Living in Singapore

[Captain Kaboom]

I have this thing with AHK, still not sure about it.
What is it like to live in Singapore, the salary will be 3000 USD a month which does not impress me.
Is it possible to rent something descent (I have a wife and kid) with that kind of salary?
My understanding is that cars are rather expensive over there.
Any input about things over tere would be appreciated!

CK

[christep]

Cars are expensive, but there is no real reason to have one: public transport is excellent, and the taxis are cheap. Having siad that, USD3000 isn't a particularly high salary for Singapore. We would pay a graduate (telecoms) engineer that much after about 3 years experience.

[BlueEagle]

Capt Kaboom - I'll leave a link here but move your thread to the Far East forum as that is where the SIA and Silk Air guys post and they have an up to date measure of the current cost of living in Singapore.

For what it is worth, I left there nearly three years ago and US$3000pm is about what most of us paid in rent alone! (They may have come down a bit since then). Personally I think you would find life very hard on that kind of money, what other allowances do you get?

regards,

BlueEagle.

[CDRW]

Kaboom, If there is nothing else in you package - US$3000/mth is all in, then stay away - stay along way away. For a package that will not subsidise housing or schooling - at a guess - I would say that US$5000+ would be your opening gambit - and even with that number you would be watching the pennies. Your biggest factor - and here I assume that you are a westener (ang moh), would be your kids education. Unfortunately the international school fees have run rampant and can constitute a huge portionof your salary. However if you go with local education, then it's almost free.

Having said that, if you can get enough of a package living in Sin to me, -is great.

Good luck and let us all know how it goes.

[Dibble&Grub]

Well I can't comment on your present circumstances, but if you are even considering coming to work out of Singapore (particularly with a family) for US$3000 a month then you must be in pretty desperate straights at the moment.

Let me expand. Accommodation has come down some 20% in the past few years, but anything vaguely decent in furnished rental accommodation, as opposed to sharing a loo and a kitchen type arrangement is going to be a minimum of 2500-3000 S$ / month. Then you have the water and electricity and loo tax etc. Expect at least 200+ S$ a month for that unless you really like to sweat.

Transport - well forget anything other than a push bike on that salary. A 5 year old, badly maintained Fiat Uno costs S$35,000 at the moment and that will be worth just S$8000 in scrap value when it gets to "retirement" at 10 years old. New car - just forget it. Having said that public transport is OK providing you live near an MRT station and have a tolerance for crowds (a peak times) and body odor (at all times). Water being expensive, washing has become something of a luxury - both clothes and bodies - it would seem.

Food can be cheap if you are prepared to eat local delicacies such as rice and noodles and lots of MonoSodiumGlutamate. "Western" food has become progressively more expensive recently (and it was never that cheap to begin with) due to lower number of western ex-pats and the plummeting rate of exchange against all currencies except, unfortunately in your case, the US $. Beer is $12 a pint or $5.00+ a can. A bottle of spirits is around $70 for 750ml.

A lot of locals are surviving on less than your proposed $$5000 (US$3000) but they have various housing schemes that help them do that. These are, it goes without saying, not available to ex-pats.

Income tax is capped at 22% or so, but don't sweat that on your proposed salary you will be at the lower end. Ministers here are paid S$80K a month, but they are smart - they are in goverment.

Socially it isn't that bad. Singapore is rife with institutionalized racism but if you can handle that and all the problems it brings at work, you can manage. But you will need a while to get used to the local language. Nominally it is English, but it is a form of English unknown to any formalized dictionary. Sometimes it can be bloody hard to understand even after many years of exposure. Feigning deafness is a good ploy since not being able to understand the perfect diction of the taught Queen's English is a gross insult.

I have only given you an outline of the problems as I see them, but you may well see them differently. But if you do come here for that salary - don't say you were not warned.

Knowing what I know now I would not come to Singapore to work in any professional capacity unless I was on a rock solid S$12,000 / month + accomodation. At least on that I could save something to make up for the daily indignities.

DG

[Slasher]

C.K. I spent 2 years in SIN and 3000 US$ p.m. net wont cut it. Even if you somehow wangled a cheap H.D.B. flat in Tampenis (and 99.99% chance are you wont), youll still go broke on utiliteys. Elect is the most expensive, and if the fam expects aircon 24/7 youll end up takin out loans.

