Cost of living in Singapore

[XIVIL4DEP]

Can anyone enlighten me as to what it costs to live in Singapore as an expat Captain ? I've heard that the rents have gone thru the roof in Singapore recently.

For example if an average take home package of SGD 13,500-14,000 pm is being offered, is that sufficient to live well these days ? Will there be any savings at the end of the month ?

Also, does anybody know how much domestic help & kindergarten school costs these days ? And also Condominium rentals pm in an area like say East Coast ?

Please pm me if any has some details on the cost of living for an expat Captain in WSSS !

Cheers

[BANANASBANANAS]

Property rentals have skyrocketed and show little sign of slowing down.

Check out http://www.ura.gov.sg/real_estate/main.jsp for a full breakdown of the property market.

2 years ago a small (1324 sq ft) 3 bed condo in East Coast rented at $3400 pcm. Now its closer to $7000 pcm. Cheaper deals can be found as you travel out to the west or towards Woodlands but you can find yourself very isolated with little in the way of expat facilities nearby.

I can't comment from experience on the cost of education but I do know that it is becoming more and more of an issue for many of my colleagues.

Otherwise, Singapore is a great place to live but it ain't cheap.:ok:

[Metro man]

Depending on the school, S$1500-3000/month per child for private secondary education. S$500-1500 for private kindergarten. Local equivalents much cheaper

S$3500/month will get you somewhere nice to live but it won't be in the usual expat areas. For Changi Airport look at Loyang, Simei or Pasir Ris.

For domestic help S$350 + S$265 foreign worker levy + food etc. S$1000/month

Basically on the take home figures given you can have a very good "local" lifestyle and save money. You will live right up to your income and beyond if you live like an expat with a condo in town, a car and two teenagers in the International school.

[pacificgypsy]

You may find the following site useful ....http://www.singaporeexpats.com/

[ecureilx]

The rentals are sky high depending upon the place and environment you want to live.

Closer to the airport there are excellent apartments / condos going for less than S$3K per month, where is City area condos go for more than S$20K per month ..

Same for other expenses. Like owning a car. While a car like Toyota 1.6 cost about USD 40K and road use charges can run upto 10 dollar plus per trip if you head to city during weekday, and so and so.

Take a look at http://www.contactsingapore.com.sg/ which is more informative and looks at the 'lower cost' of living in Singapore and is a government sponsored site.

[340flyer]

so if you were earning 14000 per month how much would be ledt if you have 2 kids in school and wanted to live in a nice area in town, how much can you save.

[kk pilot]

none

S$30k/yr (+) - 8th grade, SAS (one child)
S$7500/mo - rent, util.,phone, etc.
S$2000/mo tax (Singapore)

good lifestyle but it's an adventure, not a place to save significantly

[Dani]

It all depends on your lifestyle.

As mentioned above, if you can send your children in a local school, live near the airport, you spend more than half of your money.

Dani

[ssangyongs]

any suggestions? can a foreigner like me rent a place in HDB flats?

[XIVIL4DEP]

Hey Dani,

Sounds like you live & work there. How are the rentals near Changi ? For a 3 bed condo ? Also, if you send your kids to local schools can you improve your savings ? Do you have a car in Singapore ?

Cheers,

[SnowPanda]

I've only just moved to Singapore in the last year, and living close to the airport (Bedok Area), within walking distance to a MRT and bus station is invaluable for me. From my station to the airport takes 10-15 minutes max on the MRT, and taxis still only $10-12 including booking fee if you dont want to catch the MRT. Its approximately 30min on the MRT to the city.

Its also almost equal distance and very quick to get on both the ECP and PIE if travelling by taxi, and a $5-7 cab ride to places like Siglap and East Coast. Theres hawkers almost everywhere, but having a few close by makes life much easier. Rent in this area seems to be about $3,500 for a 3 bedroom unit at the moment from the places i've heard about.

Unfortunately I can't provide any information on schools, or car costs athough taxi drivers i've spoken to have said the tax you pay on cars can often reach 200% on the cost of the car when it arrives at the dock. Again, exactly how accurate this is, i'm not sure. As for domestic help, I have a cleaning lady who comes once a week and for $30 does 3 hours work and gets done in that time what would take most people all day. Not sure about live in maids.

As mentioned earlier Singapore is a VERY expensive place to live if choose not to adapt any of the 'local' aspects, (ie sometimes eating at hawkers, taking public transport, not living in typical 'expat' areas).

Hope some of this helps.

[XIVIL4DEP]

Snowpanda,

Thanks a lot for the info ! Very helpful

Cheers,

Xivil4Dep:D

[Dani]

well, it depends. SIN has had an enormous cost explosion behind it, but that's only because it was so cheap during the years after the crisis. All in all, it's still comparable to other mega cities on this continent.

If you look closely, you can still get good 3 bedroom apartments for 2500 in Changi, Pasir Ris or Loyang. Very close to the airport.

I lived 3 years in SIN and had my privat car (Toyota Corolla 1.5). I paid about 600$/month for the loan. If I travelled twice per day with a taxi for 10$, I had my car already paid. When I went to town I used my car more than twice per day, if you travel from point to point. It's relatively easy to buy a car (go to Car Supermarket in Eunos), and they have become considerably cheaper (from 45 000$), although still a fortune...

Dani