‘Mumbai is so expensive,’ says woman after Singapore trip. Internet agrees

Singapore, long touted as the world’s most expensive city, is often associated with high cost of living, pristine public spaces and great public transport. However, an Indian tourist in the city-state was surprised to find that cafe and restaurant prices in Singapore were comparable to those in Mumbai.
The tourist, who goes by Subi on the social media platform X, said she was shaken to see how expensive Mumbai is when it comes to nice cafes, restaurants and going out. She said it was “insane” to see how restaurants in Mumbai are just as expensive as those in Singapore, despite the wide economic disparity between the two cities.
“Was in Singapore for a week and I shook how Mumbai is SO expensive when it comes to nice cafes/restaurants and going out, coffee, Ubers, experiences etc. Like Singapore was just as/very slightly more expensive as most restaurants in Bandra and that’s absolutely insane,” she wrote on X.

Singapore has consistently topped global surveys on cost of living, competing with cities like New York and London. Its skyrocketing real estate prices, considerable car ownership costs and high-end dining options cement its reputation as a city where luxury comes with a price tag.
On the other hand, Mumbai does not exactly have a reputation for affordability either. However, a major difference between the two cities – and several X users pointed out – is in purchasing power parity.
“It’s because of the inequality that even little things like grabbing a coffee from a cafe is a ‘luxury’ that costs 450 rupees while most of us don’t make as much as our developed country counterparts to make these expenses make sense,” X user Subi wrote.
Several people blamed classism in India for high cost of dining out. “Indian cities are insanely overpriced for everything. I feel like it’s a combo of crazy high rents in India inflating everything & classism – people want to be gated away from most of society,” a user opined.
X user Sharan Gaba said that real estate prices in Mumbai drive up costs for restaurants, who compensate by overcharging customers. To this, others pointed out that Singapore rent is much higher than Mumbai.
“I agree but it’s not just that. Singapore rents are 20x that and they still charge the same for a coffee. In India we premium-ize everything because classism and we want to keep everyone away,” Subi responded.