Chili crabs are arguably one of the most sought after dishes in Singapore, both by locals and visitors alike. Its tangy, slightly spicy marine infused sauce over plump crabs is irresistible and mouth watering.

Chili crabs represent a significant part of Singaporean cuisine, and it is both a comforting and familiar dish, as well as holding a touch of luxury. 

No matter where you live in Singapore, you’ll definitely develop that occasional craving for the iconic chili crab. However, you also want the best value for your money and want to avoid being ripped off.

Here, we’ve compiled some of the prices of chili crabs from well respected restaurants all over Singapore. 

Premium Restaurants

JUMBO Seafood ( $83-$185)

JUMBO Seafood is a chain of restaurants with six branches around SIngapore. They have been in operation since 1987 and have since won numerous awards over the years, including the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence in 2017 and Singapore Tatler’s Best of Singapore 2018. 

Currently, they sell their Sri Lankan mud crabs according to weight. Each crab set consists of two crabs, and the lightest crabs available are in the 800g range. Two of these can be had for $83. The heaviest are 1.6kg and cost $185 for two. 

You can then choose how you want the crabs to be cooked, one of which is JUMBO’s award-winning chili crab. 

Website: https://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/en/home

No Signboard Seafood ( $96.30 – $553.73)

No Signboard Seafood had its humble beginnings in the 1970s at Mattar Road Hawker Centre. Now it operates five classy restaurants all over Singapore. At No Signboard, you’ll find a wider variety of crabs to choose from. All of the crabs here are sold according to their weight range. 

Mud crabs range from $96.30 to $179.76 here, with the lightest crabs weighing 800-900grams whereas the heaviest will weigh about 1.4kg. 

Apart from mud crabs, there are also Dungeness Crabs, Snow Crabs and Alaskan King Crabs. The Dungeness crabs cost $136.96 for about 1 kg, whilst Snow Crabs cost $283.02-$332.24. 

The most valuable crabs here are the Alaskan King Crabs that start from $430.68 to $553.73. To be fair, these crabs are much larger and have more juicy claws too. They’re so large they can weigh up to 2.3kg. 

The availability of crabs apart from the usual Mud Crabs depends on the season and various circumstances, so don’t be too disappointed if you can’t find the crabs you want on the menu. 

Interestingly, if you’re on a tight budget and eating alone, No Signboard Seafood lets you buy a crab claw with Mantou set for $12.84.

Website: https://www.nosignboardholdings.com/

Mid-Range Restaurants

Mellben Seafood ($73-$91)

Mellben Seafood operates out of Ang Mo Kio and started as a family business in the 1970s. They now operate several branches all over Singapore, with a semi open-air setting for an authentic and rustic culinary experience. 

Listed as one of Singapore’s ‘Michelin Plate’ recommended restaurants, Melben is well known for both their Chili Crabs and Bee Hoon crabs.

Their crabs are sold by weight, starting from 800g to about 1kg and carry price tags starting from $73 to $91. You can order them with a side of Mantou and soup too. 

Website: https://melbenseafood.sg/

Source: Melben Seafood

Budget Friendly

8 Crabs ( $45.90 – $228)

8 Crabs is an online seafood restaurant that does deliveries, and they’re able to deliver island-wide within one hour of your order. This is extremely convenient, especially if you have a last minute craving or have a last minute change of plans.

8 Crabs serves the juiciest freshly caught Sri Lankan mud crabs with large pincers. They come directly from the waters of Sri Lanka and India daily, and couriered directly to Singapore which takes 4 hours. The crabs are then cooked within 2.5 hours after their arrival, and delivered directly to you. 

At 8 Crabs, the crabs are caught from the wild and not farmed, meaning that they have less harmful chemicals and are free from any ammonia smell. 

8 Crabs is also very transparent about pricing, and you’re given the option to choose the size of crabs you want for your chili crabs, starting from $45.90 per piece. 

You can also have your chili crabs as part of value combos for 3-6 pax, starting from $119. These combo sets pair your mouth-watering crabs with Yang Zhou fried rice, Kangkong, a chicken dish and a fish dish, among other options. 

Website: https://www.8crabs.com/shop/

Momma Kong’s ($58)

This humble eatery in Mosque Street serves up some familiar Tze Char dishes that all Singaporeans are familiar with. Here, they also have a large selection of crab dishes, including the iconic chili crab. 

All crab dishes here are priced at a flat rate of $58 per piece. However, the crabs here all come in one standard size, which is 650grams. This is definitely smaller than what most of the premium restaurants are offering. 

However, it’s a good choice for those who want more affordable options. Apart from red chili crab, you can also enjoy many other crab flavors here including Black Pepper Crab, Butter Crab and Salted egg yolk crab.

They have meal packages for 2 and 4 pax, where you can pair your chili crabs with fried rice, vegetables, chicken and more. 

Website: https://www.mommakongs.com/

Singapore has many other places that serve great chili crabs, and every outlet has its own signature style and taste. This price guide can help you know what to expect when ordering your favorite crabs.

The main thing is to find and patronize places that are transparent about their crab prices and sizes, so you know you can trust them in other aspects too.