The free and nearly-free main drag
The squares, streets and the St. Paul’s arch itself cost nothing, and neither do the fort, the gardens or the beaches. Several museums charge modestly and some run free windows — go by the official notices. That line alone fills two days.
Transport barely costs anything
Resort shuttles are open to the public and free, and you can treat them as city transport: checkpoint to Cotai, Cotai to the outer harbour. Public buses are cheap — carry coins or a working e-payment method. Taxis are scarce and dear at peak times and in rain; skip them unless you must.
Three cheap ways to eat
One: neighbourhood shops and cooked-food stalls around Three Lamps and Red Market. Two: two items to take away on Rua do Cunha as lunch. Three: the old cha-chaan-teng-style rooms. Resort food courts are convenient but not cheap. If money matters, do not sit down to a full restaurant meal three times a day.
Where saving stops being worth it
Sleep too far out and the fare and fatigue swallow the saving. Skimping on air-con in summer costs you health, not money. And casinos are neither a way to save nor a way to earn — treat any gaming budget as a hard entertainment ceiling, as set out in the casino-etiquette guide.