Finding cheap food in Singapore is still possible, even as food prices and the rising cost of living make S$3 to S$5 meals harder to come by. You can still find filling meals under S$5, particularly at hawker centres, neighbourhood coffee shops and food centres, where simple dishes such as chicken rice, noodles and economy rice can remain relatively affordable.
This guide covers cheap meals in Singapore under S$5, from affordable hawker meals and breakfasts to snacks and light bites. You’ll also find practical tips for keeping your food bill down when eating out, plus a look at how rising costs are affecting everyday meals.
| Question | Quick Answer |
|---|---|
| Where can I find cheap food in Singapore? | Start with hawker centres and neighbourhood food spots such as Maxwell Food Centre, Tiong Bahru Market, Chinatown Complex and Old Airport Road Food Centre. |
| Can I still find cheap food in Singapore under S$5? | Yes. S$3–S$5 options still exist, particularly for basic hawker dishes, breakfast items and snacks, although prices can change. |
| How much should I budget for a meal in Singapore? | Around S$4–S$10 is a practical range for many basic hawker and coffeeshop meals, while food courts and restaurants can cost more. |
| What cheap food should I try in Singapore? | Look for favourites such as chicken rice, kaya toast, nasi lemak, thosai, chwee kueh, noodles and economic bee hoon. |
| Why is Singapore hawker food getting more expensive? | Higher ingredient, rental, utility and labour costs have contributed to the Singapore hawker food price increase in recent years. |
💰Cheap Hawker Food in Singapore Under S$5
Finding a full meal for under S$5 in Singapore takes a little more searching than it used to. These prices are still possible, but they are more common at hawker centres, neighbourhood food courts, coffeeshops and traditional market stalls than in central restaurants.
For this list, we focused on dishes reported at S$5 or less when checked, including smaller portions and simple meals. Add-ons, drinks and larger portions may cost extra.
🌅Affordable Hawker Breakfasts Under S$5
You can still put together a simple breakfast for S$5 or less, especially at hawker centres or kopitiams. Options include kaya toast, thosai, chwee kueh, nasi lemak, and economic bee hoon.
Some stalls also serve these dishes throughout the day, so you do not have to visit them in the morning.
| Stall/outlet | What you can get for S$5 or less | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Kopitiam | Kaya butter toast, two soft-boiled eggs and kopi or teh from about ~S$2.80 for the public | Selected Kopitiam outlets across Singapore |
| Heap Seng Leong/North Bridge Road | Kaya butter toast, soft-boiled eggs and kopi can be combined for under ~S$5 | 10 North Bridge Road, #01-5109 |
| Sri Tiffin | Plain thosai for about ~S$2. You could also find other vegetarian options. | Tekka Centre, 665 Buffalo Road |
| Jian Bo Shui Kueh | Five pieces of chwee kueh for about ~S$3.50 | Tiong Bahru Market, #02-05 |
| Super Shiok Nasi Lemak (Halal) | Offers complete set meals priced under ~S$5 | Bedok North & Tiong Bahru areas |
| Bedok Chwee Kueh | Vegetarian-friendly Chwee Kueh, which is fried using vegetable oil instead of pork lard. ~S$0.60 per piece. | Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre (#01-19) |
| Jom Makan: Prata Saga Sambal Berlada | A plain roti prata priced at ~S$1.50. | Tekka Centre, #01-258 |
🍛Filling Lunches and Dinners Under S$5
For lunch and dinners, rice and noodle dishes are usually the easiest to stay within S$5. Chicken rice, lor mee, wanton noodles and fishball noodles can still be found at this price, although portions and prices vary between stalls.
A few dollars may also get you a smaller serving, as there are a few sizes available at certain hawker centres, small, medium & large, for instance.
| Stall / outlet | What you can get for S$5 or less | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Liao Fan Hawker Chan | Soya sauce chicken rice from about ~S$3.50-4.50 | 335 Smith Street, #02-126, Chinatown Complex |
| Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice | Chicken rice from about ~S$3.50-4.50 | Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur Street |
| Tiong Bahru 178 Lor Mee | Lor mee for about ~S$4 | Tiong Bahru Market, 30 Seng Poh Road |
| Hui Ji Fishball Noodles | Fishball noodles from about ~S$3.50-4.00 | Tiong Bahru Market |
| Nam Sing Hokkien Mee | Small portion from about ~S$5 | Old Airport Road Food Centre |
| Aziz Jaffar Muslim Food | Home-style malay cuisine from ~S$3.50-S$5 | 335 Smith Street, #02-70, Chinatown Complex |
| New Hope Noodles | ~S$4 flat rate for all main items. Serves simple menu such as wanton mee (dry & soup) and wanton soup. | 335 Smith Street, #02-053, Chinatown Complex |
| Isle Cafe (cai fan) | You can get a decent cai fan that averages ~S$4.60 | GF, Cuppage Plaza |
| Murugan Idli Shop | You can get a piece of idli for ~S$1.65-1.75 | 76 Syed Alwi Rd |
🥟Cheap Snacks and Light Bites Under S$5
If you are in the mood for snacks and small bites, you can still get them for S$5. Curry puffs, chwee kueh, popiah, dim sum, vadai, and grilled skewers with peanut sauce are easily available as a quick snack without spending too much.
