‘It’s a different matter to experience it’: Chinese travellers shocked at Singapore’s high cost of living

SINGAPORE: Chinese travellers were shocked at Singapore’s high cost of living, with one saying she knew the city-state was expensive, but it was a different matter to experience it firsthand.

According to 32-year-old Melody Liu from Harbin, she went over her RMB5,000 (S$914) travel budget within three days in Singapore. She was particularly shocked when a 10-minute taxi ride cost over RMB100, compared to a similar ride for less than RMB20 back home.

Other Chinese travellers also pointed to the city-state’s 9% goods and services tax (GST) and a 10% service charge as a surprise, since most restaurants in China do not add a separate service fee. Bottled water from convenience stores, sandwiches, and meals at seafood restaurants were also pricier, they said.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese tourists have poured into Singapore since the 30-day mutual visa-free entry agreement in February, along with the rise of “da ka” tourism—a trend among young, social-media-savvy travellers from China.

Notably, on China’s social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as “Little Red Book,” Singapore has been featured as a safe, modern, clean city with many attractive sights.

While many netizens online agreed on the high cost of living in the city-state, one commenter suggested travellers use public transport, eat at hawker centres or mall food courts, stay in backpacker hostels, and avoid shopping at Marina Bay Sands to enjoy Singapore on a budget. /TISG

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