How much for a coffee in Singapore (2024 prices)

Coffee is my favourite drink, and Singapore is home to some incredible flavours that I love to try. You can find all sorts of choices here, including some that are locally unique.

My name’s Chris and I write guides that help visitors to Singapore get the most out of their visit. I wrote this guide to coffee prices that visitors typically pay, though I do encourage visitors to explore more “local” areas that often sell cheaper coffee. Check out my list of references at the end of this guide so you can see exactly how much I paid for the various cups of coffee I drank to put this guide together.

Coffee in Singapore typically costs between S$1 and S$7. Local coffee, also called kopi, is cheaper and can be found for as little as S$1. Espresso coffee, particularly from international chains, is more expensive and costs at least S$5.

Coffee	Price	Location
Kopi C	S$1.70	Hawker centre
Kopi O	S$2.00	Local chain store
Cappuccino	S$6.00	Cafe, takeaway
Cappuccino	S$6.80	Starbucks

I visited over a dozen cafes, coffee shops, and hawker centres in 2024 to gather this pricing data. Check out the References section at the end of this guide for a full list of prices at the shops I visited.

Local coffee costs S$1 to S$2.50

Local coffee typically costs S$1.00 to S$2.50 depending on whether or not you add condensed milk, evaporated milk, or ice. More expensive locations, particularly in tourist-friendly areas, tend to charge more for local coffee. Heartlands hawker centres and workers canteens tend to have the cheapest coffee. Local coffee, also called “kopi” is still cheaper than espresso coffee however.

Here are some of the prices for local coffee I paid recently in Singapore (full list in the References section at the end of this guide):

Shop	Price
Telok Blangah (food centre)	S$1.70
Satay by the Bay (food centre)	S$2.50
Killiney (UBS Building)	S$2.50
Toast Box (Beach Rd)	S$2.00

Getting an iced coffee is generally about 50 cents more expensive than a regular coffee. In fact, that Satay By the Bay kopi I ordered was with ice; the price for hot coffee was 50 cents cheaper. I was shocked at Yakun’s pricing though as they charge an extra S$1 for ice.

The local chains (Killiney, Toast Box, and Yakun) are typically consistent with their pricing across outlets: The CBD store charges the same as the heartlands store.

The cheapest kopi to order is kopi O - this is black coffee. It’s about 10-20 cents cheaper than ordering kopi or kopi C. See below for a more detailed explanation of which coffee to order. I’ve included a full list of prices in the References section at the end of this guide.

Which coffee to order

If you’re new to Singaporean kopi, I recommend trying one of the following:

• Kopi siu dai - coffee with condensed milk, ordered less sweet
• Kopi O - black coffee with sugar
• Kopi C kosong - coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar

Coffee Order	Description
Kopi siu dai	Coffee, condensed milk, less added sugar. Somewhat similar to a Vietnamese coffee, but without being overly strong
Kopi O	Black coffee with added sugar. Similar to an Americano, but done Singapore-style. Ask for it siu dai for less sweet or kosong for no sugar
Kopi C kosong	Coffee with evaporated milk and no added sugar. It is not sweet at all. My preferred drink, with slight semblance to a latte

Any of the above can be asked for as ice, meaning to serve it over ice rather than hot.

Local kopi can come as a breakfast set for S$5 to S$7. I often recommend visitors try a breakfast set as it’s a cheap way to get a taste of Singapore. Breakfast sets typically include:

• Kaya butter toast - kaya is a jam made from coconut and pandan
• Kopi - served which ever way you order it
• Two eggs - usually runny (I find some people like to ask for them to be a little more cooked)

I enjoy dipping the toast into the runny eggs.

My current favourite breakfast set is from Yakun, I enjoy their thin cut toast. Toast Box and Killiney also do a decent breakfast set.

Where to buy local kopi in Singapore

Local kopi is widely available in Singapore, typically found in hawker centres and coffee shops (makes sense) as well as the ubiquitous chains. My favourite places to bring visitors for local coffee are the reliable chain stores:

• Yakun
• Toast Box
• Killiney

Most hawker centres also have good options for coffee. I’ve found very tasty coffee in tourist friendly hawker centres including Old Airport Road, Golden Mile, and Tekka.

Cash payment is the preferred way for tourists to pay at a hawker centre; credit card will be accepted by the chains (though Killiney seems to exclusively accept American Express and not Visa or Mastercard). Read more about how tourists should pay at a hawker centre in my guide here: reachingsingapore.com/hawker-payment-methods

Espresso coffee costs S$4.00 to S$6.80

A latte or a cappuccino typically costs between S$4.00 and S$6.80 in Singapore. International chains such as Starbucks are typically more expensive, while local cafes can offer a better tasting coffee for a cheaper price. The cheapest espresso coffee is available from hawker stalls, but this are rare finds.

