If you drive an EV into Singapore's CBD for work every day, you've already figured out one uncomfortable truth: this part of the island was not designed with charging in mind. The office towers went up first, the carparks filled with season parkers, and EV infrastructure got bolted on afterwards — sometimes well, sometimes expensively. The CBD and Tanjong Pagar corridor has more charging points than it did two years ago, but the gap between the cheapest and most expensive options in the same postcode is startling. Here's how to navigate it.

This guide sorts every viable option by price. Cheapest first, most expensive last. No narrative fluff.

The Cheapest DC Fast Charger

1. Manulife Tower — $0.575/kWh (60kW DC)

Address: 8 Cross Street, Level 5 carpark

Operator: Volt Singapore

What you get: 60kW DC, CCS2

The catch: Office building carpark — parking rates apply on top of charging

This is the cheapest charger in the entire CBD — AC or DC. At $0.575/kWh, Manulife Tower undercuts every other option in the Tanjong Pagar-Raffles Place corridor by at least 11%. The 60kW speed won't win speed records, but it's meaningful for a workday pattern: arrive at 8:30am with 30% battery, plug in for two hours, leave near full.

Volt Singapore's walk-up rate is $0.575/kWh. A Volt Card subscription offers a flat $0.642/kWh — actually more expensive than walk-up for this location, so skip the subscription unless you use Volt's other locations regularly.

Parking rates at Manulife Tower apply on top of charging costs — factor these in when calculating your real per-session cost, especially during peak hours.

The Cheapest AC Chargers

2. Maybank Tower — $0.5995/kWh (22kW AC)

Address: 2 Battery Road

Operator: MNL Solutions

What you get: 22kW AC, Type 2

The catch: Limited to a single location in the Raffles Place area

At $0.5995/kWh, Maybank Tower is the cheapest AC charger in the CBD core and the second-cheapest option overall. The 22kW speed is solid for a half-day top-up — plug in for four hours and you'll add roughly 80kWh, enough for a full charge on most EVs. This is a genuine value find in a postcode where most options sit above $0.70/kWh.

3. Guoco Tower — $0.646/kWh (22kW AC)

Address: 1 Wallich Street

Operator: SP Mobility

What you get: 18× AC chargers (22kW and 7.4kW) across Carpark A and B

The catch: AC only — no fast DC

Guoco Tower is the most accessible large-footprint charging option in Tanjong Pagar. At $0.646/kWh, SP Mobility's pricing here is notably lower than at its other CBD properties (Republic Plaza and Raffles City both charge $0.7739/kWh for the same 22kW AC speed). With 18 charging points, you're unlikely to find everything occupied during peak hours.

Carpark A is at 1 Wallich Street (Basement 3), Carpark B at 7 Wallich Street (Levels 2 and 3). For a full workday park — 8am to 7pm — a 22kW AC charger will comfortably add 100–130kWh, more than enough for a full charge. The pricing isn't exceptional, but the volume and availability make it a reliable fallback.

4. Marina Bay Sands — $0.65/kWh (22kW AC)

Address: 10 Bayfront Avenue

Operator: FastParknCharge

What you get: 22kW AC, Type 2

The catch: Mall/event venue — expect queues during concerts and weekends

At $0.65/kWh, Marina Bay Sands' FastParknCharge AC bays are competitive for the Marina Bay area. This is a convenience stop for dinner or a show — not a destination for deliberate charging — but the rate is fair for a high-traffic tourist location. The operator reportedly took over from Shell Recharge at this location through 2025; current pricing is stable.

5. Charge+ at Cantonment Road — $0.629/kWh (7.4kW AC)

Address: 1 Cantonment Road

Operator: Charge+

What you get: 7.4kW AC, Type 2

The catch: Slightly outside the CBD core — near Outram Park rather than Raffles Place

At $0.629/kWh, this is technically the cheapest AC option near the CBD. But the 7.4kW speed and Outram Park location make it an estate-style charger rather than a workday solution. Useful for Tanjong Pagar residents who can park overnight, less relevant for office workers commuting to the core.

You can browse all current charger locations on the revolt.sg charger map.

The Overpriced Options

6. Republic Plaza — $0.7739/kWh (22kW AC)

Address: 9 Raffles Place

Operator: SP Mobility

What you get: 22kW AC + 43kW AC

The catch: 20% more expensive than Guoco Tower for the same operator and same speed

Republic Plaza charges $0.7739/kWh for 22kW AC — the exact same speed Guoco Tower offers for $0.646/kWh. That's a $0.128/kWh markup for being in Raffles Place. Over a 40kWh session, that's $5.12 extra for the same electrons. If you have a choice, walk the 10 minutes to Guoco Tower or Maybank Tower instead.

7. Raffles City — $0.7739/kWh AC / $0.8611/kWh DC

Address: 252 North Bridge Road

Operator: SP Mobility

What you get: 22kW AC, 50kW DC, 100kW DC

The catch: The most expensive standard commercial chargers in the CBD

Raffles City has the full SP Mobility range — 22kW AC at $0.7739/kWh, 50kW DC at $0.8611/kWh, and 100kW DC at $0.8611/kWh. The 100kW hardware is legitimately useful, but paying $0.8611/kWh for it is hard to swallow when Manulife Tower offers 60kW DC at $0.575/kWh just one MRT stop away. A 40kWh DC session at Raffles City costs $34.44. The same session at Manulife Tower costs $23.00. That's an $11.44 difference for a 10-minute walk.