Theres no P.F. for expats anymore and as D&G said there are housing schemes but only for locals. Certain tax breaks are only for locals too.

Id have a serius bloodey talk to A.H.K. before puttin pen to paper.

[Captain Kaboom]

Amazing , all the response and so fast!, Thanks gentleman/ladies.
Well, pretty much against it then, kind of what I thought.

At the moment I am a captain for a fortune 500 company (corporate), six figure income and a truly nice car from the company and so.
I am 32 and always wanted to fly airlines and thought this might have been something for me, not so sure about it though.

On the other side, right now I do have a stable job (in those troubled times) and fly brand new airplanes to interessting destinations.

Many thanks CK

[Schrodingers Cat]

Oh, I didn't realize NetJets paid so well.....especially at 32!..:D := :D

[Foreign Worker]

Would I be correct in assuming that you are looking at the First Officer position with Air Hong Kong, Captain Kaboom?

From the material I have seen, signed by Ron Davies, it would appear to me that the money, even for a "Senior Captain", falls well short of what an expatriate from a developed Western country would need, to lead any semblance of the life he has in his own country.
Having said that, it may well suit some Singaporeans, Malaysians, or other Asians. This is in NO way meant to be construed as a racist comment, but merely a factual observation that the Republic of Singapore is an Asian country, with a majority of the population being Chinese, and a lesser mix of Indians and Malays and other races.

On the AHK topic, the information offered is EXTREMELY evasive and non-specific, eg. in terms of basic salary, medical coverage, overtime rates, basic monthly hours, minimum days off.
Additionally, there is 3 year bond, in spite of the fact that you are on a reduced salary from the beginning.
"Fools rush in..."

[Red Hot Chili Pepper]

A lot of the MI guys (from Oz) were living in new, unfurnished apartments for about 1700 SG or furnished for about 2000 SG - East Coast. Pool, Gym etc. Thats about 1000 - 1200 USD. Now, 3000 USD (5000 SG) would get you a penthouse in some places.

There are hundreds of empty units in East Coast alone so prices will stay low for a while.

Transport in SIN is much cheaper than oz or the US. But dont buy a car. And as others have said,dont expect to educate children either.

A lot of guys in Oz are quite interested in DHL - better than driving 146's around the gaffa.

[Ivan Urge]

So it may well be of interest for those from Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and (shock horror) Australia.

A sad indictment indeed. :*

Does Mr RD have his accomodation paid for in SIN and his kids educated at the company expense? I wonder. Once upon a time an expat meant just that.

[Foreign Worker]

The Red Hot Chili Pepper is quite correct.

On current exchange rates, which see the SIN dollar falling in sympathy with the USD, one would need to spend $1,200 of his/her $3.000 - or 40% - on rent.
IF one netted $3,000.
The REALITY is, the salary that Air Hong Kong pays is US40k p.a..
On a post (22% flat rate) tax payout, that works out at US31,200 - US2,400 per month (on a 13 month salary..which is what Singapore works on.)

As those who have worked in Singapore are WELL aware, Singapore employers work on a 12 months + 1 bonus month to one year. In other words, a 13 month year (because 4 weeks = 1 month, and there are 52 weeks in 1 year!)

Thus the US31,200 p.a. equates to a neat US2,400 per month - which after paying your landlord almost half in rent, will leave you just over $1,000 per month for water, electricity, food, transport, entertainment, medical expenses, etc.

Singaporeans may find this a reasonable deal, as I believe Air Hong Kong would likely additionally have to contribute to the compulsory pension scheme.

As I wrote in my previous observation, Mr Davies is EXTREMELY (intentionally?) vague with conditions offered. Allow mw to quote some examples (my highlighting).

For example an 8-day pattern could attract an additional payment of approximately US$400.00andPilots will be entitled 28 days annual leave. They are also entitled to sick leave, maternity leave and compassionate leaveThe precise amount not nominated.The Company will provide medical insurance cover to the employee, spouse and dependent children in accordance with Company Policy.

[jtr]

in accordance with Company policy which may be changed at the companies discretion

[Captain Kaboom]

Yes, this was for a FO position, I do have globalwide intercontinental (EFIS/FMS) jet PIC experience but the rocketship I fly is not real heavy, which airlines find important.
I cancelled the interview, big airplanes would appeal to me, but I can't afford this.
And no, I am not with Netjets.

Thanks for all the input, made the decision easy.

CK