Like everywhere else in the world, Singaporeans have a tired or lazy night and look forward to biting into a delicious pizza.
However, pizza is a luxury here.
Why is pizza so expensive in Singapore? It is common knowledge that Singapore has a high cost of living.
Even then, it’s difficult to understand why a popular fast-food treat like pizza is so expensive in this city-state.
Pizza in Singapore costs up to four times more than in other countries because there is frequently an interruption in the food supply chain.
The government then uses countermeasures to ensure there’s no food shortage, (like pizza ingredients,) and that cost trickles over to the consumers.
There’s a huge amount of imported foods, and Singaporeans have to eat up the cost (no pun intended).
Additionally, the country lacks natural resources.
Nonetheless, the cost you pay also depends on where you choose to buy your favorite treat, how much rent the restaurant has to pay, as well as delivery and importation costs.
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How popular is pizza in Singapore?
Pizza is often served at birthday parties for both children and adults in Singapore. In fact, pizza is the go-to food for many types of gatherings.
However, pizza, like many other well-known regional dishes, began as food for the underprivileged.
To feed the hungry masses in Italy (the original home of pizza), food vendors on the street sold pizzas made with flour, cheese, herbs, tomatoes, and olive oil.
The Margherita as well as the Marinara, the first two types of mass-produced pizzas, did not include any meat.
In Singapore, on the other hand, pizzas are viewed as a more expensive sort of cuisine, and residents fork out megabucks to enjoy the treat.
How much does pizza cost in Singapore?
A single serving of pizza at both Domino’s and Pizza Hut costs around $20 at both restaurants.
But in countries like Australia, you can get a pizza from any of those locations for less than AUD $5 per piece.
At the same price, you’ll also find a wide choice of cheap and delicious pizzas in Italy.
Is Singapore foodie heaven?
The city-state of Singapore is well-known among foodies around the world as a culinary hotspot.
It’s hard to find a better gastronomic experience than Singapore’s native cuisine, like Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa, and Chili Crab. And anything fried with salted egg yolk is an immediate hit.
However, this does not imply that every food product in Singapore is worth spending money on.
From hamburgers to Korean Army Stew, there are some dishes that just aren’t worth the price.
How does the lack of natural resources affect pizza and other food prices in Singapore?
Natural resources are scarce in Singapore, assuming they exist at all. Despite this, Singapore does have a few strategic benefits – the most important of which is its port’s geographical placement on the map, which connects the East-West trade route.
For the past four years, Singapore has been regarded as the highest global maritime capital and the second busiest harbor worldwide.
In fact, if you remove the harbor, Singapore doesn’t have much going for it in terms of resources.
To begin with, water must be imported from the neighboring country. Malaysia can provide upwards of 250 million gallons of the precious commodity per day to Singapore, which has an average daily water use of 430 million gallons.
It is also worth noting that Singapore imports more than 95 percent of its electricity, largely from Indonesia and Malaysia.
If conflicts were to erupt, reliance on others for necessities may leave Singapore in a perilous position.
How do rental prices affect pizza costs in Singapore?
Unless you’re purchasing the pizza from a cart or making it yourself, the place that you’re buying it from factors in the cost of renting their property to make a profit.
Having said that, rental and property prices are constantly rising in Singapore, where real estate is a precious commodity.
To keep up with an expanding population and a limited supply of housing, land (and rental) prices are rising.
S$495,000 is the average price of an HDB unit, while S$1,467,778 is the price of a private condominium in Singapore.
For obvious reasons, the more centralized a location is, the more valuable it becomes.
Government programs, like subsidizing HDB apartments and providing grants, ensure that such properties remain affordable for all Singaporeans, regardless of income level.
Be willing to pay more if you are a migrant. Foreign buyers must also pay an Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) that is 30 percent of the sales price or the estate’s current value, whichever is greater.
Does the high cost of vehicles in Singapore impact pizza delivery prices?
