How much do Singaporeans need to eat three meals in food establishments?

The cheapest breakfast meal has an average price of $3.25.

A research study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) revealed that Singaporeans need at least $16.89 to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in kopitiams, food courts, and hawker centres.

Based on IPS’ “The Cost of Eating Out: Findings from the Makan Index 2.0,” the average price of breakfast in these food establishments is $4.81, whilst lunch and dinner cost $6.01 and $6.20, respectively.

The cheapest breakfast meal Singaporeans can get is a breakfast set which costs an average of $3.25, whilst the priciest meal is Kopi with wanton noodles which retails for an average of $5.32.

For lunch and dinner, the least expensive meal was Kopi O with economic rice ($4.39 for lunch; $4.43 for dinner) and the most expensive was iced Nilo with chicken chop (on average $9.58 for both lunch and dinner).

For a family of four, the average cost of eating out for three meals would be $67.56 per day, $472.92 per week.

Comparing individual meal costs across the region, IPS said that the Northern region has the priciest lunch ($6.22) and dinner ($6.40), whilst the Central region has the least expensive lunch ($5.88) and dinner ($6.05) meals.

IPS said the cost of eating out in Singapore might continue to rise depending on how much income a working individual receives in the future.

“While hawker culture in Singapore is an essential and convenient source of hot, delicious meals for Singaporeans, it may no longer be able to remain as cheap relative to other meal options, given the changes in the economic environment,” IPS said.

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Institute of Policy Studies

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