The tendency of traders dealing with price-sensitive customers and “exorbitant” operating costs is also present at Ramadan bazaars in Singapore across the bridge.  ,
Many vendors have no choice but to raise their prices, much to the stress of consumers, as the Goods and Services Tax hike of last year increased to 9 % along with the rising rental rates and base pricing.  ,
However, many of these customers and stall owners are still figuring out how to effectively embrace the biennial tradition.  ,
Many Geylang Serai and Kampong Gelam clients have told CNA they are adjusting their investing in response to higher rates, similar to those in Johor Bahru.
Ani, who visited the Kampong Gelam market, said,” I will still go to the market, but I did think twice before making a purchase.”  ,
Naira, 17, concurred with him at the Geylang Serai bazaar,” It is very expensive for basic things, some meals can cost around S$ 20 ( US$ 15 ) and the portions are not even that large.”  ,
However, I also get it because book costs are high.
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Burhan Jumadi, campaign manager for Gemilang Kampong Gelam 2025, reported to CNA that this year, rental for booths at the bazaar centering the renowned Sultan Mosque has been set at S$ 14,500 for food and beverage ( F&, B) vendors and S$ 3,800 for retail vendors.
However, these volumes do not include sellers ‘ utility costs, which they also cover.  ,
Crushed user Asyraf Rasheed, who owns the Kampong Gelam market, reported to CNA that he had spent close to S$ 17,500 on rent and utilities overall, which is an increase of 10 % from the previous year.
Similar to Muzaffar, the owner of Mandi House in Kampong Gelam’s market, said his full monthly rent and utility bills have increased by more than 70 % to S$ 16 000, up from S$ 9 000 in 2023.  ,
A stallholder who has been operating it since 2016 claimed that book is definitely “going upwards” each year at the Geylang Serai market.
The creator of Katoshka, which sells brown fries with sauces, Muhammad Hasif Othman, noted that the full rent for this year, including electricity bills, has increased to over S$ 950.
Hasif told CNA,” The barrier to entry is getting higher, making hard for small businesses to support themselves and for new companies to enter the scene.”
Despite the high prices, organizers claimed that there has been a lot of need for a place at the bazaars.  ,
According to its administrator, CNA reported that all of the Kampong Gelam Bazaar’s booths were being used this year, only as it had been in 2024.  ,
In Geylang, 90 percent of 2024 stallholders even came back this year, according to the administrator in response to CNA’s question.
For some of us, this is our livelihood, and we must work to make it work, Asyraf, the Crushed owner, told CNA.
The barn, which sold burgers next year, then serves burritos, acknowledging that customers are becoming “more choosy” when going to bazaars for shopping.  ,
People may be more conscious of their spending, but they still find way to acknowledge this annual custom, Hasif said.  ,
The creator of Katoshka argued that returning to Geylang Bazaar is more than just business despite the rising prices.
It’s a history, and it has a significant cultural and historical significance, Hasif said.  ,
Knowing that it brings the neighborhood up,” we do what we can to keep it dead.”
