Is S’pore Too Costly? Foreigner Says Mixue, Saizeriya & Chagee Are Nearly Half the Price in China

Singapore is an expensive country to live in. We all know that.

But just how pricey is our Little Red Dot? A Xiaohongshu user, Bao Bao Xiong, decided to break it down in a recent video, and his reactions alone say everything.

The Shanghai-based content creator compared the cost of everyday items in Singapore versus China, and let’s just say… he was not ready.

"I came to Singapore, the food is good and scenery is nice too. But allow me to complain, every thing is too expensive," he lamented. 

For starters, he checked out familiar chains found in both countries: Chinese ice cream brand Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, Japanese Italian-style restaurant Saizeriya and Chinese milk tea chain Chagee. 

At Mixue, he said he "really broke out in sweat", adding that prices here are at least twice as high as in China. 

According to the Mixue app, a large cup of fresh lemonade costs four yuan in China, which works out to about S$0.73.  In Singapore, it costs S$2.50.

His next stop was Saizeriya, where he zeroed in on the escargot and was stunned to find it priced at S$5.90.

The same thing in China is priced at 19 yuan (S$3.48). 

"In China, everything basically costs half as much. Quick, run, we'll have Italian cuisine when we're back in China," was his dramatic takeaway.

Then came Chagee, where he discovered a hilarious twist: A small drink in Singapore costs twice as much as a large drink in China.

Curious about foreign brands, he reached out to Chinese live streamers for a price check.

He found two bottles in Singapore: Jose Cuervo tequila (S$47) and Absolute Vodka (S$44). He was then told that in China, the tequila is 79 yuan (S$14.49) and vodka is 75 yuan (S$13.76).

“My only question is… you didn’t actually buy them, right?" the live streamer asked Bao Bao Xiong, who was relieved to say no. 

Well, now you know, if you want real affordable food and alcohol… you’ll have to hop on a plane.