Commute Time

Travel time between MRT stations and destinations

How to Use the Commute Time Map

Key Takeaways

  • Map data is refreshed from URA, HDB and OneMap APIs — hover any marker for live values.
  • Use the filter panel to narrow results by district, bedroom type, price range, or tenure.
  • Click any marker or polygon to drill down into the underlying property or area detail.

What It Does

The Commute Time Map visualises average travel time from each of Singapore's 28 planning districts to three key destinations: the CBD (Raffles Place MRT), Orchard Road, and Changi Airport. Each district polygon is colour-coded on a green-to-red scale — green indicating shorter commutes, red indicating longer — based on transit travel time in minutes during peak hours. You can switch between three transport modes: MRT/bus (public transit), driving, and walking distance to nearest MRT. T...

Why It Matters

Commute time is one of the three most cited factors in Singapore residential property decisions — alongside price and school proximity — yet most buyers evaluate it by checking "how many MRT stops to Raffles Place" rather than measuring actual door-to-door travel time. A district like D27 (Sembawang) may appear 8 stops from the CBD on an MRT map but actually takes 42 minutes door-to-door during peak hour, while a D20 (Bishan) property at the same stop count takes only 28 minutes becaus...

How It Works

  • Pan and zoom to the area of Singapore you are interested in.
  • Use the filter panel to narrow results by district, bedroom type, or price range.
  • Hover any marker or polygon for a tooltip with exact values.
  • Click a marker to open the underlying property or area detail page.

Examples

D19 (Hougang/Punggol) vs D15 (East Coast): CBD commute comparison

Inputs
Districts compared
D19 — Hougang / Punggol vs D15 — East Coast / Katong
Destination
CBD (Raffles Place)
Mode
Public transit (MRT + bus, peak hour)
Map view
Choropleth — green=short, red=long
Results
D19 peak transit to CBD
~42 minutes (NEL via Dhoby Ghaut)
D15 peak transit to CBD
~32 minutes (EWL direct)
D19 to Changi
~22 minutes (direct NEL to Changi T4)
D15 to Changi
~38 minutes (EWL + transfer)

How to read this: D15 wins the CBD commute by 10 minutes but loses the Changi commute by 16 minutes. For a household where one partner works in the CBD and the other at Changi, D19 is the better compromise — and D19 PSF is typically 25–35% cheaper than D15 at comparable specifications. The toggle between CBD and Changi commute destinations on this map makes this trade-off visible instantly, without needing to separately look up MRT journey planners for each scenario.

D27 (Sembawang/Yishun) driving vs transit: peak vs off-peak

Inputs
District
D27 — Sembawang / Yishun / Canberra
Destination
CBD (Raffles Place)
Mode A
Public transit (NSL — peak hour)
Mode B
Driving (CTE/KPE — peak hour)
Results
Transit (peak)
~44 minutes
Driving (peak)
~50–55 minutes (CTE congestion)
Transit advantage
Transit faster during peak hour
Off-peak driving
~28 minutes (minimal congestion)

How to read this: D27 is a district where transit beats driving during peak hours — the NSL is predictably 44 minutes while driving the same journey takes 50+ minutes in morning rush. This is a counter-intuitive finding for buyers who assume car-dependent northern districts always require a car for reasonable commutes. The map mode toggle between transit and driving makes this comparison instant — and for a CBD-working buyer evaluating D27 for its lower PSF, confirming that transit is the viable primary commute mode removes the objection that "you need a car up there."

Tips & Pitfalls

Expert Tips

  • Zoom out first to spot macro patterns before diving into individual districts.
  • Compare this map against the rental yield map to find high-demand, low-price outliers.
  • Use the legend to understand colour encoding — the same colour can mean different things on different maps.

Common Pitfalls

  • Judging a district by headline colour alone — the underlying sample size varies wildly across Singapore.
  • Confusing median with mean when both are shown — means are skewed by luxury outliers.
  • Forgetting that new-launch prices are discounted — resale prices are a better benchmark for fair value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the map data come from?
Data is sourced from URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority), HDB, OneMap, and official Singapore government APIs, refreshed monthly.
How often is the map updated?
Transaction-based maps refresh monthly as URA and HDB publish new data. Planning layers (Master Plan, GLS) update as gazetted.
Can I filter by district or bedroom type?
Yes — use the filter panel on the map. Filter state is preserved in the URL so you can share a deep link to a specific view.

Related Resources

Map Browse all maps Insight Rental Yield Insight Calculator District Comparison Calculator Guide Property Guides