Day: March 27, 2025

Ranking 26 popular M’sian coffee chains by price and accessibility (but not taste)

Coffee. Malaysians seem to love it, given just how many brands and coffee shops we have. From kopi to fancy brews, options are aplenty. How can we overcome the choice paralysis and make our pick?

Well, taste aside, here’s a 2025 list that’ll help you determine where to grab your cup of joe from. 

A couple of disclaimers on how we’re conducting this comparison: 

• All prices (unless stated otherwise) are obtained on Grab to ensure fairness, as we do not have access to official menus from all the chains. 
• We’re primarily comparing the price of their smallest hot Americano. The volume of beverage you get might differ from chain to chain, though. 
• We’re focused on grab-and-go offerings with delivery options. 
• The information used is the latest information we can find online. 
• The signature drink is either the brand’s “most ordered” on Grab, what the brand states as a “signature” beverage, or just a “specialty” drink. 

And with that, let the coffee chain comparisons begin!

Malaysian brands

1. ZUS Coffee

Officially Malaysia’s largest coffee chain, ZUS Coffee has over 600 outlets in the country and even has a range of ready-to-drink (RTD) products. 

Price of Americano: RM7.45 

Price of signature drink: Their Iced Spanish Latte is RM11.51.

Loyalty incentives: The ZUS Coffee app allows users to collect points and redeem rewards.

Number of outlets: 610

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Soy, almond, and oat 

2. Gigi Coffee

Gigi Coffee is another popular Malaysian coffee chain, known for serving up affordable drinks. 

Price of Americano: RM8.49

Price of signature drink: It’s RM12.26 for their Buttercream Latte (Cold).

Loyalty incentives: The Gigi Coffee app lets users collect points and redeem rewards.

Number of outlets: 160 

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk.

3. San Francisco Coffee

Founded in 1997, San Francisco Coffee is one of the OG coffee chains in Malaysia. 

Price of Americano: RM10.85

Price of signature drink: Their Carmel by the Sea is RM17.03. 

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find.

Number of outlets: 53, according to a count we did on their website.

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer soy milk, coconut milk, and oat milk. 

4. Bask Bear Coffee

A sister brand of Tealive, Bask Bear Coffee is known for their drinks as well as toasties. 

Price of Americano: RM7.45

Price of signature drink: Their Aren Caramel Latte is RM11.23.

Loyalty incentives: The Bask Bear app offers exclusive in-app deals and points collection.

Number of outlets: 125

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk. 

5. Richiamo Coffee

Richiamo Coffee Malaysian coffee chain was founded in 2016. 

Price of Americano: RM11

Price of signature drink: Their Salted Caramello Cappuccino is RM16. 

Loyalty incentives: The Richiamo app lets users collect points and redeem rewards.

Number of outlets: 189 as of December 2023

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find. 

6. Koppiku

This homegrown coffee chain was funded some US$2.5 million in March 2024.

Price of Americano: RM5.66

Price of signature drink: Their Koppiku Latte is RM8.96. 

Loyalty incentives: They have Daily Koppi passes.

Number of outlets: 43

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk. 

7. Kee Nguyen

A Vietnamese coffee purveyor in Malaysia, Kee Nguyen was founded by two friends.

Price of Americano: RM7

Price of signature drink: Their Condensed Milk Ca Phe Sua is RM8. 

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find.

Number of outlets: Over 50 

Food options: None that we could find. 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find. 

8. Kopi Saigon

Kopi Saigon is yet another Vietnamese coffee chain in Malaysia. 

Price of Americano: RM7.75 (Kopi Hitam)

Price of signature drink: Their Kopi Saigon is RM10.85. 

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find. 

Number of outlets: 139

Food options: None that we could find. 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find. 

9. Today’s by Dalton Cafe

This chain stands out with its Bring Your Own Cup programme where patrons can get RM3 off when they bring their own drink vessel. 

Price of Americano: RM11.50

Price of signature drink: Their Tiramisu Iced Latte is RM13.50 for 12 ounces. 

