By the WahLiao desk · Last verified 28 September 2026
The average Singapore household spent about $456 a month on food and non-alcoholic drinks for the home in 2023, according to the Department of Statistics’ Household Expenditure Survey. That is roughly $105 a week. The same average household spent $966 a month on meals bought out, at hawker centres, food courts, cafés and restaurants, which means more than two-thirds of Singapore’s food spending happens away from the kitchen.
Two things follow for anyone setting a grocery budget. The official figure is a fair benchmark for food and drink bought to eat at home, but your supermarket receipt will be higher, because it also carries detergent, toiletries and household supplies that the survey counts elsewhere. And prices have risen since 2023, so treat the number as a floor to adjust, not a target to hit.
Grocery spending in Singapore: quick facts
| Food and drink for the home (2023) | About $456 a month per household on average |
| Eating out (2023) | About $966 a month per household on average |
| Eating out as a share of food spending | 67.9 per cent in 2023 |
| All food as a share of household spending | 20.0 per cent, the second-largest category after housing |
| Average total household spending | $5,931 a month in 2023 |
| Since then | Food inflation was 2.3 per cent year on year in August 2026 |
The WahLiao Verdict
| Cost | Four weeks of keeping your receipts. |
| What you get | An honest benchmark, and a budget built on your own household rather than on an average. |
| The alternative | Guessing, which usually underestimates by the cost of the forgotten top-up trips. |
| Worth it for | New households, families whose grocery bill has crept up, and anyone planning a move or a new baby. |
| Skip it if | You already track your spending and your grocery bill is stable. |
| Last verified | 28 September 2026, against the Household Expenditure Survey 2023 and MTI’s August 2026 price release. |
What does the average household spend on groceries?
The Household Expenditure Survey is carried out about every five years. The 2023 survey puts average spending on food and non-alcoholic beverages, meaning food and drink bought to consume at home, at about $456 a month. It was $394 in 2017/18 and $433 in 2012/13.
Here is where that $456 went, on average, across categories:
| Category | Average a month (2023) |
|---|---|
| Rice and cereal products | $84.10 |
| Meat | $69.60 |
| Fish and seafood | $60.20 |
| Vegetables | $56.60 |
| Fruits and nuts | $54.50 |
| Milk, other dairy products and eggs | $44.40 |
| Ready-made food and other food products | $30.20 |
| Sugar, confectionery and desserts | $17.30 |
| Oils and fats | $7.50 |
| Non-alcoholic drinks: coffee, tea, juices, soft drinks, water and others | $29.90 |
Rice, bread, noodles and other cereal products are the largest single line, followed by meat and seafood. Together, the protein lines are where a small percentage saving is worth the most, which is why our guide to wet market versus supermarket concentrates on fish and pork.
Why is eating out bigger than groceries in Singapore?
Because Singapore eats out more than almost anywhere. In 2023 households spent about $966 a month on food and beverage serving services, which covers restaurants, cafés, hawker centres, food courts, coffee shops and food kiosks. That was 67.9 per cent of all household food spending, up slightly from 67.3 per cent in 2017/18, with most of the increase coming from restaurants, cafés and pubs.
Food as a whole was 20 per cent of the average household’s spending, second only to housing. For many households, the biggest saving on food is not in the supermarket at all. It is one fewer café lunch a week.
What does the grocery figure leave out?
The survey’s food and non-alcoholic beverages line is exactly that: food and drink. Your supermarket trolley usually also holds:
- Household supplies: detergent, cleaning products, tissue, bin liners.
- Personal care: shampoo, soap, toothpaste, nappies.
- Alcohol, which the survey counts separately.
So a household spending exactly the average on food and drink will still see a supermarket total well above $456 a month. When you compare yourself with the benchmark, separate the food from the rest of the receipt first.
How to set a grocery budget for your household
- Keep four weeks of receipts, including online orders and the small top-ups from the shop downstairs, which are easy to forget and add up.
- Split each receipt into food and drink, household supplies and personal care. A highlighter is enough.
- Compare the food line with the benchmark of about $456 a month, adjusting for your household: larger families spend more, older and smaller households usually less.
- Set the budget at your actual four-week average, then aim to bring it down by a few per cent using the steps in how to save money on groceries in Singapore.
- Review it each quarter. Food inflation was 2.3 per cent year on year in August 2026. A budget that does not move with prices will feel like failure when it is really arithmetic.
How much should a household of one, two or four spend?
The official survey reports averages by household and by income group rather than a recommended amount by household size, so any single figure is an estimate. A reasonable way to scale the benchmark is by how many people eat at home and how many meals they eat there. A couple who eat out on weekdays may spend well under the average on groceries; a family of four who cook most dinners will usually spend well over it.
For an honest comparison over time, the WahLiao Price Index prices a fixed basket every quarter, so you can see how much of any increase in your bill is prices, and how much is your trolley.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the average Singapore household spend on groceries a month?
About $456 a month on food and non-alcoholic drinks for the home in 2023, according to the Household Expenditure Survey. Household supplies and personal care items are counted separately and add to the supermarket bill.
How much does a Singapore household spend on food in total?
About $1,422 a month in 2023, of which about $966 was spent eating out and about $456 on food and drink for the home.
Is $100 a week enough for groceries in Singapore?
For food and drink alone, $100 a week is close to the 2023 household average. Whether it is enough depends on household size, how often you eat out, and whether the $100 must also cover detergent and toiletries.
Has grocery spending gone up since 2023?
Prices have. Food inflation was 2.3 per cent year on year in August 2026. The next Household Expenditure Survey will show how spending has changed.
What is the biggest grocery expense for Singapore households?
Rice and cereal products, at about $84 a month on average in 2023, followed by meat at about $70 and fish and seafood at about $60.
Read next
This page belongs to How Supermarket Works, our series on the grocery network behind the shelf. Continue with why groceries are so expensive in Singapore and how to save money on groceries.
Sources checked 28 September 2026: Department of Statistics, Household Expenditure Survey 2023 key indicators; Household Expenditure Survey 2023 report; the category breakdown as tabulated from the survey; MTI and MAS, Consumer Price Developments in August 2026. WahLiao explains; it does not give financial advice. Last updated 28 September 2026.
