follow NLB's channels for the next one, and check whether non-members can enter, since the admission process can change.
The National Library itself is still worth a visit if you love books. The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library on levels 7 to 13 is open daily, 10am to 9pm, closed on public holidays and with earlier closing on some festive eves, according to NLB.
An old NLB page also mentions an annual library book sale with books at S$1 to S$2, but that page dates from 2016, so I have not treated it as current.
Tips for visitors, including GST refunds
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A few practical points to keep your book hunt smooth.
- Bring a tote bag. Second-hand books add up in weight, so check your airline's baggage allowance.
- Ask before you buy. Prices in small shops are often not marked, and one guide says the owner of a shop may negotiate when you buy several items.
- Check opening hours. Some shops close earlier on certain days, and hours differ between sources.
- Ask about the GST refund. Under the Tourist Refund Scheme run with Singapore Customs, you must be a tourist aged 16 or above, buy at least S$100 including GST from a participating retailer, and leave by air from Changi or Seletar with the goods in your luggage. Up to three same-day receipts from the same retailer can be combined. You claim at eTRS kiosks at the airport with your passport. Small second-hand shops may not take part, so ask at the till.
That is the trail in a nutshell: second-hand finds in Bras Basah, bargains at the bookstore chains, and a free-books event if your dates line up. Happy hunting.