Fees for pizza delivery aren’t cheap and don’t forget to factor in the tip for the drivers – they have to pay a lot for the vehicles they use.
Because of the city-state’s small size, the government discourages residents from owning their own vehicles.
To discourage individuals from purchasing automobiles for personal use, the government has raised the cost of personal vehicles in Singapore, making the city-state the costliest in the world.
A current Toyota Corolla Altis runs S$109,888, for instance (as of 29 April 2021). You’ll also have to pay for additional taxes and expenditures, such as parking, tolls, and road tax, in addition to the rental amount.
Fortunately, thanks to its small size, public transportation buses and trains can easily carry you from one location to another, but your pizza delivery person can’t.
How does importation affect pizza prices in Singapore?
The land is frequently prioritized for higher GDP operations since it is precious. As a result, you won’t find a lot of farmland.
In reality, imports account for over 90% of Singapore’s total food consumption. Singapore is in a precarious position because it must depend on others for nourishment.
Food shortages are a real possibility (which the government attempts to mitigate with a variety of measures), and food imports come at a price that Singapore must bear regardless of how much the prices rise.
Despite this, a wide range of food items at various price points are readily available to the general public.
Going to the supermarket and cooking at home is the most cost-effective choice in most nations, even Singapore.
Eating out is more expensive than cooking at home, but it’s still possible to find a price point that works for everyone.
How can you get cheaper pizza in Singapore?
You can start by making it yourself. While that may be fine if you’re exhausted after a long day at work, or if you’re spending time with friends, it’s not ideal.
If you’re on a tight budget, your second choice is to shop strategically. Food courts, coffee shops, and hawker centers abound for those on a tight budget.
At these restaurants, an average meal runs less than S$5.
Who sells the most expensive pizza in Singapore?
At Lucali’s, their original 18″ Pie is the only one they sell, and it costs a whopping S$55.00. The heavily priced Margherita comes with a topping of roasted garlic, basil, parmesan, mozzarella, and buffalo mozzarella.
However, the real mystery to its popularity is seemingly the outstanding tomato sauce that takes up to four hours of preparation.
If you don’t mind dipping a little further into your pocket or wallet, then additional toppings each cost S$5.
That includes jalapenos, olives, mushrooms, sweet peppers, onions, anchovies, and pepperoni.
Which pizza chain is the most affordable in Singapore?
To save cash with every pizza slice, Little Caesar’s eateries try to reduce the amount of cheese they use.
Cheese accounts for around 40% of the cost of a pizza, as you may have guessed. With this price tag, Little Caesar’s restaurants respond by utilizing mozzarella cheese made from genuine milk.
The water content of this pre-shredded cheese is low. As an outcome, it has greater longevity in storage.
To save money, the dough, as well as sauce, are produced in-house. They produce almost three million pizzas daily at this national pizza restaurant.
In addition to pizza, they serve their renowned crazy bread. By reducing the amount of cheese and meat on their pizzas, Little Caesar’s restaurants can save money.
It’s safe to say that this pizza chain has the least amount of cheese of any pizza place out there.
Their fresh mozzarella, as well as Muenster cheese combination, is made using premium ingredients.
To create their sauces, they also utilize California vine-ripened, fresh-packed mashed tomatoes.
How does the cost of living in Singapore affect pizza prices?
It goes without saying that if a country’s cost of living is high, so will the costs for just about everything else – especially if it has to be imported.
In Singapore’s case, as established earlier, the majority of the food here is imported.
Food prices have been escalating worldwide, sending many people to the food pantries, even in Singapore.
Naturally, the prices will reflect specialty items and general good items including the beloved pizza.
What will happen to food prices in Singapore if the port gets tough competition?
There are plans to keep Singapore’s ports open even if the construction of the Kra Canal in Thailand – which would allow ships to bypass Singapore – takes place in the future.
By diversifying its economy, Singapore has ensured that it doesn’t place every egg in the same basket.
The government believes the country is positioned to sustain itself regardless of what happens if and when the Kra Canal reaches completion.
