do you really think food is expensive in singapore?

[lpkoh5]

Talk about rental for hawker stalls....some places in bedok (consider quite a good place to do business)...hawker rent only at less than $100 per month after subsidies....yes that's right...I got a shock when I learn of it as well....I also learnt that some sub-rent out and get $3000 per month... I was wondering how can they do that....govt allowed meh ...news recently reported that some prime areas, that some shops change hand for $300k

[globalcookie]

Subsidized hawker stall rental are for the original tenants, usually quite old by now. These hawkers either give up their stalls (at a take over fee) or sublet it out at a good profit.

Even if the same original tenant were to be operating his stall now, he wouldn't sell his food at the same old price, eg $2/bowl of noodles, when everyone around him are selling higher. He also want to make more money.

So, is it cheaper to cook and dine at home? If the family size is small, unlikely.

[lyc]

Actually cost of food almost the same if you compared the salary for most countries I went.

[Ariesdram]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

In Australia, an average hourly pay is maybe... A$15/hr while here in Sg is about S$5/hr. A meal in Australia could be about A$15 while it's about S$5 here.

A meal could be had for below A$5 in Aus. Steak or any main course meal cost around same price in Aus or Sg for your info even there is a big difference in like what you mentioned, pay/hour. That is down to us not having minimum wage and hence depressed by competition due to invading of foreign talents who can be a lot cheaper to hire

[Ariesdram]

My view is depending on what food you're talking about. Fast food, it is more expensive say if you compared to places like Europe where a good meal of KFC can be had for 3 pound but please dont convert to SGD and say more expensve than ours because we need to consider that you will be earning the pounds there too.

For hawker fare, Singapore is still relatively cheaper compared to places like HK. But places like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are cheaper especially their roadside stalls.

For restaurants, I think it all varies depending on how ATTAS type and obviously some you are paying for the 'service and ambience' and that can be more expensive since rental in Sg is obviously higher than many other cities.

[globalcookie]

Originally Posted by Ariesdram

...but please dont convert to SGD and say more expensve than ours because we need to consider that you will be earning the pounds there too.

For hawker fare, Singapore is still relatively cheaper compared to places like HK. But places like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are cheaper especially their roadside stalls.

Since you mentioned (i mentioned earlier too) don't convert currency, as earning and spending is still based on the same country, than Indo, MY and Thai isn't cheaper. Take e example I mentioned.

HK wise, I don't know if it is more expensive. Same job in HK, would likely command a bit higher (maybe 10-20%?) pay than in Singapore. I remember a bowl of noodle was about HK$15-20 in Mongkok area (ard ladies market) and a pack of char siew rice was HK$15 (same area). HK Island wise, I'm not sure, as I didn't get to spend much time there.

P/s : The Australia illustration, I'm not sure as I've not been there. My colleg's family is there, so he was just sharing.

[satan_gal]

To be very very very frank...
it depends also on wad u eat

End of the day there's always the $2 kaya guyu + egg + kopi set tat CAN and WILL serve at a meal (for me la)

[globalcookie]

Cost of meals, daily necessities, clothing, etc, still reasonable in a sense.

Singapore's cost of living is still not high but in return the standards of living is high, as compared to many countries. So, to be fair to the gov, they had done a good.

The frustration many Singaporeans faced includes foreigners snatching jobs, failing transport, high cost of housing. Ok i dun OT further.

The high inflation we saw in the last coming to 2yrs is global, not just Singapore. Yes, the high inflation is very painful for those struggling to make ends meet, and quite painful for the average. For me, am... well still able to breathe, but starting to feel a bit of the tide.

[KAO LUO]

ha ex ? ..... main thing our work hard $$$ no upzz .... evey thing Upz UPZ ...

[Ariesdram]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

Since you mentioned (i mentioned earlier too) don't convert currency, as earning and spending is still based on the same country, than Indo, MY and Thai isn't cheaper. Take e example I mentioned.

HK wise, I don't know if it is more expensive. Same job in HK, would likely command a bit higher (maybe 10-20%?) pay than in Singapore. I remember a bowl of noodle was about HK$15-20 in Mongkok area (ard ladies market) and a pack of char siew rice was HK$15 (same area). HK Island wise, I'm not sure, as I didn't get to spend much time there.

P/s : The Australia illustration, I'm not sure as I've not been there. My colleg's family is there, so he was just sharing.

Well Indo I am assuming that if WE go to that country to work(as an expat), not telling you to earn their local pay package and definitely not taking the lowest pay as the standard to buy meals.

I have lived in several countries and I can tell you that if you were to go to countries like London, Sydney, Jakarta, Bangkok and compare your wages there to the cost of food, countries like Indonesia, Thailand gives you better bang for the same buck. Of course we can never do a complete analysis since it is very hard to compare the same food, for eg Thai food cost an arm and a leg as it is normally sold in a fine dining form in places like London and then the same food can be had for very cheaply in Thailand or even in Jakarta.

But in Indonesia, you have warung style food which can be had for SGD$1 and you will be getting expat pay remember. If you were in London also as an expat, your pay won't be astronomically higher but of course can be relatively higher, your cheapest meal would still be at least 3 pound from fastfood or takeaways.

So the ratio of the cost of food compared to your earnings, places like Singapore or London will forever be more expensive than places like Thailand or Indonesia and I am talking about local food hor.

In australia, their places are big and hence population spread out, hence if you open a food stall, you don't get queues or as many customers as say a chap chai peng stall in Singapore, hence the higher markup. A decent asian food meal takeaway will cost you around AUD$5. That is considered cheap if you are making the AUD there because your annual wage will be likely minimum $30-40K a year if you are a grad, or if you are not, you can still make that sum if you work hard enough.