Sinapore Cost of Living
 

I was after some info on the cost of living in Sinapore. Ie Rental prices, taxation system, road, transportation costs. Any info appreciated.

Singapore COL
 

I just came back last month after an interview with SIA for a 777 instructor's job. I have retired from a major in the States and am beyond their cockpit age. My wife and I were very pleased with the accomodations we saw. Lots of ex-pats and they advertise and give lots of advice on the web. Do a 'Google' search for Singapore furnished rentals and you will get an idea. Are you going to be a cockpit crew member or a retired instructor? Are you inquring of SIA? There are 2 different Housing Allowances with the line pilots getting quite a lot more. Ex-pat instructors have a S$2,000/mo perk which in my case will easily cover a nice 2 bedroom place in a nice area plus all my living expenses for the month. Really. Taxes are roughly 12% and the direct responsibility of the wage earner. No withholding. Have you been lately? Changes afoot at SIA with a new contract being forced down their throats. Not pleasant but my airline is trying to go after my retirement pension after 35 years so I will need the job.

Good luck.

anji

So you reckon you can get a nice 2 Bedroom (furnished??) for S $2000 per month including all living expenses:confused:

Where exactly?? I think if you look a little more carefully into this then that is not the case. Sure rents have come down a lot since the peak of 1996.

Tax in Singapore $16600 on the first $160,000 of salary then 19% on the next $160,000

S100,000 for a Minicar new including COE

""Ex-pat instructors have a S$2,000/mo perk which in my case will easily cover a nice 2 bedroom place in a nice area plus all my living expenses for the month.""

As you are from the States maybe you are not aware that there are no Trailer Parks in Singapore.

Where do you intend to live and how do you intend to comfortably survive on $2000 a month? Many here would like to know.

Singapore Airlines First Officers earning $5000 are struggling at present. Some have even resorted to shop lifting.

If you are accepted do not expect a warm welcome or any welcome at all.

Singapore rents
 

Hello Jet-Lagged,

As a matter of fact, 2 bedroom furnished for $1500 is the standard for the East Coast Marine Parade area. Specifically, the Bayshore and the Bayshore Park. Loaded with pilots. I would not ever consider trying to get a car. Taxis are everywhere, at any time. 15 min. to the SIA Training Centre. Rents are even cheaper right across the street from the Centre, $1300 a month, nicely furnished 3 bedroom! I would not want to live so close to work.

About a chilly reception....I am a retired captain already. I have spoken with my SALPA contacts and grilled management about the status of sim instructors. Both assure me the neutrality of the instructor ranks. I have been a strong ALPA member for 35 years and went on strike to maintain our profession. I have no intention of 'taking anyone's job'. Matter of fact, if the flex wage goes through more pilots will be heading for China Arilines as they begin their 777 program plus keep their 400's. In other words, no other retired SIA pilots wanted to instruct at this time.

I know all about the turmoil and the heavy handed actions of the gov't. But SIA has not been singled out for the flex wage scheme. All of Singapore has. At any rate, the issue is now in the courts and that means that the gov't will get what they want. Pretty much the same as the US right now....

Cheers,

AnjinGone
(a.k.a. 'pilot' 'retired')

I do not know why I have this impression that some of the people writing on this posting, work for the recruit department.

Two-bedroom apartment, nicely decorated for U$ 1.500,00?

Income taxes only up to 12%, going on strike ?

Nice joke. :p

Even your annual privilege and ID tickets, school allowances, transportation allowances, everything it will be included on your earnings!

Without mentioning the cost of food .

Unfortunately, for some who will fall on this information, it will be too late when they discover reality.:}


Mercurius

COA Again...
 

Hello Captain Mercurius and Jet-lagged,

First to dispel an impression that you both have. I live in Canada, worked in the US, OK...eh? But we do have trailer parks in Canada, at any rate. Not to brag, but I have been fortunate not to have needed to experience trailer parks during my career. On the other hand, I do not require a lavish lifestyle. What I was shown was most comfortable, safe and adequate.

I was shown 10 apartments on our preview tour last month. I saw 6 in the Bayshore and Bayshore Park complex. Adequately furnished, 2 bedroom units. Some even faced the water at Marine Parade, which would have had more noise. Not for me. But I am telling you the truth...S$1500 ( not US$1500) is now the standard in the area. Changi Green, right across from the Centre, as I posted is, S$1300 a month (3 bedroom furnished) where one of my friends, an instructor pilot, lives.

As you are obviously from SIA, pls remember that experienced retired non-SIA ex-pat captain instructors make a fraction of what line captains and co-pilots make. Lastly, I have the unique privilege of using my retired airline passes and will do so, rather than SIA passes. No children for schooling allowances. So, that combined statement means an instructor's low income requires a 12% tax rate. My friend showed me his tax bill from last year. I have grown children and no ex-wives to support. I have no intention of hanging around Orchard Road for my jolleys and being half Asian, I love the local food and can eat very inexpensively.

