‘How long can we realistically keep doing this?’: Poly student worries about rising food costs

SINGAPORE: A polytechnic student nearing graduation shared her dilemma over Singapore’s “depressing” cost of living after pointing out how expensive food court prices have become, saying it is unrealistic to rely on cheap hawker food and promotional deals forever.

On r/askSingapore, she wrote that spending S$20 to S$30 on food daily felt “insane”, especially since she doesn’t have a part-time job to help with her expenses. A bowl of fish soup at a kopitiam, for instance, can cost S$10 to S$13.

While she acknowledged it’s still possible to eat more cheaply, she questioned how long people can realistically keep doing so, especially if inflation continues.

“It’s sad and frustrating to know that to stay happy in this country, you basically need to be able to fund it…I just want to leave this place at this point,” she said.

Commenters, however, saw what she shared as somewhat out of the norm. They said no one eats out for every meal and that leaving isn’t really the best solution.

One commenter also remarked that “inflation does not only happen in Singapore”, advising her not to just focus on the negatives and to “look at the positives of this country”.

He further pointed to the benefits of living here, including no typhoons, earthquakes, a lower crime rate and a competitive job market. 

Others, meanwhile, pointed out that there was nothing wrong with eating hawker food every meal. Some suggested that she could also cut costs by cooking at home or looking for cheaper hawker centres or less popular food courts, while another said that instead of complaining, she should work hard.

Still, her concerns about the cost of living may not be as uncommon as some commenters suggested.

Singapore Business Review, citing a Milieu study, recently reported that 65% of Singaporeans surveyed viewed the cost of living as a major social issue. When asked about specific issues facing the country, 68% pointed to the affordability of groceries, food and transport, while 43% were concerned about job opportunities and employment. /TISG

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