Is hawker food really the cheapest option in Singapore?
PHOTO: Instagram/yongweikai
PUBLISHED ONMarch 06, 2021 2:00 AMByPooja Khandelwal
With Singaporean households spending an average of $9,722 , eating out in the city is an undeniably expensive affair. That’s why, for budget-conscious individuals, hawker centres – where comfortable, hearty meals can be had for under $10 – is such a god-sent.
However, it’s worth questioning the perception that hawker food is always the most affordable dining option, that it could even be cheaper than cooking at home.
Below, we pit hawker food against other food options (i.e. restaurants, food courts, and home-cooked meals) to find the ultimate winner in terms of affordability.
How much do hawker meals typically cost?
| Dish | Stall Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken Rice | Tian Tian Chicken Rice, Clementi Food Centre | $3.5 |
| Chicken Rice | Ming Kee Chicken Rice, Bishan Market | $3.5 |
| Chicken Rice | Ah Tai Chicken Rice, Maxwell Food Centre | $3.5 |
| Average | $3.5 | |
| Fishball Noodles | Ming Fa Fishball, Upper Thomson | $4.5 |
| Fishball Noodles | Yong Seng Teochew Fishball Noodle, Hainanese Village Centre | $3.5 |
| Fishball Noodles | Joo Chiat Chiap Kee, Bedok North Street | $3 |
| Average | $3.67 | |
| Nasi Lemak | Changi Nasi Lemak, 323 Bukit Batok Street 33 | $3.9 |
| Nasi Lemak | Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak, Boon Lay Place | $3.5 |
| Nasi Lemak | Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak, Adam Road Food Centre | $5.4 |
| Average | $4.27 |
Given how price-sensitive Singapore consumers can be (especially when it comes to hawker food), hawkers are unwilling to increase prices despite their increasingly thin profit margins due to a combination of rising food cost and salaries for workers.
Thus, resulting in affordable – some might even say ‘cheap’ – meal options typically ranging between $3 to $7. Of course, these costs vary based on food items. For instance, chicken rice will typically be pricier than a meatless meal, like chwee kueh (water rice cakes).
Thus, for fair comparison’s sake, the cost of 3 everyday hawker dishes that can also be found in restaurants or prepared at home have been averaged. Of the 3 meals, nasi lemak turned out the most expensive, presumably because of the number of ingredients it contains.
Restaurants always charge more for the same meal
| Dish | Restaurant | Price | Price After GST & Service Charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Rice | Boon Tong Kee Chicken | $5 | $5.89 |
| Chicken Rice | Wee Nam Kee | $4.8 | $5.65 |
| Chicken Rice | Loy Kee Best Chicken | $7 | $8.24 |
| Average | $5.6 | $6.59 | |
| Fishball Noodles | KL Traditional Chilli Ban Mee | $5 | $5.89 |
| Fishball Noodles | 2 Wheels Café | $4.5 | $5.30 |
| Fishball Noodles | Finest Song Kee | $4.5 | $5.30 |
| Average | $4.67 | $5.49 | |
| Nasi Lemak | The Coconut Club | $12.8 | $15.07 |
| Nasi Lemak | Simple.簡 | $6.5 | $7.65 |
| Nasi Lemak | Revolution Café | $6.9 | $8.12 |
| Average | **$8.73 | $10.28 |
As restaurants are located in malls where operational costs are high, dining at restaurants – even for the ‘same’ dish as you’d find in a hawker centre – is more expensive.
Other than the higher base price point on the menu, one shouldn't forget about the additional GST and service charge levied on the total bill.
This can significantly drive up the cost of a meal (e.g. what is $12 on the menu can come up to $14.12). There's also no discounting that consumers are generally willing to spend more in a restaurant than in a hawker centre, a psychological factor restaurants undoubtedly leverage to drive up prices.
Thus, explaining why the average cost of nasi lemak can come up to $10+, compared to $4.20+ in a hawker centre.
It’s always cheaper if you cook the meal yourself
All that said, there’s no doubt that the most affordable option is to cook the meal yourself – even with more generous ingredient portions compared to what you’d typically get from a serving in the hawker centre/restaurant.
Instead of getting just a few meagre slices of meat in chicken rice, for example, you could indulge in 200 grams of chicken breast when you cook it yourself.
To illustrate just how much you could save: 200 grams of chicken breast costs $1.90 at NTUC; 60 grams of rice comes up to $0.15, and a spoonful of chicken stock is just $0.05. Add a little bit of oil and seasoning, and your meal totals up to below $3!
Plus, there’s the added benefit of knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body when you cook your meals.
It’s not always about choosing the cheapest option around
Of course, the decision on what to eat doesn’t always hinge on a meal’s cost. Even though cooking your own meal ends up cheaper, the truth is that not everyone has the capacity or time to cook.
Also, even though restaurants are typically seen as ‘overcharging’ on certain foods, they provide a level of comfort you wouldn’t get in a hawker centre.
Ultimately, these dining options come with their own set of pros and cons, and you have the power to decide which you want to spend your hard-earned money on. Just don’t forget to budget and save – so you always live within your means.
This article was first published in ValueChampion.