Economic rice, also called cai fan or cai png, is the hawker and coffee shop format where you pick cooked dishes from a long display to go with white rice, usually finished with a ladle of curry or braising gravy. Styles range from everyday Cantonese and Hokkien home-style spreads to Hainanese curry rice, where pork chop, braised pork and cabbage are smothered in curry and gravy. In 2025-2026, a plate of one meat and two vegetables at budget stalls generally costs about $2.30-$3.30, while Hainanese curry rice plates run from around $4.50-$5.50. Prices depend on which dishes you pick, since fish, prawns and premium meats cost more, so ask for the total before you pay if you're on a budget.
Last verified: October 2026. Hours and prices can change — we re-check our guides regularly, but do confirm before a special trip.
- Lai Heng Economical Mixed Veg Rice
- Ye Ji Cooked Food
- Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice
- Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice
- Havelock Hainanese Curry Rice
- V1 Jia Chang Cai
- Li Ji Cooked Food
- 470 Economic Mixed Veg Rice
- Lady Boss (Lao Ban Niang)
- Xian Jin Mixed Vegetable Rice
- Goldhill Family Restaurant
- Wellcome Food
- Nguan Express 88
- Shu Xiang
The list
Lai Heng Economical Mixed Veg Rice Chinese economic rice · $
A long-queue stall at Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre, known for some of the lowest cai png prices in Singapore and for its sweet and sour pork.
- Cuisine: Chinese economic rice
- Price: $ · 1 meat + 1 veg from around $2.30; 2 meat + 1 veg around $2.90 (Eatbook, Feb 2026)
- Must-try: Gu lou yok (sweet and sour pork), Scrambled eggs, Diced chicken with chilli peppers
- Where: Kim Keat Palm Market & Food Centre, 22 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310022
- Area: Toa Payoh
- Nearest MRT: Braddell
- Hours: Sun-Fri 6am-8pm (closed Sat)
- Halal: No
Ye Ji Cooked Food Cantonese-style cai fan · $
A Chinatown Complex stall serving Cantonese home-style dishes such as har cheong gai, steamed minced pork, sweet and sour pork and pai guat (pork ribs), with curry gravy on request.
- Cuisine: Cantonese-style cai fan
- Price: $ · Most meat dishes around $1.50 each, fish $3.20, vegetables $0.70, rice $0.60; around $5-$6.45 per person (Seth Lui, Feb 2026)
- Must-try: Har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken), Steamed minced pork, Sweet and sour pork, Pai guat (pork ribs)
- Where: Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, 335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335
- Area: Chinatown
- Nearest MRT: Chinatown
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-2:30pm (closed Sat-Sun)
- Halal: No
Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice Hainanese curry rice · $
A Jalan Besar curry rice stall known for cutting pork chop and chicken cutlet with scissors and covering the plate in curry and braising gravy. It is open until 3:30am, which makes it a supper option.
- Cuisine: Hainanese curry rice
- Price: $ · Pork chop $2, chicken cutlet $2, cabbage $1, egg $0.80 (Seth Lui, Aug 2026)
- Must-try: Pork chop, Chicken cutlet, Prawn fritter, Beancurd puff
- Where: 229 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208905
- Area: Jalan Besar
- Hours: Daily 11am-3:30am
- Halal: No
Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice Hainanese curry rice · $
A Tiong Bahru Market stall serving Hainanese curry rice, known for pork chop and sambal sotong.
- Cuisine: Hainanese curry rice
- Price: $ · Rice $0.80; pork chop and braised pork from around $2 each; cabbage from around $1.20 (Seth Lui, Aug 2026)
- Must-try: Pork chop, Sambal sotong, Braised pork, Meatball
- Where: Tiong Bahru Market, 30 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 168898
- Area: Tiong Bahru
- Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru
- Hours: Fri-Wed 8:30am-2:45pm (closed Thu)
- Halal: No
Havelock Hainanese Curry Rice Hainanese curry rice · $
A Sims Vista Market & Food Centre curry rice stall open from early morning until 3:30am, Tuesday to Sunday.
