American tourists say Singapore food is too expensive and 'not for the poor'

American content creator Terry Pernell and his partner, Mag—a travel influencer from Kenya—visited Singapore after nearly two months backpacking across Malaysia and Bali, The New Paper reported.

On Sept. 11, Pernell posted a video from Newton Food Center captioned: "Singapore got me paying US$35 for food... meanwhile Malaysia got the same vibes for half the price. Which one y'all picking?"

The couple ordered 10 sticks of satay, stir-fried beef, and a large plate of egg fried rice, with the bill coming to about S$45, Asia One reported.

They acknowledged the meal was pricey.

"This food better knock me off my feet," Pernell said while tasting the satay.

Though it didn’t quite meet his expectations, he conceded the satay was "good" and praised the peanut sauce. "I can’t say the food (is) bad though," he concluded.

Mag wrote that "Singapore is not for the poor," noting the high cost of a beer.

For travelers considering a visit, Pernell quipped: "Bring all your money, don’t leave none of your money at home."

Asked to choose between Malaysian or Singaporean food, he said he’d pick the former "any day."

Pernell's clip has garnered more than 262,200 views, 8,000 reactions and 700 comments as of Sept. 19, drawing mixed reactions from netizens.

"I’m Singaporean, also never go Newton to eat," one user wrote, noting the hawker center’s tourist premium.

Another commented, "The price you paid doesn’t represent the whole of Singapore. There are many places where you can get the same food much cheaper."

Others pointed out the context: "You’re comparing a first-world country with a developing country. That’s not fair."

While Singapore was the only Southeast Asian city to make Condé Nast Traveler's list of the world's top 10 food cities last year, some tourists have voiced concerns over rising dining costs in the city-state.