Cheapest bulk water in Singapore: how to compare, honestly
The cheapest carton is not always the cheapest water. Compare per litre, count the deposit separately, and add the delivery fee. FairPrice and Cold Storage are the benchmarks, and we say where we beat them and where we do not.
"Cheapest bulk water" has a simple answer and a less simple one. The simple one is the lowest price on a carton. The less simple one is the lowest price per litre delivered to your door with the deposit taken out, and that is the one that decides what you actually pay. This guide shows how to work it out and where DrinksNation stands against FairPrice and Cold Storage.
Compare per litre, not per carton
Cartons are not the same size. A carton of 24 bottles of 500ml is 12 litres. Twenty-four of 600ml is 14.4 litres. Twelve bottles of 1.5L is 18 litres. A carton that looks dearer can be cheaper water.
| Carton | Litres |
|---|---|
| 24 × 500ml | 12 |
| 24 × 600ml | 14.4 |
| 12 × 1.5L | 18 |
| 6 × 1.5L | 9 |
Divide the carton price by the litres. That number is what to compare, whichever shop you are on.
Take the deposit out first
Every seller in Singapore must charge the container deposit, S$0.10 a bottle, and every seller must refund it when the bottle goes back. It is not part of the price of the water. On a carton of 24 that is S$2.40; on a carton of 12 big bottles it is S$1.20 for more water. So the deposit favours big bottles, and a listing that folds it into the price makes small bottles look dearer than they are. We show it as its own line so that the price you compare is the water.
Add the delivery
A carton in a supermarket trolley costs what it says. A carton delivered costs that plus the delivery fee unless the order is large enough for delivery to be free. Ours is S$4.99 flat and free from S$65 of drinks at the prices you pay, deposit excluded. Orders under S$30 of drinks carry a S$3.99 service fee. Each of the supermarkets has its own fee and its own free-delivery line; check theirs on the day.
For one carton, the supermarket wins on price and on speed, and we will say so. For a few cartons a month, delivered to the pantry, compare the per-litre price after delivery and see.
Where we stand
Elements is our own drinking water, still and clean, sold by the carton of 24. On most days it is the cheapest per litre on this store, and because the tile shows the carton price beside the pack size you can do the division yourself. Ice Mountain, F&N and the other brands sit alongside it at their own prices.
We do not claim to be cheapest in Singapore on every day, because prices move and we would rather be right than loud. What we can promise is that the price on the tile is the price at checkout, that the bulk discount is by spend and is shown in the basket as you add cartons, and that the deposit is never hidden in the water.
Take the vouchers into account
A shelf price is what a supermarket charges everyone. Ours moves twice before you pay it, and both moves are shown in the basket rather than promised here.
- A house-brand voucher. S$5.20 off an order of S$65 or more of Elements, Killiney or another house brand; the code is on the card in the carton and on our home page. It is not a first-order offer and it can be used again.
- A first-order voucher. S$5 off a first order of S$65 or more of drinks, once per customer.
- A friend's link. S$5 off a first order of S$65 or more, for someone an existing customer sent.
One voucher a basket. On top of whichever you use, the bulk discount by spend applies from S$80 of drinks and rises with the basket; the basket prints the rate as you add cartons, and we do not print it here because a number in a guide cannot follow a change in the basket.
What that does to the per-litre comparison: a flat voucher is worth the most at its minimum basket and less as the basket grows, so the second table below shows each of our cartons at the voucher's minimum. Read it beside the shelf table, and remember the supermarket's price is the price of one carton in a trolley, with no van.
Shelf prices we have read
| Seller | Product | Price | Per litre | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FairPrice | FairPrice Pure Drinking Water 12 x 1.5L | S$6.55 | S$0.36 | 2026-09-21 (regular price; S$6.50 on offer until 1 Nov 2026) |
| FairPrice | FairPrice Pure Drinking Bottle Water 24 x 600ml | S$7.40 | S$0.51 | 2026-09-21 (regular price; S$7.20 on offer until 1 Nov 2026) |
| FairPrice | F&N Ice Mountain Drinking Bottle Water 24 x 600ml | S$9.85 | S$0.68 | 2026-09-21 |
| Cold Storage | Ice Mountain Drinking Water 24 x 600ml | S$16.50 | S$1.15 | 2026-09-21 |
| DrinksNation | Elements Premium Drinking Water 24 x 500ml | S$5.70 | S$0.48 | 2026-09-21 |
| Our carton | Shelf, per litre | House-brand voucher, S$5.20 off S$65 | First order, S$5 off S$65 | Friend's link, S$5 off a first S$65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elements Premium Drinking Water 24 x 500ml | S$0.48 | S$0.44 | S$0.44 | S$0.44 |
Where to order
Water by the carton and big bottles. For an office, the office pantry collection puts water beside the other things a pantry needs.
Cartons people start with
- Elements water, 24 bottles of 500ml
- Elements water, 12 bottles of 1.5L
- Elements water, 24 bottles of 350ml
More collections for this guide
Questions
Is the biggest bottle always cheapest per litre?
Usually, and the deposit makes it more so: a 1.5L bottle carries the same S$0.10 as a 500ml one. But a 1.5L bottle is for a table or a pantry, not a bag. Buy the size people will actually drink from.
Is house-brand water any different?
Elements is our own drinking water, still and clean, sold by the carton. It is the cheapest per litre on the store on most days, and the tile shows the price, so you do not have to take our word for it.
Why not just buy from the supermarket?
If you need one carton today, do. A supermarket is faster for one carton. From a few cartons up, the price per litre, the delivery to your door and not carrying it are what a bulk supplier is for.
Does the deposit make bulk water dearer?
It makes it look dearer, by S$2.40 on a carton of 24 bottles, and every seller must charge it. You get it back per bottle at a return point, so compare prices without it.