Has Singapore become more expensive to live in than other first world countries?

[Musicwhiz]

Hello MW, I see we work around the same area

I ate ‘cai fan’ at Fook Hai Building today. $3.50 for 3 dishes. The variety of dishes there is good. And at night, they serve ‘zichar’ until 10pm. Can get hor fun for $3.00.

Then across the road at china square’s basement, there’s a yong tau foo store that sells standard 7 pieces for $4.00. Prices have gone up already, it used to be $3.80.

I had ‘cai fan’ at golden shoe once for $2.50. ridiculously cheap. Served with paper plates and plastic forks and spoon. But the food wasn't fantastic.

I try to limit myself to $10 a day for both lunch and dinner. My line of work, I tend to stay late, hence the need for dinner as well.

Haha well I don't actually work in the Raffles Place area, but I frequently walk to Golden Shoe for lunch. It helps that they sometimes give out freebies at the open square beside UOB Plaza.

I would agree that food is still relatively inexpensive in Singapore especially in coffee shops and hawker centres, relative to the median wage earned here. In Australia I've heard that eating out can cost a bomb, and set you back quite a bit; plus they have high tax rates there too so I guess disposable income is much reduced.

The "cai fan" is usually pretty cheap everywhere unless you choose Nasi Padang or it is from a food court. My usual daily lunch expenditure is about $3.00 to $4.00 assuming I bring my own water.