- Cuisine: Hainanese curry rice
- Price: $ · Standard plate (rice, 1 meat, 1 veg, fried egg) around $4.50; pork chop or sotong $2.50 (Seth Lui, Aug 2026)
- Must-try: Pork chop, Sotong, Fried egg with cabbage
- Where: Sims Vista Market & Food Centre, 49 Sims Place, Singapore 380049
- Area: Aljunied / Sims
- Nearest MRT: Aljunied
- Hours: Tue-Sun 6:30am-3:30am (closed Mon)
- Halal: No
V1 Jia Chang Cai Chinese home-style cai fan · $
A lunch-only cai fan stall at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, serving home-style (jia chang cai) dishes such as stir-fried pork liver with ginger, steamed egg and sweet and sour pork. It closes by 2pm.
- Cuisine: Chinese home-style cai fan
- Price: $ · Signboard set of 3 items + rice $3; around $3-$5 per person, with clams and fish costing more (Seth Lui, Jun 2026)
- Must-try: Stir-fried pig's liver with ginger, Steamed egg, Sweet and sour pork
- Where: Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, 531A Upper Cross Street, Singapore 051531
- Area: Chinatown
- Nearest MRT: Chinatown
- Hours: Daily 9am-2pm
- Halal: No
Li Ji Cooked Food Chinese home-style cai fan · $
A Chinatown Complex stall serving home-style dishes such as fish stomach, sliced pork with sweet preserved vegetables and bittergourd, with most dishes priced around $0.70-$1.20.
- Cuisine: Chinese home-style cai fan
- Price: $ · Around $3-$5 per person; pork dishes from around $1.20, vegetables from around $0.70 (Seth Lui, Oct 2026)
- Must-try: Fish stomach, Sliced pork with sweet preserved vegetables, Spicy fermented shrimp paste sliced pork
- Where: Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, 335 Smith Street, Singapore 050335
- Area: Chinatown
- Nearest MRT: Chinatown
- Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu-Sat 10:30am-3pm (closed Wed and Sun)
- Halal: No
470 Economic Mixed Veg Rice Chinese economic rice · $
A Bugis Cube stall known for cheap cai fan that comes with a free drink.
- Cuisine: Chinese economic rice
- Price: $ · 2 veg + 1 meat from around $2.50, including a free drink (Eatbook, Jul 2025)
- Where: Bugis Cube, 470 North Bridge Road, Singapore 188735
- Area: Bugis
- Nearest MRT: Bugis
- Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 10am-3:30pm (closed Sun)
Lady Boss (Lao Ban Niang) Chinese economic rice with curries · $
A People's Park Centre stall known for keeping its economic rice from $2.50, with a wide range of curry and Chinese stir-fried dishes. Eatbook notes that some online reviews mention unexpected charges, so confirm the price with staff when ordering. It has other outlets, including one at Fook Hai Building on South Bridge Road.
- Cuisine: Chinese economic rice with curries
- Price: $ · 1 meat + 2 veg from around $2.50; 2 meat + 1 veg around $3.30 (Seth Lui, Jun 2025)
- Where: People's Park Centre, 101 Upper Cross Street, #01-05, Singapore 058357
- Area: Chinatown
- Nearest MRT: Chinatown
- Hours: Daily 7am-9pm
- Halal: No
Xian Jin Mixed Vegetable Rice Chinese economic rice · $
A Bedok Food Centre stall known for $2 economy rice sets.
- Cuisine: Chinese economic rice
- Price: $ · Economy rice set (1 veg + 2 meats) around $2 (Eatbook, Jul 2025)
- Must-try: Economy rice set
- Where: Bedok Food Centre and Market, 216 Bedok North Street 1, Singapore 460216
- Area: Bedok
- Nearest MRT: Bedok
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8:15am-2:30pm (closed Sat-Sun)
Goldhill Family Restaurant Chinese economic rice · $
A Hougang cai fan stall known for its crispy fried chicken wings.
- Cuisine: Chinese economic rice
- Price: $ · 1 meat + 1 veg from around $2; fried chicken wings $1.10 each (Eatbook, Jul 2025)
- Must-try: Crispy fried chicken wings
- Where: 6 Hougang Avenue 3, #01-78, Singapore 530006
- Area: Hougang
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat 8am-7pm; Sun 8am-2pm
Wellcome Food Chinese economic rice · $
A cai png stall at Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre, known for its sliced potatoes and $3 curry chicken rice.
- Cuisine: Chinese economic rice
- Price: $ · 2 veg + 1 meat just under $3; curry chicken rice around $3 (Eatbook, Jul 2025)
- Must-try: Sliced potatoes, Curry chicken rice
- Where: Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre, 347 Jurong East Avenue 1, Singapore 600347
- Area: Jurong East
- Nearest MRT: Chinese Garden
- Hours: Daily 11am-8:30pm
Nguan Express 88 Chinese economic rice · $
A Jurong West coffee shop cai fan stall featured in August 2026 for its $2.50 one-meat, one-veg plates and $1 fried drumsticks.
