Billed as one of the most expensive cities in the world, Singapore is actually an affordable city if you look hard enough. From exploring the city on a budget to not spending a single dime on weekends, there’s something for everyone. To help you make the most out of your hard-earned money and expand your horizons beyond fast food and hawker grub, we’ve rounded up a list of affordable restaurants in Singapore. Check out these vegetarian-friendly bites, great burgers and other top-notch meals under $15 (disclaimer: we’re basing this on one meal per person).
Tanuki Raw
This is one of the affordable restaurants to get your sashimi fix, in our opinion, with price tags that don’t go above $10! Yes, only at the Orchard Central branch, from Monday to Thursday during lunch hour, you can tuck into a bowl of Japanese rice replete with thick cuts of salmon sashimi. Not into raw fish? Get the beef bowl or the Impossible-meat bowl, which is also available at the National Design Centre.
Tanuki Raw, various locations including Orchard Central and National Design Centre.
Ordinary Burgers
Don’t give up on your love for burgers just ‘cos you’re on a budget. Ordinary Burgers is here to save the day (and your bank account). Despite the fact that it seems to have no social media presence whatsoever, this burger joint has been sneakily grilling up mouthwatering goodies at modest prices. The spicy fried chicken ($5.30) hits all the right spots and you definitely can’t go wrong with the beefy double cheeseburger ($10.20).
Ordinary Burgers, #B1 – K10/K11/K13, City Square Mall, 180 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208539
Poke Theory
A healthy meal doesn’t have to cost a lot and this poke joint proves that. Fully customise your bowl with a vast selection of fresh ingredients, including pickled beetroot, wakame seaweed, kimchi and pineapple – it’s a great way to eat your colours! Top it off with your choice of spicy mayo salmon, spicy garlic sesame tuna or sous vide dashi chicken. And instead of Japanese sushi rice or crunchy romaine lettuce, you can even switch your base to the nutty lemon herb quinoa. All this will set you back $9.90 for a small portion and $12.90 for the regular one.
Poke Theory, various locations including Telok Ayer and Duo Galleria.
VeganBurg
Vegans can join in the frugal fun at the world’s first 100% plant-based burger joint. Since it dishes out delish burgs in classic and local flavours like creamy shrooms ($10.90), smoky BBQ ($12.90) and char-grilled satay ($11.90), you’ll be doing your wallet and the planet a favour by dining here.
VeganBurg, 44 Jalan Eunos, Singapore 419502
Blu Jaz Cafe
A place that needs zero introduction, Blu Jaz Cafe has established itself as the go-to amongst jazz connoisseurs and hip bar-hoppers looking for great live music and drinks. But what you may not know is that it serves an array of cuisines at affordable prices. Yes, you can get falafel, fish and chips, butter chicken or carbonara at $12.90 each.
Blu Jaz Cafe, 11 Bali Lane, Singapore 189848
Rebel
If sammies are your go-to lunch, hit up Rebel, a hidden spot in Somerset. Inspired by Vietnamese banh mi, the eatery puts out creations like Hot Chick sub (loaded with juicy chicken fillets) and the Original sub (stuffed with chicken patties, chicken pate and Asian slaw) at $7.60 each. For plant-based eaters, we recommend the Vegan H.A.L.T ($8.25), which sees a spicy Quorn patty sandwiched between buns.
Rebel, #01-08, 111 Somerset, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164
Kim Dae Mun Korean Food
Thanks to Kim Dae Mun Korean Food, we can satisfy our K-drama-induced cravings without breaking the bank. This isn’t a showy Korean restaurant with fancy creations and pretentious-sounding menu items. Expect only simple, authentic Korean dishes like kimchi soup, bean paste soup, grilled pork and bibimbap. A good chunk of the menu items cost about $10 on average.