| Stall/outlet | What you can get for S$5 or less | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff | Curry puffs from about S$2 | Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street |
| Jian Bo Shui Kueh | Five pieces of chwee kueh for about ~S$3.80-4.00 | Tiong Bahru Market, 30 Seng Poh Road |
| Qi Xing Dim Sum/7 Star Handmade Dim Sum | Siew mai from about ~S$2.50 or har gow from about ~S$3.50 | Empress Road Market & Food Centre |
| Pretty Good Muffins | Individual muffins from about ~S$2.50 | Hong Lim Market & Food Centre |
| Kiasu Beancurd and Waffles | Beancurd and other small desserts for under S$5 | 5 Eunos Crescent |
| Sky Lab Cooked Food | Vadai served with mint and red chilli chutney for ~S$0.50-1.00 per piece | Tekka Centre #01-227 |
| Changi Village satay stall | Satay from about S$0.65 per stick | Changi Village Food Centre, 2–5 Changi Village Road |
Here are some of the meals you can still get for under S$5. It’s relatively easy to find affordable breakfast or snacks at this price, but finding a filling lunch can be more challenging for some.
For meat eaters, a meal with a substantial portion of meat may be harder to keep under S$5, as adding meat or other premium ingredients can quickly increase the price. If you are trying to stick to a strict budget, consider choosing vegetables, tofu or other lower-cost options instead.
Lunch under S$5 is not impossible, but as mentioned earlier, the portions may be smaller than what you’d get at a higher price point.
Keep this in mind when comparing prices, especially if you’re looking for a meal that will keep you full for several hours.
Note: Prices can change without notice, and a drink or additional toppings may cost extra. Check the stall's menu before ordering.
Image by Calvin Seng on Pexels.
💳How to Eat Cheap in Singapore Without Sacrificing Quality
Eating on a budget in Singapore does not mean choosing the cheapest dish every time. Where you eat, what you order, and whether you add drinks or extras can make a noticeable difference to your final bill.
Choose Hawker Centres and Neighbourhood Kopitiams
For affordable meals, start by looking at hawker centres and neighbourhood kopitiams. These usually give you more local choices at lower prices than restaurants in busy tourist areas or central shopping centres, with a wide range of local favourites available in one location.
Mall food courts can also have reasonably priced stalls, so do not rule them out completely. Instead, compare menus and portions before ordering. A slightly more expensive dish may be a better value if it is more filling.
Economic rice or caifan, yong tau foo, and nasi padang can be useful choices if you wanna control how much you spend. Before selecting your dishes, ask about the price if it is not displayed.
Start with the basic rice or noodles and vegetables, then add meat or other ingredients within your budget. You can also opt for vegetarian options if it helps. Seafood, meats and other add-ons can easily push up the bill.
Breakfast sets, weekday lunch promotions, and tea-time deals can help you find cheap eats options without having ot stick to the same few dishes.
You may also find discounts through food-delivery apps, particularly for self-collection. However, don’t forget to check the minimum spend and other charges first.
A S$4 meal can easily become S$6 or more after adding an iced drink, extra meat, side dish or takeaway charges. Check the prices before adding extras, and bring your own water where allowed.
If you are travelling with someone, sharing a side dish can also let you try more food without ordering a full portion each.
Tip: Check whether a set meal costs less than ordering each item separately. Some stalls offer better-value sets that can help lower your overall bill.
Five Ways to Keep a Singapore Meal Under Budget
- Compare nearby stalls before choosing where to eat.
- Check portion sizes as well as prices.
- Ask about add-on costs before selecting extra ingredients.
- Choose local drinks carefully or stick to water.
- Look for weekday or self-collection deals, but check the final price after fees.
The goal is not to find the absolute lowest-priced meal every time. Good value for money means finding a meal that is filling, enjoyable and reasonably priced for the place you are eating in.
Real street food is our last best hope.
Anthony Bourdain, American chef, author and travel and food television host
💵How Much Does a Meal Cost in Singapore?
