Award Banner
Award Banner

Looking for affordable meals in your area? Check out the new BudgetMealGoWhere website

Looking for affordable meals in your area? Check out the new BudgetMealGoWhere website
A hawker at a stall with the budget meal sticker serving up a bowl of teochew noodles. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
PHOTO:

SINGAPORE - Residents can search for budget meals at coffee shops near their home via a new website.

The BudgetMealGoWhere website, launched by HDB and the Government Technology Agency on Friday, allows residents to key in their postal code and look for cheaper meals and drinks options within 2 km of their location.

Users can also access it via the LifeSG app, a platform that consolidates digital government services and information.

These budget meal options include full meals that cost between $3 and $3.50, together with hot drink options priced at $1 to $1.50 on average. The meals are not set at specific prices, as stall operators are encouraged to offer meals at competitive prices to match those of other options in the vicinity.

In March 2023, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann announced in Parliament that all 374 HDB rental coffee shops, or roughly half of all eating houses situated in the HDB estates across the island, will provide budget meal options by 2026.

There were 72 coffee shops offering budget meals as at March 2023, of which 40 are currently listed on the BudgetMealGoWhere website. A total of 100 coffee shops offering such meals will be made available on the platform by the end of 2023, Ms Sim told reporters during a visit to FoodHub@Sengkang on Friday.

Additionally, 34 more coffee shops are slated for completion within the next five years.

Read Also
Goodbye $12 'cai fan'? Here's the government's plan for cheaper food in coffee shops
singapore
Goodbye $12 'cai fan'? Here's the government's plan for cheaper food in coffee shops

Ms Sim said HDB aims to strike a balance between “meeting residents’ needs for more affordable meals, while ensuring that stall holders’ operating costs remain sustainable”.

To ease operators’ and stallholders’ transition into offering budget meal options, coffee shops let out via Price-Quality Method (PQM) tenders have had their rental rates lowered by an average of 27 per cent since 2018.

PQM tenders are assessed based on a range of criteria, and not just price alone. One of the requirements is the affordability of food and drinks offerings.

Likewise, other rental coffee shops due for renewal will enjoy a rental discount of 5 per cent, for a period of one year from the time of tenancy renewal. Safeguards are also put in place to ensure that all stallholders will benefit from the rental discount given to the operators.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann pasting a budget meal decal at the economical rice stall at FoodHub@Sengkang. With her is economic rice seller Boo Jenn Tong (left) and FoodHub general manager Tan Boon Chwee. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

New budget meal decal stickers will be displayed on signages of stalls with budget meal options. This allows customers to easily identify the budget meals on offer, and also help to drive sales.

Mr Boo Jenn Tong, 47, manager of an economic rice stall at FoodHub@Sengkang, said: “Eighty per cent of our customers purchase our budget meal, which comprises two vegetable dishes and one meat dish.

“As it is the most popular dish at our stall, we have managed to maintain its low price of $3.30 due to the large quantities being sold every day.”

While the website encourages members of the public to patronise coffee shops with budget meal options, Mr Shaik Ali, 39, the owner of an Indian food stall at FoodHub@Sengkang, says it may not be intuitive for older people to search for information online.

“The website is designed specifically for people who know how to use digital platforms, so the elderly people in the studio flats nearby may have difficulties using it.”

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

homepage

trending

trending
    Southeast Asian nations, hit particularly hard by US tariffs, prep for talks with Trump
    Gossip mill: Chantalle Ng dating longtime friend, ex-TVB actress now sells chicken feet, Leslie Cheung's partner pays tribute on his 22nd death anniversary
    Probe finds former Smap idol Masahiro Nakai committed sexual assault, victim says 'What I've lost will never be recovered'
    Woman rescued from top of overhead bridge near Nex mall, detained under Mental Health Act
    MaNaDr admits to lapses, introduces 1-minute minimum teleconsultation rule
    New bus interchanges in Woodleigh and Pasir Ris to open in late April
    Life-sized dinosaurs, pre-historic plants: Gardens by the Bay to transform into Jurassic World this May
    MOH to allocate $800m for active ageing centres as part of new initiatives to improve seniors' access to activities
    19 years' jail for mum who abused 4-year-old girl, whose body was burned after she died
    A first look: Blue Bottle Coffee's cafe at Raffles City, here's what to expect
    Shanmugam's views on Israel-Palestine conflict 'sharply different' from that of former NMP Calvin Cheng's
    How this Singaporean went from volunteer to CEO of a non-profit

