People shop inside a shopping mall in Singapore, October 2024. Photo by Read/Hoang Phong
On a recent trip to one of Singapore’s largest shopping malls, I was surprised to find a T-shirt priced at S$35 (US$26), almost twice the cost of a similar shirt with comparable material in HCMC.
Some travel bloggers and correspondents from Singapore recently visited HCMC and were impressed by the shopping experience there, noting that prices are about half what they pay back home.
I, too, found shopping in Singapore to be prohibitively expensive. It felt as though one could easily feel poorer after a visit to the malls.
At VivoCity Mall, Singapore’s largest shopping complex, I bought a T-shirt featuring iconic landmarks like Merlion Park and Gardens by the Bay for S$35. In HCMC, a similar shirt would cost around VND300,000 (US$11).
Backpacks in Singapore are about S$30 each, but for the same amount in HCMC, I could buy two. Even a basic pair of sneakers can cost up to S$50, double the price of similar options in HCMC.
A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit stated that Singapore maintained its position as the world’s most expensive city for the ninth time in the past 11 years.
Numbeo, the world’s largest database of user-contributed data on cities and countries, estimates that the average monthly cost for a single person in Singapore is S$1,506 (US$1,154).
On my limited budget, I could only afford one T-shirt and one handbag, and looking back, I regret the purchases. For what I spent, I could buy several more items upon returning to HCMC.
However, my tour guide, who has over 15 years of experience, explained that while prices in Singapore are high, most items are genuine and of good quality.
*This is a reader’s opinion, which is personal and does not necessary match Read’s viewpoints.
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