Over time, inflation and changes in our lifestyles mean that we will end up spending more – which increase our household expenses. According to the latest Household Expenditure Survey 2023, the average household spent $5,931 in 2023 – an increase of 2.8% per annum compared to five years ago in 2017/18. This increase has accelerated from the previous survey, where the average household payed 1.6% more per year from 2012/13.
Out of this $5,931 that the average household spends, about 20% goes on Food. While groceries fall within the food category, and so do things like meals from restaurants, fast food chains, and hawker centres, as well as catering services.
To uncover how much Singaporeans spend on groceries each month, we dive into the latest data from 2023 Household Expenditure Survey.
The Average Singaporean Household Spends $455.90 On Groceries Each Month
The average Singaporean household spends about $455.90 each month on groceries, comprising mainly food and non-alcoholic beverages.
| Type of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages | Total Amount (SGD$) | Total Percentage (%) |
| FOOD | $424.40 | 93% |
| – Rice and Cereal Products | $84.10 | 18% |
| – Meat | $69.60 | 15% |
| – Fish and Seafood | $60.20 | 13% |
| – Milk, Other Dairy Products and Eggs | $44.40 | 10% |
| – Oils and Fats | $7.50 | 2% |
| – Fruits and Nuts | $54.50 | 12% |
| – Vegetables | $56.60 | 12% |
| – Sugar, Confectionery and Desserts | $17.30 | 4% |
| – Ready-Made Food and Other Food Products | $30.20 | 7% |
| NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES | $29.90 | 7% |
| – Fruit and Vegetable Juices | $3.60 | >1% |
| – Coffee and Coffee Substitutes | $8.00 | 2% |
| – Tea, Mate And Other Plant Products for Infusion | $6.10 | 1% |
| – Cocoa and Malt-Based Drinks | $2.90 | >1% |
| – Mineral Water | $1.60 | >1% |
| – Soft Drinks | $4.30 | 1% |
| – Non-Alcoholic Beverages N.E.C. | $3.40 | 1% |
| FOOD AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES N.E.C. | $1.60 | <1% |
| Total | $455.90 | 100% |
N.E.C = Not elsewhere classified
Source: 2023 Household Expenditure Survey
While households may be spending 20% of their overall household expenditure on food, groceries comprise only about 8.5%. As mentioned, the remaining expenditure on food can be attributed to eating out – on restaurant meals, fast food, and hawker centre meals, as well as meals from catering services.
The 2023 Household Expenditure Survey does not stop here, and break down the spending within the individual segments. For example, under the expenses for Rice and Cereal Products, we can look at the exact amount spent on 8 sub-categories: 1) Rice, 2) Flour, 3) Bread, 4) Macaroni, noodles and similar pasta products, 5) Biscuits and cookies, 6) Cakes and pastries, 7) Breakfast cereals and 8) Grain mill and cereal products.
We look at four interesting facts about our average household groceries expenditure.
#1 We Spend More On Bread Than Rice; And More On Cakes And Pastries Than Bread
Looking at the sub-categories under the Rice and Cereal Products, we will see most of the common food items under the carbohydrate family.
| Type of Goods and Services | Total Amount (SGD$) | Percentage of Rice and Cereal Products Expenditure (%) |
| Rice and Cereal Procuts | $84.10 | 100% |
| – Rice | $9.80 | 12% |
| – Flour | $1.10 | 1% |
| – Bread | $23.90 | 28% |
| – Macaroni, noodles and similar pasta products | $7.70 | 9% |
| – Biscuits and cookies | $7.90 | 9% |
| – Cakes and pastries | $28.40 | 34% |
| – Breakfast cereals | $2.70 | 3% |
| – Grain mill and cereal products | $2.60 | 3% |
Source: 2023 Household Expenditure Survey
Given the stereotypical staple of rice in Asian culture, it might be surprising to see that we spend more on Bread compared to Rice. This, though, might be attributed to a relatively more affordable price of rice.
What may be more interesting (and concerning!), is that we spend the most on Cakes and pastries, within the carbohydrate expenditure for households.
#2 We Spent The Most On Fresh Fish As a Sub-Category
Within the sub-categories, households spent the most on Fresh fish – forking out $33.10 each month or 7% of their overall monthly household expenditure. This is followed by spending 6% on Cakes and pastries, and another 5% on Bread.
| Type of Goods and Services | Total Amount (SGD$) | Total Percentage (%) |
| – Fresh fish | $33.10 | 7% |
| – Cakes and pastries | $28.40 | 6% |
| – Bread | $23.90 | 5% |
| – Chilled pork | $22.10 | 5% |
| – Chilled Poultry | $20.20 | 4% |
| – Fresh leafy vegetables | $19.80 | 4% |
| – Fresh tropical fruits, dates and figs | $18.30 | 4% |
Source: 2023 Household Expenditure Survey
#3 We Spend More On Coffee Than Tea; And Fork Out 5% On Mineral Water
While Coffee and Tea were the leaders in how much we spend on Non-Alcoholic Beverages, it’s quite clear that there may be more coffee-lovers in Singapore.
As a country that provides access to potable water for 100% of the population, it may be surprising to see households willing to spend 5% of their monthly expenses on mineral water.
| Type of Goods and Services | Total Amount (SGD$) | Percentage of Non-Alcoholic Beverages Expenditure (%) |
| NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES | $29.90 | 100% |
| – Fruit and Vegetable Juices | $3.60 | 12% |
| – Coffee and Coffee Substitutes | $8.00 | 27% |
| – Tea, Mate And Other Plant Products for Infusion | $6.10 | 20% |
| – Cocoa and Malt-Based Drinks | $2.90 | 10% |
| – Mineral Water | $1.60 | 5% |
| – Soft Drinks | $4.30 | 14% |
| – Non-Alcoholic Beverages N.E.C. | $3.40 | 11% |
Source: 2023 Household Expenditure Survey
Read Also: 3 Reasons Why Evian Water Is So Expensive
#4 61st To 80th Quintile Households Spent More On Groceries, Compared To The Highest-Earning Households
The highest earning households, between the 81st to 100th quintile spent $492.10 on Food and Alcoholic Beverages each month, while households in the 61st to 80th quintile spent $505.70 on their Food and Alcoholic Beverages each month.
| Income Quintile | Total Amount Spent On Groceries (SGD$) | Percentage of Total Household Expenditure (%) |
| 1st to 20th | $349.80 | 8.4% |
| 21st to 40th | $449.30 | 8.3% |
| 41st to 60th | $482.60 | 6.9% |
| 61st to 80th | $505.70 | 6.1% |
| 81st to 100th | $492.10 | 4.5% |
Source: 2023 Household Expenditure Survey
While not entirely surprising, we can also see that lower-earning households spent a higher proportion of their household monthly income on groceries. The highest earning households only spent 4.5% of their monthly household expenditure on groceries, almost half the proportion the lowest-earning households were spending on their monthly groceries.
Read Also: What is Singapore’s Average Household Income And Why It Is Different From The Salaries We Earn?
The post How Much Does The Average Singaporean Household Spend Each Month On Groceries? appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.
