Campus Dining Dilemma: A Price Comparison of Taylor’s University and other University Food Options

Taylor's University Lakeside Campus Syopz Mall Side View

Do you recall the sense of awe you experienced when you first set foot onTaylor's University Lakeside Campus? Compared to other universities, our campus boasts modern landscapes, architectural designs, and the presence of many renowned restaurant chains, such as A&W, Subway and Starbucks Coffee which has made students from other local universities envious of us.

Despite that, have the students who spent some time here started to find the prices of food on campus hard to digest? Are they beginning to feel that the campus food prices are a bit too steep? To explore this, we decided to visit two other universities for a comparison of food prices and options.

Let's start with our own campus's food prices. Apart from the eateries in Block D & E, the prices of food in other campus restaurants or stalls are not significantly lower just because they are on campus. Some of the restaurant chains’ prices are also consistent with those at their other outlets. Students or staff looking to have a meal, including food and drinks, will need to spend around RM15-RM20 on campus.

Cafeteria at Block E

As for the nearest public university, which is University of Malaya (UM), the food prices are much lower and there is a wide variety to choose from. Lee Ying, currently pursuing a Master's in Strength & Conditioning at UM, mentioned that each residential building and faculty at UM has its own cafeteria.

The food sold at these eateries is generally priced at RM10 or less. For instance, a meal with rice, a vegetable dish, a meat dish, and a beverage at a mixed rice stall usually doesn't exceed RM10. Even the food price of franchise kind restaurants is also very reasonable, which is below RM 20. Lee says that this is UM's most expensive food.

Lee Ying also pointed out that most of the campus restaurants receive subsidies, which is likely why prices are controlled. I believe she is referring to the Menu Rahmah program, in line with the government's call, where a decent meal doesn't cost more than RM5.

Of course, UM students do occasionally drive to nearby Seksyen 17 and Jaya One for meals, but the prices in these areas are higher than on campus, so Lee Ying generally opts to dine on campus.

“During my Master, sometime I will go back to campus to eat, because it is cheap, and you can actually get a nasi kukus with rice and chicken, the chicken is also quite big, around 5 Ringgit only.” Lee said.

One of the cafeteria in University Malaya (Photo Source: UMMC)

Now, let's talk about the food prices at one of the nearest private universities to us, Sunway University. After visiting the campus and nearby shops, we found that there are restaurants both in the College and University areas of the campus, each with its own food court. Meals, which include rice, start at RM9, while prices for dishes like chee cheong fun are calculated by quantity, and the most expensive food in Sunway Uni is Nasi Kandar. Off-campus, there are over ten restaurants within walking distance, with prices ranging from economical to expensive.

Edmund Teoh, who recently graduated from Sunway University, shared that the campus eateries offer limited choices, and the food is not cheap, with average taste. Hence, he and his friends often go to restaurants near the campus. According to him, a meal at nearby restaurants or food courts costs around RM6.

"I love to choose outside restaurant near our school as I do not like the food very much in Sunway university as it has less choices and not that tasty ." Edmund said.

Taylor's University Lakeside Campus Syopz Mall View

Compared to these two universities, why are the food prices at Taylor's University Lakeside Campus so high? Apart from the branding effect, I believe it is related to the rent. After visiting several eateries, the owners were unwilling to disclose their rent to us. However, based on data from the renowned property website iProperty, the monthly rent for stalls can reach up to RM8,400.

If students or staff at our university want to enjoy a more diverse or affordable meal, they can only order takeaway or prepare their own meals. Of course, there are local eateries near our campus, but we would need to drive there. According to Google Maps, it's a 5 km drive, but if you choose to walk, it is only 1.5 km. However, if you want to walk through the side gate, you must apply for an access card from the university and pay a RM100 deposit. I believe this is why our university's students would rather wait in line for the expensive food on campus than venture outside of campus.