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Old Chang Kee Curry Puffs, Toast Box Sets Can Be Used To Track Inflation In S’pore? Well, Yes

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Old Chang Kee Curry Puffs, Toast Box Sets Can Be Used To Track Inflation In S’pore? Well, Yes


Inflation the one word we all hate to hear.

Your $20 supermarket budget gets you significantly less groceries today than you were able to five years ago.

If you can relate to that scenario, you’d probably appreciate this case explored in a recent Dollars And Sense article.

Titled “The Old Chang Kee Index: Can curry puffs & chicken wings be used to track inflation in Singapore?”, the article uses the two popular Old Chang Kee snacks to explain the local inflation rate in a relevant, easy-to-understand manner.

According to the writer, a curry puff used to cost S$1, and a chicken wing, S$1.20 in 2006. He was able to get his go-to snack combo at S$2.20.

Fast forward to 2019, the same combo cost him S$3.20, an inflation rate which he believes is “relatively reasonable and in line with the overall inflation trend”.

In 2024, he noted that the price of a curry puff had increased to S$1.90, while a chicken wing now costs S$2.10. It’s an S$0.80 climb from the 2019 price, marking a notable 4.5% annual increase. 

Though he mentions that the Old Chang Kee Index is a “non-scientific” way to observe inflation, due to the business’ model, which prioritises accessibility and affordability, it’s also a “surprisingly useful way to track inflation in cooked food at the everyday consumer level”. 

Singaporeans have since taken to a Reddit thread to share their take on the Old Chang Kee Index, with some sharing similar examples using their own go-to meals. 

One netizen shared: “I am tracking it with my standard breakfast of wanton mee with a cup of teh. From 2020 till now, it has risen 40 per cent.”

Said netizen also added that their wage increase did not catch up with the inflating breakfast costs. 

Another netizen, who is a customer of Toast Box, also noted that the price of a peanut thick toast set had increased by “a staggering 23 per cent (S$6 to S$7.40)” in the last three years. 

One commenter even remembers when Old Chang Kee’s spring rolls used to cost S$0.70. The same spring roll now costs S$1.90.

It does look like most people have accepted it is inevitable that food prices increase over the years, with the majority simply sharing their own observations.

A couple, however, have also said that they stopped patronising places where the price “no longer makes sense” to them. 

Sounds about right.

Photos: Old Chang Kee/ Instagram, Toast Box/ Instagram





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