To be honest, the cost of eating out in Singapore can vary quite a bit depending on where you eat. A simple meal at a neighbourhood hawker or coffee shop can be relatively affordable for some, while the same type of meal may cost more at a shopping mall with AC on.
Affordable meal options in Singapore are still widely available, but you may need to move away from the busiest shopping and business areas to find them.
| Where you eat | Typical cost for one adult | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood hawker centre or coffeeshop | ~S$4.50-8.00 | Local favourites such as chicken rice, noodles, economic rice (cai fan), and soups. Adding a drink (kopi/teh) typically adds ~S$1.50-2.00 |
| Shopping mall food court | ~S$7.00-13.00 | More variety (Korean, Japanese, Western, local) in an air-conditioned setting. Prices reflect higher mall rentals |
| Business district food court (CBD) | ~S$8.00-16.00+ | Convenient for office workers, with noticeable price markups compared to central areas |
| Casual restaurant | ~S$18.00-35.00+ | Specialised cuisines, larger menus, and table service |
These are general planning ranges rather than fixed prices. A meal can cost less or more depending on the dish, portion size, location and whether you add a drink or other add-ons.
🏘️Singapore Hawker Food Price
Hawker food has long been associated with affordable meals in Singapore, but keeping prices low has become more difficult for vendors. The food price you see today reflects not only the ingredients in your meal, but also costs such as rent, manpower, utilities and other operating expenses.
According to Singapore's Department of Statistics (SingStat), hawker food prices rose by 6.1% in 2023, the highest annual increase since 2008. For instance, the average price of a plate of chicken rice rose from S$3.40 in 2019 to S$4.15 in 20231.
Singapore hawker food inflation fell to 4.1 per cent in December 2023, down from a peak of 8.3 per cent in Feb 2023; however, this does not necessarily mean food prices have become cheaper.
Why Have Singapore Hawker Food Prices Increased?
Several factors have contributed to the higher food prices we are seeing today, including raw ingredient costs, rent, utilities, manpower and delivery expenses.
Due to this, some vendors have raised prices gradually, while others have made larger increases after several costs rose at the same time. For them, the challenge is to keep meals affordable while still covering their operating costs and earning a sustainable income2.
Some stalls continue to offer very low-priced meals despite these pressures. Some were selling meals for just a few dollars, but keeping prices that low meant accepting a smaller profit margin.
In 2026, some vendors have continued to raise prices as higher ingredient and energy costs put further pressure on their margins. In April, some stalls reported price increases of S$0.50 to S$1, amid higher costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East3.
As a result, some dishes are priced above S$5, while some meals now cost S$10 or more. However, this does not mean that affordable meals have disappeared.
For diners, the takeaway is simple: cheap hawker meals are still available, but the definition of “cheap” is changing. This is why the prices in this guide should be treated as general references rather than fixed prices.
Hawker stalls are independent businesses, and prices can change as their costs change. If you find a favourite meal at S$5 or below, it may be worth enjoying it while it lasts.
❤️Save Money Without Forgetting to Enjoy Singapore Food
Being mindful of your food budget is important, especially when the rising cost of living in Singapore makes everyday expenses harder to manage. But being frugal does not mean you have to say no to every meal you want.
If you are trying to save, you could prepare lunch at home and bring it to work on most days, then leave some room in your budget for a meal outside when you feel like eating something different. The same goes for dining out with friends or treating yourself to something you enjoy.
You do not have to feel guilty about spending a little more when you have planned for it. After all, food is not only about keeping ourselves full. It is also part of Singapore's culture, daily life and the experiences that make living or travelling here enjoyable, from traditional local favourites to meals shared with friends.
So, look for budget-friendly meal options in Singapore when you want to save. But do not be so focused on finding the lowest-priced meal that you forget to enjoy yourself.
Good value is not always the lowest price; sometimes it is simply being able to enjoy a meal you love without worrying about whether you should have spent the money.
References
- Ang, S., Loo, J., & Ng, T. (2024, May 26). Hawker food prices rose by 6.1% in 2023, but cost pressures easing. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/hawker-food-prices-rose-by-61-in-2023-but-cost-pressure-easing
- Lau, D. (2024, July 22). The Big Read in short: The tension between hawkers’ livelihoods and the public’s desire for cheap meals. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/big-read/big-read-in-short-tension-between-hawkers-livelihoods-and-publics-desire-cheap-meals-5882891
- Lim, C. (2026, April 13). Hawkers raise prices by up to S$1 as Middle East conflict fuels higher energy, ingredient costs. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/hawker-food-prices-higher-energy-ingredient-war-iran-middle-east-conflict-6053126
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