The most expensive espresso coffee I’ve tried in Singapore is Starbucks’ $6.80 cappuccino in tall size. A short size is available for hot drinks that makes it a little cheaper. The taste to me is consistent with other Starbucks around the world.

The cheapest espresso coffee I’ve had at a cafe was from a place called 6oz Espresso Bar located in an office building in the CBD. It’s uncommon these days to find good espresso coffee for less than S$6, however 6oz manages to keep their prices low. I found the flavour very good as well.

Some hawker centres sell espresso coffee, but this is rare. A notable example is Generation Coffee, I tried their Tekka Food Centre outlet and it was really good (if visiting, do note that they can close 10-20 minutes earlier than the time stated on their website). Espresso coffee at a hawker centre should cost around S$4.00.

Here are some of the prices for espresso coffee I paid recently in Singapore (full list in the References section at the end of this guide):

Shop	Price
Wakey Wakey (Beach Rd)	S$6.00
6oz Espresso Bar (CBD)	S$5.60
Starbucks (Tekka Place)	S$6.80
Tiong Bahru Bakery (Plaza Singapura)	S$6.54
Bird Bakery (Bird Paradise, Mandai)	S$6.20

Getting an iced drink costs more, typically adding another S$1 - often good coffee shops will add a second shot of espresso to overcome the watering-down effect from the ice, this is why iced costs more.

Where to buy espresso coffee in Singapore

Espresso coffee can be purchased in Singapore at:

• International chain stores, including Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf;
• Cafes, including home-grown chain Tiong Bahru Bakery
• Hawker centres, a very small number of hawker centres have a stall selling espresso coffee

Starbucks is ubiquitous across the city, but I find them expensive and not worth it. I feel the coffee tastes watery and the default orders are far too sweet. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is another chain I usually avoid, I feel their coffee to be too milky.

Cafes are abundant across Singapore, particularly in areas that visitors are likely to be in. I even found the cafe at the Bird Paradise to make a decent cappuccino. Starbucks is the most popular international chain, followed by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf - I do not like recommending these to visitors, I feel local coffee is much better value (the big advantage of Starbucks and CBTL is that they are open late into the night, and some even 24 hrs).

Tiong Bahru Bakery has recently sprung up as a local chain that serves a decent coffee. They are a little on the expensive side, but I’ve found it to be a reliable flavour and quality across all their outlets.

There are some hawker stalls that sell espresso coffee. These are usually very good, a bit hard to find, and may have strange hours. My current favourite is Generation Coffee at Tekka Food Centre, he usually opens until 2pm most days of the week.

Credit card is widely accepted at cafes in Singapore, with some even going cash-less.

References

Here is the list of coffee shops I visited in 2024 in Singapore and how much the coffee costs:

International / espresso style coffee

Shop	Coffee	Price
6oz Espresso Bar (CBD)	Iced Latte	S$6.70
6oz Espresso Bar (CBD)	Cappuccino	S$5.60
Wakey Wakey (Beach Road)	Cappuccino	S$6.00
Tiong Bahru Bakery	Cappuccino	S$6.54
Starbucks	Cappuccino (tall)	$S6.80

Some cafes charge service charge, which adds 10% to the price. The above are for takeaway coffee and do not include service charge. Also note that these days Starbucks “short” drinks appear to be off-menu. The usual price is S$6.80 for a “tall”.

Local kopi

I usually order ice kopi C kosong, meaning coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar. Since ice usually costs more, I’ve included some examples of regular (hot) coffee to give you an idea of the price. As kosong does not affect price, I haven’t explicitly listed it below - though I do recommend tourists try the kopi siu dai (less sweet) or kosong (no sugar).

Shop	Coffee	Price
Telok Blangah (food centre)	Iced kopi C	S$1.70
Telok Blangah (food centre)	Kopi	S$1.20
Satay by the Bay (food centre)	Iced kopi C	S$2.50
Killiney (Plaza Singapura)	Iced kopi C	S$2.30
Killiney (UBS building)	Kopi	S$2.50
Toast Box (Beach Rd))	Kopi O	S$2.00
Toast Box (Beach Rd)	Kopi C	S$2.20
Yakun (Plaza Singapura)	Kopi O	S$2.00
Yakun (Plaza Singapura)	Ice Kopi C	S$3.40

It is somewhat possible to find coffee for less than S$1 in Singapore still. I went to a meeting at a large Singaporean company and they took me to the canteen afterwards. The canteen was run by the local workers union and sold coffee for S$0.90, even for non-members. My usual ice kopi O kosong cost S$1.00.

Keep Reading:

Ever felt confused by a hawker centre? Check out my complete guide here: reachingsingapore.com/hawker-centre-guide

Need help getting around Singapore? Check out my guides here for trains, buses, and taxis.