Raffles City makes sense only if you're already in the building for a long meeting. As a deliberate charging stop, it makes no financial sense.

8. Tanjong Pagar Distripark — $0.77/kWh (22kW AC)

Address: 39 Keppel Road

Operator: Shell Recharge

What you get: 22kW AC, Type 2

The catch: Shell's branding doesn't justify the price

Shell Recharge at Tanjong Pagar Distripark runs 22kW AC at $0.77/kWh. The article previously claimed this was "around $0.65/kWh" — that was wrong. At $0.77/kWh, this is tied with Republic Plaza as the most expensive AC in the area. The free parking element is genuinely unusual in this part of Singapore, but it doesn't offset the per-kWh cost unless you're staying for a very long session.

9. 80 Raffles Place (UOB Plaza) — $0.7194/kWh (22kW AC)

Address: 80 Raffles Place

Operator: SP Mobility

What you get: 22kW AC, Type 2

The catch: Mid-range pricing for a prime location

At $0.7194/kWh, UOB Plaza sits between the value options (Guoco Tower, Maybank Tower) and the expensive tier (Republic Plaza, Raffles City). Not a destination stop, but acceptable if you work in the building.

10. Six Battery Road — $0.7194/kWh (22kW AC)

Address: 6 Battery Road

Operator: SP Mobility

What you get: 22kW AC, Type 2

The catch: SP Mobility's CapitaLand 8% discount may apply here

Same $0.7194/kWh rate as UOB Plaza. SP Mobility occasionally runs an 8% discount for CapitaLand properties through their app — if active, this drops to roughly $0.662/kWh, which makes it competitive with Guoco Tower. Check the SP Mobility app before you park.

11. Marina Bay Financial Centre — $0.00/kWh (22kW AC)

Addresses: 8, 10, and 12 Marina Boulevard

Operator: Volt Singapore

What you get: 22kW AC across three towers

The catch: LTA data shows $0.00/kWh — likely a promotional rate or data reporting issue

MBFC's Volt Singapore chargers currently show $0.00/kWh in LTA records. Previous reports cited walk-up rates around $0.66/kWh with Volt Card at $0.642/kWh. If the promotional pricing is real, this is the cheapest AC in Marina Bay by a wide margin. Verify current rates on the Volt app before planning a session.

12. Tanjong Pagar Plaza — $0.695/kWh (7.4kW AC)

Address: 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza

Operator: ComfortDelGro Engie

What you get: 7.4kW AC, Type 2

The catch: Slow speed, expensive for what it is

At $0.695/kWh for 7.4kW AC, this is estate-style charging at near-mall prices. Available 24/7, which is useful for late-night top-ups, but not competitive for planned charging.

Practical Tips

For the cheapest charging in the CBD:

• Manulife Tower ($0.575/kWh DC) is your first stop — the cheapest option in the entire CBD, full stop.
• Maybank Tower ($0.5995/kWh AC) is your best AC option in Raffles Place.
• Guoco Tower ($0.646/kWh AC) is your reliable fallback for extended workday charging.

For office workers parking full days:

• Manulife Tower (60kW DC) for a fast morning top-up.
• Guoco Tower (22kW AC) for a full workday slow charge.
• Avoid Raffles City ($0.8611/kWh DC) and Republic Plaza ($0.7739/kWh AC) unless you have no alternative.

For visitors and short trips:

• Marina Bay Sands ($0.65/kWh AC) works for dinner/event visits.
• Tanjong Pagar Distripark is only worth it if the free parking saves you more than the $0.77/kWh charging costs.

On pricing expectations:

• The CBD commercial markup is real. Anything below $0.60/kWh is exceptional; most options sit between $0.65–$0.86/kWh.
• Check the Singapore EV Charging Price Index for live cross-island comparisons.
• Download Volt Singapore, SP Mobility, and Charge+ apps before your first visit — most CBD chargers don't support contactless payment without an app.

The Verdict

The CBD and Tanjong Pagar is a workday charging zone, and the pricing reflects it. But the gap between the best and worst options is enormous: Manulife Tower at $0.575/kWh is 49% cheaper than Raffles City at $0.8611/kWh. Both are in the same Tanjong Pagar-Raffles Place corridor. Both are accessible to the public. One requires knowing where to look.

For DC fast charging: Manulife Tower at $0.575/kWh is the standout — the cheapest DC in the CBD and the cheapest option overall. Nothing else comes close.

For AC charging: Maybank Tower ($0.5995/kWh) and Guoco Tower ($0.646/kWh) are your best options. Republic Plaza and Raffles City charge 20–33% more for the same operator and same speed — you're paying a postcode markup.

The real lesson: the CBD has good-value charging if you know where to look. Manulife Tower is the hidden gem most EV drivers in the area haven't discovered. Everything else is either fairly priced (Guoco Tower, Marina Bay Sands) or overpriced (Raffles City, Republic Plaza, Tanjong Pagar Distripark).

For current pricing across all Singapore EV chargers, see the Singapore EV Charging Price Index — updated weekly. Browse all charging locations on the revolt.sg charger map.