A woman called out rising prices in Mumbai after her visit to Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world. She said the costs of eating out in cafes and restaurants and traveling are very high. She compared the cost of such experiences to Singapore, which is slightly more than Mumbai.
The woman named ‘Subiii’ shared her experience in a post on X.
“Been inside Singapore for a week and I was shaking how Mumbai is SO expensive when it comes to nice cafes/restaurants and going out, coffee, ubers, experiences etc. as if Singapore was just as/very slightly more expensive than most restaurants in Bandra and that’s absolutely insane, she wrote. According to her, you will have to pay a little more for comfort and luxury in India.
“Drinks in nice restaurants in Mumbai its 800-1200 with taxes, boojee charges 600 for a sandwich and thats how much their equivalents in sg cost too – the base you have to pay for some comfort and luxury in india is so high with restaurants, hotel stays, drinks, cafes etc. ”, she adds.
According to Subiii, the reason for such high prices is increasing inequality.
“Yes, I completely agree, it’s because of the inequality that even small things like getting a cup of coffee at a cafe is a ‘luxury’ that costs Rs 450, while most of us do not earn as much as our counterparts in developed countries to make this expenditure meaningful,” she said.
Singapore is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world. According to Mercer’s 2024 cost of living data, Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich are currently the most expensive cities for international workers.
Several social media users commented on Subiii’s post. Some users blamed inflation and GST for the rising costs.
“Indian cities are insanely expensive for everything. I feel like it’s a combination of crazy high rents in India blowing everything up and classism – people want to be cut off from most of society,” said one user.
Another user said: “I am not a resident of India. I come to India once a year. Buying a T-shirt in India INR 3200, but a T-shirt from a designer/top brand in London costs ₹ 35. Inflation in India has hit the roof.”
“Imagine how much a café owner and the government would earn if they reduced VAT from 18-20% to 2%. Almost anyone could grab a café latte,” one user wrote.
One of the users shared his experience of visiting Singapore and said: “Totally. I remember when I first went to Singapore in 2008, everything was very expensive compared to Mumbai. In 2024 I went again and now it’s about the same.”