Struggling to find an affordable meal in Singapore? Bookmark this list of budget-friendly restaurants!
Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world, no doubt. But if you take a closer look at our nooks and crannies, we’re actually pretty affordable. From exploring the city on a budget to free and fun things to do, there’s something for everyone. To help you make the most 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).
Best affordable restaurants in Singapore
1. Tipo Pasta Bar
For fresh handmade pasta, head to Tipo Pasta Bar. This popular halal concept makes its pasta daily from scratch – so say goodbye to dry spaghetti and bottled pasta sauce. The house specials go for just above $15, but if you want to keep below it, you can build your own pasta starting from $9.90. Choose from a combination of tasty toppings like caramelised sundried tomatoes and black lumpfish caviar!
Tipo Pasta Bar, 785 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198753
2. Omurice Keisuke
For classic Japanese comfort food that won’t break the bank, take a trip to Omurice Keisuke. As you might’ve guessed from the name, it serves Japanese-style omelette rice that’s deliciously rich and creamy. The omurice set meal starts from just $9.90. You can even make it a combo meal and get pasta on the side for an additional $3. Your meals come piping hot – so worth it!
Omurice Keisuke, #04-01, Bugis+, 201 Victoria Street, Singapore 188067
3. PocoLoco
This affordable restaurant serves Italian cuisine at pocket-friendly prices, with the majority of its ingredients imported from Italy. We honestly can’t believe how good the food is. The pasta is so silky and springy, you almost forget this is just a small, humble restaurant in the heartlands. Give the lasagna di pollo ($13.80) a try, or sink your teeth into bites of handmade gnocchi ($12.90). Absolutely delish!
PocoLoco, 215 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349
4. 49 Seats
Located at the back of The 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 a main, soup and drink at $14.90. Want to know the best part? There’s no service charge!
49 Seats, #01-49, The Centrepoint, 176 Orchard Road, Singapore 238843
5. Tanuki Raw
This is one of the affordable restaurants in Singapore to get your sashimi fix, in our opinion, since price tags don’t go above $12! 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, also available at the National Design Centre.
Tanuki Raw, multiple locations including Orchard Central and National Design Centre
6. 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). This burger joint grills 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, multiple locations including City Square Mall and Amk Hub
7. 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, sous vide dashi chicken or avocado. And instead of Japanese sushi rice or crunchy romaine lettuce, you can even switch your base to nutty lemon herb quinoa. All this will set you back $12.90 for the regular bowls, and $14.90 for the signature ones.
Poke Theory, multiple locations including Novena Square and 111 Somerset
8. 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 ($9.90), smoky BBQ ($11.90) 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
9. 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 seafood mee goreng, carbonara and fish and chips for just under $15.
Blu Jaz Cafe, 11 Bali Lane, Singapore 189848
10. Rebel
If sammies are your go-to lunch, hit up Rebel. Inspired by Vietnamese banh mi, the budget-friendly 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 $7.90 each. For plant-based eaters, we recommend the Vegan H.A.L.T ($8.50), which sees a spicy Quorn patty sandwiched between buns.
Rebel, 306 Lavender Street, Singapore 338813
11. 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 menu items cost about $10 on average.
Kim Dae Mun Korean Food, #01-03D, Concorde Shopping Mall, 100 Orchard Road, Singapore 238840
12. 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 Pork-gasm with smoked bacon and garlic aioli, and Lox with smoked salmon. Or you can head over to its Holland Village branch for the store-exclusive Mademoiselle Chantal, which is packed with corned beef, honey baked ham, eggs, Swiss cheese, bechamel and mustard. Don’t worry, all the aforementioned dishes are below $15.
Two Men Bagel House, multiple locations including Tanjong Pagar and Novena
13. Jai Thai
What if we said you can enjoy a full Thai meal under $15? Enter 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 pad 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, multiple locations including Purvis Street and Dhoby Xchange
14. TingKat PeraMakan
Peranakan food isn’t necessarily cheap but you can satisfy your cravings without busting your budget here. This affordable restaurant in Singapore offers individual set meals with a choice of main, two sides, drink and dessert starting from $12.80. Highlights include babi pongtay (pork in fermented bean sauce), ayam kleo (chicken in coconut gravy) and Nyonya pork ribs. For your two sides, try the cinchalok omelette and deep-fried tofu topped with minced pork.
TingKat PeraMakan, multiple locations including Owen Road and Paya Lebar Quarter
15. Nusantara
Taking its name from the ancient Javanese term for the Indonesian Archipelago, Nusantara is the place to be when you’re hankering for a hearty meal of nasi padang. For easy ordering, the menu features rice bowls that spotlight iconic dishes like asam pedas ($12.50), beef rendang ($15) and ayam kicap buah keluak ($12.50). The bowls come with your choice of sides such as sambal goreng, sayur lodeh and garlic kailan. Oh, and don’t miss out on the sardine and potato curry puffs ($2)!
Nusantara, 171 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068621
16. Ayam Penyet Ria
Ask anyone in Singapore about ayam penyet, and they’ll most likely suggest this dining spot. One of the pioneers 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, too.
Ayam Penyet Ria, multiple locations including Jurong Point and Lucky Plaza
17. 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 ($13.90), teriyaki chicken ($7.90) and the meat-free Impossible ($13.90) on a shoestring budget.
Wolf Burgers, multiple locations including Funan and Pasarbella at Suntec
18. Refuel
If you’ve been to enough cafes, you’ll know that a meal at such hangouts can easily go above $20. But at this heartland spot, you can easily get a stack of fluffy pancakes for $13.50 and creamy shrimp and mussels for $13.90. Almost all the brunch items on the menu don’t go above $15.
Refuel, #01-3029, 744 Bedok Reservoir Road, Singapore 470744
The next time you’re dining out on a budget, these affordable restaurants in Singapore have your back.