I am very empathetic with the SIA pilots and their situation. In North America, the lifestyle of a pilot has nosedived. I have encouraged my sons to seek a career somewhere else. As I mentioned, one of my friends is in the the leadership group of SALPA. He keeps me informed and I have full sympathy for what they are going through. But captain instructors are neither management nor union, though as mentioned in the previous post, I have been a strong ALPA man for 35 years. Lastly, again for Jet-lagged, I am taking no one's job, bumping no one's advancement. I know morale sucks (don't know about pilot morals...same the world over!) at this time. Feeling powerless and harrassed is no fun. Which is why I guess so many have muttered that they are out of there if the flex wage goes through. Tiger looking for pilots from India because the Ryanair bosses don't want to pay? Yes, I agree, the aviation world for pilots is on the reverse pendulum. I witnessed that while at my old airline which now wants my pension reduced drastically or terminated ala USAir where their pensions disappeared and were thrown to the wolves at the gov't agency.

Enough words...this way too long. Yes it all stinks. What are you going to do? Find new work somewhere in the world, Captain M.?

My best regards to you,

AnjinGone

Anjingone

You completely miss the point. You would not be welcome here as a "Foreigner" but being half Asian you may be lucky and receive a half hearted welcome. It has absolutely nothing to do with the assumption you make of taking a job from someone else.

What can I say...those of us who do have actual experience of working and living in Singapore will just have to resign ourselves to the fact that you are more in touch with the Singapore rental market and other issues concerning the cost of living here.

ALPA membershp or membership of any other organisation brings little or no recognition here. Our own ALPA-S is a token organisation in the grip of the government.

I hope you will have the chance to converse with some of the Canadian line pilots here who have already formed a queue to leave as soon as possible.

If you do get in then good luck, but I'd be very surprised especially if you are holding an FAA ATPL license which is very poorly regarded here as elsewhere.

Hi Lagged,

Pls understand that I empathize with your low morale. I am well informed about the lousy circumstances you are working under. I have heard from several of my line pilot friends that they indeed will try for Emirates or China Airlines ASAP if the flex wage scheme goes through. I know that some management pilots have already begun a run for the door. The 777 manager to be exact is now in Taipei. But pls remember I am no longer able to be a line captain. I am over the age limit and plan to be a mere, lowly sim instructor. I'm sorry to hear that you have had a less than fun time, perceived as an intruding ex-pat. That is not right but that locals attitude seems to be endemic in the Asian cultures. So maybe half of me will get along and the other half will be paranoid. We'll find out when I get out on the soccer pitch for the friendly pick up games!

Truthfully, if my pension holds, then I won't have to go. But wishful thinking will not make it happen alone, so we all must plan for eventualities. I have spent a fair amount of my life in Singapore and Hong Kong and I agree with you. It is difficult to be a kwai-low. The polyglot Singapore is meant for all but Caucasians, I will agree with you.

As for my fellow Canucks, I feel for them. They can't come yet. The jobs here are evaporating as the vulture funds bring their money to help refloat Air Canada.

I hope you are able to keep your spirits up. All I can say is that it is worse in other parts of the world, believe me. Captain Ryan might not agree but at least he's not in jail like in the '80's.

Cheers...anjin

Good luck. I'm off the net for the time being.

anjingone

I take my hat off to you for being so undertanding. I apologise for the rant and rave but no matter how hard the majority of us try this place tends to get you down eventually.

I do hope your pension troubles are resolved but if not then I and the other Canucks here will look forward to meeting up with you both in and outside of the Sim.

You are right we cannot wait to return home.

Dear Anjingone

At no moment I criticized you for taking someone’s job or else.

In fact, my words, and from several others on this posting are to warn you, and let you know how things are in Singapore.

Many people tried, and tried hard, but they ended being dragged down by this place.

However, it seems that you are already knowledgeable about Singapore.

Since you have mentioned about pilots association, please try to learn about what the government did to Capt’s RYAN GOH life.


I just hope that your retirement problems will be solved.

Good luck


Mercurius

Hi Guys...

Firstly Anjin san is a Japanese term. Are we out of the area here.?? Never mind.
Flat prices have come wayyyyyyy down, and the area referred to earlier, which is Bayshore Park and Bayshore is perfectly adequate and not at all scruffy In fact, Pools )Several) Squash, Tennis, Gym, Supermarket, restaurant etc seems OK to me. As far as transport is concerned..... If you want to buy a car, as I did, you pay big biccies, BUT you sell it on the same market, otherwise, Busses (Right outisde Bayshore) are adequate as is the MRT system. Taxis good and cheap too.
You are not in Singapore too much anyway.
Also, why eat in. Hawker stalls and Beer and Food Gardens, good, noursidhing and cheap, and pleantly of them too, with lots of european stuuf as well.
Apart from the thought Police (never a problem when I lived there except to piss you off somewhat) the City is clean, crime free, and a good place to live. Cost of living, quite high, especially if you are a wine and beer drinker, but since I came back to the UK I found that it wasn't so bad after all.
You can always let someone else talk you out of taking a job, but take and ID90 and get down there with your wife for a week and find out......it aint so bad.
Go for it.

