Study Shows That Sengkang, Tampines & Sembawang Are The Most Expensive Places To Makan At in S’pore

Last Updated on 2022-07-18 , 3:19 pm

A wise old man once told me, “It’s okay to die in Singapore, but not get sick.”

But what he forgot to tell me is this.

“It’s okay to stay anywhere in Singapore except Sengkang, Tampines and Sembawang.”

Why?

Because according to a Makan Index (yes, that’s the name of the study) conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), these three neighbourhoods are the most expensive neighbourhoods to eat out at.

And they’ve used our favourite cai png in the study, so it must be true.

While Ang Mo Kio, Queenstown and Bukit Timah are the cheapest neighbourhoods to eat out at.

The study focuses on 26 areas out of 55 planned areas set out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA).

And you’d see some really interesting findings here too.

I’m pretty sure that you, like me, thought that the closer you get to the central area of Singapore, the more expensive things get.

But according to the graphic representation provided by the study, that’s not the case.

The three cheapest areas are concentrated more towards the central (lighter pink) while more expensive ones are mostly located at the fringe.

Take note that they’ve only studied the prices of food from coffee shops, food courts and hawker centres. In other words, not the high-SES makan places.

You can view the list here:

Matured VS Non-Matured Estates

Now you have one more reason to buy resale flats liao.

In the study, it was found that matured estates are generally cheaper compared to non-matured estates.

Generally, food prices in matured estates cost 7.7% lower than the same food in the non-matured estates.

If the area you stay in has more lower-income families, more rental flats and more elderly people, food offered will be cheaper.

If the area has a higher amount of multi-generational families, the food prices tend to be more expensive.

Things are not set in stone, though.

I know, most of you probably haven’t heard about this study before.

But it existed for three years now.

And if you compare this version to the previous one, you’d realise something very interesting.

Things can change really quickly within a year.

Jurong East, which has a makan index (MI) of 1.098 fell 8 positions to be the fourth most expensive neighbourhood with an MI of 1.150.

Sengkang, which had an MI of 1.094 became the most expensive neighbourhood area with an MI of 1.229.

And Ang Mo Kio, which used to be in the middle of the list topped it this year.

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So don’t be sad if your neighbourhood appears at the bottom of the list.

It might just top the list next year.

But of course, this is about the cheapest places to makan. As for the best places to makan?

That one is even more debatable #justsaying