- Cuisine: Chinese economic rice
- Price: $ · 1 meat + 1 veg from around $2.50; 2 meat + 1 veg around $3.80; fried drumsticks $1 each (Seth Lui, Aug 2026)
- Must-try: Fried chicken drumsticks, Potato cubes with minced pork, Braised pork belly
- Where: 492 Jurong West Street 41, #01-80, Singapore 640492
- Area: Jurong West
- Halal: No
Shu Xiang Chinese mixed rice · $
A Far East Plaza eatery that switched to a cai fan format, with more than 30 dishes on display such as kung pao chicken, mapo tofu and stir-fried tomato egg. Liang pi can replace rice.
- Cuisine: Chinese mixed rice
- Price: $ · Around $5-$8 per person (Seth Lui, Jun 2026)
- Must-try: Kung pao chicken, Stir-fried tomato egg, Stir-fried liang pi
- Where: Far East Plaza, 14 Scotts Road, #01-22, Singapore 228213
- Area: Orchard
- Nearest MRT: Orchard
- Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30am-8:30pm; Sat-Sun 9am-8:30pm
- Halal: No
At a glance: compare every spot
| Spot | Cuisine | Price | Area | Halal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lai Heng Economical Mixed Veg Rice | Chinese economic rice | $ | Toa Payoh | No |
| Ye Ji Cooked Food | Cantonese-style cai fan | $ | Chinatown | No |
| Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice | Hainanese curry rice | $ | Jalan Besar | No |
| Loo's Hainanese Curry Rice | Hainanese curry rice | $ | Tiong Bahru | No |
| Havelock Hainanese Curry Rice | Hainanese curry rice | $ | Aljunied / Sims | No |
| V1 Jia Chang Cai | Chinese home-style cai fan | $ | Chinatown | No |
| Li Ji Cooked Food | Chinese home-style cai fan | $ | Chinatown | No |
| 470 Economic Mixed Veg Rice | Chinese economic rice | $ | Bugis | — |
| Lady Boss (Lao Ban Niang) | Chinese economic rice with curries | $ | Chinatown | No |
| Xian Jin Mixed Vegetable Rice | Chinese economic rice | $ | Bedok | — |
| Goldhill Family Restaurant | Chinese economic rice | $ | Hougang | — |
| Wellcome Food | Chinese economic rice | $ | Jurong East | — |
| Nguan Express 88 | Chinese economic rice | $ | Jurong West | No |
| Shu Xiang | Chinese mixed rice | $ | Orchard | No |
Your questions answered
How much does economic rice cost in Singapore?
In 2025-2026, budget stalls such as Lai Heng in Toa Payoh, Lady Boss in Chinatown and 470 Economic Mixed Veg Rice in Bugis charge from around $2.30-$3.30 for one or two meats with vegetables. Hainanese curry rice plates usually cost around $4.50-$5.50, and fish, prawns or seafood raise the price at any stall.
What is the difference between cai fan and Hainanese curry rice?
Cai fan, or economic rice, lets you pick any mix of cooked dishes from a large display. Hainanese curry rice is a variation built around fried pork chop, braised pork, cabbage and egg, served drenched in curry and braising gravy. Loo's at Tiong Bahru and Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice are two examples in this guide.
Where can I get economic rice late at night in Singapore?
Beach Road Scissors Cut Curry Rice on Jalan Besar is open daily until 3:30am, and Havelock Hainanese Curry Rice at Sims Vista is open until 3:30am from Tuesday to Sunday. Most other cai fan stalls close by mid-afternoon or early evening.
Is economic rice in Singapore halal?
The Chinese cai fan stalls in this guide are not halal-certified, and most serve pork dishes such as sweet and sour pork, pork chop and pig's liver. For halal mixed rice, look for nasi padang or Muslim-owned mixed rice stalls, or check the MUIS halal directory.
How do I avoid overpaying for cai fan?
Prices depend on each dish you pick, and meats such as fish, prawns and sotong usually cost more than vegetables or tofu. Some stalls post set combo prices, such as $2.50 for one meat and two vegetables, so ask which dishes the combo covers and confirm the total before you pay.
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