Photo: Zexsen Xie / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Find out how much lunch costs in Singapore, from affordable hawker meals and food courts to Indian restaurants, casual dining and premium restaurants.
Singapore Lunch Cost Guide
Lunch in Singapore can fit almost any travel budget. You can enjoy a filling local meal at a hawker centre for around SGD 5–10, eat at a food court for roughly SGD 7–15, or choose a comfortable restaurant where lunch can cost SGD 20–40+ per person.
For most tourists, a practical lunch budget is around SGD 8–25 per person, depending on the type of food and restaurant you choose.
Singapore Lunch Prices at a Glance
| Lunch TypeApprox. Cost Per Person | |
| Hawker Centre | SGD 5–10 |
| Local Food Court | SGD 7–15 |
| Indian Restaurant | SGD 8–20 |
| Fast Food | SGD 8–15 |
| Casual Restaurant | SGD 20–40 |
| Mid-Range Restaurant | SGD 30–60+ |
| Premium Restaurant | SGD 60–120+ |
| Fine Dining Lunch | SGD 100–250+ |
Prices can vary depending on the restaurant, location, menu and whether service charge and GST apply.
How Much Does Lunch Cost in Singapore?
A budget-conscious traveller can have lunch for approximately:
SGD 5–10
at a hawker centre.
For a more comfortable lunch at a casual restaurant, plan:
SGD 20–40 per person.
If you choose a premium restaurant or hotel restaurant, the cost can easily go beyond SGD 60 per person.
For most Indian tourists, SGD 10–25 per person is a comfortable lunch budget.
Singapore Hawker Lunch Cost
Hawker centres are among the best places to enjoy an affordable lunch.
Typical dishes include:
- Chicken rice
- Nasi lemak
- Laksa
- Fishball noodles
- Char kway teow
- Briyani
- Roti prata
- Vegetarian rice
- Vegetarian noodles
A typical hawker lunch with a drink can cost around:
SGD 6–12 per person.
Beyond being affordable, hawker centres are an important part of Singapore's local food culture.
Singapore Food Court Lunch Cost
Food courts in shopping malls are another convenient option, particularly for families.
A typical meal can cost around:
SGD 7–15 per person.
Food courts are useful when travelling around areas such as Orchard Road, Bugis or major shopping centres because you can choose from several cuisines in one place.
Singapore Indian Lunch Cost
Indian tourists will find plenty of Indian lunch options.
A simple Indian lunch could include:
- Dal
- Rice
- Roti
- Vegetable curry
- Dosa
- Thali
- Biryani
- Paneer dishes
A practical price range is:
Budget Indian lunch: SGD 7–12
Casual Indian restaurant: SGD 12–25
Premium Indian restaurant: SGD 30–60+
Little India is one of the easiest areas to find affordable Indian food.
Singapore Vegetarian Lunch Cost
Vegetarian travellers can keep lunch costs relatively low.
Examples include:
Idli/dosa meal: SGD 5–10
Vegetarian thali: SGD 8–15
Vegetarian rice: SGD 5–9
Vegetarian noodles: SGD 5–9
Indian vegetarian restaurant: SGD 10–20+
For Indian vegetarian travellers, choosing local Indian restaurants or vegetarian stalls can be a good way to control the holiday food budget.
Singapore Lunch Cost for Couples
For two adults, a practical lunch budget is:
Budget
SGD 12–20
Comfortable
SGD 30–50
Premium
SGD 60–120+
A couple can save money by having an affordable local lunch and spending more on dinner.
Singapore Lunch Cost for Families
For a family of four:
Hawker Centre: SGD 25–45
Food Court: SGD 30–60
Casual Restaurant: SGD 70–140
Premium Restaurant: SGD 150–300+
Families can reduce costs by sharing larger dishes at Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asian restaurants.
Singapore Lunch Cost for Indian Families
For a family of four looking for Indian or vegetarian food, a reasonable lunch budget is approximately:
SGD 35–70
depending on whether you eat at a simple Indian eatery or a comfortable sit-down restaurant.
For larger families, ordering shared curries, rice and breads can sometimes offer better value than ordering individual meals.
Singapore Lunch Near Tourist Attractions
Lunch prices can be higher around major tourist areas.
You may find more expensive restaurants around:
- Marina Bay
- Marina Bay Sands
- Sentosa
- Orchard Road
- Clarke Quay
- Major luxury hotels
- Popular tourist attractions
If you're looking for a cheaper lunch, consider walking a few minutes away from the main tourist zone.
Singapore Lunch Near Universal Studios
If you're spending the day at Universal Studios Singapore, expect food inside the attraction to be more expensive than a local hawker centre.
