Maybe you’ve seen it on TV. Maybe you know people who have done it. For busy professionals who are constantly working hard, hitting the club on the weekend is one of the most popular ways to relieve stress. But partying like a boss doesn’t come cheap, especially in a city like Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world. Still, many want to party at a VIP table in a club with bottle service at least once. To find out how much it really costs to party like a VIP in Singapore, we surveyed several of the country’s leading clubs. In the process, we found some ways partygoers can get the most for their money on VIP table service.

This is how much VIP tables cost in leading clubs in Singapore

According to our research, a tableside bottle service at the hottest clubs in Singapore can cost a minimum of S$400 to S$800 for a group of 4 to 6 people. However, this cost is just the minimum spend that clubs require from those who reserve a table at the venue. In reality, a table can easily cost S$500 to S$1,000 and more, considering that a 750ml bottle of premium vodka (e.g. Grey Goose or Belvedere) usually costs around S$300. In fact, the minimum spend for a true VIP experience at a sofa table at some of the premium clubs such as Zousk, Capital and Wan can be S$1,000 to S$1,500.

How to save: Go in large groups

While this is common sense, it’s worth reiterating the value of getting a group of friends together and sharing a table. A sofa table costing S$1,000-1,500 should seat more than 10 people. This amount is enough for 4-5 bottles of alcohol, which is about 140-175 shots (mixed drinks are usually free). Even if each person at the table, including guests, drank 5-7 shots, that would be enough alcohol for about 20-35 people. If you’re going to a club and want to party like a boss, finding a group of like-minded friends is a great way to cut your costs and still have a great experience. Even if you split the S$1,500 between 5-7 people, it might be worth spending S$200-300 per person to party at a comfortable table. The alternative would be to spend S$50 to get into the club and another S$100 on drinks while standing uncomfortably in the crowd.

The story continues

How to save: Smaller bottles are cheaper

Common sense tells us that buying larger quantities of anything will give you better value for money. However, when it comes to bottle service in Singapore, the opposite seems to be true. For example, we found that a magnum bottle of premium vodka (1.75L) typically costs more per litre than a smaller bottle of the same liquor. While this is not usually the trend in clubs in other countries, it is possible that magnum bottles cost more in Singapore due to their ‘prestige’. Singapore nightlife is famous for its ‘show-off’ culture; with this in mind, it is possible that clubs charge a small premium for larger products that send a stronger social signal to other people.

How to save: Earn credit card rewards

Last but not least, bottle services at clubs are good opportunities to earn various credit card rewards such as miles and cashback, as these are relatively expensive items for which several cards offer generous rewards. Mileage credit cards in particular are great for these high spends as they do not come with a maximum discount cap as most cashback credit cards usually impose. Since table services are expensive, frequent partygoers can more easily maximize rewards by using a miles credit card such as the HSBC Revolution Card (/link with no reward cap and high mileage rewards for entertainment. However, few partygoers can also get very high discounts with cards such as the OCBC Frank Card and UOB YOLO Card, which offer 5-8% cashback on entertainment spending on weekends, as long as they go to the club once a month at most.

The article “Cost of Partying Like a Boss in Singapore: How to Save on VIP Tables in Clubs” originally appeared on ValuePenguin.

ValuePenguin helps you find the most relevant information to optimize your personal finances. Like us on our Facebook page to stay up to date with our latest news and articles.

More from ValuePenguin: