The Best Affordable Restaurants In Singapore For Every Budget

Last Updated on 15th December 2023

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Finding and recommending good food in any new city or country is one of my absolute favourite things to do while travelling so you can bet that I didn’t struggle at all when it came to discovering the best affordable places to eat in Singapore while we were there over Christmas and New Year.

Singapore is renowned for being incredibly expensive, but I’m pleased to say that we didn’t find eating and drinking in Singapore nearly as extortionately expensive as we’d expected.

Of course, there are a few rooftop bars and multiple steakhouses that will set you back a very large amount of money, but if you know where to look then you can eat and drink in Singapore on a pretty tight budget.

Check out my top recommendations for the best affordable restaurants in Singapore for every budget!

Read more: Where To Stay In Singapore – YOTEL Orchard Road

Best affordable restaurants in Singapore – breakfast

Breakfast/brunch is usually good no matter where you are in the world and I was delighted to discover that Singapore had a vast offering of delicious breakfast places available all throughout the city.

While a lot of them aren’t overwhelmingly fancy, we did manage to eat for pretty cheap in most places when it came to breakfast and brunch in Singapore.

1. Cedele

We actually ate at Cedele on our first morning in Singapore and we ordered a pain au chocolat ($3 SGD – £1.67), a croissant ($2.80 SGD – £1.56) and a chicken pie ($4.20 SGD – £2.34) to go, but I must have been so hungry that I didn’t take a picture of them!

However, we also went to the Cedele restaurant in the New World City shopping mall on Christmas Day morning as it was just around the corner from where we were staying.

I had the “full” English breakfast ($16 SGD – £8.90) which was just a few rashers of bacon, scrambled eggs and two slices of toast.

It was really tasty, but I don’t think it quite counts as a full English breakfast and probably wasn’t quite worth the money but as it was Christmas, we wanted to treat ourselves somewhat!

2. Bread Talk – best affordable restaurants in Singapore

You will literally find dozens of Bread Talk and Toast Box (see below) pop up cafes all over the city and they’re actually usually right next to each other!

We ate at Bread Talk a couple of times while we were in Singapore as it was quick, convenient and most importantly, cheap.

The food isn’t exactly Michelin star worthy, but it’s still pretty good and is a great place to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to explore the city.

We got the curry baguette ($1.90 SGD – £1.06), the bacon cheese roll ($1.80 SGD – £1) and the cheese sausage roll ($2 SGD – £1.11). The curry baguette was definitely my favourite!

3. Toast Box

As I mentioned above, Toast Box is yet another incredibly popular breakfast and brunch place in Singapore and you’ll always find both locals and tourists flocking to one of the many cafes to stock up on some tasty treats!

Toast Box also sells numerous cakes and sweet treats, but we just indulged in a carbolicious toastie (our favourite!) to start our morning.

The ham and cheese sandwich is only $2.90 SGD (£1.61) but you can also upgrade to get a coffee or tea with it too (though I can’t quite remember how much that was!).

Best affordable restaurants in Singapore

As we were only in Singapore for 11 days, we didn’t get the chance to try out every single restaurant that was recommended on TripAdvisor, Pinterest or by our friends who’d already been to Singapore, but we did eat at some pretty great places.

Here are just a few of my top recommended restaurants in Singapore!

4. Mr Chef’s – best affordable restaurants in Singapore

We ate at Mr Chef’s for our first meal in Singapore, before we could even check into our accommodation as it was situated pretty much next door!

The owner (I’m presuming “Mr Chef”!) was so unbelievably lovely and friendly and he let us stay in the restaurant for over an hour before we could check-in.

We’d just flown from Penang, Malaysia on an early morning flight so we were pretty hungry by the time we arrived and the enormous turkey club sandwich ($9.50 SGD – £5.29) that I ordered sorted me right out!

It was an absolute beast of a portion and I couldn’t quite manage to finish it all myself! Thankfully, I practically have a hoover of a boyfriend who happily demolished my leftovers 😉

Matt did order his own dish as well, however, and he went for the stir-fried beef in black pepper ($12.90 SGD – £7.18).

This was a slightly smaller portion than my monster sandwich but it was still more than enough for one person to enjoy on their own and it was remarkably yummy!

5. Saizeriya Italian – best affordable restaurants in Singapore

Saizeriya Italian is arguably my favourite place to eat in Singapore and a place that I’d highly recommend if you’re looking for some cheap and tasty Western food.

You’re certainly not going to find fancy dishes and expensive steaks at Saizeriya Italian but it was just what we were looking for after a very busy day of exploring.

We also actually ended up visiting Saizeriya Italian twice while we were in Singapore as we loved the Italian tapas style of the restaurant and I’m already salivating just thinking about all the dishes we ordered.

Pictured above: pineapple and bacon pizza ($6.90 SGD – £3.84), crispy chicken fingers ($3.90 SGD – £2.17), black pepper chicken pasta ($5.90 SGD – £3.28), rucola chicken pizza ($7.90 SGD – £4.40).

Of course, we didn’t order all of these dishes at once, as we went two separate times, we had five dishes (and an Oreo cheesecake!) the first time and then three dishes on our second visit.

Pictured above: a hamburger with wedges ($5.90 SGD – £3.28), nacho bacon potato wedges ($3.90 SGD – £2.17), garlic focaccia ($2.20 SGD – £1.22).

The alcohol at Saizeriya Italian is also pretty cheap, especially for Singapore, with a Tiger beer costing $4.90 SGD (£2.73) and a glass of white wine costing $3.90 SGD (£2.17).

Pictured above: Milano gratin ($4.90 SGD – £2.73), Oreo cheesecake ($3.90 SGD – £2.17).

My favourite dishes were the black pepper chicken pasta (this was so good!), the garlic focaccia and the nacho bacon wedges!

If you’re craving some cheap, non-Asian food while you’re in Singapore, I really couldn’t recommend Saizeriya Italian enough!

6. Al-Afrose – best affordable restaurants in Singapore

Al-Afrose was another restaurant that was pretty much just around the corner from where we were staying in Singapore and it served a whole manner of different Asian cuisines.

I was delighted to discover that it served my favourite dish that I’ve discovered while travelling so far: Maggi Goreng ($6 SGD – £3.34).

I talked a lot about my love for Maggi Goreng in both my Kuala Lumpur food post and my George Town food guide and this offering at Al-Afrose in Singapore certainly didn’t disappoint!

While we were there, Matt ordered the Tandoori Set C lunchtime meal which consisted of butter chicken masala, rice, naan bread and a soft drink for $15 SGD (£8.35).

We actually had a couple of curries while in Singapore and this one was particularly yummy!

I’m so glad I’ve discovered a new-found adoration for Indian food since we started travelling as I would never eat it back home in the UK!

7. Feng Ji Kitchen

Yet another one of the best affordable places to eat and drink in Singapore that wasn’t too far from our accommodation was Feng Ji Kitchen.

Usually, Matt and I never order the same dish as usually we both like the sound of two or three things on a menu so we’ll each order one thing and then share them.

However, at Feng Ji Kitchen, we both instantly loved the sound of the black pepper chicken cutlet with noodles ($6.80 SGD – £3.78) so we ordered one each!

Despite not having the chance to try anything else on the menu, I was thoroughly pleased with this dish as it really was so incredibly delicious!

8. Meat Smith – best affordable restaurants in Singapore

We ate at Meat Smith on New Year’s Eve after a full bottle of vodka between us (hence the very blurry picture!), but I’m pleased to say that I can actually remember how good this burger was haha!

While we were there, as it was New Year’s Eve, there was actually some kind of deal on, but usually, the double cheeseburger that we had is $18 SGD (£10) plus a side of crinkle cut fries which is $10 SGD (£5.50).

It’s certainly not the cheapest burger I’ve ever had but from what I can remember, it really was incredibly delicious, and I never usually go for a beef burger either!

Meat Smith is also very highly rated on TripAdvisor so it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the mood for some hearty and indulgent food while in Singapore!

Best Hawker Markets in Singapore

If you read my George Town food post and my Kuala Lumpur food guide, you’ll know just how much Matt and I adored Hawker Markets and street food stalls while we were there and I was so happy to discover that Singapore has its own offering too.

Hawker Markets are essentially huge open spaces full of local vendors offering the best, tastiest and cheapest food.

Check out a few of the best Hawker Markets in Singapore!

9. Seah Im Hawker Market

We ate at Seah Im Hawker Market after walking for miles along the Singapore Southern Ridges so by the time we got there, we were more than just a little hungry!

I went for the chicken rice with black pepper sauce ($4 SGD – £2.23); I actually put the black pepper sauce on after taking this picture!

It wasn’t necessarily the most overwhelming street food I’ve ever had but it certainly filled a hole and sated my appetite for a while!

Matt went for the Maggi Goreng chicken ($4.50 SGD – £2.50) and he seemed to be thoroughly impressed with his dish!

Hawker Markets are a great way to eat cheaply while in Singapore, so if you know where to find the best ones, you can certainly travel and eat on a budget in Singapore!

10. Ya Kun Cherish – best food stalls in Singapore

Ya Kun Cherish was another place located inside the Great World City shopping mall and as we went to the cinema there, as well as visiting a few shops to stock up on things for Christmas, we ended up discovering quite a few of its little cafes and restaurants.

Matt had the Rendang chicken sandwich ($4 SGD – £2.23) which I wasn’t a fan of at all but Matt really seemed to enjoy it!

At Ya Kun Cherish, I went for the cheese tuna mayo sandwich ($4.40 SGD – £2.25) as I wasn’t feeling particularly adventurous that day.

Despite it not looking very appetising at all, I actually really enjoyed this and paired with a cup of tea ($1.50 SGD – 83p), it certainly did the trick at lunchtime!

11. Al Bismi

Al Bismi is located in the Little India area of Singapore and we ate there while we were on our Hop on Hop off Bus Tour of the city.

As I mentioned above, I have a particular penchant for Indian curries now and I was absolutely delighted with the butter chicken masala ($9 SGD – £5), fries ($4 SGD – £2.23) and garlic naan ($3.20 SGD – £1.78) that we ordered at Al Bismi.

Their menu is pretty extensive and they serve a vast range of food so you shouldn’t struggle to find something you like!

12. Marina Bay Sands Food Court

Marina Bay Sands is an absolutely giant complex and is undoubtedly one of the best things to see and do in Singapore and its impressive offering of food stalls is also quite a feat to see and enjoy too.

While we were there, I ordered the crispy chicken and noodles ($6 SGD – £3.34) which were actually the weirdest noodles I’ve ever had! I can’t remember what they were called but they tasted like a combination of noodles, pasta and bread all at the same time! I still really enjoyed them though!

Matt had the pork rice hotpot ($6.50 SGD – £3.62) which I didn’t really like as it tasted a bit like aniseed but Matt said he really enjoyed it.

As with most other Hawker Markets and food centres in Singapore, you really are spoiled for choice when it comes to the vast variety of food and the Marina Bay Sands food court is no exception.

Where to drink in Singapore on a budget

While I only want to talk specifically about the drink situation in this section, all of the below bars and restaurants also serve food so they’re all very deserving of a place on this list of the best places to eat and drink in Singapore!

13. LeVeL33 – best bars in Singapore

We’d heard so many great things about the LeVeL33 rooftop bar from various people who’d previously visited Singapore so we couldn’t wait to visit for ourselves and see what all the fuss was about!

Thankfully, the fuss was very well justified as the views from LeVeL33 are absolutely out of this world!

You can see all across Marina Bay and Marina Bay Sands and even though we only went up at night, I imagine that it’s absolutely magical regardless of the time of day you visit!

The drinks at LeVeL33 will set you back a pretty penny but I personally think it was worth it for the views and atmosphere alone.

I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc ($18 SGD – £10) and Matt had the LeVeL33 Brut Beer ($12.90 SGD – £7.18) so it was a pretty expensive round, especially when we’d been used to paying £1.46 a round in George Town but we had such a good time, that it really was worth it.

If you’re looking to treat yourself or organise a special occasion for someone while you’re in Singapore, LeVeL33 is certainly the place to be.

14. Al Capone’s

The picture above has no relevance to Al Capone’s whatsoever but I didn’t actually take a picture while we were there so I needed something to fill in the gap!

Al Capone’s is a lovely little bar with plenty of outdoor seating and some great offers on their alcohol.

I didn’t actually order anything from here as I was feeling a little under the weather on the day we visited but Matt got 3 Tiger beers for $12 SGD (£6.68) which we thought was a pretty reasonable deal considering it’s located in a pretty busy part of town!

15. The Pelican – the best bars in Singapore

Before heading to the Fullerton Bay Hotel (see below) for Christmas Dinner, we stopped off at The Pelican for a quick drink beforehand.

The Pelican is located on the Marina and offers gorgeous views over the water and of Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Centre too.

It was a beautiful place for a drink on Christmas Day and even though it wasn’t unbelievably cheap, the staff were so friendly and the views were beautiful that we had a truly wonderful time here anyway.

Happy hour vodka lemonades were $15 SGD (£8.35) for two.

16. Fullerton Bay Hotel

Last but by no means least on this list of the best affordable restaurants in Singapore is the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

We ate and drank here on Christmas Day as we wanted a special treat considering we were away from our families and the Fullerton Bay Hotel was the perfect place to celebrate.

Our drinks actually came included in the price of our Christmas Dinner but you can still enjoy food and drink at the Fullerton Bay Hotel at any time of day or year.

There are actually five places to eat and drink at the Fullerton Bay Hotel so you’re spoiled for choice on a great range of scrumptious dishes and cocktails!

I hope you’ve found plenty of inspiration for the best affordable restaurants in Singapore in this post and I hope that your trip to the Lion City is as enjoyable as ours was!

Related posts:

• 25+ Best Things To Do In Singapore
• Gardens by the Bay Singapore – Supertree Grove, Flower Dome, Cloud Forest
• Hop on Hop off Bus Tour Singapore
• The Best Street Food In Penang – Best Restaurants & Hawker Food
• 10 Best Things To Do In George Town, Penang
• YOTEL Singapore Orchard Road Hotel Review

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Which of these best affordable restaurants in Singapore looks the most appetising to you? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter at @imjustagirl_16.

*Prices in this post are accurate as of the currency exchange rate in February 2020.