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find.

Number of outlets: 5

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk. 

10. Nasken Coffee

Originating in Kelantan, Nasken Coffee’s outlets are concentrated on the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia, but has three outlets in the Klang Valley area. 

Price of Americano: RM9.54

Price of signature drink: Their Latte Biscoff is RM16.96.

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find. 

Number of outlets: 39

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find.

International brands

11. Tim Hortons 

Canada’s Tim Hortons entered Malaysia last August and has expanded to six outlets. 

Price of Americano: RM10.40

Price of signature drink: Their Maple Cinnamon Latte is RM17.20. 

Loyalty incentives: The Tims Rewards app offers member-only benefits and treats.

Number of outlets: 6 

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk.  

12. Luckin Coffee 

China’s biggest coffee chain has launched in Malaysia earlier this year. At the time of writing, they don’t appear to be available on delivery platforms locally. The pricing listed below is their in-store prices. 

A trip we made to their outlet also informed us that you currently need to download the app in order to place any orders.

Price of Americano: RM9

Price of signature drink: Their Coconut Velvet Latte is RM15. 

Loyalty incentives: The Luckin Coffee App offers deals and referral rewards. 

Number of outlets: 5

Food options: None that we can see (for now). 

Vegan milk options: None that we can find. 

13. Cotti Coffee

You can’t bring up Luckin without Cotti, which was founded in 2022 by former Luckin Coffee executives Lu Zhengyao and Qian Zhiya. 

Price of Americano: RM7.50

Price of signature drink: Their Pandan Jasmine Latte is RM11.90. 

Loyalty incentives: There’s an app, but it’s unclear whether there are exclusive benefits to using it. 

Number of outlets: 30+ according to Google Maps 

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: None that we can find. 

14. Starbucks

No introductions needed, Starbucks is the American coffee chain that’s been present locally since 1998. 

Price of Americano: RM9.90

Price of signature drink: Their Iced Caramel Macchiato Espresso is RM17. 

Loyalty incentives: The Starbucks Rewards app offers exclusive benefits and points collection. 

Number of outlets: 320+

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. 

15. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Hailing from Los Angeles, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has been in Malaysia since 1997. 

Price of Americano: RM11.13

Price of signature drink: Their Iced Dry Americano is RM16.51.

Loyalty incentives: The MyCBTL app offers rewards and treats. 

Number of outlets: 150 as of April 2023 

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk and almond milk. 

16. Dunkin’ Donuts

Known for their doughnuts, Dunkin’ also offers up a range of coffees. 

Price of Americano: RM8.93

Price of signature drink: Their Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso is RM15.66.

Loyalty incentives: None that we can find in Malaysia. 

Number of outlets: 105, according to a count we did on their website. 

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find.

17. Kenangan Coffee

Hailing from Indonesia, Kenangan Coffee is a unicorn startup—meaning it had a valuation of over US$1 billion. 

Price of Americano: RM7.45 

Price of signature drink: Their Kenangan Latte is RM11.23. 

Loyalty incentives: The Kenangan Coffee app offers free vouchers, priority access, and extra benefits. 

Number of outlets: 93 according to a count we did on their website. 

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk.

18. HWC Coffee

The HWC Coffee brand was originally established in Taiwan.

Price of Americano: RM10.50

Price of signature drink: Their Brown Sugar Caffe Latte is RM9.73.

Loyalty incentives: The HWC Coffee Malaysia app offers exclusive deals and rewards. 

Number of outlets: 69 according to a count we did on their website.

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer coconut milk, soya milk, oat milk, and almond milk. 

19. Coffea Coffee

Coffea Coffee is a specialty coffee brand that was started by GSI in Korea in 2004.

Price of Americano: RM11

Price of signature drink: Their Peanut Butter Mocha Latte RM17.50. 

Loyalty incentives: Get 10% off every purchase if you join their membership. 

Number of outlets: 13

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk. 

