What can you get with a $100 budget in Singapore versus Malaysia? Ghib Ojisan finds out

Singaporeans tend to travel to Malaysia for short getaways because it's nearby and usually more affordable. 

But just how much value for money can one get in Malaysia compared to Singapore?  

In a YouTube video on Monday (Aug 14), Singapore-based Japanese content creator Ghib Ojisan compared the prices of food, attractions and shopping in Malacca and Singapore to see how they matched up. 

"What my wife and I notice when we travelled to Malaysia earlier this year was that it's not really that affordable anymore," Ghib Ojisan pointed out. 

"It seemed like the prices of everything were going up." 

So, armed with a budget of $100 for each destination, Ghib Ojisan and his wife tried to see how far they could stretch their dollar in both places. 

Breakfast, coffee and lunch 

For breakfast in Malacca, they visited Chef Heng Dim Sum and ordered an assortment of goodies like spicy chilli wantons, steamed pork rib with beans and pan-fried stuffed chili. 

In total, the bill added up to RM52.50 (S$15.35) for two pax.

To contrast, they had breakfast at Killiney Kopitiam in Singapore, where they ordered curry chicken, prata and coffee for $9.50. 

While Ghib Ojisan found both breakfasts "amazing", he said he preferred the dim sum more and even called it "one of the best dim sum ever". 

Next up were cafes. 

In Malacca, he visited one called The Daily Fix and ordered a coffee and matcha latte for a total of RM29.15. 

"I think I would expect to pay around $15 or $20 in Singapore, so around double. Great value! I love this cafe," Ghib Ojisan remarked. 

Back in Singapore, the couple headed to Equate Coffee at Orchard Central. 

"I'm very scared because recently, it seems like F&B restaurants and cafes are super expensive," he admitted to his viewers. 

Here, they ordered the buttermilk kimchi chicken and matcha latte for $25.30. 

"Surprisingly cheap for the location," Ghib Ojisan said and added that he had expected to pay $30. 

For lunch in Malacca, he and his wife visited Jonker 88, one of his favourite eateries in Malacca. 

There, they ordered the assam laksa (RM15) and chendol (RM9). 

While back in Singapore, they ate at Yen Social, a Michelin-rated yakiniku restaurant. 

Here, they got ordered the Wagyu Rurofan for $21. 

They had to end the day with some dinner, and in Malacca, they were spoilt for choice.

Eventually, they went to Pak Putra Restaurant, which specialises in northern Indian and Pakistani cuisines. 

They got some tandoori chicken (RM13), tawa chicken (RM14), aloo gobi (RM9) and jason naan (RM13). 

On the other hand, in Singapore, they got something simpler — two big paus ($4) from Nam Kee Pau. 

"We didn't want to overshoot the budget so we got something very cheap," Ghib Ojisan said, adding that he suspected they may have already surpassed the $100 budget. 

But back in Malacca, they still had enough cash on hand – RM90, to be precise – to splurge at Jonker Night Market. 

The first item they got was a massive coconut ice cream (RM15). 

They also got some mango sticky rice (RM10) which was made with blue pea rice. 

"We got the mango sticky rice because it's my wife's favourite and it's important to get what your wife wants," Ghib Ojisan said humorously. 

For protein, they bought two very spicy sticks of otah for RM3 and two very long skewers – one pork and one octopus – for RM28.  

In between that, they also had some durian puffs for RM4. 

They ended the feast with some "notorious" smelly tofu but did not state how much it cost. 

A last-minute food item they purchased was the oden (RM9.10) from the convenience store Family Mart. 

Shop till you drop 

Food wasn't the only cost factored into this experiment — the couple went shopping too. 

In Malacca, they visited a souvenir shop that sold pottery and wooden products. There, they spent RM13.90.

Ghib Ojisan also bought back some kaya jam (RM20.10) from San Shu Gong – another souvenir store – for his family in Japan. 

On the contrary, in Singapore, they visited several pop-up stalls at Orchard Central. 

There, they purchased only one thing — a potted plant in the shape of a lion for $38. 

"Not cheap at all," Ghib Ojisan remarked. 

Activities and attractions 

Activities and attractions were another aspect they took into consideration. 

In Malacca, the couple enjoyed a river cruise and paid RM60 for two pax. 

Singapore's version of such a ride was at Clarke Quay but the price was around double — $26 per pax. So, in the end, the couple didn't take it. 

"It feels steep compared to Malacca," Ghib Ojisan said. 

As they were on a tight budget, the couple also sussed out some free activities that could be done in each city. 

In Malacca, they visited Saint Paul's Church, Malaysia's oldest church. 

"Kind of reminds me of the Miyazaki film Castle in the Sky," Ghib Ojisan said in Japanese. 

Back in Singapore, he chose to check out Fort Canning Park. 

"It is also on a hill, it's accessible from the city centre, it has a great history, and the view is awesome," he shared. 

So is Malaysia all that expensive?

In Singapore, the couple spent a total of $93.80. 

"We tried to aim for $100 but it wasn't nearly enough," Ghib Ojisan confessed. 

On hindsight, Ghib Ojisan realised that the lion potted plant may have been a silly purchase as it was quite expensive. 

But his wife justified this by saying: "I think the price is quite normal, standard."

"I think the price we spent doesn't really represent Singapore because the cafe turned out to be very affordable and for dinner, we only ate pau. That's how we kept it affordable," Ghib Ojisan also pointed out. 

On the other hand, they spent a total of $97.80 in Malacca. 

"I feel like this is so value for money [in Malaysia]," concluded Ghib Ojisan. 

"Ultimately, both Malacca and Singapore are great destinations. As a Japanese, both destinations are very unique and interesting and delicious." 

In the comments, several netizens shared that they felt prices in Malaysia have become quite expensive. 

A netizen pointed out that prices in Malaysia only feel cheap because of the exchange rate and even shared that the commenter's relatives said they actually think Singapore food is more affordable. 

Another also suggested that Ghib Ojisan should have used RM100 instead of $100 to gauge what the average Malaysian could afford. 

"Using $100, you already have the advantage of the exchange rate," the netizen explained. 

ALSO READ: Woman says Kuala Lumpur food is 'not that cheap' despite strong Singdollar

melissateo@asiaone.com