Matcha mania hits Singapore as retail prices soar
The modern spread of matcha
Matcha first entered Singapore’s mainstream food and beverage industry (F&B) in the 2010s via cafes, travel culture, and online trends, and gained popularity around 2018 to 2019. Tiktok also helped to make it popular, with search terms like “matcha cafes” and “DIY Matcha”.
% Increase in matcha search interest
Tiktok likes
The performative trend that started in 2025 involves young Gen-Z males drinking matcha and listening to trendy artists like Clairo to impress girls.
Most of the imported green tea for wholesale is distributed in Singapore. The city-state imported US$3.98 million in unfermented green tea (in packages above 3 kg in weight), and exported only US$657,000 worth of the product in 2023, according to trade platform the Observatory of Economic Complexity. While most recent data was not available, in 2023 Singapore imported most of its wholesale green tea from China (US$1.23 million), Taiwan (US$1.12 million) and Japan ($599,000), according to The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).
Singapore matcha search interest
Types of tea usually drunk
Matcha drinkers willing to pay a premium for high-quality ceremonial grade matcha
Green tea (matcha, sencha) ranked the highest, at 67% for survey respondents who named it as their top drink.
But matcha drinkers are willing to pay up to S$10 for premium, high-quality ceremonial-grade matcha, signifying how the increase in pricing has affected Singaporeans’ consumption of this beverage.
Singapore’s consumption of matcha took off, thanks to Instagrammable cafes, travel to Japan and wellness trends. But post-pandemic a new wave emerged: DIY Matcha culture. Entrepreneurs began turning their homes into mini cafes, and TikTok exploded with matcha recipes, starter kits and slow morning rituals.
Former Les Amis sous chef Chia Jin Fang founded The Noob Coffee, running it out of her HDB flat. With an investment of S$7,000, she now pulls in around S$2,000 a week, serving about 100 drinks on weekdays and 200 on weekends, including matcha-based drinks like Earl Grey matcha (S$6) and strawberry yogurt matcha (S$6.50)
E-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Lazada have also seen a surge in interest in DIY matcha kits, bamboo whisks and starter packs since 2020.
Search interest in matcha has been growing in Singapore over the last five years, and spiked particularly in 2025.
Major exporters of matcha to Singapore in 2023
With Tiktok boosting the popularity of Matcha drinks, prices have increased across the board, from mass-market retail F&B stores such as Starbucks to more niche cafes such as Hvala and Tsujiri.
Matcha drink prices by store
Rise of DIY Matcha
The growing demand for matcha could lead to a rise in lower-grade matcha. “Up until (before or after) spring, the really high-quality matcha went out of stock in Japan. There's several layers to matcha grades, and the higher the matcha grade, the scarcer it is, because matcha-makers take only one portion, a small portion, of the tencha and make the matcha based on that. So it's really hard to get really quality matcha,” Tealife founder Ishii said.
He also warned of a rise in counterfeit products online. A brand from Japan that his store carries, for instance, has popped up online. The product looks exactly the same but it is from China, he said.
Matcha bamboo whisk sales forecast (%)
Matcha price hikes have hit Singapore consumers as Kyoto heatwaves erode farm yields and demand from the younger generation rises. Retail prices in local cafes have risen, in some cases by 25 per cent between 2020 and 2025 driving consumers to turn to cheaper options such as DIY kits, home cafes, and alternative sources.
Retail stores have also faced stock shortages, particularly for
higher-grade matcha, a finely ground powder of green tea, which has led to higher costs, part of which businesses have had to absorb.
“A 50 per cent increase (in selling price) would be on the lower side, and the maximum for me would be 100 per cent,” Yuki Ishii, founder of retail e-commerce site Tealife, told The Business Times.
However, for the products that did double in price, the cost increase was actually much higher, which affected the firm’s profit margin, he said.
“It’s already hit a peak last year in terms of demand, and it’s been quite high ever since… Many of the products have stabilised because prices have increased significantly, I think,” he said. “But on the other hand, we do have products that we can’t get either. For example, there’s a certain product called Wakatake that is out of stock until January.”
Tiktok Singapore performative
male contest
Tiktok likes
350
Source: oec.world, starbucks, eatbook.sg, greatdeals.com.sg, danielfooddiary, pistachiopicks, ladyironchef, datainsightsmarket
Graphics and illustration: iffah syahzani