What can S$3 buy you in Singapore nowadays?

A kopi and a snack? Maybe.

Half a café drink? Quite possibly.

But a plate of chicken rice, nasi lemak with chicken wing and egg, vegetarian bee hoon with three dishes — or even a bowl of porridge with meat?

Surprisingly, yes.

With food prices creeping upwards almost everywhere, finding a proper meal for S$3 or less is becoming something of a treasure hunt. Yet tucked inside the old-school Blk 89 MacPherson Market & Food Centre at Circuit Road, there are still hawkers keeping prices refreshingly affordable.

Some dishes start from just 80 cents, fried bee hoon can still be found from S$1.20, while several proper meals come in at the magic S$3 mark.

So bring a few dollar notes and your appetite. Here are 7 budget-friendly stalls at Blk 89 MacPherson Market & Food Centre where S$3 can still go surprisingly far.

01. Hao Ji Cantonese Porridge #01-114

Porridge from S$2.50

When even a simple bowl of noodles can easily cost S$4 or S$5 these days, seeing porridge starting from S$2.50 almost feels like stepping back in time.

At Hao Ji Cantonese Porridge, the most affordable option is the Peanut Porridge at S$2.50.

And you don’t need to stretch the budget much further if you want something more substantial.

For just S$2.80 a bowl, choices include:

Sliced Fish Porridge
Chicken Porridge
Pork Porridge
Squid Porridge

That leaves you with 20 cents change from S$3.

The smooth, comforting style of Cantonese porridge makes this an especially easy breakfast choice, and the selection means you don’t have to settle for plain porridge simply because you’re eating on a budget.

Budget pick: Chicken, pork, fish or squid porridge — S$2.80

02. Boon Keng Food Stall #01-116

Breakfast from S$1.20

This is one of those stalls where you may need to look at the price board twice.

Fried bee hoon or fried noodles starts from only S$1.20 for a small portion, while a larger serving is just S$1.50.

There is more.

You can also get:

Chee Cheong Fun
S$2 for 2 pieces

Glutinous Rice
S$2–S$3 per plate

Fried Bee Hoon / Fried Noodles
S$1.20 small
S$1.50 large

Fried Bee Hoon / Fried Noodles / Bee Hoon + Porridge Combination
S$2.50

That S$2.50 combination is particularly interesting because you can mix things up rather than having just one item.

At a time when S$2 doesn’t seem to stretch very far, this is the sort of old-school breakfast pricing that is becoming increasingly difficult to come across.

Budget pick: Fried bee hoon or noodles — from S$1.20

03. Noor Jazila #01-132

Prata from S$1.20

If your idea of a good budget breakfast involves something hot off the griddle, Noor Jazila gives you several options without crossing the S$3 line.

The prices are:

Plain Prata — S$1.20
Egg Prata — S$1.80
Plain Dosai — S$1.80
Egg Dosai — S$2.50
Onion Dosai — S$2.50

You could even order two plain prata for S$2.40 and still stay below S$3.

For something more filling, an egg or onion dosai at S$2.50 is another inexpensive option.

With prata prices steadily rising around Singapore, finding one at S$1.20 certainly deserves a second look.

Budget pick: Two plain prata — S$2.40

04. Yao Ji Pancake #01-113

Pancakes from 80 cents!

Yes, you read that correctly.

80 cents.

There aren’t many things you can buy for less than S$1 nowadays, let alone freshly prepared food from a hawker stall.

At Yao Ji Pancake, traditional pancakes start from just S$0.80 per piece.

Flavours include:

Peanut — S$0.80
Red Bean — S$0.80
Coconut — S$0.80
Cheese — S$0.90

Feeling hungry?

You could buy three peanut pancakes for S$2.40.

Or try three different flavours and still have change from S$3.

It’s a simple old-school snack, but perhaps that is exactly the charm. When many snacks now cost several dollars each, an 80-cent pancake feels almost unbelievable.

Budget pick: Peanut, red bean or coconut pancake — S$0.80 each

05. Yi Xiang Vegetarian #01-107

Vegetarian “Roasted Chicken” Rice — S$3

Here’s one for anyone looking for a proper rice meal at exactly S$3.

Yi Xiang Vegetarian serves a vegetarian version of roasted “chicken” rice for S$3 a plate.

Instead of actual chicken, the dish uses vegetarian/mock meat served with rice, giving diners another affordable meat-free option inside the food centre.

And unlike a small snack or light breakfast, this is an actual rice plate that can serve as a simple lunch.

In 2026, that S$3 price tag is becoming increasingly rare.

Budget pick: Vegetarian roasted “chicken” rice — S$3

06. Economic Breakfast #01-101

S$3 Nasi Lemak Sets

Here’s where the S$3 challenge starts getting particularly interesting.

At Economic Breakfast, you can still find complete S$3 nasi lemak sets.

Set A — S$3

Chicken Wing + Sunny-Side-Up Egg

Set B — S$3

Sausage + Sunny-Side-Up Egg + Fish Fillet

And if you simply want something cheap and filling, the stall also offers:

Economic Fried Bee Hoon / Fried Noodles / Rice — S$1.20 to S$1.50 per plate

A chicken wing and egg nasi lemak for S$3 is the sort of price that increasingly catches your eye on a hawker-centre menu.

For anyone trying to keep breakfast or lunch costs under control, this is one stall worth knowing about.

Budget pick: Chicken wing + sunny-side-up egg nasi lemak — S$3

07. Pong Tian Vegetarian #01-128

3 Dishes + Bee Hoon — S$3

How about three dishes with bee hoon for S$3?

That’s what you’ll find at Pong Tian Vegetarian.

Choose your economic bee hoon together with three vegetarian dishes, and the total comes to just S$3 per plate.

As i was ordering 2 dishes, it only $2.60 for the above veggie bee hoon. The advantage here is variety. Rather than eating a single topping, you can choose several different vegetables, mock-meat dishes or other available selections to go with your bee hoon.

For anyone looking for an inexpensive meat-free breakfast or lunch, this is another example of how Blk 89 manages to keep some genuinely budget-friendly choices alive.

Budget pick: Economic bee hoon + 3 dishes — S$3

Can You Really Still Eat for S$3 in Singapore?

Apparently, you can — but you may have to know where to look.

What makes Blk 89 MacPherson Market & Food Centre interesting isn’t fancy décor, viral food or oversized portions designed for social media.

It is the opposite.

This is an old-school neighbourhood market and food centre where you can still spot prices that have almost disappeared elsewhere.

80-cent pancakes.

S$1.20 bee hoon.

S$1.20 prata.

S$2.50 porridge.

And several complete S$3 meals.

Of course, portion sizes and individual appetites differ, and prices can change over time. But for residents, seniors, workers or anyone simply trying to keep daily food expenses manageable, these stalls show that affordable hawker food hasn’t completely disappeared.

So the next time someone tells you “S$3 can’t buy a meal in Singapore anymore”, you know one place where you can send them.

Just remember to go early — this is very much a neighbourhood breakfast-and-lunch kind of hawker centre.