20. Gloria Jean’s Coffees

Founded in 1979, Gloria Jean’s Coffees was first founded in Chicago, Illinois and grew to 600+ stores across 40 countries. 

Price of Americano: RM12.30 

Price of signature drink: Their Caramelatte is RM19.50.

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find.

Number of outlets: 44 as of January 2023.

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find. 

21. Costa Coffee

First founded in London in 1971, Costa Coffee began as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. It’s not present on most delivery platforms, though. The following prices are from foodpanda.

Price of Americano: RM12.10

Price of signature drink: Their Costa Kopi is RM19.90.

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find.

Number of outlets: 5 outlets (and more than 650 self-serve Smart Café machines) as of April 2024

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk, soy milk, and almond milk, but only at Costa Coffee retail stores (excluding airport stores).

22. 5Coffee (OFFFFive Coffee) 

Founded in China in 2020, 5Coffee is known for their distinct neon green branding. 

Price of Americano: RM11.80 

Price of signature drink: Their Iced Spanish Black Latte is RM17.80.

Loyalty incentives: None that we could find. 

Number of outlets: 7 according to their website

Food options: Yes

Vegan milk options: Yes, they offer oat milk.

Fast food and convenience stores

23. McCafé

With McDonald’s being one of the biggest brands in the world, their McCafé offerings have become quite accessible for their coffees. 

Price of Americano: RM6.90

Price of signature drink: A medium iced latte is RM8.90.

Loyalty incentives: The McDonald’s app lets you collect points in exchange for rewards.

Number of outlets: There are more than 370 McDonald’s in Malaysia 

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find.

24. Family Mart

This Japanese convenience store offers a range of hot foods and drinks. 

Price of Americano: RM6.90

Price of signature drink: A medium iced latte is RM8.90.

Loyalty incentives: The Family Mart app lets you collect points. 

Number of outlets: 360 as of May 2023.

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find.

25. CU

This Korean convenience store chain is operated by myNEWS in Malaysia. 

Price of Americano: RM7.12

Price of signature drink: A Hazelnut Iced Americano is RM13.19. 

Loyalty incentives: myREWARDS app offers points collection for myNEWS, CU, Maru Coffee, and SuperValue. 

Number of outlets: 140 as of November 2023.

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find.

26. emart24

Originally from Korea, emart24 entered Malaysia, its first overseas market, in 2021. 

Price of Americano: RM7.60

Price of signature drink: Their Butterscotch Iced Mocha is RM12.70.  

Loyalty incentives: The emart24 MY app offers exclusive rewards. 

Number of outlets: 86, according to a count we did on their website.

Food options: Yes 

Vegan milk options: None that we could find.

A chart for you 

Here’s a toggle-able chart for you to rank the above coffee chains based on varying criteria. 

We first published a comparative analysis like this one in January 2024, but since then, many newcomers have entered the scene, and some businesses have changed their pricing. 

• Read other articles we’ve written about F&B here.

Also Read: This HP smart printer proves that M’sian SMEs don’t have to break the bank for reliability

Featured Image Credit: Koppiku / Luckin Coffee / ZUS Coffee

374,000 Singaporeans earn S$10,000 per month or more. Here’s who they are and what they do.

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. All data comes from the Singapore Ministry of Manpower.

We all know the median income figures for the Singaporean population, but, like every average figure, it’s a bit meaningless for most, because it includes a broad range of people, including the elderly, the young, and those just entering the workforce or those leaving it.

Hence, let’s focus on figures that most Singaporeans would consider aspirational—a professional target in life that’s not obscenely high, but high enough that most could realistically dream of achieving them.

Like a nice, round S$10,000 per month (excluding employer’s CPF).

Nearly one in four Singaporeans makes six figures per year

Around 24% of full-time employed residents take home around S$100,000 per year. And close to one in five (18%) make S$120,000—or S$10,000 per month.

This amounts to 373,700 people, to be exact, out of the 2.067 million residents working at least 35 hours per week.

Who are they? Where do they work? How educated are they? Does entrepreneurship pay more than employment?

Let’s take a look, starting with the basics: occupation. Which industry pays the best?

Breakdown by industry

Unsurprisingly, financial services top the table, making up 23% of those earning over S$10,000 per month—but what’s even more impressive is that nearly 40% of all workers in finance make that much.

It’s nearly a 10 percentage point lead over the second most generous industry, which is IT & Communications. While relatively fewer people work in it, nearly 30% take home S$120,000+ per year.

It’s followed by Professional Services, when that ratio drops to one in four.

Public administration’s performance is notable too, with nearly one in five employees in this high-income bracket. The government pays its people well.

Breakdown by age

What about the age of these relatively high earners? Well, as expected, they reach their financial peak in their 40s, with earnings gradually going down as they approach retirement.

What’s interesting, however, is that there are over 6,000 fresh graduates in their late 20s, who have started their careers with a good six-figure pay.

Breakdown by education

As I reported last month, education pays in Singapore, with the median salary for degree holders hitting S$8,650 in 2024. And you can see this among the highest-paid full-time workers as well.

Nearly 325,000, or 87%, hold a degree, and 9% have a diploma or other professional qualifications. But there’s hope for everyone, as there are thousands of high earners without advanced education as well.

After all, you don’t need a degree if you own your own company, right?

Does entrepreneurship pay?

Yes, it does, but perhaps not quite as well as you may have thought. While a quarter of people employing others earn S$10,000 or more each month, compared to 18.5% for regular employees, the difference is just a bit over six percentage points.

The contrast becomes even more stark when you consider that there are 1.84 million employees but just 79,000 employers, meaning only less than 20,000 of them fall into this category.

So, yes, building your own business may be rewarding, but the odds that you will be better off than in a traditional career are not that much more attractive.

Meanwhile, own-account workers, like freelancers, face about two times lower chances of making good money than regular employees.

That said, those who are self-employed might not be in it for big sums but rather some extra cash for the household. Nevertheless, one in every eleven earns almost twice the national median working on their own.

I hope this breakdown helps you better understand your specific situation based on your profession, educational background and preferred career.

While national averages dominate the headlines, they aren’t as informative as industry-specific data and a more detailed performance summary of groups that share your characteristics, age and life choices.

Now you know where you stand.

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singapore’s current affairs here.

Also Read: Want to make S$10,000+ a mth in S’pore? MOM data shows it will cost you a few weeks each year.

Featured Image Credit: Shadow of light/ Shutterstock.com

Cathay Cineplexes to close its JEM outlet as landlord seeks S$4.3M in rental dues

Cathay Cineplexes will close its JEM shopping mall outlet in Jurong East today (March 27).

In its filing on the Singapore Exchange, the cinema chain’s operator, mm2 Asia, stated that the closure follows over a year of negotiations with the landlord, Lendlease Global Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust.

Cathay Cineplexes “has been actively engaging with the landlord to negotiate and resolve issues related to the continued occupation of the premises and rent arrears.”

However, Lendlease ultimately chose to terminate the lease, seeking to recover approximately S$4.3 million in rental arrears, among other costs.

When Vulcan Post checked Cathay Cineplexes’ website, no movie listings were available for its Jem outlet.

With the JEM outlet closure, Cathay Cineplexes will have four remaining outlets:

• Causeway Point,
• Downtown East,
• Century Square, and
• Clementi 321.

Over the past few years, Cathay Cineplexes has shuttered five other locations, which include its outlets at West Mall, AMK Hub, Dhoby Ghaut, Parkway Parade, and Cineleisure Orchard.

In an effort to sustain its operations, the cinema chain recently launched a voucher set, offering 10 movie tickets and 10 popcorn-and-water combos for just S$100—a significant discount from the original price of S$223.

Also Read: Filmgarde Cineplexes closes its last outlet in Singapore, exits cinema industry after 18 yrs

Featured Image Credit: Cathay Cineplexes