Hello Severely,


>>If you do get in then good luck, but I'd be very surprised especially if you are holding an FAA ATPL license which is very poorly regarded here as elsewhere.<<

What an obnoxious statement. Why don't you back off and let this Canadian pilot persue his job in peace. Or perhaps he should get some flying lessons from the Singapore crew that draged the tail of that 400 down the runway at AKL recently. Where were they licensed?

Pilots are pilots. Period. Determining a driftdown point with a sliderule really does not impress me. My family goes on the jet that is commanded by the pilot that has the experience that warrants the four stripes. Not some wonderboy trained robot with a Phd. No matter where they are originally licensed. Get a grip and grow up. Your lucky to get this Captain and his experience. You need it.

Snork Out

Mr Stork

If you find it obnoxious then take it up with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Singapore Airlines and the other Authorities and Airlines that do not highly regard FAA licences. That is their view and not necessarily mine so get your facts right first.

If you'd read the posts properly the first time you'd see I'm a Canuck too and my intentions were only to prevent a fellow countryman from repeating my mistakes. I may have written with too much emotion and I apologised for that but its how the vast majority of Canadians here feel.

Severly Jetlagged,

I have been at SIA for a number of years. I guess I'd like to ask you to back up your statement about an FAA license. I have one, or used to, now it's a CAAS issued one. But, I have never heard any comments about a FAA license.

If you have any proof, send me a private email or better yet, post it in this thread. Otherwise, I guess I don't feel your comments are really relevant.:ok:

Severely Jetlagged

What a load of codswollop re FAA Licence for CAAS.

This subject is supposed to be about the cost of living in Singapore!! However

There are not many "Yanks" in SQ for the simple reason that they have a reputation for having " opinions" which does not go down well in the "Control Freak" syndrome that is prevalent in SQ. Several are based in LAX.

"Canuck" Aviation seems to be in desperate straits hence desperate people join SQ with nowhere else to go and they sensibly keep a low profile within SQ but complain amongst themselves!!

Lets see now....how many direct entry FAA licensed Second Officers have they employed or First Officers without heavy experience? I can't think of any.

The only FAA licensed pilots they employ come with a lot of experience and are for Captains positions only.

Phil Squares go to STC or the CAAS and check. Try an example of an FAA ATPL holder with say Lear time and see if SIA would employ him as a direct entry Second Officer or even First Officer maybe on SIA cargo. I hope you'll post a retraction here when you receive your reply.

Why do SIA cadets not train for an FAA ATPL license even in Australia? Again ask the CAAS because I have.

You have all these furloughed FAA licensed First Officers in the US then why did SIA choose to to take the excess from SAS instead.

It appears such a subject has touched some nerves or egos. I hold an FAA ATPL too but would not have been employed on the basis of it so I had first hand experience.

As Millerscourt said this is about living in Singapore so back to the subject at hand,.

Severely Jetlagged

Still off subject but any Pilot considering joining SQ as a F/O would need "sectioning" The deal with SAS is because it is a Star Alliance member and only temporary as they can return to SAS with their seniority intact .

SQ are now looking to India for F/O's because the pay is not enough to attract those from the First World hence no Yanks QED,nothing to do with FAA Licence.

The reason cadets in OZ do not get a FAA Licence is simply because Singapore is an ex UK Colony and follows the general UK/OZ Licensing setup through CAAS.

On topic Singapore is an expensive place to live compared to India . Rents have come down considerably since the peak of 1996 and so has Income Tax but the Collapse of the Singapore Dollar far outways those advantages. Not sure how it has performed against the Rupee.

Severly jetlagged,

I do in fact know of several people who have been hired into SQ without time on a heavy and who hold a FAA ATPL with a type rating and experience on commercial aircraft.

You asked about training in OZ vs. the US. Simple...$$$. Why is lear training being done in OZ now vs. SIN? Again $$$.

As far as publishing a retraction, I guess I'm puzzled as to what I have to retract.

Back on the subject, cost of living in Singapore. Rents have come down. I just moved from a mid-town location to another mid-town location (Orchard Road Area) and my rent went down by S$1000/mo. However, the rents are again creeping up. Utilities average around S$400/mo for electric, S$20/mo for gas. No car so I don't have to worry about that. If you like to party, than be prepared for a shock. Alcohol is quite expensive here in Singapore. So, if you're so inclined, buy something in duty free every trip. As long as you're out more than 48 hours, there is no problem.

:ok:

Expensive alcohol! You guys need to get out of your Sheratons and swanky Peranaken gin palaces!
Sheeesh,get down to the "Mitre" on Kiliney Road,(look carefully-just past Lloyds Rd on the left)wipe the roaches of the bar and enjoy a cold one with the pirates,cut-throats, hookers and oilfield trash.
Pleeeeze don't tell me it's burned down!!