For a full day at Sentosa, consider eating before entering the attraction or compare nearby options depending on your itinerary.
However, convenience may be worth the additional cost when you're travelling with children.
Singapore Lunch Near Gardens by the Bay
There are several dining options around Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay.
For a budget-conscious itinerary, you can combine:
Morning sightseeing → Affordable lunch → Gardens by the Bay
rather than choosing an expensive restaurant directly next to the attraction.
Singapore Lunch Cost in Marina Bay
Marina Bay has some of Singapore's most premium restaurants.
A casual lunch can start around:
SGD 20–40+
while premium hotel and waterfront restaurants can easily cost:
SGD 60–150+ per person.
For budget travellers, Marina Bay is better suited to sightseeing than making every meal there.
Singapore Lunch Set Menus
Lunch set menus can be an excellent way to experience restaurants at a lower price.
Many restaurants offer:
- Set lunch
- Business lunch
- Two-course lunch
- Three-course lunch
- Lunch buffet
A set lunch can sometimes provide better value than ordering individual dishes.
Before ordering, check whether the advertised price includes GST and service charge.
Singapore Lunch Service Charge and GST
Many Singapore restaurants display menu prices before service charge and GST.
A common restaurant bill may include:
10% service charge + 9% GST
For example, a menu price of SGD 20 could become approximately SGD 23.98 after both charges.
Always check whether prices are shown as “++”.
Singapore Lunch Budget Per Day
If lunch is your main restaurant meal, you can plan:
| Travel StyleLunch Budget | |
| Budget | SGD 5–10 |
| Comfortable | SGD 10–25 |
| Mid-Range | SGD 20–40 |
| Premium | SGD 50–100+ |
| Luxury | SGD 100–250+ |
For most tourists, SGD 10–25 is a practical target.
Example Singapore Lunch Budget
A typical Indian tourist could have:
Main meal: SGD 8
Drink: SGD 2
Dessert/snack: SGD 3
Total: SGD 13
Another option:
Indian restaurant lunch: SGD 15
Drink: SGD 3
Dessert: SGD 5
Total: SGD 23
Both provide a comfortable lunch without spending heavily.
Singapore Lunch Cost for 5 Days
If you eat lunch in Singapore for five days:
| Lunch Style5-Day Cost Per Person | |
| Budget | SGD 25–50 |
| Indian/Hawker | SGD 40–75 |
| Comfortable | SGD 75–125 |
| Mid-Range Restaurant | SGD 100–200 |
| Premium | SGD 250–500+ |
For most Indian travellers, SGD 50–125 per person for five lunches is a sensible planning range.
How to Save Money on Lunch in Singapore
Eat at Hawker Centres
This is usually the easiest way to reduce lunch costs.
Look for Lunch Sets
Set menus can provide better value at restaurants.
Eat Away From Tourist Hotspots
Neighbourhood restaurants are often more affordable.
Choose Indian Restaurants in Little India
You can find filling vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals at different price points.
Drink Water
Buying drinks with every meal can gradually increase your daily food budget.
Share Food
Large portions can sometimes be shared between family members.
Best Lunch Options for Indian Tourists
If you're visiting Singapore from India, consider trying:
Indian: Dosa, thali, biryani, naan and curry
Local: Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, nasi lemak
Vegetarian: Dosa, vegetarian rice, noodles and Indian thali
Quick: Food courts and fast-casual restaurants
Premium: Hotel restaurants and chef-led restaurants
Singapore Lunch Cost vs Breakfast and Dinner
Lunch can often be the best-value restaurant meal of the day.
| MealBudgetComfortablePremium | |||
| Breakfast | SGD 3–8 | SGD 8–15 | SGD 20+ |
| Lunch | SGD 5–10 | SGD 10–25 | SGD 50+ |
| Dinner | SGD 6–15 | SGD 20–40 | SGD 60+ |
A good strategy is:
Affordable breakfast + comfortable lunch + better dinner
if you want to balance your food budget.
Final Thoughts
The Singapore lunch cost can range from around SGD 5 for a simple hawker meal to SGD 100+ for premium dining.
For most Indian tourists, a lunch budget of SGD 10–25 per person is enough for a comfortable meal, especially when you combine Indian restaurants, food courts and hawker centres.
For a 5-day Singapore holiday, keeping approximately SGD 50–125 per person for lunches is a useful starting point.
The easiest formula for saving money is:
Hawker Lunch + Indian Restaurant + Occasional Premium Meal
This lets you experience Singapore's food culture without allowing lunch to consume a large part of your travel budget.
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