‘I’m seeing S$6.50 or even S$7’: Local says hawker meals are quietly becoming a small luxury

SINGAPORE: A local food lover recently shared on social media that her once-affordable favourite hawker meals are quietly creeping up in price.

“I used to think hawker food would always be the one thing that never really changed, a bowl of laksa, a plate of chicken rice, or mee rebus for under S$4,” she wrote. “But these days, I’m seeing S$6.50 or even S$7 for the same thing, and somehow it’s become ‘normal.’”

She also explained that it’s not just the extra dollar or two that catches her off guard. It’s how gradually it happened. One day, she noticed her regular stall had raised its prices again, and there was no dramatic announcement or fuss, just a quiet increase that somehow became part of everyday life.

While she doesn’t blame the hawkers, knowing that ingredients and rent have likely gone up, she said it still feels “strange” that the food many Singaporeans turn to for comfort is starting to feel like a “small luxury”.

“Still tastes amazing, still feels like home,” she said. “It just hits a little differently now when your ‘simple lunch’ costs almost as much as a café meal used to.”

“Where are you going for that hawker fare?”

In the comments, several Singaporean Redditors pushed back, saying that only the newer hawker centres have been hiking prices.

“You must be eating at the new ‘social’ ‘do-good’ hawker centres,” one Redditor said. “If you go to the old plain hawker centres, many choices are at S$5.”

Another agreed, writing, “Yeah, it’s just the new ones that are expensive. Normal hawker centres seem to be like, maybe 30–70 cents increase.”

A third asked, “Where are you going for that hawker fare? I still have my mee rebus at S$3-$4.”

A fourth shared, “I stay and work in the north. I can still find fried kuay teow for S$2.50 and carrot cake for S$3. In newer hawkers though, the carrot cake can go up to $6. I think it’s only those central areas where prices are increasing like crazy.”

In other news, a young Singaporean confessed on social media that her parents have warned they’ll “disown her” if she doesn’t secure a spot at a top overseas university.

In a heartfelt post on the subreddit r/SGExams, the student explained that her parents, who are Singaporean-Chinese and have studied abroad themselves, are “obsessed with prestige” and have drawn a hard line when it comes to university choices.

Read more: Singaporean student says parents will ‘disown her’ if she doesn’t get into a top overseas university