Singapore

Singapore
    • 5 SMCs gone in GE2025: What's next and what are their MPs saying?
    • Ruckus on Jetstar flights: One passenger tries to open door mid-air, another fights with fellow passenger
    • Talk of Ng Chee Meng standing in Jalan Kayu SMC intensifies as he visits Fernvale homes
    • 'We need some closure for now': KF Seetoh's brother's remains to be returned following Italy blast
    • 'He needed something to help him fight,' says man who bought Hokkien mee for dying patient
    • GE2025: WP's likely replacement for Raeesah Khan outlines plans for improvements in Sengkang
    • Vivian says he did not 'like' FB post offering to relocate Singaporeans to Gaza; Meta investigating
    • Sports car driver allegedly high on laughing gas arrested on Orchard Road
    • GrabCab becomes Singapore's 6th taxi operator, plans to launch '100% green fleet'
    • 'Irresponsible parents': Man flips middle finger at driver after near accident with child at City Hall

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'I want to make the people in my country proud': Local singer WhyLucas reaches Chuang Asia season 2 finals
    • 'I'll help her remember': Show Lo reveals mum has Alzheimer's disease
    • 'I'm a fool': Japanese comedian apologises after sexually harassing Mei Nagano to tears on TV
    • 'It was mentally draining': Yang Yan reflects on his time in global K-pop reality competition
    • Brad Pitt to return for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follow-up on Netflix
    • David Beckham kicks off 50th birthday celebrations with glitzy party in Miami
    • Camila Cabello felt 'crushed' after accusations of emulating Charli XCX's style

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • 'The menu is a reflection of us': Singaporean woman and American husband open restaurant selling soul food
    • Life after death: Guide to be launched to help parent caregivers plan for autistic children's future
    • Tea, drums and rangoli: These stewards of culture and heritage are being honoured for preserving tradition in Singapore
    • RWS unveils lifestyle destination Weave, here are some brands and concept stores to expect
    • What to do this weekend (April 4 to 6)
    • Long-range cruiser: GAC E9 luxury MPV with over 1,000km of range now in Singapore
    • Deepal officially arrives in Singapore with opening of new showroom
    • We ask parents how they keep their children's screen time low - here's the lowdown
    • The best new-launch condo layouts we've seen so far in 2025
    • Where to find 999-year landed homes by the sea in Singapore: Touring Ponggol 24th Avenue

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Games in April: RPGs, racing and Ronaldo in a fighting game
    • Is it time to get a MacBook at a good price? The M4 MacBook Air says yes
    • China's Baidu launches 2 new AI models as industry competition heats up
    • China's top universities expand enrolment to beef up capabilities in AI, strategic areas
    • International Women's Day: Meet the Singapore women levelling up in gaming
    • US indicts slew of alleged Chinese hackers, sanctions company over spy campaign
    • Meet the women powering innovation in tech in Singapore and beyond
    • Games in March: JRPGs, co-op games and wrestling

Money

Money
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • South Korea's acting president calls for talks with US over tariffs
    • China urges US to immediately lift tariffs, vows retaliation
    • Trump's tariffs stoke global trade war as China and EU vow response
    • HDB to launch 3,000 balance flats in July 2025: What homebuyers need to know
    • With 61 years left on its lease, this Bishan maisonette matches national record at $1.5m
    • Why are homebuyers choosing pricier new launch 2-bedders over resale options in 2025?
    • Looking to live near JB? Here are the cheapest condos by the Causeway in Woodlands
    • Where to find the most affordable HDB flats in popular estates in 2025 (from $250k)
    • 7 affordable dental clinics in Singapore for scaling, polishing, and more (2025)

Latest

Latest
  • Thousands of Haitians take to streets to protest surging gang violence
  • Tornadoes and heavy rains rip across central and southern US
  • Danish PM pledges to support Greenland against Trump pressure
  • Taiwan details surge in Chinese activity on last day of war games
  • With US absent, China steps in for earthquake-hit Myanmar
  • Junta chief to leave quake-striken Myanmar for summit, aid groups clamour for access
  • Israel to seize parts of Gaza as military operation expands
  • TikTok bidders pile up as deadline looms with Amazon, OnlyFans founder in mix
  • Thai search dogs go from sniffing to soothing at collapsed tower site

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Workers painting exterior of Geylang block discover man's skeletal remains in flat
  • 'New, younger' PAP team vows to reclaim WP-controlled Sengkang GRC, says Lam Pin Min
  • New face Jackson Lam 'very good on the ground' and will be asset to Parliament, says Shanmugam
  • Woman who publicised tips on how she evaded GST for luxury purchases fined $18k
  • Powerful quake in Southeast Asia kills several, 81 trapped in Bangkok building rubble
  • Dog dies after being skinned alive in Malaysia, animal welfare group condemns 'barbaric' act
  • Blue for seafood, red for meat: Case partners Koufu to have colour-coded price labels at 'cai fan' stalls
  • WP will campaign for 'responsible and loyal opposition' in GE2025 to earn seats in Parliament, says Pritam
  • Over $200k worth of e-vaporisers seized; 2 persons helping with investigations
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.