Kim Dae Mun Korean Food, #01-03D, Concorde Shopping Mall, 100 Orchard Road, Singapore 238840
Two Men Bagel House
Breakfast aficionados, skip the bougie weekend brunches for something equally decadent but affordable. We’re talking about OTT bagels at Two Men Bagel House. The Novena outlet can get pretty crowded on weekends, but the wait is totally worth it. Tempting choices include Hammer (scrambled egg, bacon, cheddar and smoked aioli), Lox (cured salmon with eggs, onions and capers) and Hawaiian, which features spam, caramelised pineapple and a sunny-side-up egg. Working around the CBD area? Its Tanjong Pagar branch offers the store-exclusive Cheetos, which is packed with honey baked ham, black forest ham, onion jam and brie. Don’t worry, all the aforementioned dishes are below $15.
Two Men Bagel House, various locations including Tanjong Pagar and Novena.
Jai Thai
Psst: What if we said you can enjoy a full Thai meal under $15? Enter the affordable restaurant Jai Thai. There are plenty of authentic classics to choose from: Tom yum and green curry rice sets are $8.80 each, while phad Thai and beef noodle sets go for $7.80. These meals include a choice of homemade drinks as well, so you can cool off your tongues without forking out extra on a drink.
Jai Thai, various locations including SingPost Centre and Dhoby X’Change.
Ayam Penyet Ria
Ask anyone in Singapore about ayam penyet, and they’ll most likely suggest Ayam Penyet Ria. One of the pioneers here in Singapore, the joint dishes out authentic ayam penyet plates at wallet-friendly prices. Crispy fried chicken, tempeh, tofu and the spicy yet addictive chilli alongside a bowl of rice for just $7.90? We’re sold. The beef variation ($8.90) is equally good as well.
Ayam Penyet Ria, various locations including Far East Plaza and Lucky Plaza.
Wolf Burgers
A truly great burger under $15? We like a good challenge. After a little snooping, we found Wolf Burgers. A cult favourite amongst bun-and-patty lovers, the eatery lets you wolf down burger creations like wagyu beef ($14.90), wasabi fried fish ($10.90) and the local-flavoured salted egg fried chicken one ($9.90) on a shoestring budget.
Wolf Burgers, various locations including Funan and Changi City Point.
Refuel
If you’ve been to enough cafes, you’d know that a meal at these hangouts can easily go above $20. But at this heartland spot, you can easily get a stack of fluffy pancakes for $9.90, a slow-cooked pulled pork burger for $12.90 and the massive breakfast platter, which features bacon, mushrooms, eggs, cheese, toast and tomatoes, for just $10.90! Almost all the brunch items on the menu don’t go above $15.
Refuel, #01-3029, 744 Bedok Reservoir Road, Singapore 470744
Supergreek
Okay, Supergreek isn’t exactly a restaurant, yet we can’t help but include this awesome little food stall. Offering Greek-centric bowls priced between $9 and $15, choice picks here would be the flame-grilled steak with tzatziki and the roasted barramundi that comes with mashed potato and creamy homemade parmigiano sauce. Plus, all bowls contain no more than 550 calories – a win-win, if you ask us.
Supergreek, various locations including Raffles City and Wisma Atria.
49 Seats
Located at the back of Centrepoint, 49 Seats offers value-for-money dining deals. A good majority of the menu items are below $15, including the popular smoked duck aglio olio. And during lunch hour, you can get the main course, soup and drink at $14.90! Want to know the best part? There’s no GST!
49 Seats, #01-49, The Centrepoint, 176 Orchard Road, Singapore 238843
Noodle Cafe
Traditionally sold by boat hawkers in Thailand’s floating markets, Thai boat noodles are actually really popular here in Singapore. Tucked away in the basement of Golden Mile Complex, this tiny spot offers said noodle dish for as low as $1.90 with the bigger bowls going for $5! Customise your order the way you like it: Just pick your choice of meat, level of spiciness and whether you like it soupy or dry.
Noodle Cafe, #B1-08, Golden Mile Complex, 5001 Beach Road, Singapore 199588
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