Finding cheap food in Singapore under $5? Here’s ridiculously cheap meals in Singapore.

I stared at him.

$3.80 for 2 veggies and 1 meat?

You must be kidding me.

And this was an industrial estate in Woodlands. I would have expected it to be amongst the cheapest in Singapore.

But it wasn’t.

So I decided that I would find some better places.

Know the base prices

If you want to save money in Singapore, you’ve got to start by knowing the base prices, or the anchor prices in Singapore. Because if you don’t, you’re going to get scammed.

Badly.

Slap on a few dishes onto your caifan, and you would find yourself set back by $4.80.

Yes, order that caifan

For all the meals I’ve eaten over the past 29 years of my life, the most reliable, low-cost option has been the humble, everyday man’s caifan.

Caifan, is the savior of many a Singaporean that’s fallen on hard times.

Don’t believe me? Just walk into a food court, and look at the prices of the chicken rice, the meepok, and the Korean food.

There’s nothing that will beat your caifan.

Nothing.

Order no meat, many veg

If you want to save money, you can’t be eating like an emperor. Says who?

Says me.

If you just stick to 3 veggies, you’re probably going to hit a fee that’s under $5.

But add on some meat dishes, and you will quickly find your meal inching up to $6 or $7.

Go to the BudgetMealsGoWhere initiative

To find better places to eat, first go to the BudgetMealsGoWhere initiative by two Singaporean agencies that have been trying to push down the costs of inflation.

Housing Development Board and GovTech.

Their initiative allows you to find the cheapest meals under $3.50, and drinks that start at $1.20.

That’s cheap.

For example, when I keyed in my postal address, I could quickly see where the cheapest meals were.

If you want cheaper, go to the Recreation Centre for construction workers

I remember the last time I went to interview some construction workers about their experiences living in Singapore. I kept thinking that they would think that the dorms we provided them were horrible.

But they were thankful, and said that it was much better than what they experienced back home.

Along the way, one of the supervisors brought me to a place nearby.

I wondered what it was, and what the queue was about.

Then I realised that you could get a $2.30 meal.

Of course, for the foreign workers who earned $400 a month, they needed this.

But you might find yourself needing this too if you fall on rough times. Just go to Google, and search for ‘recreation centre’. For example, this Woodlands Recreation Centre offered meals, toiletries, and groceries at a ridiculously cheap price.

$2.90 Nasi Lemak at Allgood (Nex)

If you’ve ever gotten lost trying to find cheap and good food in Nex, or tried to bust through the crowds at Nex, you would know that Nex isn’t the nicest place to be.

People just go there, because everyone else does. 

And if you’re around the area, and looking for food to eat, then Allgood is a cheap place to have. 

When I had the Nasi Lemak, yes, it wasn’t that great. 

But it was passable. What else do you expect for $2.90?

Just something to fill your stomach. If you’re looking for some Michelin Star Hawkers, this is not the place to be at. 

Cheapest $2.50 Caifan at 105 Hawker Centre at Hougang Avenue 1

Having grown up in Hougang, I’m always surprised at the rebels that manage to make business work, despite all the tight margins. You don’t call them an opposition ward for no good reason. They vote differently, and charge differently too.

Just look at this Teochew Porridge place.

For $2.50, you can get 3 veggies and rice. For $3, you can throw in a luxury tofu or egg.

I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, how good is the food? Before you throw your tofu at me, this food … is pure homemade goodness.

You will see the portly stall owner stirring his big pot of porridge in the morning, before serving you.

Don’t take it from me. Go try it yourself.

Pek Kio Market (Farrer Park)

One of my favourite places now is Pek Kio Market, which features great food, at even greater prices. When I was there last Saturday, there was even Member of Parliament Alvin Tan of Tanjong Pagar GRC, and Mayor Denise Phua there, shaking hands with residents in the leadup to the elections.

Around the Tanjong Pagar Town Council area, there are also many other Michelin Star Hawkers you should look out for.

Bulk buy from coffee chains

That said, if you want to get aircon too, buy the Toast Box coffee set, that allows you to get alot of coffee cups with $75. 

The only problem is that you need to finish it in 4 months. 

It’s still a steal though. Just don’t read the Annual Report of Breadtalk to figure out how much money they are making off you. 

But just coffee wouldn’t fill your stomach. You still need better food.

That can come with NTUC Foodfare.

NTUC Foodfare near Simei MRT

NTUC Foodfare is another noble initiative under the NTUC umbrella of companies that seeks to moderate the cost of living.

The Rice Garden initiative was one that was introduced to help people to better afford the everyday, humble, economic rice.

At $2.70 per plate, it’s probably the cheapest you would ever find.

Ananas Cafes around different MRTs

Another one for the humble, unfussy soul is Ananas Cafe.

But you’ve to be aware though. The food is not going to be great. It will probably be a bit cold, a little limp, and not the most exciting food you will ever try.

But hey, if you want to save money, you can’t exactly complain…

Right?

Ananas has saved my life many times.

And I would recommend it to you if you’re on a tight budget, and want to save money.

Teck Ee Economic Rice (Joo Chiat, Bishan and Shenton Way)

Early on in my business, I could only afford the $128 rent at the coworking space in Joo Chiat, and not much else.

During those mornings, I would huff and puff and carry a huge bag of food to the office, and try to get work done.

When I got hungry, I would go to the nearby store at Teck Ee Economic Rice, just across the road, and get 3 dishes of veggies, with rice.

I would count out the coins I had gathered from home, and slowly dish it out to the auntie at the store.

It was a really instrumental time in my life, in learning just how to keep my burn rate low.

To this date, whilst money has gotten easier, the gratitude I feel to Teck Ee for providing me a way to survive whilst I was trying to build a business.

It was no easy time, but it’s why I recommend it to you, if you’re struggling to find enough ways to stretch your dollar.

Have better places?

Don’t selfish leh? Nah, I’m kidding.

Share them in the comments below.